v. & n.
--v. (getting; past got; past part. got or US (and in comb.) gotten)
1. tr. come into the possession of; receive or earn (get a job; got {pound}200 a week; got first prize).
2 tr. fetch, obtain, procure, purchase (get my book for me; got a new car).
3 tr. go to reach or catch (a bus, train, etc.).
4 tr. prepare (a meal etc.).
5 intr. & tr. reach or cause to reach a certain state or condition; become or cause to become (get rich; get one's feet wet; get to be famous; got them ready; got him into trouble; cannot get the key into the lock).
6 tr. obtain as a result of calculation.
7 tr. contract (a disease etc.).
8 tr. establish or be in communication with via telephone or radio; receive (a radio signal).
9 tr. experience or suffer; have inflicted on one; receive as one's lot or penalty (got four years in prison).
10 a tr. succeed in bringing, placing, etc. (get it round the corner; get it on to the agenda; flattery will get you nowhere). b intr. & tr. succeed or cause to succeed in coming or going (will get you there somehow; got absolutely nowhere).
11 tr. (prec. by have) a possess (have not got a penny). b (foll. by to + infin.) be bound or obliged (have got to see you).
12 tr. (foll. by to + infin.) induce; prevail upon (got them to help me).
13 tr. colloq. understand (a person or an argument) (have you got that?; I get your point; do you get me?).
14 tr. colloq. inflict punishment or retribution on, esp. in retaliation (I'll get you for that).
15 tr. colloq. a annoy. b move; affect emotionally. c attract, obsess. d amuse.
16 tr. (foll. by to + infin.) develop an inclination as specified (am getting to like it).
17 intr. (foll. by verbal noun) begin (get going).
18 tr. (esp. in past or perfect) catch in an argument; corner, puzzle.
19 tr. establish (an idea etc.) in one's mind.
20 intr. sl. be off; go away.
21 tr. archaic beget.
22 tr. archaic learn; acquire (knowledge) by study.
--n.
1. a an act of begetting (of animals). b an offspring (of animals).
2 sl. a fool or idiot.
Phrases and idioms:
get about (or around)
1. travel extensively or fast; go from place to place.
2 manage to walk, move about, etc. (esp. after illness).
3 (of news) be circulated, esp. orally.
get across
1. manage to communicate (an idea etc.).
2 (of an idea etc.) be communicated successfully.
3 colloq. annoy, irritate.
get along (or on)
1. (foll. by together, with) live harmoniously, accord.
2 be off! nonsense! get at
1. reach; get hold of.
2 colloq. imply (what are you getting at?).
get away
1. escape.
2 (as imper.) colloq. expressing disbelief or scepticism.
3 (foll. by with) escape blame or punishment for. get back at colloq. retaliate against.
get by colloq.
1. just manage, even with difficulty.
2 be acceptable.
get down
1. alight, descend (from a vehicle, ladder, etc.).
2 record in writing. get a person down depress or deject him or her. get down to begin working on or discussing. get even (often foll.
by with)
1. achieve revenge; act in retaliation.
2 equalize the score. get his (or hers etc.) sl. be killed.
get hold of
1. grasp (physically).
2 grasp (intellectually); understand.
3 make contact with (a person).
4 acquire.
get in
1. enter.
2 be elected. get into become interested or involved in. get it sl. be punished or in trouble. get it into one's head (foll. by that + clause) firmly believe or maintain; realize.
get off
1. colloq. be acquitted; escape with little or no punishment.
2 start.
3 alight; alight from (a bus etc.).
4 go, or cause to go, to sleep.
5 (foll. by with, together) Brit. colloq. form an amorous or sexual relationship, esp. abruptly or quickly. get a person off colloq. cause a person to be acquitted.
get on
1. make progress; manage.
2 enter (a bus etc.).
3 get along 1.
get on to colloq.
1. make contact with.
2 understand; become aware of.
get out
1. leave or escape.
2 manage to go outdoors.
3 alight from a vehicle.
4 transpire; become known.
5 succeed in uttering, publishing, etc.
6 solve or finish (a puzzle etc.).
7 Cricket be dismissed. get-out n. a means of avoiding something.
get a person out
1. help a person to leave or escape.
2 Cricket dismiss (a batsman).
get out of
1. avoid or escape (a duty etc.).
2 abandon (a habit) gradually. get a thing out of manage to obtain it from (a person) esp. with difficulty. get outside (or outside of) sl. eat or drink.
get over
1. recover from (an illness, upset, etc.).
2 overcome (a difficulty).
3 manage to communicate (an idea etc.). get a thing over (or over with) complete (a tedious task) promptly. get one's own back colloq. have one's revenge. get-rich-quick adj. designed to make a lot of money fast. get rid of see RID.
get round (US around)
1. successfully coax or cajole (a person) esp. to secure a favour.
2 evade (a law etc.). get round to deal with (a task etc.) in due course. get somewhere make progress; be initially successful.
get there colloq.
1. succeed.
2 understand what is meant.
get through
1. pass or assist in passing (an examination, an ordeal, etc.).
2 finish or use up (esp. resources).
3 make contact by telephone.
4 (foll. by to) succeed in making (a person) listen or understand. get a thing through cause it to overcome obstacles, difficulties, etc.
get to
1. reach.
2 get down to. get together gather, assemble. get-together n. colloq. a social gathering.
get up
1. rise or cause to rise from sitting etc., or from bed after sleeping or an illness.
2 ascend or mount, e.g. on horseback.
3 (of fire, wind, or the sea) begin to be strong or agitated.
4 prepare or organize.
5 enhance or refine one's knowledge of (a subject).
6 work up (a feeling, e.g. anger).
7 produce or stimulate (get up steam; get up speed).
8 (often refl.) dress or arrange elaborately; make presentable; arrange the appearance of.
9 (foll. by to) colloq. indulge or be involved in (always getting up to mischief). get-up n. colloq. a style or arrangement of dress etc., esp. an elaborate one. get-up-and-go colloq. energy, vim, enthusiasm. get the wind up see WIND(1). get with child archaic make pregnant. have got it bad (or badly) sl. be obsessed or affected emotionally.
Derivatives:
gettable adj.
Etymology: ME f. ON geta obtain, beget, guess, corresp. to OE gietan (recorded only in compounds), f. Gmc