get
vb , gets, getting, got mainly tr
1 to come into possession of; receive or earn
3 to contract or be affected by
he got a chill at the picnic
4 to capture or seize
the police finally got him
5 also intr to become or cause to become or act as specified
to get a window open, get one's hair cut, get wet
6 intr; foll by a preposition or adverbial particle to succeed in going, coming, leaving, etc.
get off the bus
7 takes an infinitive to manage or contrive
how did you get to be captain?
8 to make ready or prepare
to get a meal
9 to hear, notice, or understand
I didn't get your meaning
10 (U.S. and Canadian)
informal to learn or master by study
11 intr; often foll by: to to come (to) or arrive (at)
we got home safely, to get to London
12 to catch or enter
to get a train
13 to induce or persuade
get him to leave at once
14 to reach by calculation
add 2 and 2 and you will get 4
15 to receive (a broadcast signal)
16 to communicate with (a person or place), as by telephone
17 also intr; foll by: to
Informal to have an emotional effect (on)
that music really gets me
18 Informal to annoy or irritate
her high voice gets me
19 Informal to bring a person into a difficult position from which he or she cannot escape
20 Informal to puzzle; baffle
21 Informal to hit
the blow got him in the back
22 Informal to be revenged on, esp. by killing
a foll by: to to gain access (to a person) with the purpose of bribing him
b often foll by: to to obtain access (to someone) and kill or silence him
24 Informal to have the better of
your extravagant habits will get you in the end
25 intr; foll by present participle
Informal to begin
get moving
26 used as a command
Informal go! leave now!
27 Archaic to beget or conceive
28 ♦
get even with See →
even 1 →
15
29 ♦
get it (in the neck)
Informal to be reprimanded or punished severely
30 ♦
get with it
Slang to allow oneself to respond to new ideas, styles, etc.
31 ♦
get with child
Archaic to make pregnant
n
32 Rare the act of begetting
33 Rare something begotten; offspring
34 (Brit)
slang a variant of →
git
35 Informal (in tennis) a successful return of a shot that was difficult to reach,
(See also)
→
get about →
get across →
get ahead →
get along →
get at →
get away →
get back →
get by →
get down →
get in →
get into →
get off →
get on →
get onto →
get out →
get over →
get round →
get through →
get-together →
get up →
got →
gotten (Old English gietan; related to Old Norse geta to get, learn, Old High German bigezzan to obtain) ♦
getable, gettable adj The use of off after get as in I got this chair off an antique dealer is acceptable in conversation, but should not be used in formal writing
get about , around
vb intr, adv
1 to move around, as when recovering from an illness
3 (of news, rumour, etc.) to become known; spread
get across
vb
1 to cross or cause or help to cross
2 adv to be or cause to be readily understood
3 intr, prep
Informal to annoy
her constant interference really got across him
get ahead
vb intr, adv
1 to be successful; prosper
2 foll by: of to surpass or excel
get along
vb intr, adv
1 often foll by: with to be friendly or compatible
my brother gets along well with everybody
2 to manage, cope, or fare
how are you getting along in your job?
3 also prep; often imperative to go or move away; leave
interj
4 (Brit)
informal an exclamation indicating mild disbelief
get around
vb See →
get about →
get round
get at
vb intr, prep
1 to gain access to
the dog could not get at the meat on the high shelf
2 to mean or intend
what are you getting at when you look at me like that?
3 to irritate or annoy persistently; criticize
she is always getting at him
4 to influence or seek to influence, esp. illegally by bribery, intimidation, etc.
someone had got at the witness before the trial
get-at-able
adj
Informal accessible
get away
vb adv, mainly intr
1 to make an escape; leave
a to steal and escape (with money, goods, etc.)
b to do (something wrong, illegal, etc.) without being discovered or punished or with only a minor punishment
interj
4 an exclamation indicating mild disbelief
n
♦
getaway
5 the act of escaping, esp. by criminals
6 a start or acceleration
7 modifier used for escaping
a getaway car
get back
vb adv
1 tr to recover or retrieve
2 intr; often foll by: to to return, esp. to a former position or activity
let's get back to the original question
3 intr; foll by: at to retaliate (against); wreak vengeance (on)
4 ♦
get one's own back
Informal to obtain one's revenge
get by
vb
1 to pass; go past or overtake
2 intr, adv
Informal to manage, esp. in spite of difficulties
I can get by with little money
3 intr to be accepted or permitted
that book will never get by the authorities
get down
vb mainly adv
1 intr; also prep to dismount or descend
2 tr; also prep to bring down
we could not get the wardrobe down the stairs
4 tr to make depressed
your nagging gets me down
5 tr to swallow
he couldn't get the meal down
6 intr; foll by: to to attend seriously (to); concentrate (on) (esp. in the phrases get down to business or brass tacks)
7 intr
Informal (chiefly U.S.) to enjoy oneself uninhibitedly, esp. by dancing
get in
vb mainly adv
1 intr to enter a car, train, etc.
2 intr to arrive, esp. at one's home or place of work
I got in at midnight
3 tr to bring in or inside
get the milk in
4 tr to insert or slip in
he got his suggestion in before anyone else
5 tr to gather or collect (crops, debts, etc.)
6 tr to ask (a person, esp. a specialist) to give a service
shall I get the doctor in?
7 to be elected or cause to be elected
he got in by 400 votes
8 tr to succeed in doing (something), esp. during a specified period
I doubt if I can get this task in today
9 intr to obtain a place at university, college, etc.
10 foll by: on to join or cause to join (an activity or organization)
11 ♦
get in with to be or cause to be on friendly terms with (a person)
12 prep See →
get into
n
♦
get-in
13 (Theatre) the process of moving into a theatre the scenery, props, and costumes for a production
get into
vb prep
2 intr to reach (a destination)
the train got into London at noon
3 to get dressed in (clothes)
4 intr to preoccupy or obsess (a person's emotions or thoughts)
what's got into him tonight?
5 to assume or cause to assume (a specified condition, habit, etc.)
to get into debt, get a person into a mess
6 to be elected to or cause to be elected to
to get into Parliament
7 usually intr
Informal to become or cause to become familiar with (a skill)
once you get into driving you'll enjoy it
8 usually intr
Informal to develop or cause to develop an absorbing interest in (a hobby, subject, or book)
get off
vb
1 intr, adv to escape the consequences of an action
he got off very lightly in the accident
2 adv to be or cause to be acquitted
a good lawyer got him off
3 adv to depart or cause to depart
to get the children off to school
4 intr to descend (from a bus, train, etc.); dismount
she got off at the terminus
5 to move or cause to move to a distance (from)
get off the field
6 tr, adv to remove; take off
get your coat off
7 adv to go or send to sleep
8 adv to send (letters) or (of letters) to be sent
9 intr, adv
Slang to become high on or as on heroin or some other drug
10 ♦
get off with (Brit)
informal to establish an amorous or sexual relationship with
11 ♦
tell (someone) where to get off
Informal to rebuke or criticize harshly
get on
vb mainly adv
1 (Also (when prep))
get onto to board or cause or help to board (a bus, train, etc.)
2 tr to dress in (clothes as specified)
3 intr to grow late or (of time) to elapse
it's getting on and I must go
4 intr (of a person) to grow old
5 intr; foll by: for to approach (a time, age, amount, etc.)
she is getting on for seventy
6 intr to make progress, manage, or fare
how did you get on in your exam?
7 intr; often foll by: with to establish a friendly relationship
he gets on well with other people
8 intr; foll by: with to continue to do
get on with your homework!
interj
get onto
vb prep
1 (Also)
get on to board or cause or help to board (a bus, train, etc.)
2 intr to make contact with; communicate with
3 intr to become aware of (something illicit or secret)
the boss will get onto their pilfering unless they're careful
4 intr to deliver a demand, request, or rebuke to
I'll get onto the manufacturers to replace these damaged goods (See usage note at)
→
onto
get out
vb adv
1 to leave or escape or cause to leave or escape: used in the imperative when dismissing a person
2 to make or become known; publish or be published
3 tr to express with difficulty
4 tr; often foll by: of to extract (information or money) (from a person)
to get a confession out of a criminal
5 tr to gain or receive something, esp. something of significance or value
you get out of life what you put into it
6 foll by: of to avoid or cause to avoid
she always gets out of swimming
7 tr to solve (a puzzle or problem) successfully
8 (Cricket) to dismiss or be dismissed
n
♦
get-out
9 an escape, as from a difficult situation
10 (Theatre) the process of moving out of a theatre the scenery, props, and costumes after a production
get over
vb
1 to cross or surmount (something)
get the children over the fence
2 intr, prep to recover from (an illness, shock, etc.)
3 intr, prep to overcome or master (a problem)
you'll soon get over your shyness
4 intr, prep to appreciate fully
I just can't get over seeing you again
5 tr, adv to communicate effectively
he had difficulty getting the message over
6 tr, adv; sometimes foll by: with to bring (something necessary but unpleasant) to an end
let's get this job over with quickly
get round , around
vb intr
1 prep to circumvent or overcome
he got round the problem by an ingenious trick
2 prep
Informal to have one's way with; cajole
that girl can get round anyone
3 prep to evade (a law or rules)
4 adv; foll by: to to reach or come to at length
I'll get round to that job in an hour
get through
vb
1 to succeed or cause or help to succeed in an examination, test, etc.
2 to bring or come to a destination, esp. after overcoming problems
we got through the blizzards to the survivors
3 intr, adv to contact, as by telephone
4 intr, prep to use, spend, or consume (money, supplies, etc.)
5 to complete or cause to complete (a task, process, etc.)
to get a bill through Parliament
6 adv; foll by: to to reach the awareness and understanding (of a person)
I just can't get the message through to him
7 intr, adv (U.S.)
slang to obtain drugs
get-together
n
1 Informal a small informal meeting or social gathering
vb
♦
get together adv
2 tr to gather or collect
3 intr (of people) to meet socially
4 intr to discuss, esp. in order to reach an agreement
5 ♦
get it together
Informal
a to achieve one's full potential, either generally as a person or in a particular field of activity
b to achieve a harmonious frame of mind
get up
vb mainly adv
1 to wake and rise from one's bed or cause to wake and rise from bed
2 intr to rise to one's feet; stand up
3 also prep to ascend or cause to ascend
the old van couldn't get up the hill
4 to mount or help to mount (a bicycle, horse, etc.)
5 to increase or cause to increase in strength
the wind got up at noon
6 tr
Informal to dress (oneself) in a particular way, esp. showily or elaborately
7 tr
Informal to devise or create
to get up an entertainment for Christmas
8 tr
Informal to study or improve one's knowledge of
I must get up my history
9 intr; foll by: to
Informal to be involved in
he's always getting up to mischief
10 intr (Austral)
informal to win, esp. in a sporting event
n
♦
get-up
11 Informal a costume or outfit, esp. one that is striking or bizarre
12 Informal the arrangement or production of a book, etc.
get-up-and-go
n
Informal energy, drive, or ambition