set meaning
UK /sɛt/ US /sɛt/ 1 syllable
set (verb): put into a certain place or abstract location.
set has 45 meanings in this dictionary, as verb, noun and adjective.
set as a verb
- put into a certain place or abstract location
- Put your things here
- Set the tray down
- Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children
- Place emphasis on a certain point
Synonyms: put, place, pose, position, lay
Type of: move
Kinds: insert, docket, cock, postpose, prepose, step, replace, stratify, plant, intersperse, nestle, pile
Related forms: setting
- fix conclusively or authoritatively
- set the rules
Synonyms: determine
Kinds: identify, date, value, filiate, format, charge, initialize, tax, price
- decide upon or fix definitely
- fix the variables
- specify the parameters
Synonyms: specify, determine, define, fix, limit
Type of: choose
- establish as the highest level or best performance
- set a record
Synonyms: mark
Type of: lay down
- put into a certain state; cause to be in a certain state
- set the house afire
Type of: change
- fix in a border
- The goldsmith set the diamond
Type of: arrange
Related forms: setting
- make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc
- Get the children ready for school!
- prepare for war
- I was fixing to leave town after I paid the hotel bill
Synonyms: fix, prepare, set up, ready, gear up
Type of: change
Kinds: socialize, provide, cram, precondition, fix, mount, set up, winterize, summerize, prime, cultivate, brace
- set to a certain position or cause to operate correctly
- set clocks or instruments
Type of: adjust
Related forms: setting
- locate
- The film is set in Africa
Synonyms: localize, localise, place
Type of: stage
- disappear beyond the horizon
- the sun sets early these days
Opposite: rise
Type of: descend
- adapt for performance in a different way
- set this poem to music
Synonyms: arrange
Type of: compose
Kinds: prearrange, put, transpose, table
- put or set (seeds, seedlings, or plants) into the ground
- Let's plant flowers in the garden
Synonyms: plant
Type of: put
Kinds: root, puddle, checkrow, bed, dibble, afforest, replant, tree
- apply or start
- set fire to a building
Type of: originate
- become gelatinous
- the liquid jelled after we added the enzyme
Type of: solidify
- set in type
- My book will be typeset nicely
- set these words in italics
Synonyms: typeset
Type of: print
- put into a position that will restore a normal state
- set a broken bone
Type of: put
- insert (a nail or screw below the surface, as into a countersink)
Synonyms: countersink
Type of: bury
- give a fine, sharp edge to a knife or razor
Type of: hone
- urge to attack someone
- The owner sicked his dogs on the intruders
- the shaman sics sorcerers on the evil spirits
Synonyms: sic
Type of: assail
- estimate
- We put the time of arrival at 8 P.M.
Type of: estimate
- equip with sails or masts
- rig a ship
Type of: equip
- get ready for a particular purpose or event
- set up an experiment
- set the table
- lay out the tools for the surgery
Type of: fix
Related forms: setting
- alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard
- Adjust the clock, please
- correct the alignment of the front wheels
Type of: change
Kinds: proportion, modulate, temper, tune, calibrate, time, trim, zero, readjust, attune, regulate, focus
- bear fruit
- the apple trees fructify
Synonyms: fructify
Type of: reproduce
- arrange attractively
- dress my hair for the wedding
Synonyms: dress, arrange, do, coif, coiffe, coiffure
Type of: groom
set as a noun
- a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
- a set of books
- a set of golf clubs
- a set of teeth
Type of: collection
Kinds: dentition, singleton, pair, trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, septet, octet, chess set, manicure set, union
- (mathematics) an abstract collection of numbers or symbols
- the set of prime numbers is infinite
Type of: abstraction
Kinds: interval, group, domain, image, universal set, locus, subset, null set, Mandelbrot set, mathematical space, field, solution
- several exercises intended to be done in series
- he did four sets of the incline bench press
Synonyms: exercise set
Type of: exercise
- representation consisting of the scenery and other properties used to identify the location of a dramatic production
- the sets were meticulously authentic
Synonyms: stage set
Type of: representation
Kinds: scenery
- an unofficial association of people or groups
- the smart set goes there
- they were an angry lot
Type of: social group
Kinds: car pool, clique, cohort, conspiracy, Four Hundred, horsy set, jet set, party
- a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
- the set of his mind was obvious
Synonyms: bent
Type of: inclination
- the act of putting something in position
- he gave a final set to his hat
Type of: placement
- a unit of play in tennis or squash
- they played two sets of tennis after dinner
Type of: playing period
- the process of becoming hard or solid by cooling or drying or crystallization
- the hardening of concrete
- he tested the set of the glue
Synonyms: hardening, solidifying, solidification, curing
Type of: natural process
Kinds: congealment
- evil Egyptian god with the head of a beast that has high square ears and a long snout; brother and murderer of Osiris
Synonyms: Seth
Type of: Egyptian deity
- the descent of a heavenly body below the horizon
- before the set of sun
Type of: descent
- (psychology) being temporarily ready to respond in a particular way
- the subjects' set led them to solve problems the familiar way and to overlook the simpler solution
- his instructions deliberately gave them the wrong set
Synonyms: readiness
Type of: cognitive state
- any electronic equipment that receives or transmits radio or tv signals
- the early sets ran on storage batteries
Type of: electronic equipment
Kinds: receiver, transmitter
set as an adjective
- (usually followed by `to' or `for') on the point of or strongly disposed
- in no fit state to continue
- fit to drop
- laughing fit to burst
- she was fit to scream
- primed for a fight
- we are set to go at any time
Similar: ready
- fixed and unmoving
- with eyes set in a fixed glassy stare
- his bearded face already has a set hollow look
- a face rigid with pain
Similar: nonmoving
- situated in a particular spot or position
- valuable centrally located urban land
- strategically placed artillery
- a house set on a hilltop
- nicely situated on a quiet riverbank
Synonyms: located, placed, situated
Similar: settled
- set down according to a plan
- a carefully laid table with places set for four people
- stones laid in a pattern
Synonyms: laid
Similar: arranged
- being below the horizon
- the moon is set
Similar: down
- determined or decided upon as by an authority
- date and place are already determined
- the dictated terms of surrender
- the time set for the launching
Synonyms: determined, dictated
Similar: settled
- converted to solid form (as concrete)
Synonyms: hardened
Similar: hard
How to pronounce set
set is pronounced /sɛt/ in British English and /sɛt/ in American English. It has 1 syllable.
Words that rhyme with set
Word lists: words starting with SE · words ending in ET · 3-letter words
More about set on Wikipedia.