fixture

noun

fix·​ture ˈfiks-chər How to pronounce fixture (audio)
1
: the act or process of fixing : the state of being fixed
2
a
: something that is fixed or attached (as to a building) as a permanent appendage or as a structural part
a plumbing fixture
b
: a device for supporting work during machining
c
: an item of movable property so incorporated into real property that it may be regarded as legally a part of it
3
: a familiar or invariably present element or feature in some particular setting
especially : a person long associated with a place or activity
4
: a settled date or time especially for a sporting or festive event
also : such an event especially as a regularly scheduled affair

Examples of fixture in a Sentence

He's been a fixture in the parade for many years. She hopes the new educational program will become a permanent fixture at the zoo.
Recent Examples on the Web The settlement would do away with a 6 percent sales commission as a default, a longtime fixture of home sales. Rachel Lerman, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 The thin, electric-violet neon light fixture that hangs over Al Pacino in various club scenes, courtesy of the virtuoso production designer Richard Sylbert, gets the tone just right: tackily haunting, sin with a hint of the consequences. The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 Some nostalgic aspects of the cityscape, like bilingual street signs, fade away over time, and new fixtures, like outdoor dining huts, pop up with seemingly no precedent. Anna Kodé, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 The only one with a genuine opposition pedigree is the Communist Party, a traditional fixture of Russian politics with its own popular base and a program that sharply criticizes the Kremlin from the left. Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Mar. 2024 The musician/actor, 31, was a member of the psych-rock group Post Animal, friendly with indie legends like Twin Peaks and Whitney and a fixture of the local community for years — which is something that indie music fans and Chicagoans alike have long treated like a fun fact. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 He’s been a fixture of international cinema ever since, dazzling critics and audiences alike with everything from sci-fi romances (The Lobster) to royal satires (The Favourite). Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 The public baths — hammams in Arabic — for centuries have been fixtures of Moroccan life. Sam Metz, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 Today, though, television screens airing sporting events at the bar and modern cobalt blue light fixtures tone down any sense of pretense in the space. Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fixture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier fixure (probably after mixture), going back to Middle English, "point of attachment," borrowed from Late Latin fīxūra "action of fixing, place where a nail is fixed," from Latin fīxus, past participle of fīgere "to drive in, insert, fasten" + -ūra -ure — more at fix entry 1

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fixture was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near fixture

Cite this Entry

“Fixture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fixture. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fixture

noun
fix·​ture ˈfiks-chər How to pronounce fixture (audio)
1
: the act of fixing : the state of being fixed
2
: something attached as a permanent part
bathroom fixtures
3
: one firmly established in a place

Legal Definition

fixture

noun
fix·​ture
: an item of movable property so incorporated into a real property that it may be regarded as legally a part of it

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