in the field
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A competitor for a prize. A term in horse-racing, as, "So-and-so was in the field." Also in war, as, "the French were in the field already.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Examples
The farmer scattered the wheat seeds in the field.Người nông dân rải hạt giống lúa mì xuống ruộng.
The farmer scattered the wheat seeds in the field.Người nông dân đã rải hạt giống lúa mì xuống ruộng.
Tatoeba sentence #1543165 (CC BY 2.0 FR, tatoeba.org, retrieved 2026-07-31)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “in the field” mean?
A competitor for a prize. A term in horse-racing, as, "So-and-so was in the field." Also in war, as, "the French were in the field already.
Is “in the field” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.