Dictionary
put
Pronunciation: (poot), [key]
—v., put, put•ting,
—adj., n.
—
v.t.
1. to move or place (anything) so as to get it into or out of a specific location or position:
to put a book on the shelf.
2. to bring into some relation, state, etc.:
to put everything in order.
3. to place in the charge or power of a person, institution, etc.:
to put a child in a special school.
4. to subject to the endurance or suffering of something:
to put convicted spies to death.
5. to set to a duty, task, action, etc.:
I put him to work setting the table.
6. to force or drive to some course or action:
to put an army to flight.
7. to render or translate, as into another language:
He put the novel into French.
8. to provide (words) with music as accompaniment; set:
to put a poem to music.
9. to assign or attribute:
You put a political interpretation on everything.
10. to set at a particular place, point, amount, etc., in a scale of estimation:
I'd put the distance at five miles.
11. to bet or wager:
to put two dollars on a horse.
12. to express or state:
To put it mildly, I don't understand.
13. to apply, as to a use or purpose:
to put one's knowledge to practical use.
14. to set, give, or make:
to put an end to an ancient custom.
15. to propose or submit for answer, consideration, deliberation, etc.:
to put a question before a committee.
16. to impose, as a burden, charge, or the like:
to put a tax on luxury articles.
17. to invest (often fol. by
in or
into):
to put one's money in real estate; to put one's savings into securities.
18. to lay the blame of (usually fol. by
on, to, etc.):
He put my failure to lack of experience.
19. to throw or cast, esp. with a forward motion of the hand when raised close to the shoulder:
to put the shot.
—
v.i.
1. to go, move, or proceed:
to put to sea.
2. Informal.to begin to travel:
to put for home.
3. to shoot out or grow, or send forth shoots or sprouts.
4. put about,
a. Naut.to change direction, as on a course.
b. to start (a rumor); circulate.
c. to inconvenience; trouble.
d. to disturb; worry.
e. to turn in a different direction.
5. put across,
a. to cause to be understood or received favorably:
She put across her new idea. He puts himself across well.
b. to do successfully; accomplish:
to put a project across.
c. to be successful in (a form of deception):
It was obviously a lie, but he put it across.
6. put aside or by,
a. to store up; save.
b. Also,set aside.to put out of the way; place to one side:
Put aside your books and come for a walk.
7. put away,
a. to put in the designated place for storage:
Put away the groceries as soon as you get home.
b. to save, esp. for later use:
to put away a few dollars each week.
c. to discard:
Put away those childish notions.
d. to drink or eat, esp. in a large quantity; finish off:
to put away a hearty supper after jogging.
e. to confine in a jail or a mental institution:
He was put away for four years.
f. to put to death by humane means:
The dog was so badly injured that the veterinarian had to put it away.
8. put down,
a. to write down; register; record.
b. to enter in a list, as of subscribers or contributors:
Put me down for a $10 donation.
c. to suppress; check; squelch:
to put down a rebellion.
d. to attribute; ascribe:
We put your mistakes down to nervousness.
e. to regard or categorize:
He was put down as a chronic complainer.
f. Informal.to criticize, esp. in a contemptuous manner; disparage; belittle.
g. Informal.to humble, humiliate, or embarrass.
h. to pay as a deposit.
i. to store for future use:
to put down a case of wine.
j. to dig or sink, as a well.
k. Brit.to put (an animal) to death; put away.
l. to land an aircraft or in an aircraft:
We put down at Orly after six hours.
9. put forth,
a. to bring out; bear; grow:
The trees are putting forth new green shoots.
b. to propose; present:
No one has put forth a workable solution.
c. to bring to public notice; publish:
A new interpretation of the doctrine has been put forth.
d. to exert; exercise:
We will have to put forth our best efforts to win.
e. to set out; depart:
Dark clouds threatened as we put forth from the shore.
10. put forward,
a. to propose; advance:
I hesitated to put forward my plan.
b. to nominate, promote, or support, as for a position:
We put him forward for treasurer.
11. put in,
a. Also,put into. Naut.to enter a port or harbor, esp. for shelter, repairs, or provisions.
b. to interpose; intervene.
c. to spend (time) as indicated.
12. put in for, to apply for or request (something):
I put in for a transfer to another department.
13. put it to, Slang.
a. to overburden with work, blame, etc.:
They really put it to him in officer-training school.
b. to take advantage of; cheat:
That used car dealer put it to me good.
14. put off,
a. to postpone; defer.
b. to confuse or perturb; disconcert; repel:
We were put off by the book's abusive tone.
c. to get rid of by delay or evasion.
d. to lay aside; take off.
e. to start out, as on a voyage.
f. to launch (a boat) from shore or from another vessel:
They began to put off the lifeboats as the fire spread.
15. put on,
a. to clothe oneself with (an article of clothing).
b. to assume insincerely or falsely; pretend.
c. to assume; adopt.
d. to inflict; impose.
e. to cause to be performed; produce; stage.
f. Informal.to tease (a person), esp. by pretending the truth of something that is untrue:
You can't be serious --
you're putting me on, aren't you?
g. to act in a pretentious or ostentatious manner; exaggerate:
All that putting on didn't impress anyone.
16. put oneself out, to take pains; go to trouble or expense:
She has certainly put herself out to see that everyone is comfortable.
17. put out,
a. to extinguish, as a fire.
b. to confuse; embarrass.
c. to be vexed or annoyed:
He was put out when I missed our appointment.
d. to subject to inconvenience.
e. Baseball, Softball, Cricket.to cause to be removed from an opportunity to reach base or score; retire.
f. to publish.
g. to go out to sea.
h. to manufacture; prepare; produce.
i. to exert; apply:
They were putting out their best efforts.
j. Slang (vulgar). (of a woman) to engage in coitus.
18. put over,
a. to succeed in; accomplish:
It will take an exceptional administrator to put over this reorganization.
b. to postpone; defer:
Discussion of this point will be put over until new evidence is introduced.
19. 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.
20. put through,
a. to complete successfully; execute:
He was not able to put through his project.
b. to bring about; effect:
The proposed revisions have not as yet been put through.
c. to make a telephone connection for:
Put me through to Los Angeles.
d. to make (a telephone connection):
Put a call through to Hong Kong.
e. to cause to undergo or endure:
She's been put through a lot the past year.
21. put to it, to be confronted with a problem; have difficulty:
We were put to it to find the missing notebook.
22. put up,
a. to construct; erect.
b. to can (vegetables, fruits, etc.); preserve (jam, jelly, etc.).
c. to set or arrange (the hair).
d. to provide (money); contribute.
e. to accommodate; lodge.
f. to display; show.
g. to stake (money) to support a wager.
h. to propose as a candidate; nominate:
Someone is going to put him up for president.
i. to offer, esp. for public sale.
j. Archaic.to sheathe one's sword; stop fighting.
23. put upon, to take unfair advantage of; impose upon:
Some of the employees felt put upon when they were asked to work late.
24. put up to, to provoke; prompt; incite:
Someone put him up to calling us.
25. put up with, to endure; tolerate; bear:
I couldn't put up with the noise any longer.
—
adj.
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.
—
n.
1. a throw or cast, esp. one made with a forward motion of the hand when raised close to the shoulder.
2. Also called
put option. 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. Cf.
call (def. 65).
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: - put (Thesaurus)
- put (Encyclopedia)
