verb
Etymology: Middle English putten on, from putten to put + on
transitive verb
1. : to impose as a burden : inflict
known for putting on heavy fines
2.
a. : to dress oneself in : don
at night would put on courtly garb — R.A.Hall b.1911
put her new dress on
b. : to invest oneself with : take on
put on the flesh and bones of a creature and walked His own earth — Alan Paton & Liston Pope
c. : to make part of one's appearance or behavior : adopt
seems to feel the necessity of putting on a good deal of professional dignity — A.W.Long
d. : to assume misleadingly : feign
looked so pretty, putting on an ugly face — Andrew Young
put a saintly manner on
3.
a. : to cause to act or operate : apply
put on a sprint of speed to make it — Donn Byrne
b. : to assign to some job or activity
were put on with mattocks at chipping over the whole of the bare area — A.F.Ellis
put extra salesmen on for the holiday rush
c. cricket : to direct (a player) to bowl
4.
a. : add
has been putting on weight
b. : exaggerate , overstate
he's putting it on when he makes such claims
5. : to push forward (as the hands of a clock) : advance
6. : perform , produce
put on an entertaining act
put on a spectacular production of the play
7. : to deceive in a good-natured way : kid
you're putting me on
intransitive verb
chiefly Scotland : to dress oneself
slowly slowly raise she up and slowly put she on — Barbara Allen