Idioms for get

Origin of get

1
1150–1200; (v.) Middle English geten < Old Norse geta to obtain, beget; cognate with Old English -gietan (> Middle English yeten), German -gessen, in vergessen to forget; (noun) Middle English: something gotten, offspring, derivative of the v.

SYNONYMS FOR get

1, 2 Get, obtain, acquire, procure, secure imply gaining possession of something. Get may apply to coming into possession in any manner, and either voluntarily or not. Obtain suggests putting forth effort to gain possession, and acquire stresses the possessing after an (often prolonged) effort. Procure suggests the method of obtaining, as that of search or choice. Secure, considered in bad taste as a would-be-elegant substitute for get, is, however, when used with discrimination, a perfectly proper word. It suggests making possession sure and safe, after obtaining something by competition or the like.
2 win, gain.
7 apprehend, grasp.
10 induce, dispose.
12 engender.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR get ON THESAURUS.COM

usage note for get

For nearly 400 years, forms of get have been used with a following past participle to form the passive voice: She got engaged when she was 19. He won't get accepted with those grades. This use of get rather than of forms of to be in the passive is found today chiefly in speech and informal writing.
In British English got is the regular past participle of get, and gotten survives only in a few set phrases, such as ill-gotten gains. In American English gotten, although occasionally criticized, is an alternative standard past participle in most senses, especially in the senses “to receive” or “to acquire”: I have gotten (or got ) all that I ever hoped for.
Have or has got in the sense “must” has been in use since the early 19th century; often the have or has is contracted: You've got to carry your passport at all times. The use of have (or has ) got in the sense of “to possess” goes back to the 15th century; it is also frequently contracted: She's got a master's degree in biology. These uses are occasionally criticized as redundant on the grounds that have alone expresses the meaning adequately, but they are well established and fully standard in all varieties of speech and writing. In some contexts in American English, substituting gotten for got produces a change in meaning: She's got ( possesses ) a new job. She's gotten ( has aquired ) a new job. He's got to ( must ) attend the wedding. He's gotten to ( has been allowed or enabled to ) attend. The children have got ( are suffering from ) the measles. The children have gotten ( have caught ) the measles. The use of got without have or has to mean “must” ( I got to buy a new suit ) is characteristic of the most relaxed, informal speech and does not occur in edited writing except in representations of speech. Gotta is a pronunciation spelling representing this use.

pronunciation note for get

The pronunciation [git] /gɪt/ for get has existed since the 16th century. The same change is exhibited in [kin] /kɪn/ for can and [yit] /yɪt/ for yet. The pronunciation [git] /gɪt/ is not regional and occurs in all parts of the country. It is most common as an unstressed syllable: Let's get going! [lets git-goh-ing] /ˈlɛts gɪtˈgoʊ ɪŋ/. In educated speech the pronunciation [git] /gɪt/ in stressed syllables is rare and sometimes criticized. When get is an imperative meaning “leave immediately,” the pronunciation is usually facetious: Now get! [nou git] /ˌnaʊ ˈgɪt/.

OTHER WORDS FROM get

get·ta·ble, get·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby get

gesticulation, gestosis, gesture, gesualdo, gesundheit, get, get a bang out of, get a break, get a charge, get a dirty look, get a dose of one's own medicine

Words related to get along

prosper, cope, succeed, flourish, thrive, develop, do, fare, manage, shift, advance, go, leave, march, move, proceed, progress, agree, harmonize

British Dictionary definitions for get along (1 of 3)

get along

verb (intr, adverb)

(often foll by with) to be friendly or compatible my brother gets along well with everybody
to manage, cope, or fare how are you getting along in your job?
(also preposition; often imperative) to go or move away; leave

interjection

British informal an exclamation indicating mild disbelief

British Dictionary definitions for get along (2 of 3)

GeT

abbreviation for

Greenwich Electronic Time

British Dictionary definitions for get along (3 of 3)

get
/ (ɡɛt) /

verb gets, getting, got (ɡɒt) or got or esp US gotten (mainly tr)

noun

See also get about, get across, get ahead, get along, get at, get away, get back, get by, get down, get in, get into, get off, get on, get onto, get out, get over, get round, get through, get-together, get up, got, gotten

Derived forms of get

getable or gettable, adjective

Word Origin for get

Old English gietan; related to Old Norse geta to get, learn, Old High German bigezzan to obtain

usage for get

The use of off after get as in I got this chair off an antique dealer is acceptable in conversation, but should not be used in formal writing

Idioms and Phrases with get along (1 of 2)

get along
1

Also, get on. Be or continue to be on harmonious terms. For example, She finds it hard to get along with her in-laws, or He gets on well with all of his neighbors except one. The use of along dates from the late 1800s; the use of on dates from the early 1800s. A colloquial synonym for get along well is get on like a house afire, in effect comparing increasingly good relations to the rapid progress of a fire.

2

Also, get on. Manage, fare with some success; also, prosper. For example, I can just get along in this town on those wages, or Her way of getting on in the world was to marry a rich man. The use of on dates from the late 1700s; the variant dates from the early 1800s.

3

get along without. Manage without something, as in With that new car loan, he can't get along without a raise. [Early 1800s]

4

Also, get on. Progress; advance, especially in years. For example, How are you getting along with the refinishing? or Dad doesn't hear too well; he's getting on, you know. [Late 1700s] Also see along in years; get on, def. 5.

5

get along with you. Go away; also, be quiet, drop the subject, as in “Leave me. Get along with you” (Charles Dickens, Barnaby Rudge, 1837). [First half of 1800s] Also see get on.

Idioms and Phrases with get along (2 of 2)

get