[in charge]{adv.} or {adj. phr.}, 1. In authority or control; in a position to care for or supervise; responsible. •/If you have any questions, ask the boss. He’s in charge./ 2. Under care or supervision. •/The sick man was taken in charge by the doctor./ •/During your visit to the library, you will be in the librarian’s charge./ Compare: TAKE CARE OF.

[in charge of]{prep.} 1. Responsible for; having supervision or care of. •/Marian is in charge of selling tickets./ •/The girl in charge of refreshments forgot to order the ice cream for the party./ •/When our class had a play, the teacher put Harold in charge of the stage curtain./ 2. or [in the charge of] Under the care or supervision of. •/Mother puts the baby in the charge of the baby-sitter while she is out./ •/The money was given in charge of Mr. Jackson for safekeeping./

[in check]{adv. phr.} In a position where movement or action is not allowed or stopped; under control; kept quiet or back. •/The boy was too small to keep the big dog in check, and the dog broke away from his leash./ •/The soldiers tried to keep the attacking Indians in check until help came./ •/Mary couldn’t hold her feelings in check any longer and began to cry./

[in circles] See: IN A CIRCLE.

[in circulation] or [into circulation] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Going around and doing things as usual; joining what others are doing, •/John broke his leg and was out of school for several weeks, but now he is back in circulation again./ •/Mary’s mother punished her by stopping her from dating for two weeks, but then she got hack into circulation./ Contrast: OUT OF CIRCULATION.

[inclined to]{adj. phr.} Having a tendency to; positively disposed toward. •/I am inclined to fall asleep after a heavy meal./

[in clover] or [in the clover] {adv.} or {adj. phr.}, {informal} In rich comfort; rich or successful; having a pleasant or easy life. •/They live in clover because their father is rich./ •/When we finish the hard part we’ll be in the clover./ Compare: BED OF ROSES, LIFE OF RILEY, LIVE HIGH OFF THE HOG, ON EASY STREET.

[in cold blood]{adv. phr.} Without feeling or pity; in a purposely cruel way; coolly and deliberately. •/The bank robbers planned to shoot in cold blood anyone who got in their way./ •/The bandits planned to murder in cold blood all farmers in the village by the river./

[in command]{adv. phr.} In control of; in charge. •/Helen is in command of the situation./

[in commission] or [into commission] {adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. On duty or ready to be put on duty by a naval or military service; in active service. •/The old battleship has been in commission for twenty years./ •/It took many months to build the new bomber, and now it is ready to be put into commission./ 2. In proper condition; in use or ready for use; working; running. •/The wheel of my bicycle was broken, but it is back in commission now./ Compare: IN ORDER(2). Contrast: OUT OF COMMISSION(2).

[in common]{adv. phr.} Shared together or equally; in use or ownership by all. •/Mr. and Mrs. Smith own the store in common./ •/The four boys grew up together and have a lot in common./ •/The swimming pool is used in common by all the children in the neighborhood./ Compare: COMMON GROUND.

[in condition] See: IN SHAPE.

[in consequence]{adv. phr.} As a result; therefore; so. •/Jennie got up late, and in consequence she missed the bus./ •/You studied hard, and in consequence you passed the test./

[in consequence of]{prep.}, {formal} As a result of. •/In consequence of the deep snow, school will not open today./ •/In consequence of his promise to pay for the broken window, Bill was not punished./ Compare: BECAUSE OF, ON ACCOUNT OF.

[in consideration of]{adv. phr.} 1. After thinking about and weighing; because of. •/iN consideration of the boy’s young age, the judge did not put him in jail for carrying a gun./ 2. In exchange for; because of; in payment for. •/In consideration of the extra work Joe had done, his boss gave him an extra week’s pay./ Compare: IN RETURN.

[in days] or [weeks] or [years to come] {adv. phr.} In the future. •/In the years to come I will be thinking of my father’s advice about life./

[in deep]{adj. phr.} Seriously mixed up in something, especially trouble. •/George began borrowing small sums of money to bet on horses, and before he knew it he was in deep./ Compare: DEEP WATER, UP TO THE CHIN IN.

[in deep water] See: DEEP WATER.

[in defiance of]{prep.} Acting against; in disobedience to. •/The girl chewed gum in defiance of the teacher’s rule./ •/Bob stayed up late in defiance of the coach’s orders./

[in demand]{adj. phr.} Needed; wanted. •/Men to shovel snow were in demand after the snow storm./ •/The book about dogs was much in demand in the library./

[Indian] See: CIGAR-STORE INDIAN.

[Indian giver]{n. phr.} A person who gives one something, but later asks for it back. — An ethnic slur; avoidable. •/John gave me a beautiful fountain pen, but a week later, like an Indian giver, he wanted it back./

[Indian sign]{n.}, {informal} A magic spell that is thought to bring bad luck; curse; jinx; hoo-doo. — Used with "the", usually after "have" or "with"; and often used in a joking way. •/Bill is a good player, but Ted has the Indian sign on him and always beats him./ •/Father says that he always wins our checker games because he has put the Indian sign on me, but I think he is joking./ Compare: GET ONE’S NUMBER.

[Indian summer]{n. phr.} A dry and warm period of time late in the fall, usually in October. •/After the cold and foggy weather, we had a brief Indian summer, during which the temperature was up in the high seventies./

[in dispute]{adj. phr.} Disagreed about; being argued. •/The penalty ordered by the referee was in dispute by one of the teams./ •/Everyone in the clans wanted to say something about the subject in dispute./

[in doubt]{adv. phr.} In the dark; having some question or uncertainty. •/When in doubt about any of the words you’re using, consult a good dictionary./

[in due course] or [in due season] or [in due time] See: IN GOOD TIME(2).

[in due season] or [in due time] See: IN GOOD TIME.

[industrial park]{n.} A complex of industrial buildings and/or businesses usually located far from the center of a city in a setting especially landscaped to make such buildings look better. •/The nearest supermarket that sells car tires is at the industrial park twenty miles from downtown./

[in Dutch]{adj. phr.}, {slang} In trouble. •/George got in Dutch with his father when he broke a window./ •/John was in Dutch with his mother because he tore his new jacket./

[in earnest]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} Seriously; in a determined way. •/The beaver was building his dam in earnest./ •/Bill did his homework in earnest./ — Often used like a predicate adjective. Sometimes used with "dead", for emphasis. •/Betty’s friends thought she was joking when she said she wanted to be a doctor, but she was in dead earnest./

[in effect]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. The same in meaning or result. •/The teacher gave the same assignment, in effect, that she gave yesterday./ •/Helping your mother with the dishes is in effect earning your allowance./ 2. Necessary to obey; being enforced. •/The coach says that players must be in bed by midnight, and that rule is in effect tonight./ Syn.: IN FORCE.