I. ˈpu̇]t chiefly dial ˈpə]t, usu ]d.+V verb
( put “ ; or dialect put·ten -t ə n ; put or dialect putten ; putting ; puts )
Etymology: Middle English putten, puten; akin to Old English put ung instigation, potian to push, Middle Dutch poten to plant, graft, Icelandic pota to poke
transitive verb
1.
a. : to place or cause to be placed in a specified position or relationship : lay , set
put the roof on the house
put the plant near the window
two tumblers of brandy had been enough to put him under the table — Van Wyck Brooks
b. : to move in a specified direction or into or out of a specified place
put the hands of the clock back
put the book down
put his arm through the sleeve
put the car into the garage
put the cat out of the house
c.
(1) : to send (as a weapon or missile) into or through something : thrust
a sharpshooter put a ball through the old captain's head — Frank Yerby
put a knife between his ribs
(2) : drive
put a nail into the wall
(3) : to throw with an overhand pushing motion
put the shot 63 feet 6 inches — Newsweek
d.
(1) : to bring into or establish in a specified state or condition
when his father had died he had put her into mourning — F.M.Ford
put one in the proper mood to enjoy the local operettas — Horace Sutton
put the motor into working order
put her to shame
put it to use
put the matter right
(2) : to bring into a state of dependence especially upon a specified regimen — usually used with on
put him on a salt-poor diet
put them on bread and water
e. : to carry or cause to be taken across a body of water
you could ask anybody to put you across a river — Archibald Marshall
the twenty-knot speed that would put a ship across the Atlantic in … seven days — Edward Ellsberg
f. : to remove from a specified state, condition, or situation
put its competitor out of business
put the idea from his mind
g. : focus
put his glasses on the group — F.W.Booth
2.
a. : to cause to endure or suffer something : subject — usually used with to
put him to death
put them to the sword
put him to the expense of a new roof
put him to the shame of revealing his poverty
b. : impose , inflict — usually used with on or upon
put a special tax on luxuries
put a heavy strain on his resources
if I put any tricks upon 'em — Shakespeare
put numerous insults on him
3.
a. : to set before one for judgment or decision : bring to the attention
put the question of a special dividend before the board of directors
put the problem of downtown parking before the mayor
it was a question that her life had never permitted her to put to herself — Laura Krey
b. : to call for a formal vote on
the chairman is not supposed to say anything except to put the motion — Dorothy C. Fisher
the question of adjournment was then put , and carried by a large majority — T.L.Peacock
4.
a.
(1) : to turn into language or literary form — usually used with in or into
found it difficult to put his feelings in words
put the story of his life into a novel
(2) : to translate into another language or style — usually used with into
put the poem into English
put the play into modern idiom
(3) : adapt
witty lyrics put to tuneful music
b. : express , state
that's putting it mildly
put his proposal awkwardly
5.
a. : to devote (oneself) to an activity or end — usually used with to
put himself to the study of law
put himself to winning back their confidence
b. : to set to use : employ actively : apply
put his mind to the problem
put all his strength into the fight
put all his resources behind the candidate
c. : to set to some employment or function : assign — usually used with to
put him to mixing the salad
put her to filing letters
put them to work
d. : to set in a particular place or position for the purpose of carrying out an activity or performing a function
put him to school
put the children to bed
put the play on the stage
e.
(1) : to cause to perform an action or clear an obstacle : urge
put the horse over the fence
put the boy through his exercises
(2) : to set into sudden or violent movement or activity : impel , incite
put the prowler to flight
put them into a frenzy
(3) : to compel (a person) to some course of action or behavior
you put me to forget a lady's manners — Shakespeare
— now used only in legal phrases
the husky handyman was not immediately put to plea and no date was set for the arraignment — Springfield (Massachusetts) Union
6.
a. : to bring into the power or under the protection or care of someone
put him into the hands of his enemies
put themselves in good hands
put him under the care of a specialist
b. : repose , rest — usually used with in
puts his trust in God
puts his faith in reason
c. : invest — usually used with in or into
put all his money in the company
put his savings into stocks
d. archaic : to set as a beginner : apprentice — usually used with to
7.
a. : to give as an estimate
the medical examiner put the time as about a quarter past eleven — Mary R. Rinehart
put the number at 500,000 — Roy Lewis & Angus Maude
b. : attach , attribute — usually used with on or upon
puts a wrong construction on his actions
puts a high value on his friendship
puts a high premium on leisure — H.W.Glidden
c. : impute — usually used with on
put the blame for the illegal actions on his partner
put the responsibility for the accident on the other driver
d. : to ascribe to or base upon a particular cause or foundation — usually used with on or upon
puts morality on the basis of self-interest
puts his conclusion on the evidence of the fossil remains
e. : to represent as being in a particular place
he puts “episcopal buildings along the crest” of Quebec before the first bishop set foot in the country — A.L.Burt
the poet puts his enemies in hell
8. : to establish or cause to take effect (a limit or restraint)
put an end to his suffering
put a limit on the betting
put a check on his enthusiasm
9. : assume , suppose
put the absurd impossible case, for once — Robert Browning
10.
a. : to affix (a signature or other mark) to a written or printed document
they did not dare to put their names to what they wrote — Virginia Woolf
put a check next to the name of each course he had taken
b. : to enter as part of a list or group of related items — usually used with on
asked to have his name put on the list of candidates
put the telephone call on my bill
let's plan to put it on the menu for tomorrow
11. : place , substitute
before you condemn him, put yourself in his place
12. : to bring (an animal) together with one of the opposite sex for breeding — usually used with to
consider seriously putting some of your ewes to longwool rams — E.F.Fricke
13. : bet , wager — usually used with on
put two dollars on the favorite
intransitive verb
1. chiefly dialect : butt
2.
a. : to start out ; especially : to leave in a hurry : make off : decamp
caught his squaw by one arm and put for the timber with her — H.L.Davis
b. of a ship : to take a specified course
put into the bay to avoid the storm
put down the river
3. chiefly dialect : to shoot up : grow , sprout — used of plants
4. : to flow in or out of a body of water
the river puts into a lake
Synonyms: see set
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- put forth
- put forward
- put in an appearance
- put in mind
- put one on to
- put one's finger on
- put out of the way
- put paid to
- put the arm on
- put the bee on
- put the finger on
- put to bed
- put to it
- put to rights
- put two and two together
- put up to
- put up with
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from putten, puten to put — more at put I
1. : a throw made with an overhand pushing motion ; specifically : the act or an instance of putting the shot
2. dialect Britain : a thrust made in attack or in coming to someone's assistance : push , shove
3. : an option to sell a specified amount of stock, grain, or other commodity at a fixed price at or within a given time — compare call 3d
III. adjective
Etymology: from past participle of put (I)
: being in place : fixed , set
stayed put under the stove — E.B.White
IV. ˈpət\ noun
( -s )
Etymology: origin unknown
: blockhead , dolt
V. verb
also put the screws to
•
- put the make on
- put the screws on