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put
[ poot ]
verb (used with object)
- to move or place (anything) so as to get it into or out of a specific location or position:
I put the book on the shelf.
- to bring into some relation, state, etc.:
After the work, they put everything in order and cleaned up after themselves.
- to place in the charge or power of a person, institution, etc.:
The child welfare agency put her in foster care.
- to subject to the endurance or suffering of something:
During the Cold War, convicted spies were put to death.
- to set to a duty, task, action, etc.:
I put him to work setting the table.
- to force or drive to some course or action:
A handful of archers put the whole army to flight.
- to render or translate, as into another language:
He put the novel into French.
- to provide (words) with music as accompaniment; set:
Donovan put Lewis Carroll’s famous poem “Jabberwocky” to music.
- to assign or attribute:
You put a political interpretation on everything.
- to set at a particular place, point, amount, etc., in a scale of estimation:
I'd put the distance at five miles.
- to bet or wager:
They put two dollars on Saucy Lady, the gray mare.
- to express or state:
To put it mildly, I don't understand.
- to apply, as to a use or purpose:
During your internship you’ll put your knowledge to practical use.
- to set, give, or make:
Let’s put an end to all this nonsense right now.
- to propose or submit for answer, consideration, deliberation, etc.:
I promised to put this question before the committee.
- to impose, as a burden, charge, or the like:
The government has put a tax on luxury articles.
- to invest (often followed by in or into ):
They put all their money into real estate.
- to lay the blame of (usually followed by on, to, etc.):
He put my failure to lack of experience.
- to throw or cast, especially with a forward motion of the hand when raised close to the shoulder:
In track and field, I was able to put the shot 35 feet.
verb (used without object)
- to go, move, or proceed:
to put to sea.
- Informal. to begin to travel:
When the rain stopped, we put for home and got there by noon.
- to shoot out or grow, or send forth shoots or sprouts.
noun
- a throw or cast, especially one made with a forward motion of the hand when raised close to the shoulder.
- Also called put op·tion. Finance. an option that gives the right to sell a fixed amount of a particular stock at a predetermined price within a given time, purchased by a person who expects the stock to decline. Compare call ( def 52 ).
verb phrase
- to put in the designated place for storage:
Put away the groceries as soon as you get home.
- to save, especially for later use:
to put away a few dollars each week.
- to discard:
Put away those childish notions.
- to drink or eat, especially in a large quantity; finish off:
to put away a hearty meal after jogging.
- to confine in a jail or a mental institution:
He was put away for four years.
- to put (an animal) to death by humane means:
The dog was so badly injured that the veterinarian had to put it away.
- to take unfair advantage of; impose upon:
Some of the employees felt put upon when they were asked to work late.
- to succeed in; accomplish:
It will take an exceptional administrator to put over this reorganization.
- to postpone; defer:
Discussion of this point will be put over until new evidence is introduced.
- to postpone; defer:
I put off my yearly visit to the eye doctor for a month.
- to confuse or perturb; disconcert; repel:
We were put off by the book's abusive tone.
- to get rid of by delay or evasion:
She put him off, claiming to already have plans for the evening.
- to lay aside; take off:
She put off her shoes with a sigh of relief.
- to start out, as on a voyage:
We packed a picnic lunch and put off for the little island in the middle of the lake.
- to launch (a boat) from shore or from another vessel:
They began to put off the lifeboats as the fire spread.
- to cause to be understood or received favorably:
She put across her new idea.
He puts himself across well.
- to do successfully; accomplish:
to put a project across.
- to be successful in (a form of deception):
It was obviously a lie, but he put it across.
- to write down; register; record:
I used to put down my thoughts in a personal journal, but now I publish them on my blog.
- to enter in a list, as of subscribers or contributors:
Put me down for a $10 donation.
- to suppress; check; squelch:
to put down a rebellion.
- to attribute; ascribe:
We put your mistakes down to nervousness.
- to regard or categorize:
He was put down as a chronic complainer.
- to produce or execute (something) successfully; throw down:
He was the only skater to put down a clean short program.
- Informal. to criticize, especially in a contemptuous manner; disrespect:
The team leader put down support staff and ignored their contributions.
- Informal. to belittle, humiliate, or embarrass:
Misogynists put down women to keep them subservient.
- to pay as a deposit:
The more money you put down, the less you’ll pay in interest.
- to store for future use:
to put down a case of wine.
- to dig or sink, as a well.
- to put (an animal) to death by humane means; put to sleep:
The horse had to be put down after suffering a catastrophic racing injury on the track.
- to land an aircraft or in an aircraft:
We put down at Orly after six hours.
- to store up; save: I have some money put by for a rainy day.
He put aside some dried fruit, water, and energy bars in anticipation of the predicted heavy snowfall.
I have some money put by for a rainy day.
- Also set aside. to put out of the way; place to one side:
Put aside your books and come for a walk.
- Also put into. Nautical. to enter a port or harbor, especially for shelter, repairs, or provisions:
Viking fleets often put in at Norman ports for provisions.
- to interpose; intervene.
- to spend (time) as indicated:
She put in two hours at the piano almost every day for years.
- to bring out; bear; grow:
The trees are putting forth new green shoots.
- to propose; present:
No one has put forth a workable solution.
- to bring to public notice; publish:
A new interpretation of the doctrine has been put forth.
- to exert; exercise:
We will have to put forth our best efforts to win.
- to set out; depart:
Dark clouds threatened as we put forth from the shore.
- to complete successfully; execute:
He was not able to put through his project.
- to bring about; effect:
The proposed revisions have not as yet been put through.
- to make a telephone connection for:
Put me through to Los Angeles.
- to make (a telephone connection):
Put a call through to Hong Kong.
- to cause to undergo or endure:
She's been put through a lot the past year.
- to propose; suggest:
I hesitated to put forward my plan.
- to present or promote (oneself or another) for a task, role, etc., or as having certain qualities or qualifications:
We should put her forward for treasurer.
He puts himself forward as an expert in combating antisemitism.
- to apply for or request (something):
I put in for a transfer to another department.
- to provoke; prompt; incite:
Someone put him up to calling us.
- to clothe oneself with (an article of clothing).
- to assume insincerely or falsely; pretend:
She put on a smile and choked out a welcome.
- to assume; adopt.
- to inflict; impose.
- to cause to be performed; produce; stage:
The troupe put on a play by a little-known writer.
- Informal. to tease (a person), especially by pretending the truth of something that is untrue:
You can't be serious—you're putting me on, aren't you?
- to act in a pretentious or ostentatious manner; exaggerate:
All that putting on didn't impress anyone.
- to endure; tolerate; bear:
I couldn't put up with the noise any longer.
- to construct; erect:
The town is putting up a new civic center where the old library used to be.
- to can (vegetables, fruits, etc.); preserve (jam, jelly, etc.):
At the end of every summer they put up jars and jars of tomatoes from their garden.
- to set or arrange (the hair).
- to provide (money); contribute:
A number of people put up $5,000 apiece, getting the fund-raiser off to a very good start.
- to accommodate; lodge:
Friends offered to put me up for the weekend, and I took them to a fancy restaurant as a thank-you.
- to display; show.
- to stake (money) to support a wager:
He put up fifty bucks to get into the football pool.
- to propose as a candidate; nominate:
Someone is going to put him up for president.
- to offer, especially for public sale:
She put up several valuable pieces of art to raise money for the charity.
- Archaic. to sheathe one's sword; stop fighting.
put
/ pʊt /
verb
- to cause to be (in a position or place)
to put a book on the table
- to cause to be (in a state, relation, etc)
to put one's things in order
- foll by to to cause (a person) to experience the endurance or suffering (of)
to put to the sword
to put to death
- to set or commit (to an action, task, or duty), esp by force
he put him to work
- to render, transform, or translate
to put into English
- to set (words) in a musical form (esp in the phrase put to music )
- foll by at to estimate
he put the distance at fifty miles
- foll by to to utilize (for the purpose of)
he put his knowledge to good use
- foll by to to couple a female animal (with a male) for the purpose of breeding
the farmer put his heifer to the bull
- to state; express
to put it bluntly
- to set or make (an end or limit)
he put an end to the proceedings
- to present for consideration in anticipation of an answer or vote; propose
I put it to you that one day you will all die
he put the question to the committee
- to invest (money) in; give (support) to
he put five thousand pounds into the project
- to impart
to put zest into a party
- to throw or cast
- not know where to put oneselfto feel awkward or embarrassed
- put paid toto destroy irrevocably and utterly
the manager's disfavour put paid to their hopes for promotion
- stay putto refuse to leave; keep one's position
noun
- a throw or cast, esp in putting the shot
- Also calledput option stock exchange an option to sell a stated amount of securities at a specified price during a specified limited period Compare call
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Other Words From
- well-put adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of put1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of put1
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Idioms and Phrases
- put it to, Slang.
- to overburden with work, blame, etc.:
They really put it to him in officer-training school.
- to take advantage of; cheat:
That used car dealer put it to me good.
- put something over on, to take advantage of; deceive:
He suspected that his friend had put something over on him, but he had no proof.
- put to it, confronted with a problem; having difficulty:
We were put to it to find the missing notebook.
- stay put, Informal. to remain in the same position; refuse to move:
The baby wouldn't stay put, and kept trying to climb out of the playpen.
More idioms and phrases containing put
- (put) at ease
- (put on a) brave face
- cart before the horse, put
- clamp down (put the clamps on)
- flesh out (put flesh and bone on)
- for (put in one's) two cents
- (put on a) hair shirt
- hard put
- (put) in effect
- (put) in the picture
- lay (put) one's cards on the table
- lay (put) one's hands on
- lay (put) the blame on
- (put someone's) nose out of joint
- not put something past someone
- (put) off the track
- (put) on a pedestal
- (put) out of business
- pull (put over) a fast one
- put one's head on the block
- throw (put) off the scent
- set
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Synonym Study
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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