—v. (getting; past got; past part. got or US (and in comb.) gotten)
1 tr. come into the possession of; receive or earn (get a job; got pound200 a week; got first prize).
2 tr. fetch, obtain, procure, purchase (get my book for me; got a new car).
3 tr. go to reach or catch (a bus, train, etc.).
4 tr. prepare (a meal etc.).
5 intr. & tr. reach or cause to reach a certain state or condition; become or cause to become (get rich; get one's feet wet; get to be famous; got them ready; got him into trouble; cannot get the key into the lock).
6 tr. obtain as a result of calculation.
7 tr. contract (a disease etc.).
8 tr. establish or be in communication with via telephone or radio; receive (a radio signal).
9 tr. experience or suffer; have inflicted on one; receive as one's lot or penalty (got four years in prison).
10 a tr. succeed in bringing, placing, etc. (get it round the corner; get it on to the agenda; flattery will get you nowhere). b intr. & tr. succeed or cause to succeed in coming or going (will get you there somehow; got absolutely nowhere).
11 tr. (prec. by have) a possess (have not got a penny). b (foll. by to + infin.) be bound or obliged (have got to see you).
12 tr. (foll. by to + infin.) induce; prevail upon (got them to help me).
13 tr. colloq. understand (a person or an argument) (have you got that?; I get your point; do you get me?).
14 tr. colloq. inflict punishment or retribution on, esp. in retaliation (I'll get you for that).
15 tr. colloq. a annoy. b move; affect emotionally. c attract, obsess. d amuse.
16 tr. (foll. by to + infin.) develop an inclination as specified (am getting to like it).
17 intr. (foll. by verbal noun) begin (get going).
18 tr. (esp. in past or perfect) catch in an argument; corner, puzzle.
19 tr. establish (an idea etc.) in one's mind.
20 intr. sl. be off; go away.
21 tr. archaic beget.
22 tr. archaic learn; acquire (knowledge) by study.
—n.
1 a an act of begetting (of animals). b an offspring (of animals).
2 sl. a fool or idiot.
Phrases and idioms:
get about (or around)
1 travel extensively or fast; go from place to place.
2 manage to walk, move about, etc. (esp. after illness).
3 (of news) be circulated, esp. orally.
get across
1 manage to communicate (an idea etc.).
2 (of an idea etc.) be communicated successfully.
3 colloq. annoy, irritate.
get along (or on)
1 (foll. by together, with) live harmoniously, accord.
2 be off! nonsense! get at
1 reach; get hold of.
2 colloq. imply (what are you getting at?).
get away
1 escape.
2 (as imper.) colloq. expressing disbelief or scepticism.
3 (foll. by with) escape blame or punishment for. get back at colloq. retaliate against.
get by colloq.
1 just manage, even with difficulty.
2 be acceptable.
get down
1 alight, descend (from a vehicle, ladder, etc.).
2 record in writing. get a person down depress or deject him or her. get down to begin working on or discussing. get even (often foll.
by with)
1 achieve revenge; act in retaliation.
2 equalize the score. get his (or hers etc.) sl. be killed.
get hold of
1 grasp (physically).
2 grasp (intellectually); understand.
3 make contact with (a person).
4 acquire.
get in
1 enter.
2 be elected. get into become interested or involved in. get it sl. be punished or in trouble. get it into one's head (foll. by that + clause) firmly believe or maintain; realize.
get off
1 colloq. be acquitted; escape with little or no punishment.
2 start.
3 alight; alight from (a bus etc.).
4 go, or cause to go, to sleep.
5 (foll. by with, together) Brit. colloq. form an amorous or sexual relationship, esp. abruptly or quickly. get a person off colloq. cause a person to be acquitted.
get on
1 make progress; manage.
2 enter (a bus etc.).
3 = get along 1.
get on to colloq.
1 make contact with.
2 understand; become aware of.
get out
1 leave or escape.
2 manage to go outdoors.
3 alight from a vehicle.
4 transpire; become known.
5 succeed in uttering, publishing, etc.
6 solve or finish (a puzzle etc.).
7 Cricket be dismissed. get-out n. a means of avoiding something.
get a person out
1 help a person to leave or escape.
2 Cricket dismiss (a batsman).
get out of
1 avoid or escape (a duty etc.).
2 abandon (a habit) gradually. get a thing out of manage to obtain it from (a person) esp. with difficulty. get outside (or outside of) sl. eat or drink.
get over
1 recover from (an illness, upset, etc.).
2 overcome (a difficulty).
3 manage to communicate (an idea etc.). get a thing over (or over with) complete (a tedious task) promptly. get one's own back colloq. have one's revenge. get-rich-quick adj. designed to make a lot of money fast. get rid of see RID.
get round (US around)
1 successfully coax or cajole (a person) esp. to secure a favour.
2 evade (a law etc.). get round to deal with (a task etc.) in due course. get somewhere make progress; be initially successful.
get there colloq.
1 succeed.
2 understand what is meant.
get through
1 pass or assist in passing (an examination, an ordeal, etc.).
2 finish or use up (esp. resources).
3 make contact by telephone.
4 (foll. by to) succeed in making (a person) listen or understand. get a thing through cause it to overcome obstacles, difficulties, etc.
get to
1 reach.
2 = get down to. get together gather, assemble. get-together n. colloq. a social gathering.
get up
1 rise or cause to rise from sitting etc., or from bed after sleeping or an illness.
2 ascend or mount, e.g. on horseback.
3 (of fire, wind, or the sea) begin to be strong or agitated.
4 prepare or organize.
5 enhance or refine one's knowledge of (a subject).
6 work up (a feeling, e.g. anger).
7 produce or stimulate (get up steam; get up speed).
8 (often refl.) dress or arrange elaborately; make presentable; arrange the appearance of.
9 (foll. by to) colloq. indulge or be involved in (always getting up to mischief). get-up n. colloq. a style or arrangement of dress etc., esp. an elaborate one. get-up-and-go colloq. energy, vim, enthusiasm. get the wind up see WIND(1). get with child archaic make pregnant. have got it bad (or badly) sl. be obsessed or affected emotionally.
Derivatives:
gettable adj.
Etymology: ME f. ON geta obtain, beget, guess, corresp. to OE gietan (recorded only in compounds), f. Gmc
Useful english dictionary. 2012.