cast on

Idioms & Phrases

cast on

  1. Make the first stitches in knitting, putting them on the needle, as in Once you learn how to cast on, you can use either simple or complicated stitches. [Mid-1800s]

  2. Hastily put on clothes, as in He cast on his coat and ran out. This usage is dying out. [Early 1800s]

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