put Hear it!

put definition

put (po̵ot)

transitive verb put, putting put′·ting

    1. to drive or send by a blow, shot, or thrust to put a bullet in a target
    2. to propel with an overhand thrust from the shoulder to put the shot
    1. to make do something to put a dog through its tricks
    2. to force put an army to flight
  3. to cause to be in a certain position or place; place; set put the box here
    1. to cause to be in a specified condition, situation, relation, etc. put her at ease
    2. to make undergo; subject put it to a trial
  5. to impose put a tax on luxuries
    1. to bring to bear (on); apply (to) to put one's mind on one's work
    2. to bring in or add; introduce; inject to put life into a party
    3. to bring about; effect to put a stop to cheating
  7. to attribute; assign; ascribe to put the blame where it belongs
  8. to express; state put it in plain language
  9. to translate
  10. to present for consideration, decision, etc. to put the question
    1. to estimate as being: with at to put the cost at $50
    2. to fix or set (a price, value, etc.) on
  12. to adapt or fit (words) to music
    1. to bet (money) on
    2. to invest (money) in or into

Etymology: ME putten < or akin to OE potian, to push: mod. senses prob. < Scand, as in Dan putte, Swed dial. putta, to put away, push, akin to OE pyttan, to sting, goad

intransitive verb

to take one's course; move; go (in, out, back, etc.)

noun

  1. a cast or thrust; esp., the act of putting the shot
  2. an option to sell a given quantity of a stock, commodity, etc. at a specified price and within a specified time: puts are purchased in anticipation of, or to protect against, a decline in the price of the stock, commodity, etc.

adjective

Informal immovable; fixed stay put
put Idioms

put about

  1. to change the course of (a sailing vessel) to another tack
  2. to move in another direction

put across

Informal
  1. ☆ to cause to be understood or accepted
  2. to carry out with success
  3. to carry out by trickery

put ahead

to reset the hands of (a clock) to a later time

put aside

or put by
  1. to reserve for later use
  2. to give up; discard

put away

  1. put aside
  2. Informal to consign to a jail, mental hospital, etc.
  3. Informal to consume (food or drink)
  4. to kill (a pet) to prevent suffering

put back

  1. to replace
  2. to reset the hands of (a clock) to an earlier time
  3. ☆ to demote (a pupil)

put down

    1. to crush; repress; squelch
    2. to deprive of authority, power, or position; degrade
  2. to write down; record
  3. to attribute (to)
  4. to consider as; classify
  5. to land or make a landing in an aircraft
  6. put away (sense ) (see phrase above)
  7. ☆ Slang to belittle, reject, criticize, or humiliate

put forth

  1. to grow (leaves, shoots, etc.)
  2. to bring into action; exert
  3. to propose; offer
  4. to bring out; publish; circulate
  5. to leave a port

put forward

to advance or present (a plan, etc.)

put in

  1. to enter a port or harbor
  2. to enter (a claim, request, etc.)
  3. to interpose; insert
  4. Informal to spend (time) in a specified manner

put in for

to request or apply for

put it on

Slang to make a pretentious show; pretend or exaggerate

put it over on

☆
Informal to deceive; trick

put it there!

☆
Slang shake hands with me: an expression of agreement, reconciliation, etc.

put off

  1. to leave until later; postpone; delay
  2. to discard
  3. to evade; divert
  4. to perturb; upset; distress

put on

  1. to clothe, adorn, or cover oneself with
  2. to take on; add to put on a few pounds
  3. to assume or pretend
  4. to apply (a brake, etc.)
  5. to stage (a play)
  6. ☆ Slang to fool (someone) by playing on the person's credulity; hoax

put on to

☆
to inform (someone) about (something)

put out

  1. to expel; dismiss
  2. to extinguish (a fire or light)
  3. ☆ to spend (money)
  4. to disconcert; confuse
  5. to distress; ruffle; vex
  6. to inconvenience
    1. to publish
    2. to produce and distribute
    3. to supply, offer, or display
  8. Slang to engage in sexual intercourse, often promiscuously: usually said of a woman
  9. Baseball to cause (a batter or runner) to be out by a fielding play

put over

  1. to postpone; delay
  2. ☆ Informal put across

put paid to

Brit. to put an end to; terminate

put something over on

☆
Informal to deceive; trick

put through

  1. ☆ to perform successfully; carry out
  2. to cause to do or undergo
  3. to connect (someone) by telephone with someone else

put to it

to place in a difficult situation; press hard

put up

  1. to offer, as for consideration, decision, auction, etc.
  2. to offer as a candidate
  3. to preserve or can (fruits, vegetables, etc.)
  4. to erect; build
  5. to lodge, or provide lodgings for
  6. ☆
    1. to advance or provide (money)
    2. Slang to do or produce what is needed or wanted
  7. to arrange (the hair) with curlers, bobby pins, etc.
  8. to carry on to put up a struggle
  9. Informal to incite (a person) to some action
  10. to sheathe (one's sword)

put upon

to impose on; victimize

put up with

to bear or suffer patiently; tolerate

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

finance put definition - finance

idioms put idiom

put Synonyms

put

v.

  1. To place

    set, seat, settle; see place 1.

  2. To establish

    install, quarter, fix; see establish 2.

  3. To deposit

    invest in, insert, embed; see plant.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

put Usage Examples

Object

  • strain: The weak coupling in this example puts a further strain on the reader.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • off: Do not attempt to sing it puts the choir off.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • aside: However, it would be wrong to assume that employers and unions put aside their differences during the war.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • aside: You've turned into your dad the day you put aside a thin piece of wood to specifically stir paint with. !

Infinitive complement

  • sleep: I walked the two miles back home having made this decision to have a young, otherwise healthy dog put to sleep.

Preposition: under

  • spotlight: BIDS is put under the spotlight by Isobel Stark.

Preposition: in

  • place: We have put in place short-term measures to reduce the amount of watering we are doing.

Particle object: up_obj

  • poster: We put up a poster asking for help with my name as the contact.
put usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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"put." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/put>

APA Style

put. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/put

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