I. ˈsed. ə l, -et ə l noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English setle, settil, settle, from Old English setl; akin to Old High German sezzal seat, chair, Gothic sitls seat, Latin sella seat, chair, saddle, Gaulish sedlon seat, Old English sittan to sit — more at sit
1. obsolete : a place for sitting ; also : chief place of abode : seat
2.
a. : a wooden bench with arms, a high solid back sometimes extending to the floor, and often an enclosed foundation serving as a chest whose cover is the seat — see box settle , table settle
b. : settee
3. : a raised platform, shelf, or frame ; specifically : a ledge about the lower part of an altar
4.
[ settle (II) ]
a. : action or result of settling or sinking
sand boils, bubbles, slides, and settles … threaten to wipe out all efforts — Time
b. : the shrinkage measured in height of a kiln of brick when burning
[s]settle.jpg[/s] [
settle 2a
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II. verb
( settled ; settled ; settling -d. ə liŋ, -t( ə )liŋ ; settles )
Etymology: Middle English setlen, settlen, from Old English setlan, from setl, n.
transitive verb
1.
a. obsolete : to cause to sit : seat
b. : to place so as to remain or to be comfortable
settled himself in an armchair
settle a child in its crib
c. : to direct or apply the attention, will, or effort of (oneself)
the class settled itself to work
2.
a. : to establish in residence
settle refugees on farmland
b. : to furnish with inhabitants : colonize , plant
the colony was first settled by the Dutch
a region settled by recent emigrants
c. : to establish (as residence) permanently
d. : to establish in married life
managed to settle all his daughters
e. obsolete : to set up (as a business) in a particular place
f. archaic : to establish in a pastoral office
3.
a. : to make (loose material) compact : consolidate
settle the contents of a bag by shaking it
watering the soil to settle it as the hole was filled in
b. : to restore (a road or lawn) or bring to a smooth, dry, or passable condition
c. : to reduce in height or to a lower level
settle a deck
settle a sail
d. : to cause (land) to appear lower — opposed to raise
e. : to clear of dregs and impurities by causing them to sink : render pure or clear
put eggshells in the coffee to settle it
4.
a. : to stop by killing or stunning
settled his enemy with a single blow
b. : to reduce to order or to good behavior : silence
a word from his father was enough to settle him
5. : to change from disturbance and agitation to repose and tranquillity
a drink to settle his nerves
she gave them ten seconds to settle their faces — Virginia Woolf
the bump on the head must have settled my brain — S.H.Adams
6.
a. : to put in a fixed or permanent state
settle the order of royal succession
: make firm or stable
settle the government on a parliamentary basis
both English and French have been settled in their present form roughly since the eighteenth century — Times Literary Supplement
b. : to resolve or judge finally : remove from uncertainty, unclarity or dispute
time has settled few or none of the essential points of dispute — Henry Adams
c. : to put in order : adjust
settled her patient's pillows
always removed or settled their hats with both hands — E.A.Poe
7.
a. : to fix (as a price) by mutual agreement
b. : to conclude (a lawsuit) by agreement between the parties usually out of court
c. : to close (as an account) by payment : liquidate ; often : to close by compromise and payment of less than full amount claimed or due
8. : to secure (a right or an estate) to someone by legal form
settled her whole fortune on her nephew
the family estate is usually settled on the eldest son
— compare settlement
9.
a. : to arrange for proper disposal of on death
settle an estate
b. : to put in order
settled his affairs before entering the army
10. of an animal : to impregnate or cause to conceive — distinguished from serve
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to come to rest from flight : alight
the flock settled on the meadow
a fly settled on the ceiling
b. : to descend usually slowly and stay down or over
mists settling in the valley
dust had settled on the furniture
a pall of silence settled over the room
2.
a. : to fall slowly to the bottom
waiting for the coffee grounds to settle
— often used with out
suspended pigment … is allowed to settle out — H.J.Wolfe
b. : to become clear after being turbid or roiled : clarify by depositing sediment or scum
let the wine settle for a while before pouring
c. of ground : to become firm, dry, and hard after the effects of rain or frost have disappeared
3. : to separate in the soapmaking process into layers of neat soap, nigre, and lye on standing after fitting
4.
a. : to sink gradually to a lower level : subside
cracks appeared in the walls as the foundations settled
b. of a ship : to become steadily more submerged
settling fast by the stern
5.
a. : to become established in a fixed location or direction
the wind has settled in the east
a cold settled in her chest
b. : to become fixed or permanent : assume a lasting form or condition
settling gracefully into old age
his mood had settled into a dull apathy
his expression settled into a permanent frown
it is settling in to rain now
6.
a. : to establish one's residence — often used with down
his sons had married and settled down nearby
b. : to establish an abode or colony abroad
the Germans who settled in Pennsylvania
7.
a. : to direct successfully the attention, will, or effort : apply oneself — usually used with down
settled down to study
settled down to a steady canter
b. of a hunting dog : to become fixed on a scent
8.
a. : to become calm : cease from agitation
settle into a relaxed attitude
settle into sleep
b. : to take up an ordered way of life ; especially : to assume the duties and restrictions of the married state — usually used with down
time to marry and settle down
9.
a. : to adjust differences or accounts : come to an agreement : compound
settle with creditors
— often used with up
settle up after a poker game
b. : resolve — used with on or upon
after much discussion settled on the plan originally proposed
unable to settle on which hat to buy
10. : to become pastor of a church : take over a parish, church, or congregation
11. of a female animal : to become pregnant : conceive
Synonyms: see calm , decide , set
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- settle accounts
- settle for
- settle halyards
- settle one's hash
- settle order
- settle the stomach