From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtowntown /taʊn/ ●●● S1 W1 noun 1 place [countable]SGTOWN a large area with houses, shops, offices etc where people live and work, that is smaller than a city and larger than a village an industrial town in the Midlandstown of the town of Norwalk, Connecticut I walked to the nearest town.► see thesaurus at city2 main centre [uncountable]SGTOWN the business or shopping centre of a town We’re going into town tonight to see a film. They have a small apartment in town.3 people [singular]GROUP OF PEOPLE all the people who live in a particular town The whole town turned out to watch the procession.4 where you live [uncountable]TOWN the town or city where you live Cam left town about an hour ago, so he should be out at the farm by now. I’ll be out of town for about a week. Guess who’s in town? Jodie’s sister! Do you know of a good place to eat? I’m from out of town (=from a different town). We’re moving to another part of town.5 village [countable] American EnglishSGTOWN several houses forming a small group around a church, shops etc SYN village British English Rowayton is a small town of around 4,000 people. 6 → the town7 → go to town (on something)8 → (out) on the town9 → town and gown → ghost town, home town, → paint the town (red) at paint2(5)COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + townsmall/bigI grew up in a small town in Iowa.The nearest big town is 20 miles away.a little towna pretty little town in the French Alps a major townIt is one of the UK’s biggest retailers with shops in every major town.busy/bustlingThe town was busy even in November.quietThe town is quiet in the summer.Cannigione is a quiet little town with a scattering of shops, restaurants and cafés.sleepy (=very quiet, with not much happening)Johnson grew up in the sleepy retirement town of Asheville.a historic/ancient townVisitors can go on a tour of this historic town.an industrial townThousands moved to the newly forming industrial towns to work in the mills.a seaside townyoung people looking for seasonal work in seaside townsa provincial town (=one that is not near the capital)Many provincial towns were transformed by the coming of the railway.a market town (=a town in Britain where there is a regular outdoor market)The pretty market town of Ashbourne is only 9 miles away.somebody’s home town (=the town where someone was born)He was buried in his home town of Leeds.a new town (=one of several towns built in Britain since 1946)The design of Milton Keynes and other new towns proved unpopular.phrasesthe centre of town/the town centre British English, the center of town/the town center American EnglishThe hotel was right in the center of town.the outskirts/edge of a townIt was six o'clock when she reached the outskirts of the town.
Examples from the Corpus
town• a town of about 35,000 people• Villages as well as towns expanded rapidly during the first half of the nineteenth century.• deep divisions in wealth between town and country• The Delta towns, and even Rangoon, came under threat.• More and more people were seeking work in the growing towns.• Although the population is increasing-estimated to be 32 million-over half live in towns or cities.• Steyne Street was a narrow street in a shabby but respectable part of town.• Our responsibility stops at our town line, another board member blurted out.• La Coruna is a pretty seaside town on the north-western tip of Spain.• He grew up in a small town.• a small town in the Midwest• We were too busy admiring the town to let their griping bother us.• A large sign announced that we were entering the town of Knock.• You can discover the great square keep, and enjoy the panoramic view from the top over the town below.• In the surprise attack, they torched the town and rounded up its inhabitants.• The town is situated some 23 miles north of London.• Just about the whole town showed up at the funeral.going into town• Ben had said nothing about going into town.• I can remember me and my mum going into town to buy these shoes for school.• The passenger wagons were not going into town for another half hour, so I hired a carriage and went in myself.• So I pre-empted them and suggested going into town.• The next morning, Bea woke me and told me to get dressed because we were going into town for church services.left town• When Jefferson defeated Adams for the presidency, Adams left town before the inauguration rather than shake hands with him.• Albert had left town, his secretary said.• Maybe S.. Blackman had left town or died mysteriously.• But it was Sunday, and most of the members of the government had left town.• Cases five and six had not left town and the urban area was, therefore, the only plausible site of infection.• As far as she was concerned, Christine had simply left town and never been heard from again.• Schools have been closed for the week, and large numbers of residents have simply left town.• It doesn't take long once you've left town before you're walking along the cliff-path with spectacular views.Origin town Old English tun “yard, buildings inside a wall, village, town” 