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.
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.
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, adjectiveWords nearby get
British Dictionary definitions for get by (1 of 3)
get by
verb
to pass; go past or overtake
(intr, adverb) informal
to manage, esp in spite of difficulties
I can get by with little money
(intr)
to be accepted or permitted
that book will never get by the authorities
British Dictionary definitions for get by (2 of 3)
GeT
abbreviation for
Greenwich Electronic Time
British Dictionary definitions for get by (3 of 3)
get
/ (ɡɛt) /
verb gets, getting, got (ɡɒt) or got or esp US gotten (mainly tr)
noun
Derived forms of get
getable or gettable, adjectiveWord 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 by (1 of 2)
get by
Move past, as in There isn't room for this car to get by.
Manage to succeed or get along; also, barely succeed. For example, He's getting by even though he only works half-time, or If he applied himself, Paul could be getting A's, but instead he's just getting by. [Early 1900s]
Be unnoticed; also, get approval or pass inspection. For example, I wonder if these errors will get by the proofreader, or He hoped the paint job would get by. [Early 1900s]
Idioms and Phrases with get by (2 of 2)
get