Body (noun, /ˈbɒd.i/) has four main senses: 1. the complete physical structure of a person or animal; 2. the main or central part of something (e.g. a document or vehicle); 3. an organised group of people acting together; 4. a large amount or collection of something, especially evidence, water, or work.
What Does Body Mean?
The word body comes from Old English bodig, meaning the physical frame or trunk of a person. Its Germanic root is related to Old High German botah. The word has been in continuous use since at least the 9th century. The extended sense of "a collection or organised group" developed in the 16th century, likely from the idea of a unified whole — much as the organs of the human body work together as one system.
In everyday English, body most commonly refers to the physical self: "Exercise is good for the body." At B1–B2 level, learners encounter it in collocations such as body language and body of work. At C1 level, the academic sense — a body of evidence / research / literature — is essential for writing essays and reports.
Note that body is not generally used as a synonym for figure when describing someone's shape ("she has a slim figure", not "a slim body"), though body is increasingly used informally in this sense in modern speech.
Example Sentences (A2 → C1)
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| She washed her body carefully after the gym session. | A2 — physical structure, everyday context |
| Please write your address in the body of the form, not in the margin. | B1 — main section of a document |
| The governing body of the school met to discuss the new policy. | B1 — organised group of people |
| The lake is the largest natural body of water in the region. | B2 — body of water, fixed collocation |
| There is a large body of research supporting spaced repetition for vocabulary learning. | C1 — body of research, academic register |
Common Collocations
| Collocation | Example in context |
|---|---|
| body language | Her body language showed she was nervous about the interview. |
| body of evidence | The prosecution presented a compelling body of evidence. |
| body of water | The river feeds a large body of water downstream. |
| body of work | The exhibition showcases her entire body of work from 2010 to 2025. |
| body clock | Long-haul flights can disrupt your body clock for several days. |
| body image | Social media can negatively affect teenagers' body image. |
| governing body | The sport's governing body announced stricter doping regulations. |
| keep body and soul together | During the recession he worked two jobs just to keep body and soul together. |
| over my dead body | "You are not dropping out of university — over my dead body!" she said. |
| body armour | Police officers wore body armour during the operation. |
Usage Notes
Four senses — one word
- Physical structure: always refers to the whole organism — "the human body", "a fit body". Contrast with flesh (soft tissue) or figure (visible shape).
- Main part: used with documents ("body of the email"), vehicles ("body of the car"), and music ("body of the song"). This sense is often interchangeable with main part or core.
- Organised group: always preceded by an adjective or qualifier — "governing body", "professional body", "regulatory body". It is not used alone to mean a group of people.
- Large collection: collocates strongly with research, evidence, literature, knowledge, and water. This is the most common C1-level use.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
There is a great body of researches on this topic.
There is a great body of research on this topic. (research is uncountable in academic English — no plural -s)
The body of peoples agreed on the decision.
The body of people agreed on the decision. (body in this sense is singular and is not pluralised; use "people", not "peoples" unless referring to different ethnic groups)
She has a very body fitness.
She has great physical fitness. (body cannot modify an abstract noun like fitness in this way — use physical instead)
Etymology
Old English bodig (physical frame, trunk) → Old High German botah (body, trunk) → Proto-Germanic *budagaz. First recorded in English before the year 900. The sense "collection or mass of something" appeared around 1540s; "organised group of people" around 1600s. The compound body language is a 20th-century coinage, first widely used in the 1950s following developments in kinesics research.