Etymology From Middle English setten, from Old English settan, from Proto-West Germanic *sattjan, from Proto-Germanic *satjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *sodéyeti, causative of *sed- (“to sit”). Cognate with Dutch zetten, German setzen, Danish sætte, Norwegian Bokmål sette, Icelandic and Norwegian Nynorsk setja, Swedish sätta, Faroese seta.
To attach or affix (something) to something else, or in or upon a certain place.
I have set my heart on running the marathon.
The Lord set a mark upon Cain.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 4:15:
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To put in a specified condition or state; to cause to be.
The Lord thy God will set thee on high.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 28:1:
I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 10:35:
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Every incident sets him thinking.1827, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Hamlet:
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To start (a fire).
5
Dated To cause to stop or stick; to obstruct; to fasten to a spot.
to set a coach in the mud
6
To determine or settle.
to set the rent
7
To adjust.
I set the alarm at 6 a.m.
I set the alarm for 6 a.m.
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To punch (a nail) into wood so that its head is below the surface.
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To arrange with dishes and cutlery, to set the table.
Please set the table for our guests.
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To introduce or describe.
I’ll tell you what happened, but first let me set the scene.
An incident which happened about this time will set the characters of these two lads more fairly before the discerning reader than is in the power of the longest dissertation.1749, Henry Fielding, chapter II, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:
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To locate (a play, etc.); to assign a backdrop to, geographically or temporally.
He says he will set his next film in France.
Her debut novel is set during the U.S. Civil War.
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To compile, to make (a puzzle or challenge).
This crossword was set by Araucaria.
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To prepare (a stage or film set).
14
To fit (someone) up in a situation.
15
To arrange (type).
It was a complex page, but he set it quickly.
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To devise and assign (work) to.
The teacher set her students the task of drawing a foot.
Obsolete, As in set out, Followed by "out" To begin to move; to go forth.
The king is set from London, and the scene is now transported, gentles, to Southampton1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
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Biology, Botany, Natural sciences To produce after pollination.
to set seed
Many fruit trees will only flower and set fruit following a cold winter.2012, Daniel Chamovitz, What a Plant Knows, page 155:
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Of fruit To be fixed for growth; to strike root; to begin to germinate or form.
In the Annapolis Valley, in spite of an irregular bloom, the fruit has set well and has, as yet, been little affected by scab.1906, Canada. Dept. of Agriculture. Fruit Branch, Fruit crop report:
Old Applegate, in the stern, just set and looked at me, and Lord James, amidship, waved both arms and kept hollering for help. I took a couple of everlasting big strokes and managed to grab hold of the skiff's rail, close to the stern.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
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And if Mrs. Garner didn't need me right there in the kitchen, I could get a chair and you and me could set out there while I did the vegetables.1987, Toni Morrison, Beloved, page 227:
Well, we rolled up Interstate 44 Like a rocket-sled on rails. We tore up all of our swindle sheets And left 'em settin' on the scales.1975, “Convoy”, in C.W. McCall, Chip Davis (lyrics), Black Bear Road, performed by C. W. McCall:
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To hunt game with the aid of a setter.
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Hobbies, Hunting, LifestyleAmbitransitive Of a dog, to indicate the position of game.
The dog sets the bird.
Your dog sets well.
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To apply oneself; to undertake earnestly.
If he set industriously and sincerely to perform the commands of Christ, he can have no ground of doubting but it shall prove successful to him.1654, H[enry] Hammond, Of Fundamentals in a Notion Referring to Practise, London: […] J[ames] Flesher for Richard Royston, […], →OCLC:
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Ambitransitive To fit music to words.
Set thy own songs, and sing them to thy lute.1709, J[ohn] Dryden, J[ohn] Oldham, “(please specify the page)”, in Mac Flecknoe: A Poem. […] With Spencer’s Ghost: Being a Satyr Concerning Poetry. […], London: […] H[enry] Hills, […], →OCLC:
That I might sing it (Madam) to a tune: Giue me a Note, your Ladiship can setc. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
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Ambitransitive To place plants or shoots in the ground; to plant.
to set pear trees in an orchard
We saw him with eight men setting potatoes within a week of mid-summer.1774, John Robinson, Thomas Rispin, A Journey Through Nova-Scotia, York: C. Etherington, page 19:
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At Eastertime one year, she helped him to set potatoes.1915, D. H. Lawrence, The Rainbow, Vintage, published 2011, page 204:
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To become fixed or rigid; to be fastened.
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To have a certain direction of motion; to flow; to move on; to tend.
The current sets to the north; the tide sets to the windward.
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Country dancing, Dancing, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To acknowledge a dancing partner by facing them and moving first to one side and then to the other, while they do the opposite.
Set to partners! was the next instruction from the caller.
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To place or fix in a setting.
to set a precious stone in a border of metal
to set glass in a sash
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And him too rich a jewel to be set / In vulgar metal for a vulgar use.1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act IV, page 58:
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To put in order in a particular manner; to prepare.
to set (that is, to hone) a razor
to set a saw
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To extend and bring into position; to spread.
to set the sails of a ship
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To give a pitch to, as a tune; to start by fixing the keynote.
[…] I ſhould be very vvilling to be his Clerk; for vvhich you knovv I am qualified, being able to read, and to ſet a Pſalm.1742, Henry Fielding, “Here Joseph Andrews Writ a Letter to His Sister Pamela”, in The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and of His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams. […], volume I, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book I, page 25:
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To reduce from a dislocated or fractured state.
to set a broken bone
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Dialectal To sit or lie (easily etc.) on the stomach; to be digested in a certain manner.
If you also knew how to combine foods—that is, what foods eaten together “set well,” you need never have indigestion, constipation or any of the headachy, stomachachy ills they lead to.1917 February 12, “If You Knew What Foods?” (advertisement), in The Independent, volume 59, number 3558, New York: Independent Corporation, page 280:
I have set my life upon a cast, / And I will stand the hazard of the die.c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iv]:
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To adorn with something infixed or affixed; to stud; to variegate with objects placed here and there.
High on their heads, with jewels richly set, / Each lady wore a radiant coronet.1700, [John] Dryden, “The Flower and the Leaf: Or, The Lady in the Arbour. A Vision.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
pastoral dales thin set with modern farms1815, William Wordsworth, Poems of the Imagination:
Be you contented, wearing now the garland, / To have a son set your decrees at naught.c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
I do not set my life at a pin's fee.c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
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To establish as a rule; to furnish; to prescribe; to assign.
Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits. ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34:
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Rigid, solidified.
3
Ready, prepared.
on your marks, get set, go!; on your marks, set, go!
4
Intent, determined (to do something).
set on getting to his destination
And she likes you so much, and thinks you so accomplished and distingué-looking, and was just as set as I was to have you for best man.1892, Robert Louis Stevenson, Lloyd Osbourne, “In which Jim and I Take Different Ways”, in The Wrecker, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, […], →OCLC, page 179:
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Prearranged.
a set menu
a set book
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The second level of reading we will call Inspectional Reading. It is characterized by its special emphasis on time. When reading at this level, the student is allowed a set time to complete an assigned amount of reading. He might be allowed fifteen minutes to read this book, for instance—or even a book twice as long.1972, Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren, How to Read a Book, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, →LCCN, page 18:
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Fixed in one’s opinion.
I’m set against the idea of smacking children to punish them.
Gene for a human protein involved in apoptosis, transcription and nucleosome assembly.
2
Abbreviation, Initialism Initialism of Simulated Emergency Test, an amateur radio training exercise.
set
noun
Etymology From Middle English set, sette, from Old English set (“seat, place of residence, camp, settlement, entrenchment, stable, pen”), from Proto-West Germanic *set (“seat”), from Proto-Germanic *setą (“seat”).
A device for receiving broadcast radio waves (or, more recently, broadcast data); a radio or television.
television set
Say, you can watch 60 Minutes / Even Captain Kangaroo / But there's only one set, so whatever you watch / Well, you know I gotta watch it too1984, "Weird Al" Yankovic, “The Brady Bunch”, in "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D:
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Alternative Alternative form of sett (“a hole made and lived in by a badger”).
4
Alternative Alternative form of sett (“pattern of threads and yarns”).
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Alternative Alternative form of sett (“piece of quarried stone”).
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Agriculture, Business, Horticulture, Lifestyle A small tuber or bulb used instead of seed, particularly onion sets and potato sets.
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The amount by which the teeth of a saw protrude to the side in order to create the kerf.
8
Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences A permanent change of shape caused by excessive strain, as from compression, tension, bending, twisting, etc.
the set of a spring
The wings were bent or set permanently 2 to 3 inches upward at the wingtips; however, the set was within the manufacturer's allowable tolerances.1986 March 29, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.12 Wreckage and Impact Information”, in Aircraft Accident Report: China Airlines Boeing 747-SP, N4522V, 300 Nautical Miles Northwest of San Francisco, California, February 19, 1985, archived from the original on 10 Jul 2022, page 12:
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A bias of mind; an attitude or pattern of behaviour.
10
Business, Construction, Manufacturing, Piledriving A piece placed temporarily upon the head of a pile when the latter cannot otherwise be reached by the weight, or hammer.
Collectively, the crop of young oysters in any locality.
14
A series or group of something. (Note the similar meaning in Etymology 4, Noun)
15
Colloquial The manner, state, or quality of setting or fitting; fit.
the set of a coat
Mr. Joolby lay on the floor beside his special chair, his face doubly terrible in its rigid set, his body writhing this way and that with spasmodic jerks and contortions.1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
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So much of our culture, hidden by necessity for so long, involves subtle codes and signals: the set of her shoulders, the sway of his hips.1984 December 29, Amy Hoffman, “Dyke Detectives Solve Murder Mysteries”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 25, page 7:
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The pattern of a tartan, etc.
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The camber of a curved roofing tile.
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The full number of eggs set under a hen.
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Obsolete, Rare That which is staked; a wager; hence, a gambling game.
We will in France, by God's grace, play a set / Shall strike his father's crown into the hazard.1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
That was but civil war, an equal set.1687, [John Dryden], “(please specify the page number)”, in The Hind and the Panther. A Poem, in Three Parts, 2nd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC:
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Thenceforth the Dowager, with a light and careless humour, often recounted to her particular acquaintance how, after a hard trial, she had found it impossible to know those people who belonged to Henry’s wife, and who had made that desperate set to catch him.1855 December – 1857 June, Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1857, →OCLC:
Etymology (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. )
1
EducationUK To divide a class group in a subject according to ability
In setted classes, students are brought together because they are believed to be of similar 'ability'. Yet, setted lessons are often conducted as though students are not only similar, but identical—in terms of ability, preferred learning style and pace of working.2008, Patricia Murphy, Robert McCormick, Knowledge and Practice: Representations and Identities:
At Amber Hill, setting was a high-profile concept, and the students were frequently reminded of the set to which they belonged.2002, Jo Boaler, Experiencing School Mathematics: Traditional and Reform Approaches and Their Impact on Student Learning:
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Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.2013 July 19, Peter Wilby, “Finland spreads word on schools”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 30:
set
noun
Etymology
From Middle English set, sete, sette (“that which is set, the act of setting, seat”), from Old English set (“setting, seat, a place where people remain, habitation, camp, entrenchment, a place where animals are kept, stall, fold”) and Old English seten (“a set, shoot, slip, branch; a nursery, plantation; that which is planted or set; a cultivated place; planting, cultivation; a setting, putting; a stopping; occupied land”), related to Old English settan (“to set”). Compare Middle Low German gesette (“a set, suite”), Old English gesetl (“assembly”). According to Skeat, in senses denoting a group of things or persons, representing an alteration of sept, from Old French sette (“a religious sect”), from Medieval Latin secta (“retinue”), from Latin secta (“a faction”). See sect. It is quite possible that the modern word is more of a merger between both, however.
The setting of the sun or other luminary; (by extension) the close of the day.
The weary sun hath made a golden set.c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
And a rose-bush leans upon, / Thou that faintly smilest still, / As a Naiad in a well, / Looking at the set of day, […]1842, Alfred Tennyson, “Adeline”, in Poems. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 41:
Here and there, amongst individuals alive to the particular evils of the age, and watching the very set of the current, there may have been even a more systematic counteraction applied to the mischief.1840, Thomas De Quincey, Style:
He put his eye to the alidade. “I thought so! Zero five four and that's allowing nothing for set and drift along the line of bearing. We're inside the departure point now[…]”1951, Herman Wouk, The Caine Mutiny, page 238:
5
A matching collection of similar things. (Note the similar meaning in Etymology 2, Noun.)
a set of tables
6
A collection of various objects for a particular purpose.
a set of tools
7
An object made up of several parts.
a set of steps
8
Mathematics, Sciences, Set theory A collection of zero or more objects, possibly infinite in size, and disregarding any order or repetition of the objects which may be contained within it.
A group of people, usually meeting socially or connected through some shared interest, activity, attribute, etc.
the country set
That he took perfumed baths is a truth; and he used to say that he took them after meeting certain men of a very low set in hall.1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter XIX, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
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“Good gracious, child, you didn't join the Theosophists and kiss Buddha's big toe, did you ? I tried to get into their set once, but they cast me out for a sceptic — without a chance of improving my poor little mind, too.”1889, Rudyard Kipling, “The Education of Otis Yeere”, in Under the Deodars, Boston: The Greenock Press, published 1899, page 21:
They were very private people, though they did have their circle of friends at Bilignin. They had little or no association with the Natalie Barney set, in their eyes much too frivolous.1984 December 29, H. W. Seng, “Alice, Gertrude and Sammy Dearest”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 25, page 13:
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The scenery for a film or play.
12
the general locations and area where a movie’s, a film’s, or a video’s scenery is arranged to be filmed also including places for actors, assorted crew, director, producers which are typically not filmed.
13
Dance, Dancing, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports The initial or basic formation of dancers.
14
Exercise, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A group of repetitions of a single exercise performed one after the other without rest.
Meronym: reps
This is the fourth set of benchpresses.1974, Charles Gaines, George Butler, Pumping Iron: The Art and Sport of Bodybuilding, page 22:
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The old practitioners we sometimes still see, though in far fewer numbers: still working out too hard, a lost expression on their faces as they rest between sets, as if unable to snap out of the broken promise.1986, Paul Reed, “Serenity”, in Eric E. Rofes, editor, Gay Life: Leisure, Love, and Living for the Contemporary Gay Male, page 11:
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Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports, Tennis A complete series of games, forming part of a match.
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music A musical performance by a band, disc jockey, etc., consisting of several musical pieces.
You heard “oh, Jeremy Corbyn” everywhere: at the silent disco, during Radiohead’s Friday night headlining set, midway through the Other stage appearance by rapper Stormzy, who gamely joined in.2017 June 26, Alexis Petridis, “Glastonbury 2017 verdict: Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Lorde, Stormzy and more”, in the Guardian:
EducationUK A class group in a subject where pupils are divided by ability.
Looking at pupil attainment, the study found that students with the same Key Stage 3 scores could have their GCSE grade raised or lowered by up to half a grade as a result of being placed in a higher or lower set.2012 April 26, “Themes: Pupil grouping and organisation of classes”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), Department for Education, archived from the original on 14 Jun 2012:
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Card games, PokerSlang Three of a kind, especially if two cards are in one's hand and the third is on the board. Compare trips (“three of a kind, especially with two cards on the board and one in one's hand”).