| set up | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | (also intr) to put into a position of power, etc |
| 2. | (also intr) to begin or enable (someone) to begin (a new venture), as by acquiring or providing means, equipment, etc |
| 3. | to build or construct: to set up a shed |
| 4. | to raise, cause, or produce: to set up a wail |
| 5. | to advance or propose: to set up a theory |
| 6. | to restore the health of: the sea air will set you up again |
| 7. | to establish (a record) |
| 8. | informal to cause (a person) to be blamed, accused, etc |
| 9. | informal |
| a. to provide (drinks, etc) for: set 'em up, Joe! | |
| b. to pay for the drinks of: I'll set up the next round | |
| 10. | printing another term for set |
| —n | |
| 11. | informal the way in which anything is organized or arranged |
| 12. | slang an event the result of which is prearranged: it's a setup |
| 13. | a prepared arrangement of materials, machines, etc, for a job or undertaking |
| 14. | a station at which a surveying instrument, esp a theodolite, is set up |
| 15. | films the position of the camera, microphones, and performers at the beginning of a scene |
| —adj | |
| 16. | physically well-built |
set (sět)
v. set, set·ting, sets
To put in a specified position; place.
To put into a specified state.
To put into a stable position.
To fix firmly or in an immobile manner.
To become fixed or hardened; coagulate.
To bring the bones of a fracture back into a normal position or alignment.
The act or process of setting.
The condition resulting from setting.
A permanent firming or hardening of a substance.
The carriage or bearing of a part of the body.
A particular psychological state, usually of anticipation or preparedness.
| set (sět) Pronunciation Key
A collection of distinct elements that have something in common. In mathematics, sets are commonly represented by enclosing the members of a set in curly braces, as {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, the set of all positive integers from 1 to 5. |
set definition
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set (so) up (for (sth)) definition
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set up
Place in an upright position, as in I keep setting up this lamp but it won't stay up. [c. 1200]
Elevate, raise; also, put in a position of authority or power, as in They set him up as their leader. [Late 1300s]
Put oneself forward, claim to be, as in He set himself up as an authority on the banking system. [Mid-1800s]
Assemble, erect, make ready for use, as in They set up the sound system last night. [c. 1200]
Establish, found, as in They set up a new charity for the homeless. [Early 1400s]
Establish in business by providing capital or other backing, as in His father set her up in a new dental practice. [First half of 1500s]
Treat someone to drinks, pay for drinks, as in Please let us set you up tonight. [Colloquial; late 1800s]
Stimulate or exhilarate, as in That victory really set up our team. [c. 1600]
Lay plans for, as in I think they set up the kidnapping months ago. [First half of 1900s]
Prepare someone for a deception or trickery or joke, as in They set up their victim for the usual real estate scam, or Her friends set her up so that she was the only person in costume. [Mid-1900s]
Cause, bring about, as in The new taxes set up howls of protest. [Mid-1800s]