get

I. verb (got; got or gotten; getting) Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse geta to get, beget; akin to Old English bigietan to beget, Latin prehendere to seize, grasp, Greek chandanein to hold, contain Date: 13th century transitive verb 1. a. to gain possession of b. to receive as a return ; earn <

he got a bad reputation for carelessness

> 2. a. to obtain by concession or entreaty <

get your mother's permission to go

> b. to become affected by (a disease or bodily condition) ; catch <

got measles from his sister

> 3. a. to seek out and obtain <

hoped to get dinner at the inn

> b. to obtain and bring where wanted or needed <

get a pencil from the desk

> 4. beget 5. a. to cause to come or go <

quickly got his luggage through customs

> b. to cause to move <

get it out of the house

> c. to cause to be in a certain position or condition <

got his feet wet

> d. to make ready ; prepare <

get breakfast

> 6. a. to be subjected to <

got a bad fall

> b. to receive by way of punishment c. to suffer a specified injury to <

got my nose broken

> 7. a. to achieve as a result of military activity b. to obtain or receive by way of benefit or advantage <

he got little for his trouble

> <

get the better of an enemy

> 8. a. seize b. overcome c. to have an emotional effect on <

the final scene always gets me

> d. irritate <

the delays were starting to get her

> e. puzzle f. to take vengeance on; specifically kill g. hit 9. to prevail on ; cause <

finally got them to tidy up their room

> 10. a. have — used in the present perfect tense form with present meaning <

I've got no money

> b. to have as an obligation or necessity — used in the present perfect tense form with present meaning <

you have got to come

> 11. a. to find out by calculation <

get the answer to a problem

> b. memorize <

got the verse by heart

> c. hear d. understand <

he got the joke

> 12. to establish communication with 13. to put out in baseball 14. deliver 6b <

the car gets 20 miles to the gallon

> intransitive verb 1. a. to succeed in coming or going ; to bring or move oneself <

get away to the country

> <

got into the car

> b. to reach or enter into a certain condition <

got to sleep after midnight

> c. to make progress <

hasn't gotten far with the essay

> 2. to acquire wealth 3. a. to be able <

never got to go to college

> b. to come to be — often used with following present participle <

got talking about old times

> 4. a. to succeed in becoming ; become <

how to get clear of all the debts I owe — Shakespeare

> b. to become involved <

people who get into trouble with the law

> 5. to leave immediately <

told them to get

> verbal auxiliary — used with the past participle of transitive verbs as a passive voice auxiliary <

they got caught in the act

> Usage: The pronunciation \ˈgit\ has been noted as a feature of some British and American dialects since the 16th century. In the phonetic spelling of his own speech Benjamin Franklin records git. However, since at least 1687 some grammarians and teachers have disapproved this pronunciation. It nonetheless remains in widespread and unpredictable use in many dialects, often, but not exclusively, when get is a passive auxiliary (as in get married) or an imperative (as in get up!). II. noun Date: 14th century 1. a. something begotten: (1) offspring (2) the entire progeny of a male animal b. lineage 2. a return of a difficult shot in a game (as tennis) III. noun (plural gittin) Etymology: Late Hebrew gēṭ Date: 1892 1. a document of release from obligation in Jewish law; specifically a bill of divorce 2. a religious divorce by Jewish law