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Definition of put an end to - 4 dictionary results

end

1[end]
–noun
1. the last part or extremity, lengthwise, of anything that is longer than it is wide or broad: the end of a street; the end of a rope.
2. a point, line, or limitation that indicates the full extent, degree, etc., of something; limit; bounds: kindness without end; to walk from end to end of a city.
3. a part or place at or adjacent to an extremity: at the end of the table; the west end of town.
4. the furthermost imaginable place or point: an island at the very end of the world.
5. termination; conclusion: The journey was coming to an end.
6. the concluding part: The end of her speech had to be cut short because of time.
7. an intention or aim: to gain one's ends.
8. the object for which a thing exists; purpose: The happiness of the people is the end of government.
9. an outcome or result: What is to be the end of all this bickering?
10. termination of existence; death: He met a horrible end.
11. a cause of death, destruction, or ruin: Another war would be the end of civilization.
12. a remnant or fragment: mill end; ends and trimmings.
13. a share or part in something: He does his end of the job very well.
14. Textiles. a warp thread running vertically and interlaced with the filling yarn in the woven fabric.
15. Football.
a. either of the linemen stationed farthest from the center.
b. the position played by this lineman.
16. Archery. the number of arrows to be shot by a competitor during one turn in a match.
17. Cricket. a wicket, esp. the one where the batsman is taking a turn.
18. a unit of a game, as in curling or lawn bowling.
19. Kantianism. any rational being, regarded as worthy to exist for its own sake.
20. either half of a domino.
21. Knots. the part of a rope, beyond a knot or the like, that is not used.
22. the end, Slang. the ultimate; the utmost of good or bad: His stupidity is the end.
–verb (used with object)
23. to bring to an end or conclusion: We ended the discussion on a note of optimism.
24. to put an end to; terminate: This was the battle that ended the war.
25. to form the end of: This passage ends the novel.
26. to cause the demise of; kill: A bullet through the heart ended him.
27. to constitute the most outstanding or greatest possible example or instance of (usually used in the infinitive): You just committed the blunder to end all blunders.
–verb (used without object)
28. to come to an end; terminate; cease: The road ends at Rome.
29. to issue or result: Extravagance ends in want.
30. to reach or arrive at a final condition, circumstance, or goal (often fol. by up): to end up in the army; to end as a happy person.
–adjective
31. final or ultimate: the end result.
32. at loose ends, without an occupation or plans; unsettled; uncertain: He spent two years wandering about the country at loose ends.
33. at one's wit's end, at the end of one's ideas or mental resources; perplexed: I'm at my wit's end with this problem. Also, at one's wits' end.
34. end for end, in reverse position; inverted: The cartons were turned end for end.
35. end on, with the end next to or facing: He backed the truck until it was end on with the loading platform.
36. end to end, in a row with ends touching: The pipes were placed end to end on the ground.
37. go off the deep end, Informal. to act in a reckless or agitated manner; lose emotional control: She went off the deep end when she lost her job.
38. in the end, finally; after all: In the end they shook hands and made up.
39. keep or hold one's end up, to perform one's part or share adequately: The work is demanding, but he's holding his end up.
40. make an end of, to conclude; stop: Let's make an end of this foolishness and get down to work.
41. make ends meet, to live within one's means: Despite her meager income, she tried to make ends meet. Also, make both ends meet.
42. no end, Informal. very much or many: They were pleased no end by the warm reception.
43. on end,
a. having the end down; upright: to stand a box on end.
b. continuously; successively: They talked for hours on end.
44. put an end to, to cause to stop; terminate; finish: The advent of sound in motion pictures put an end to many a silent star's career.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME, OE ende; c. OFris enda, MD e(i)nde, OS endi, OHG anti, G Ende, ON endi(r), Goth andeis end < Gmc *anthjá-; akin to Skt ánta- end


ender, noun


4. tip, bound, limit, terminus. 5. End, close, conclusion, finish, outcome refer to the termination of something. End implies a natural termination or completion, or an attainment of purpose: the end of a day, of a race; to some good end. Close often implies a planned rounding off of something in process: the close of a conference. Conclusion suggests a decision or arrangement: All evidence leads to this conclusion; the conclusion of peace terms. Finish emphasizes completion of something begun: a fight to the finish. Outcome suggests the issue of something that was in doubt: the outcome of a game. 7. See aim.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To put an end to
put   (pŏŏt)   
v.   put, put·ting, puts

v.   tr.
  1. To place in a specified location; set: She put the books on the table.

  2. To cause to be in a specified condition: His gracious manners put me at ease.

  3. To cause (one) to undergo something; subject: The interrogators put the prisoner to torture.

  4. To assign; attribute: They put a false interpretation on events.

  5. To estimate: We put the time at five o'clock.

  6. To impose or levy: The governor has put a tax on cigarettes.

  7. Games To wager (a stake); bet: put $50 on a horse.

  8. Sports To hurl with an overhand pushing motion: put the shot.

  9. To bring up for consideration or judgment: put a question to the judge.

  10. To express; state: I put my objections bluntly.

  11. To render in a specified language or literary form: put prose into verse.

  12. To adapt: The lyrics had been put to music.

  13. To urge or force to an action: a mob that put the thief to flight.

  14. To apply: We must put our minds to it.

  15. To force the purchase of (a stock or commodity) by exercising a put option.

v.   intr.
  1. To begin to move, especially in a hurry.

  2. Nautical To proceed: The ship put into the harbor.

n.  
  1. Sports An act of putting the shot.

  2. An option to sell a stipulated amount of stock or securities within a specified time and at a fixed price.

adj.   Informal
Fixed; stationary: stay put.
Phrasal Verbs:
put about Nautical
To change or cause to change direction; go or cause to go from one tack to another.
put across
  1. To state so as to be understood clearly or accepted readily: put her views across during the hearing.

  2. To attain or carry through by deceit or trickery.

  3. To renounce; discard: put all negative thoughts away.

  4. Informal To consume (food or drink) readily and quickly: put away the dinner in just a few minutes.

  5. Informal To confine to a mental health facility.

    1. Informal To kill: The injured cat was put away.

    2. To bury.

    3. To write down.

    4. To enter in a list.

    5. To bring to an end; repress: put down a rebellion.

    6. To render ineffective: put down rumors.

    7. To criticize: put me down for failing the course.

    8. To belittle; disparage: put down their knowledge of literature.

    9. To humiliate: "Many status games seem designed to put down others" (Alvin F. Poussaint).

    10. To assign to a category: Just put him down as a sneak.

    11. To attribute: Let's put this disaster down to inexperience.

    12. To delay; postpone: put off paying the bills.

    13. To persuade to delay further action: managed to put off the creditors for another week.

    14. To inconvenience: Did our early arrival put you out?

    15. To offend or irritate: I was put out by his attention to the television set.

    16. To make a telephone connection for: The operator put me through on the office line.

    17. To obtain a connection for (a telephone call).

    18. To make a display or the appearance of: put up a bluff.

    19. To engage in; carry on: put up a good fight.

    1. To write down.

    2. To enter in a list.

    3. To bring to an end; repress: put down a rebellion.

    4. To render ineffective: put down rumors.

    5. To criticize: put me down for failing the course.

    6. To belittle; disparage: put down their knowledge of literature.

    7. To humiliate: "Many status games seem designed to put down others" (Alvin F. Poussaint).

    8. To assign to a category: Just put him down as a sneak.

    9. To attribute: Let's put this disaster down to inexperience.

    10. To delay; postpone: put off paying the bills.

    11. To persuade to delay further action: managed to put off the creditors for another week.

    12. To inconvenience: Did our early arrival put you out?

    13. To offend or irritate: I was put out by his attention to the television set.

    14. To make a telephone connection for: The operator put me through on the office line.

    15. To obtain a connection for (a telephone call).

    16. To make a display or the appearance of: put up a bluff.

    17. To engage in; carry on: put up a good fight.

    1. To bring to an end; repress: put down a rebellion.

    2. To render ineffective: put down rumors.

    3. To criticize: put me down for failing the course.

    4. To belittle; disparage: put down their knowledge of literature.

    5. To humiliate: "Many status games seem designed to put down others" (Alvin F. Poussaint).

    6. To assign to a category: Just put him down as a sneak.

    7. To attribute: Let's put this disaster down to inexperience.

    8. To delay; postpone: put off paying the bills.

    9. To persuade to delay further action: managed to put off the creditors for another week.

    10. To inconvenience: Did our early arrival put you out?

    11. To offend or irritate: I was put out by his attention to the television set.

    12. To make a telephone connection for: The operator put me through on the office line.

    13. To obtain a connection for (a telephone call).

    14. To make a display or the appearance of: put up a bluff.

    15. To engage in; carry on: put up a good fight.

  6. To subject (an animal) to euthanasia.

  7. Slang

    1. To criticize: put me down for failing the course.

    2. To belittle; disparage: put down their knowledge of literature.

    3. To humiliate: "Many status games seem designed to put down others" (Alvin F. Poussaint).

    4. To assign to a category: Just put him down as a sneak.

    5. To attribute: Let's put this disaster down to inexperience.

    6. To delay; postpone: put off paying the bills.

    7. To persuade to delay further action: managed to put off the creditors for another week.

    8. To inconvenience: Did our early arrival put you out?

    9. To offend or irritate: I was put out by his attention to the television set.

    10. To make a telephone connection for: The operator put me through on the office line.

    11. To obtain a connection for (a telephone call).

    12. To make a display or the appearance of: put up a bluff.

    13. To engage in; carry on: put up a good fight.

    1. To assign to a category: Just put him down as a sneak.

    2. To attribute: Let's put this disaster down to inexperience.

    3. To delay; postpone: put off paying the bills.

    4. To persuade to delay further action: managed to put off the creditors for another week.

    5. To inconvenience: Did our early arrival put you out?

    6. To offend or irritate: I was put out by his attention to the television set.

    7. To make a telephone connection for: The operator put me through on the office line.

    8. To obtain a connection for (a telephone call).

    9. To make a display or the appearance of: put up a bluff.

    10. To engage in; carry on: put up a good fight.

  8. To consume (food or drink) readily; put away: puts down three big meals a day.

  9. To grow: Plants put forth new growth in the spring.

  10. To bring to bear; exert: At least put forth a semblance of effort when you scrub the floor.

  11. To offer for consideration: put forth an idea.

  12. To make a formal offer of: put in a plea of guilty.

  13. To introduce, as in conversation; interpose: He put in a good word for me.

  14. To spend (time) at a location or job: I put in eight hours at the office.

  15. To plant: We put in 20 rows of pine trees.

  16. To apply: put in for early retirement.

  17. Nautical To enter a port or harbor: The freighter puts in at noon.

    1. To delay; postpone: put off paying the bills.

    2. To persuade to delay further action: managed to put off the creditors for another week.

    3. To inconvenience: Did our early arrival put you out?

    4. To offend or irritate: I was put out by his attention to the television set.

    5. To make a telephone connection for: The operator put me through on the office line.

    6. To obtain a connection for (a telephone call).

    7. To make a display or the appearance of: put up a bluff.

    8. To engage in; carry on: put up a good fight.

  18. To take off; discard: put off a sweater.

  19. To repel or repulse, as from bad manners: His indifferent attitude has put us off.

  20. To pass (money) or sell (merchandise) fraudulently.

  21. To clothe oneself with; don: put on a coat; put socks on.

  22. To apply; activate: put on the brakes.

  23. To assume affectedly: put on an English accent.

  24. Slang To tease or mislead (another): You're putting me on!

  25. To add: put on weight.

  26. To produce; perform: put on a variety show.

  27. To extinguish: put out a fire.

  28. Nautical To leave, as a port or harbor; depart.

  29. To expel: put out a drunk.

  30. To publish: put out a weekly newsletter.

    1. To inconvenience: Did our early arrival put you out?

    2. To offend or irritate: I was put out by his attention to the television set.

    3. To make a telephone connection for: The operator put me through on the office line.

    4. To obtain a connection for (a telephone call).

    5. To make a display or the appearance of: put up a bluff.

    6. To engage in; carry on: put up a good fight.

  31. To make an effort.

  32. Baseball To retire a runner.

  33. Vulgar Slang To be sexually active. Used of a woman.

  34. To postpone; delay.

  35. To put across, especially to deceive: tried to put a lie over, but to no avail.

  36. To bring to a successful end: put the project through on time; put through a number of new laws.

  37. To cause to undergo: He put me through a lot of trouble.

    1. To make a telephone connection for: The operator put me through on the office line.

    2. To obtain a connection for (a telephone call).

    3. To make a display or the appearance of: put up a bluff.

    4. To engage in; carry on: put up a good fight.

  38. To erect; build.

  39. To preserve; can: put up six jars of jam.

  40. To nominate: put up a candidate at a convention.

  41. To provide (funds) in advance: put up money for the new musical.

  42. To provide lodgings for: put a friend up for the night.

  43. Sports To startle (game animals) from cover: put up grouse.

  44. To offer for sale: put up his antiques.

    1. To make a display or the appearance of: put up a bluff.

    2. To engage in; carry on: put up a good fight.

Phrasal Verb(s):
put about Nautical To change or cause to change direction; go or cause to go from one tack to another.
put across
  1. To state so as to be understood clearly or accepted readily: put her views across during the hearing.

  2. To attain or carry through by deceit or trickery.

put away
  1. To renounce; discard: put all negative thoughts away.

  2. Informal To consume (food or drink) readily and quickly: put away the dinner in just a few minutes.

  3. Informal To confine to a mental health facility.

    1. Informal To kill: The injured cat was put away.

    2. To bury.

put byTo save for later use: "Some crops were so abundant they could even be put by" (Carole Lalli).
put down
    1. To write down.

    2. To enter in a list.

    3. To bring to an end; repress: put down a rebellion.

    4. To render ineffective: put down rumors.

    5. To criticize: put me down for failing the course.

    6. To belittle; disparage: put down their knowledge of literature.

    7. To humiliate: "Many status games seem designed to put down others" (Alvin F. Poussaint).

    8. To assign to a category: Just put him down as a sneak.

    9. To attribute: Let's put this disaster down to inexperience.

    1. To bring to an end; repress: put down a rebellion.

    2. To render ineffective: put down rumors.

    3. To criticize: put me down for failing the course.

    4. To belittle; disparage: put down their knowledge of literature.

    5. To humiliate: "Many status games seem designed to put down others" (Alvin F. Poussaint).

    6. To assign to a category: Just put him down as a sneak.

    7. To attribute: Let's put this disaster down to inexperience.

  1. To subject (an animal) to euthanasia.

  2. Slang

    1. To criticize: put me down for failing the course.

    2. To belittle; disparage: put down their knowledge of literature.

    3. To humiliate: "Many status games seem designed to put down others" (Alvin F. Poussaint).

    4. To assign to a category: Just put him down as a sneak.

    5. To attribute: Let's put this disaster down to inexperience.

    1. To assign to a category: Just put him down as a sneak.

    2. To attribute: Let's put this disaster down to inexperience.

  3. To consume (food or drink) readily; put away: puts down three big meals a day.

put forth
  1. To grow: Plants put forth new growth in the spring.

  2. To bring to bear; exert: At least put forth a semblance of effort when you scrub the floor.

  3. To offer for consideration: put forth an idea.

put forwardTo propose for consideration: put forward a new plan.
put in
  1. To make a formal offer of: put in a plea of guilty.

  2. To introduce, as in conversation; interpose: He put in a good word for me.

  3. To spend (time) at a location or job: I put in eight hours at the office.

  4. To plant: We put in 20 rows of pine trees.

  5. To apply: put in for early retirement.

  6. Nautical To enter a port or harbor: The freighter puts in at noon.

put off
    1. To delay; postpone: put off paying the bills.

    2. To persuade to delay further action: managed to put off the creditors for another week.

  1. To take off; discard: put off a sweater.

  2. To repel or repulse, as from bad manners: His indifferent attitude has put us off.

  3. To pass (money) or sell (merchandise) fraudulently.

put on
  1. To clothe oneself with; don: put on a coat; put socks on.

  2. To apply; activate: put on the brakes.

  3. To assume affectedly: put on an English accent.

  4. Slang To tease or mislead (another): You're putting me on!

  5. To add: put on weight.

  6. To produce; perform: put on a variety show.

put out
  1. To extinguish: put out a fire.

  2. Nautical To leave, as a port or harbor; depart.

  3. To expel: put out a drunk.

  4. To publish: put out a weekly newsletter.

    1. To inconvenience: Did our early arrival put you out?

    2. To offend or irritate: I was put out by his attention to the television set.

  5. To make an effort.

  6. Baseball To retire a runner.

  7. Vulgar Slang To be sexually active. Used of a woman.

put over
  1. To postpone; delay.

  2. To put across, especially to deceive: tried to put a lie over, but to no avail.

put through
  1. To bring to a successful end: put the project through on time; put through a number of new laws.

  2. To cause to undergo: He put me through a lot of trouble.

    1. To make a telephone connection for: The operator put me through on the office line.

    2. To obtain a connection for (a telephone call).

put to Nautical To head for shore.
put togetherTo construct; create: put together a new bookcase; put together a tax package.
put up
  1. To erect; build.

  2. To preserve; can: put up six jars of jam.

  3. To nominate: put up a candidate at a convention.

  4. To provide (funds) in advance: put up money for the new musical.

  5. To provide lodgings for: put a friend up for the night.

  6. Sports To startle (game animals) from cover: put up grouse.

  7. To offer for sale: put up his antiques.

    1. To make a display or the appearance of: put up a bluff.

    2. To engage in; carry on: put up a good fight.

put uponTo impose on; overburden: He was always being put upon by his friends.

Idiom(s):
put an end/a halt/a stop toTo bring to an end; terminate.

Idiom(s):
put down rootsTo establish a permanent residence in a locale.

Idiom(s):
put in an appearanceTo attend a social engagement, especially for a short time.

Idiom(s):
put it to (someone) Slang
  1. To overburden with tasks or work.

  2. To put blame on.

  3. To take unfair advantage of.

  4. To lay out the facts of a situation to (another) in a forceful candid manner.

  5. To defeat soundly; trounce.


Idiom(s):
put (one) in mindTo remind: You put me in mind of your grandmother.

Idiom(s):
put (oneself) outTo make a considerable effort; go to trouble or expense.

Idiom(s):
put (one's) finger onTo identify: I can't put my finger on the person in that photograph.

Idiom(s):
put (one's) foot downTo take a firm stand.

Idiom(s):
put (one's) foot in (one's) mouthTo make a tactless remark.

Idiom(s):
put paid to Chiefly British To finish off; put to rest: "We've given up saying we only kill to eat; Kraft dinner and freeze-dried food have put paid to that one" (Margaret Atwood).

Idiom(s):
put (someone) in (someone's) placeTo lower the dignity of (someone); humble.

Idiom(s):
put (someone) through (someone's) pacesTo cause to demonstrate ability or skill; test: The drama coach put her students through their paces before the first performance.

Idiom(s):
put (someone) up toTo cause to commit a funny, mischievous, or malicious act: My older brother put me up to making a prank telephone call.

Idiom(s):
put something over on:To deceive, cheat, or trick.

Idiom(s):
put the arm/bite/squeeze on Slang To ask another for money.

Idiom(s):
put the finger on Slang To inform on: The witness put the finger on the killer.

Idiom(s):
put the make/moves on Slang To make sexual advances to.

Idiom(s):
put the screws to/on Slang To pressure (another) in an extreme manner.

Idiom(s):
put the skids on Slang To bring to a halt: "Sacrificing free speech to put the skids on prurient printed matter is not the correct path, the courts said" (Curtis J. Sitomer).

Idiom(s):
put to bed Informal
  1. To make final preparations for the printing of (a newspaper, for example).

  2. To make final preparations for completing (a project).


Idiom(s):
put to itTo cause extreme difficulty for: We were put to it to finish the book on time.

Idiom(s):
put to sleep
  1. To make weary; bore.

  2. To subject to euthanasia.

  3. To subject to general anesthesia.


Idiom(s):
put two and two togetherTo draw the proper conclusions from existing evidence or indications.

Idiom(s):
put up or shut up Slang To have to endure (something unpleasant) without complaining or take the action necessary to remove the source of the unpleasantry.

Idiom(s):
put up withTo endure without complaint: We had to put up with the inconvenience.

[Middle English putten, back-formation from Old English *pūtte, past tense of pȳtan, to put out.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

end 
O.E. ende, from P.Gmc. *andja (cf. O.Fris. enda, O.N. endir, O.H.G. enti), originally "the opposite side," from PIE *antjo "end, boundary," from base anta-/*anti- "opposite, in front of, before" (see ante). Original sense of "outermost part" is obsolete except in phrase ends of the earth. Sense of "destruction, death" was in O.E. Meaning "division or quarter of a town" was in O.E. The verb is from O.E. endian. The end "the last straw, the limit" (in a disparaging sense) is from 1929. The phrase end run is first attested 1902 in U.S. football; extended to military tactics in World War II; general fig. sense is from 1968. End time in ref. to the end of the world is from 1917. Be-all and end-all is from Shakespeare ("Macbeth" I.vii.5).
"Worldly wealth he cared not for, desiring onely to make both ends meet." [1662]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

put an end to

Also, put a stop to. Terminate, abolish, as in It's time they put an end to their feud, or The police chief vowed to put a stop to prostitution. This locution is more emphatic than the plain verbs end or stop. [Mid-1600s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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