- carry
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I. verb
(carried; carrying)
Etymology: Middle English carien, from Anglo-French carier to transport, from carre vehicle, from Latin carrus — more at car
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1. to move while supporting ; transport <her legs refused to carry her further — Ellen Glasgow> 2. to convey by direct communication <carry tales about a friend> 3. chiefly dialect conduct, escort 4. to influence by mental or emotional appeal ; sway 5. to get possession or control of ; capture <carried off the prize> 6. to transfer from one place (as a column) to another <carry a number in adding> 7. to contain and direct the course of <the drain carries sewage> 8. a. to wear or have on one's person b. to bear upon or within one <is carrying an unborn child> 9. a. to have or bear especially as a mark, attribute, or property <carry a scar> b. imply, involve <the crime carried a heavy penalty> 10. to hold or comport (as one's person) in a specified manner 11. to sustain the weight or burden of <pillars carry an arch> <is carrying a full course load> 12. to bear as a crop 13. to sing with reasonable correctness of pitch <carry a tune> 14. a. to keep in stock for sale b. to provide sustenance for <land carrying 10 head of cattle> c. to have or maintain on a list or record <carry a person on a payroll> <carried six guards on the team> 15. to be chiefly or solely responsible for the success, effectiveness, or continuation of <a player capable of carrying a team> <her performance carried the play> 16. to prolong or maintain in space, time, or degree <carry a principle too far> <carry the wall above the eaves> <carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning> 17. a. to gain victory for; especially to secure the adoption or passage of b. to win a majority or plurality of votes in (as a legislative body or a state) 18. to present for public use or consumption <newspapers carry weather reports> <channel nine will carry the game> 19. a. to bear the charges of holding or having (as stocks or merchandise) from one time to another b. to keep on one's books as a debtor <a merchant carries a customer> 20. to hold to and follow after (as a scent) 21. to hoist and maintain (a sail) in use 22. to pass over (as a hazard) at a single stroke in golf <carry a bunker> 23. to propel and control (a puck or ball) along a playing surface intransitive verb 1. to act as a bearer 2. a. to reach or penetrate to a distance <voices carry well> <fly balls don't carry well in cold air> b. to convey itself to a reader or audience 3. to undergo or admit of carriage in a specified way 4. of a hunting dog to keep and follow the scent 5. to win adoption <the motion carried by a vote of 71-25> II. noun (plural carries) Date: 1858 1. carrying power; especially the range of a gun or projectile or of a struck or thrown ball 2. a. portage b. the act or method of carrying <fireman's carry> c. the act of rushing with the ball in football <averaged four yards per carry> 3. the position assumed by a color-bearer with the flag or guidon held in position for marching 4. a quantity that is transferred in addition from one number place to the adjacent one of higher place value
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.