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 verb1: to bring to pass : carry out <do another's wishes>2: put —used chiefly in do to death3 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 : kill8: 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 with22: to partake of <let's do lunch>intransitive verb1: 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 participle5: 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 auxiliary1 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 : abolish2: 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 of2: 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 for2: 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>