Main Entry: ¹do

Pronunciation: \ˈdü\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): did \ˈdid, dəd\; done \ˈdən\; do·ing \ˈdü-iŋ\; does \ˈdəz\

Etymology: Middle English don, from Old English dōn; akin to Old High German tuon to do, Latin -dere to put, facere to make, do, Greek tithenai to place, set

Date: before 12th century

transitive verb 1 : to bring to pass : carry out <do another's wishes>
2 : put —used chiefly in do to death
3 a : perform, execute <do some work> <did his duty> b : commit <crimes done deliberately>
4 a : bring about, effect <trying to do good> <do violence> b : to give freely : pay <do honor to her memory>
5 : to bring to an end : finish —used in the past participle <the job is finally done>
6 : to put forth : exert <did her best to win the race>
7 a : to wear out especially by physical exertion : exhaust <at the end of the race they were pretty well done> b : to attack physically : beat; also : kill
8 : to bring into existence : produce <do a biography on the general>
9 —used as a substitute verb especially to avoid repetition <if you must make such a racket, do it somewhere else>
10 a : to play the role or character of b : mimic; also : to behave like <do a Houdini and disappear> c : to perform in or serve as producer of <do a play>
11 : to treat unfairly; especially : cheat <did him out of his inheritance>
12 : to treat or deal with in any way typically with the sense of preparation or with that of care or attention: a (1) : to put in order : clean <was doing the kitchen> (2) : wash <did the dishes after supper> b : to prepare for use or consumption; especially : cook <like my steak done rare> c : set, arrange <had her hair done> d : to apply cosmetics to <wanted to do her face before the party> e : decorate, furnish <did the living room in Early American> <do over the kitchen>
13 : to be engaged in the study or practice of <do science>; especially : to work at as a vocation <what to do after college>
14 a : to pass over (as distance) : traverse <did 20 miles yesterday> b : to travel at a speed of <doing 55 on the turnpike>
15 : tour <doing 12 countries in 30 days>
16 a : to spend (time) in prison <has been doing time in a federal penitentiary> b : to serve out (a period of imprisonment) <did ten years for armed robbery>
17 : to serve the needs of : suit, suffice <worms will do us for bait>
18 : to approve especially by custom, opinion, or propriety <you oughtn't to say a thing like that…it's not done — Dorothy Sayers>
19 : to treat with respect to physical comforts <did themselves well>
20 : use 3 <doesn't do drugs>
21 : to have sexual intercourse with
22 : to partake of <let's do lunch>intransitive verb 1 : act, behave <do as I say>
2 a : get along, fare <do well in school> b : to carry on business or affairs : manage <we can do without your help>
3 : to take place : happen <what's doing across the street>
4 : to come to or make an end : finish —used in the past participle
5 : to be active or busy <let us then be up and doing — H. W. Longfellow>
6 : to be adequate or sufficient : serve <half of that will do>
7 : to be fitting : conform to custom or propriety <won't do to be late>
8 —used as a substitute verb to avoid repetition <wanted to run and play as children do> ; used especially in British English following a modal auxiliary or perfective have <a great many people had died, or would do — Bruce Chatwin>
9 —used in the imperative after an imperative to add emphasis <be quiet do>verbal auxiliary 1 a —used with the infinitive without to to form present and past tenses in legal and parliamentary language <do hereby bequeath> and in poetry <give what she did crave — Shakespeare> b —used with the infinitive without to to form present and past tenses in declarative sentences with inverted word order <fervently do we pray — Abraham Lincoln>, in interrogative sentences <did you hear that?>, and in negative sentences <we don't know> <don't go>
2 —used with the infinitive without to to form present and past tenses expressing emphasis <I do say> <do be careful>

— do·able \ˈdü-ə-bəl\ adjective

— do a number on : to defeat or confound thoroughly especially by indirect or deceptive means

— do away with 1 : to put an end to : abolish
2 : to put to death : kill

— do by : to deal with : treat

— do for chiefly British 1 : to attend to the wants and needs of : take care of
2 : to bring about the death or ruin of

— do it : to have sexual intercourse

— do justice 1 a : to act justly b : to treat fairly or adequately c : to show due appreciation for
2 : to acquit in a way worthy of one's abilities

— do proud : to give cause for pride or gratification <she did herself proud>

— do the trick : to produce a desired result

— do with : to make good use of : benefit by <could do with a cup of coffee>

— to do : necessary to be done <I've done my best and all's to do again — A. E. Housman>