I. ˈthrō verb
( threw ˈthrü ; or dialect throwed ˈthrōd ; or trun ˈtrən ; thrown ˈthrōn ; or dialect throwed ; throwing ; throws )
Etymology: Middle English thrawen, throwen to cause to twist, throw, from Old English thrāwan to cause to twist or turn; akin to Middle Dutch draeyen to cause to twist or turn, Old High German drāen, Latin terere to rub, grind, terebra borer, gimlet, Greek tetrainein to bore through, pierce, trēmat-, trēma hole, teirein to oppress, distress, tribein to rub, grind; basic meaning: to rub with a twisting motion, bore
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to propel through the air by a forward motion of the hand and arm
throw a baseball
have no intention of throwing bombs — J.B.Priestley
(2) : to propel through the air with the hand and arm in an attempt to surpass competitors in an athletic contest
throw the discus
throw the javelin
b. : to propel through the air in any manner
heavy rifles … able to throw a bullet about five miles — Mari Sandoz
a fire engine throwing a stream of water
satellite will be thrown into space — Courtney Sheldon
c. : to cast (a net, line hook, bait) in fishing
2.
a.
(1) : to cause to fall
the wrestler easily threw his opponent
(2) : to tackle (a ballcarrier) behind the line of scrimmage
sometimes save our passer from being thrown for a loss — Norman Geske
(3) : wedge 5
b. : to cause to fall off : unseat
the horse threw his rider
c. : to get the better of : overcome
it was too formidable an enterprise for her but it didn't throw her entirely — Douglas Watt
3.
a. : to fling (oneself) in a precipitate manner
just had time to throw myself behind a small sofa — Patrick Campbell
threw himself down on his knees like a miser who has found a … treasure — O.E.Rölvaag
b. : to drive or impel in a violent manner : dash
the ship was thrown on a reef
4.
a.
(1) : to cause to be in a particular position, condition, or situation : put
thrown upon his own resources at the age of fifteen — D.E.Smith
throws a subject out of balance with other ideas — C.E.Kellogg
wage earners were thrown out of employment — W.J.Ghent
a lot of yak-yak throws me off my game — Willard Temple
throwing her body backward at the shoulders like a young cadet — Scott Fitzgerald
prepared to throw open another room — David Garnett
turned to throw her arms round him — C.W.H.Johnson
(2) : to put on hastily or carelessly : don
threw a coat over her shoulders and ran into the yard
(3) : to put forcefully or roughly
threw the chiefs of the opposition into prison — T.B.Macaulay
(4) : to place or propel as if by a throw
is not intended to … throw any slur whatever on your firm — F.W.Crofts
wants to throw into a word every trace of meaning that it can hold — C.S.Kilby
b. : to move quickly : advance
resolved to throw his army across the river — J.W.Pratt
c. : to bring to bear : exert
her influence was thrown upon the side of … the students — D.C.Peattie
threw the weight of his paper against the movement — Broadus Mitchell
d. : to change into another form : convert
stories which they threw into crude stanzas — W.A.Neilson
the necessity of throwing confidential correspondence into cipher — Fletcher Pratt
e. : build , construct
the two concrete dams they threw across the stream bed to create reservoirs — F.J.Taylor
threw his pontoon bridge across the river near this spot — American Guide Series: Tennessee
f. : to bring into association
his inclinations … naturally threw him into companionship with geologists — G.P.Merrill
found himself thrown less with his queen and her sober intimates — Francis Hackett
g. : tie
throw a diamond hitch
5.
a. : to form or shape on a potter's wheel
smudging their smocks as they throw the wet spinning clay — Time
used the rotating wheel to throw his pottery — Times Literary Supplement
b. : to fashion or frame in a particular shape or manner : form
threw his opinion into a neatly turned phrase
c. : cast 4a (1)
throw a bullet
d. : to form by digging or plowing
plows … set for throwing a ridge … 18 in. high — Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
6.
a. : to deliver (a blow) in or as if in boxing
threw … a tentative right to the expansive midriff of his towering opponent — L.W.T.Dovale
b. : to give (a salute) in a jaunty manner
threw the marine on guard a nifty salute — J.A.Michener
7.
a. : to twist two or more filaments of (as silk, rayon) into a thread or yarn
b. : to double and twist (singles) in the making of plied yarns
8.
a. : to direct orally
throwing a cheerful greeting to his secretary — Max Peacock
paused for a moment and then threw an abrupt question at him — T.B.Costain
b. : to direct (as a look) in a hurried or cursory manner
a glance that I had seen her throw over her shoulder — Lord Dunsany
threw a slight, easly look at his men and … walked out on the platform — Owen Wister
9.
a.
(1) : to make a cast of (dice)
(2) : to make (a cast) at dice
b. : to play (a card) in a card game ; especially : discard
10.
a. : to get rid of : divest or strip oneself of : cast off
the snake throws her enameled skin — Shakespeare
his horse had thrown a shoe and he came up to the barn to draw out the nails — Erskine Caldwell
one tank threw a track on a coconut log and went out of action — Infantry Journal
b. : to free oneself from : dislodge , eject
the fish leaps clear of the water trying to throw the hook — Carlos Baker
c. : to give up as if by throwing away : abandon
threw prudence to the wind and eloped — DeLancey Ferguson
throwing all her moral teachings and inhibitions overboard — Ruth Park
11.
a. : to send forth : project
men … throwing two burly shadows across the rocking chair — William Wiser
fog throwing the light back into his eyes — Harry Sylvester
their effort throws light on how the brain itself operates — Stuart Chase
the light it throws on the art movements of the time — O.Elfrida Saunders
b. : to give off : emit
one of the planes began to throw smoke
12. : to make (oneself) dependent : commit (oneself) for help, support, or protection
had thrown herself on their good nature — Ida A. R. Wylie
you can … throw yourselves on his mercy — John Buchan
13.
a. : to cause to move or turn
throw your mind back to the time when you saw melodrama of the now unfashionable kind — Daniel George
b. : to turn in a sudden or forceful manner
was obliged to throw his craft violently to avoid a collision — Walter O'Meara
14.
a. : to give oneself up to unrestrainedly : give way to
others throw temper tantrums or pick fights — M.M.Hunt
was able to get off the bus without throwing a fit — J.D.Sheridan
b. : to apply freely or fully : devote
dancing … with all the force and energy they could throw into it — Meridel Le Sueur
threw his whole physique into his conducting — Warwick Braithwaite
c. : to busy (oneself) in a zealous earnest manner
threw themselves heartily into the preparations — Agnes S. Turnbull
throws himself into his painting with furious energy — C.C.Walcutt
15.
a. : to cast (a vote) in an election
presidential votes … thrown for the Democratic candidate — James Bryce
b. : to send (an election) for final decision
through lack of a popular majority the election was thrown into the legislature — W.A.Robinson
16.
a.
(1) : to give birth to : bring forth
a fat sow … will not throw large farrows — E.W.Lloyd
(2) : sire , engender
this ram is throwing good stock — F.C.Stone
b. : produce , bear
a field that throws a good crop
17. : to allow an opponent to win : lose intentionally or deliberately
basketball players convicted of throwing games — Christian Science Monitor
throw a case … by remarks in court which will lay grounds for mistrials — D.D.McKean
18.
a. : to move (a lever) so as to connect or disconnect parts of a clutch, machine, or switch
b. : to connect or disconnect (as a clutch, switch) by moving a lever
19.
a. : to draw and aim (as a firearm)
his finger was tight on the trigger as he threw the gun — R.J.Hogan
— often used with down
b. : to make use of a military attack
threw everything they had against her: high-level bombs, dive bombers, and suicidal torpedo bombers — T.W.Lawson
20. : to move (a typewriter carriage) to the left on completing a line by striking the line space lever
21. : to give by way of entertainment : serve as host at
had thrown one of his tremendous parties for the circus people — Alva Johnston
22. : to engage in (as aimless talk) often as a means of passing the time
sat around most of the afternoon throwing the bull
23. : to demand or obtain an advantage over a person by the assertion of (as superiority)
sergeant … I have got to throw rank at you — Bill Mauldin
24. : to weigh out (a charge of powder)
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to propel something through the air
are taught the proper way to … field a ball and throw — Scholastic Coach
b. : to have the capacity of propelling a missile
the bazooka would have to throw about eighty yards to reach the tank — Irwin Shaw
2. : to fling oneself forcefully or violently : spring
the black dog … threw at her — J.C.Atkinson
3. : to cast dice : play at dice
Synonyms:
toss , cast , sling , pitch , hurl , fling : throw is the general term in this set and is very often interchangeable with the others; typically it indicates propelling through the air by distinctive movement of the bent arm followed by release of the object involved. toss may suggest less force, occasional aimlessness or lack of purpose, and an upward outward motion of the arm
she rested on a log and tossed the fresh chips — Robert Frost
In extended uses it may indicate light, easy throwing
prevented Americans from tossing aside their global burdens — E.D.Canham
cast is a close synonym for throw but has been supplanted by the latter except in various special uses
cast a net
casting dice
cast seed
sling may imply quick, sudden propulsion well aimed, as though accomplished with a sling
slung an inkwell at a fellow senator in a congressional free-for-all — Time
pitch may suggest a definite, purposive aim to a specific spot or area
pitching matchbooks at a crack for tomorrow's ration … was the favorite sport — James Jones
possible for whole companies of grenadiers to run up to their enemy's lines and roll, bowl, or pitch their grenades among the legs of their opponents — Tom Wintringham
hurl implies forceful impetus in the propulsion
the wind picked the sand off the flinty, rolling ridges and hurled it in malicious bursts at you — Irwin Shaw
electrons are hurled between cloud and cloud or between cloud and earth in long, branching flashes — Waldemar Kaempffert
fling stresses a certain force in throwing and may suggest unnecessary violence or random aimlessness brought about by strong emotion
then he loathed his own beauty, and, flinging the mirror on the floor, crushed it into silver splinters beneath his heel — Oscar Wilde
came racing up the path on his bicycle, flung it down in the yard and rushed straight into the farmhouse — George Orwell
•
- throw one's weight around
- throw together
II. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : an act or instance of throwing, hurling, or flinging
the catcher's throw was high and the runner slid safely into second
an underhand throw
b.
(1) : an act of throwing dice
(2) : the number or aggregate thrown
a throw of 7 or 11
c. : a method of throwing an opponent in wrestling or judo
scissor-jump throw
straight thigh throw
d. chiefly Britain
(1) : an act of felling timber
(2) : the quantity of trees felled
2. : the distance that a missile is or may be thrown
lived within a stone's throw of the school
3. : an undertaking that involves chance or danger : risk , venture
has been marked by … a reckless throw that failed — T.R.Ybarra
4. : an instrument (as a potter's wheel) for turning
5.
a. : the amount of vertical displacement up or down produced by a fault — compare downthrow , upthrow
b. : dislocation b
6.
a. : the extreme movement given or available to a pivoted or reciprocating piece by a cam, crank, or eccentric : travel , stroke
the throw of a switch
b.
(1) : the length of the radius of a crank or the virtual crank radius of an eccentric or cam
(2) : crank web
7.
a. : a lightweight flat cover (as a bedspread or afghan) that is casually draped or laid over something
b. : a woman's scarf or light wrap
8. : the instantaneous deflection of a galvanometer needle or suspension when the instrument is used as a ballistic galvanometer
9.
a. : the distance between a projector lens and the screen surface upon which an image is focused
b. : the distance between a loudspeaker and its audience
10. : an object or individual regarded as a distinct member of a kind or class : unit , piece
copies are to be sold at $5 a throw — Harvey Breit
11.
a. : sling II 2
b. : the stipulated number of shots in a round of darts
12. : a lever by means of which the binding of a ski is tightened