get

[[t]gɛt[/t]]

v. got, got got•ten, get•ting,

1) to receive or come to have possession, use, or enjoyment of:

to get a gift; to get a pension[/ex]

2) to cause to be in one's possession or be available for one's use or enjoyment; obtain; acquire:

to get a good price for a house; to get information[/ex]

3) to earn:

to get the minimum wage[/ex]

4) to go after, take hold of, and bring (something) for oneself or another; fetch:

She got the trunk from the attic[/ex]

5) to cause or cause to become, to do, to move, etc., as specified:

to get one's hair cut; to get a fire to burn[/ex]

6) to communicate or establish communication with over a distance; reach:

to get someone by telephone[/ex]

7) to hear or hear clearly:

I didn't get your last name[/ex]

8) to acquire a mental grasp of; learn:

to get a lesson[/ex]

9) to capture; seize:

Get him before he escapes![/ex]

10) to receive as a punishment or sentence:

to get a spanking; to get a year in jail[/ex]

11) to prevail on; influence or persuade:

We'll get him to go with us[/ex]

12) to prepare; make ready:

to get dinner[/ex]

13) zool. (esp. of animals) to beget

14) inf to affect emotionally:

Her tears got me[/ex]

15) to hit, strike, or wound:

The bullet got him in the leg[/ex]

16) inf to kill

17) inf to take vengeance on:

I'll get you yet![/ex]

18) to catch or be afflicted with:

to get malaria while in the tropics; to get butterflies before a performance[/ex]

19) to receive (one's deserts, esp. punishment) (fol. by his, hers, theirs, or yours):

You'll get yours![/ex]

20) inf to puzzle; irritate; annoy:

Their silly remarks get me[/ex]

21) inf to understand; comprehend:

to get a joke[/ex]

22) to come to a specified place; arrive; reach:

to get home late[/ex]

23) to succeed, become enabled, or be permitted:

You get to meet a lot of interesting people[/ex]

24) to become or to cause oneself to become as specified; reach a certain condition:

to get ready; to get sick[/ex]

25) (used as an auxiliary verb fol. by a past participle to form the passive):

to get married; to get hit by a car[/ex]

26) to succeed in coming, going, arriving at, visiting, etc. (usu. fol. by away, in, into, out, etc.):

I don't get into town very often[/ex]

27) to bear, endure, or survive (usu. fol. by through or over):

Will he get through another bad winter?[/ex]

28) to earn money; gain

29) inf to leave immediately:

He told us to get[/ex]

30) to start or enter upon the action of (fol. by a present participle expressing action):

to get moving[/ex]

31) phv get about

a) to move around physically from one place to another

b) to become known, as a rumor

c) to engage in social activities

32) phv get across

a) to succeed in communicating or explaining:

to get a message across[/ex]

b) to be or become clearly understood:

The message finally got across[/ex]

33) phv get ahead, to be successful, as in business or society

34) phv get along

a) to go away; leave

b) to get on

35) phv get around

a) to circumvent; outwit

b) to ingratiate oneself with (someone) by flattery or cajolery

c) to travel from place to place; circulate:

I don't get around much anymore[/ex]

d) to get about

36) phv get at

a) to reach; touch

b) to suggest, hint at, or imply; intimate:

What are you getting at?[/ex]

c) to discover; determine:

to get at the root of a problem[/ex]

37) phv get away

a) to escape; flee

b) to start out; leave

38) phv get away with, to do or steal without consequent punishment

39) phv get back

a) to come back; return

b) to recover; regain

c) to be revenged

40) phv get by

a) to get beyond; pass

b) to escape the notice of

c) to survive or manage minimally

d) to expend little effort; be merely adequate

41) phv get down

a) to bring or come down; descend

b) to concentrate; attend

c) to depress; discourage; fatigue

d) to swallow

e) to relax and enjoy oneself completely

42) phv get in

a) to enter

b) to arrive at a destination

c) to enter into close association (usu. fol. by with):

getting in with the wrong crowd[/ex]

d) to be or cause to be elected to office or accepted into a group

43) phv get off

a) to dismount from or get out of

b) to begin a journey

c) to escape punishment

d) to help (someone) to escape punishment, esp. by providing legal assistance

e) to tell or write:

to get off a joke[/ex]

f) to have the effrontery:

Where does he get off telling me what to do?[/ex]

g) to finish, as one's workday:

We get off at five o'clock[/ex]

h) Slang. to have orgasm or an intense experience likened to it

44) phv get off on, Slang. to become enthusiastic about or excited by

45) phv get on

a) to make progress; proceed; advance

b) to have sufficient means to manage, survive, or fare

c) to be on good terms; agree:

She doesn't get on with her roommate[/ex]

d) to advance in age:

He is getting on in years[/ex]

46) phv get out

a) to leave (often fol. by of)

b) to become publicly known

c) to withdraw or retire (often fol. by of)

d) to produce or complete

47) phv get over

a) to recover from:

to get over an illness[/ex]

b) to get across

48) phv get through

a) to finish

b) to reach someone, as by telephone

c) to make oneself clearly understood

49) phv get to

a) to get in touch or into communication with; contact

b) to make an impression on; affect

c) to begin

50) phv get together

a) to accumulate; gather

b) to congregate; meet

c) to come to an accord; agree

51) phv get up

a) to sit up or stand; arise

b) to rise from bed

c) to ascend or mount

d) to prepare; arrange; organize:

to get up an exhibit[/ex]

e) to draw upon; marshal; rouse:

to get up one's courage[/ex]

f) (used as a command to a horse to start moving or go faster.)

g) to dress up, as in a costume or by adding embellishments

52) an offspring or the total of offspring, esp. of a male animal:

the get of a stallion[/ex]

53) spo a return of a ball, as in tennis, that would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent

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- get it get nowhere get off someone's back or case get somewhere get there

Etymology: 1150–1200; ME < ON geta to obtain, beget; c. OE -gietan (ME yeten), OS -getan, OHG -gezzan get′ta•ble, get′a•ble, adj. usage: The use of get rather than of forms of to be in the passive (He won't get accepted with those grades) is found today chiefly in informal speech and writing. In American English gotten, although occasionally criticized, is an alternative standard past participle in most senses, esp. “to receive” and “to acquire”: I have gotten (or got) a dozen replies so far. have or has got meaning “must” has been in use since the early 19th century, often contracted: You've got to carry your passport everywhere. In the sense “to possess” this construction dates to the 15th century and is also often contracted: She's got a master's degree in biology. Occasionally condemned as redundant, these uses are nevertheless standard in all varieties of speech and writing. got without have or has meaning “must” (I got to buy a new suit) is characteristic of highly informal speech. gotta is a pronunciation spelling representing this use. pron: The pronunciation (git) for get has existed since the 16th century. The same change is exhibited in (kin) for can and (yit) for yet. The pronunciation (git) is not regional and occurs in all parts of the country. It is most common as an unstressed syllable: Let's get going! (lets′ git gō′ing). In educated speech the pronunciation (git) in stressed syllables is rare and sometimes criticized. When get is an imperative meaning “leave immediately,” the pronunciation is usu. facetious: Now get! (nou` git′).