throw
[ throh ]
/ θroʊ /
verb (used with object), threw, thrown, throw·ing.
to propel or cast in any way, especially to project or propel from the hand by a sudden forward motion or straightening of the arm and wrist: to throw a ball.
to hurl or project (a missile), as a gun does.
to project or cast (light, a shadow, etc.).
to project (the voice).
to make it appear that one's voice is coming from a place different from its source, as in ventriloquism.
to direct or send forth (words, a glance, etc.).
to put or cause to go or come into some place, position, condition, etc., as if by hurling: to throw someone into prison; to throw a bridge across a river; to throw troops into action.
to put on, off, or away hastily: to throw a shawl over one's shoulders.
Machinery.
- to move (a lever or the like) in order to activate, turn on, disconnect, etc., an apparatus or mechanism: to throw the switch.
- to connect, engage, disconnect, or disengage by such a procedure: to throw the current.
to shape on a potter's wheel: to throw a vase.
to bring to bear or invest: Throw all your energy into your work. The FBI threw every available agent into the case.
to deliver a blow or punch: He threw a hard left jab to his opponent's chin.
to cause to fall to the ground, especially to hurl to the ground, as an opponent in wrestling.
Cards.
to play (a card).
to lose (a game, race, or other contest) intentionally, as for a bribe.
to cast (dice).
to make (a cast) at dice: She threw two sixes.
(of an animal, as a horse) to cause (someone) to fall off; unseat: The horse threw his rider twice.
to give or host: They threw a lavish party celebrating his 80th birthday.
(of domestic animals) to bring forth (young).
Textiles.
to twist (filaments) without attenuation in the production of yarn or thread.
Informal.
to overcome with astonishment or confusion; amaze, disconcert, or confuse: It was her falsetto voice on top of it all that really threw me.
to turn on a lathe.
verb (used without object), threw, thrown, throw·ing.
to cast, fling, or hurl a missile or the like.
noun
an act or instance of throwing or casting; cast; fling.
the distance to which anything is or may be thrown: a stone's throw.
Informal.
a venture or chance: It was his last throw.
Machinery.
- the distance between the center of a crankshaft and the center of the crankpins, equal to one half of the piston stroke.
- the distance between the center of a crankshaft and the center of an eccentric.
- the movement of a reciprocating part in one direction.
(in a motion-picture theater) the distance between the projector and the screen.
(in an auditorium or the like) the distance between a loudspeaker and the audience.
the length of a beam of light: a spotlight with a throw of 500 feet.
a scarf, boa, shawl, or the like.
Theater.
- the distance to which a spotlight can be projected.
- the area illuminated by a spotlight.
a light blanket, as for use when reclining on a sofa; afghan.
a cast of dice.
the number thrown with a pair of dice.
Wrestling.
the act, method, or an instance of throwing an opponent.
Geology, Mining.
the amount of vertical displacement produced by a fault.
Verb Phrases
throw away,
- to dispose of; discard.
- to employ wastefully; squander.
- to fail to use; miss (a chance, opportunity, etc.): He threw away a college education and a professional career.
throw back,
- to retard the development or advancement of: His illness threw him back a year at school.
- to force into dependence upon or necessary use of.
- to return to; hark back.
- to revert to a type found in one's ancestry; manifest atavism: Her red hair and blue eyes throw back to her great-grandmother.
throw in, Informal.
- to add as a bonus or gratuity: They throw in breakfast with the room.
- to bring into (a discussion, plan, etc.) as an addition; interject: The president threw in an amusing anecdote to relieve the tension.
- Cards. to abandon (a hand).
throw off,
- to free oneself of; cast aside: to throw off the wet poncho; to throw off the yoke of slavery.
- to escape from or delay, as a pursuer.
- to give off; discharge.
- to perform or produce with ease: The entertainer threw off a few songs and jokes to begin the show.
- to confuse; fluster: Thrown off by jeers, she forgot her lines.
- Australian Slang. to criticize or ridicule (usually followed by at).
throw out,
- to cast away; remove; discard.
- to bring up for consideration; propose: The committee threw out a few suggestions.
- to put out of mind; reject: We can throw out that scheme.
- Baseball. to cause to be out by throwing the ball to a fielder, especially an infielder, in time to prevent a batter or runner from reaching base safely: The shortstop backhanded the ball and threw the batter out at first.
- to eject from a place, especially forcibly: He started making a disturbance so the bartenders threw him out.
- to expel, as from membership in a club.
throw over,
to forsake; abandon: She threw over her first husband for another man.
throw together,
- to make in a hurried and haphazard manner.
- to cause to associate: Many nationalities have been thrown together in the American melting pot.
throw up,
- to give up; relinquish.
- to build hastily.
- to vomit.
- to point out, as an error; criticize.
- (of a hawk) to fly suddenly upward.
Idioms for throw
a throw, Informal.
each: He ordered four suits at $300 a throw.
throw cold water on.
cold(def 31).
throw down the gauntlet/glove.
gauntlet1(def 5).
throw in the sponge.
sponge(def 11).
throw in the towel.
towel(def 3).
throw oneself at (someone)/(someone's head),
to strive to attract the interest or attention of, especially in order to win the love or admiration of: Don't expect me to throw myself at you.
throw oneself into,
to engage in with energy or enthusiasm: She threw herself into learning the new routines.
throw oneself on/upon (someone),
to commit oneself to another's mercy, generosity, support, etc.; trust in: The members of his wife's family have all thrown themselves on him.
throw out the baby with the bathwater.
bathwater(def 2).
throw the bull.
bull3(def 2).
throw (someone or something) to the wolves/dogs,
to place or leave (a person or thing) in a bad situation with no assistance, especially in order to protect oneself: During the scandal, employees felt they had been thrown to the wolves by their employer.
Also throw under the bus.
Origin of throw
before 1000; Middle English
throwen, thrawen (v.), Old English
thrāwan to twist, turn; cognate with Dutch
draaien, German
drehen to turn, spin, twirl, whirl; akin to Latin
terere, Greek
teírein to rub away
SYNONYMS FOR throw
1
fling,
launch,
send.
Throw,
cast,
pitch,
toss imply projecting something through the air.
Throw is the general word, often used with an adverb that indicates direction, destination, etc.:
to throw a rope to someone, the paper away.
Cast is a formal word for
throw, archaic except as used in certain idiomatic expressions (
to cast a net, black looks; cast down; the compound
broadcast, etc.):
to cast off a boat.
Pitch implies throwing with some force and definite aim:
to pitch a baseball. To
toss is to throw lightly, as with an underhand or sidewise motion, or to move irregularly up and down or back and forth:
to toss a bone to a dog.
OTHER WORDS FROM throw
mis·throw, verb, mis·threw, mis·thrown, mis·throw·ing.WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH throw
throe throwWords nearby throw
Example sentences from the Web for throw
In general, their presence is meant to throw you off your game by design.
Would a state with a keen understanding of the power of propaganda be so willing to just throw away such a trove of information?
Just wanted to place it in the context of slates needing picture choices that throw off revenue to make the numbers work.
Inside Sony’s ‘Pineapple Express 2 Drama’: Leaked Emails Reveal Fight Over Stoner Comedy Sequel |William Boot |December 21, 2014 |DAILY BEASTArchrival India has money to throw around, and Iran and Russia are also exerting influence in the region.
Pakistan’s Dance With Terrorists Just Backfired and Killed 132 Children |Chris Allbritton |December 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He went so far as to throw an “Activation Party” in their honor just weeks before his September arrest.
I will give you what I have written, and if you choose to read it and do not like it, you can throw it into the fire.
The House of Martha |Frank R. StocktonThrow ope the window to the stars, And let the warm night in!
Songs from Vagabondia |Bliss Carman and Richard HoveyUpon this another of the foreign merchants cries, By gar, if they will not have it at all, we must throw it overboard!
A History of Caricature and Grotesque |Thomas WrightHowever, after Nadia came Marfa Strogoff; and as she did not throw herself quickly in the dust, the guards brutally pushed her.
Michael Strogoff |Jules VerneHe asks, Will you throw yourself into the river, or go home to your mother?
British Dictionary definitions for throw
throw
/ (θrəʊ) /
verb throws, throwing, threw or thrown (mainly tr)
(also intr)
to project or cast (something) through the air, esp with a rapid motion of the arm and wrist
(foll by in, on, onto, etc)
to put or move suddenly, carelessly, or violently
she threw her clothes onto the bed
to bring to or cause to be in a specified state or condition, esp suddenly or unexpectedly
the news threw the family into a panic
to direct or cast (a shadow, light, etc)
to project (the voice) so as to make it appear to come from other than its source
to give or hold (a party)
to cause to fall or be upset; dislodge
the horse soon threw his rider
- to tip (dice) out onto a flat surface
- to obtain (a specified number) in this way
to shape (clay) on a potter's wheel
to move (a switch or lever) to engage or disengage a mechanism
to be subjected to (a fit)
to turn (wood, etc) on a lathe
informal
to baffle or astonish; confuse
the last question on the test paper threw me
boxing
to deliver (a punch)
wrestling
to hurl (an opponent) to the ground
informal
to lose (a contest, fight, etc) deliberately, esp in boxing
- to play (a card)
- to discard (a card)
(of a female animal, esp a cow) to give birth to (young)
to twist or spin (filaments) into thread
throw cold water on something informal
to be unenthusiastic about or discourage something
throw oneself at
to strive actively to attract the attention or affection of
throw oneself into
to involve oneself enthusiastically in
throw oneself on
to rely entirely upon
he threw himself on the mercy of the police
noun
the act or an instance of throwing
the distance or extent over which anything may be thrown
a stone's throw
informal
a chance, venture, or try
an act or result of throwing dice
- the eccentricity of a cam
- the radial distance between the central axis of a crankshaft and the axis of a crankpin forming part of the shaft
a decorative light blanket or cover, as thrown over a chair
a sheet of fabric used for draping over an easel or unfinished painting, etc, to keep the dust off
geology
the vertical displacement of rock strata at a fault
physics
the deflection of a measuring instrument as a result of a sudden fluctuation
See also
throw about,
throwaway,
throwback,
throwback,
throw in,
throw off,
throw out,
throw over,
throw together,
throw up
Derived forms of throw
thrower, nounWord Origin for throw
Old English
thrāwan to turn, torment; related to Old High German
drāen to twist, Latin
terere to rub
Idioms and Phrases with throw
throw
In addition to the idioms beginning with throw
- throw a curve
- throw a fit
- throw a monkey wrench into
- throw a party
- throw a punch
- throw away
- throw back
- throw caution to the winds
- throw cold water on
- throw down the gauntlet
- throw dust in someone's eyes
- throw for a loop
- throw good money after bad
- throw in
- throw in one's hand
- throw in one's lot with
- throw in someone's face
- throw in the sponge
- throw light on
- throw off
- throw off balance
- throw off the track
- throw oneself at
- throw oneself into
- throw one's hat in the ring
- throw one's weight around
- throw open
- throw out
- throw out the baby with the bath water
- throw over
- throw someone
- throw the book at
- throw together
- throw to the wolves
- throw up
- throw up one's hands
- throw up to
also see:
- cast (throw) one's lot with
- cast (throw) the first stone
- have (throw) a fit
- (throw) in one's face
- knock (throw) for a loop
- pour (throw) cold water on
- shed (throw) light on
- stone's throw