| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| do1 |
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| PRONUNCIATION: |  d |
| VERB: | Inflected forms: did ( d d), done ( d n), do·ing, does ( dz)
| | TRANSITIVE VERB: | 1a. To perform or execute: do one's assigned task; do a series of business deals. b. To fulfill the requirements of: did my duty at all times. c. To carry out; commit: a crime that had been done on purpose. 2a. To produce, especially by creative effort: do a play on Broadway. b. To play the part or role of in a creative production: did Elizabeth I in the film. c. To mimic: “doing the Southern voice, improvising it inventively as he goes along” (William H. Pritchard). 3a. To bring about; effect: Crying won't do any good now. b. To render; give: do equal justice to the opposing sides; do honor to one's family. 4. To put forth; exert: Do the best you can. 5a. To attend to in such a way as to take care of or put in order: did the bedrooms before the guests arrived. b. To prepare for further use especially by washing: did the dishes. 6a. To set or style (the hair). b. To apply cosmetics to: did her face. 7. To have as an occupation or profession: Have you decided what you will do after college? 8. To work out by studying: do a homework assignment. 9. Used as a substitute for an antecedent verb: He can play the piano, and I can do that, too. 10. Informal a. To travel (a specified distance): do a mile in four minutes. b. To make a tour of; visit: “[He] did 15 countries of Western Europe in only a few days” (R.W. Apple, Jr.). 11a. To be sufficient in meeting the needs of; serve: This room will do us very nicely. b. Informal To serve (a prison term): did time in jail; did five years for tax fraud. 12. Slang To cheat; swindle: do a relative out of an inheritance. 13. Slang To take (drugs) illegally: “If you do drugs you are going to be in continual trouble” (Jimmy Breslin). 14. Slang To kill; murder. 15. Vulgar Slang To have sex with; bring to orgasm. | | INTRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To behave or conduct oneself; act: Do as I say and you won't get into trouble. 2a. To get along; fare: students who do well at school. b. To carry on; manage: I could do without your interference. c. To make good use of something because of need: I could do with a hot bath. 3a. To serve a specified purpose: This coat will do for another season. b. To be proper or fitting: Such behavior just won't do. 4. To take place; happen: What's doing in London this time of year? 5. Used as a substitute for an antecedent verb: worked as hard as everyone else did. 6. Used after another verb for emphasis: Run quickly, do! | | AUXILIARY VERB: | 1. Used with the infinitive without to in questions, negative statements, and inverted phrases: Do you understand? I did not sleep well. Little did we know what was in store for us. 2. Used as a means of emphasis: I do want to be sure. | | NOUN: | Inflected forms: pl. dos or do's
1. A statement of what should be done: a list of the dos and don'ts of management. 2. Informal An entertainment; a party: attended a big do at the embassy. 3. A commotion. 4. Chiefly British Slang A swindle; a cheat. 5. Archaic Duty; deed. 6. Slang Fecal matter; excrement. | | PHRASAL VERBS: | do by To behave with respect to; deal with: The children have done well by their aged parents. do for To care or provide for; take care of. do in Slang 1. To tire completely; exhaust: The marathon did me in. 2. To kill. 3. To ruin utterly: Huge losses on the stock market did many investors in. do up 1. To adorn or dress lavishly: The children were all done up in matching outfits. 2. To wrap and tie (a package). 3. To fasten: do up the buttons on a dress. do without To manage despite the absence of: We had to do without a telephone on the island. | | IDIOMS: | can (or could) do without To prefer not to experience or deal with: I could do without their complaints. do a disappearing act Informal To vanish. do away with 1. To make an end of; eliminate. 2. To destroy; kill. do it Vulgar Slang To engage in sexual intercourse. do (one) proud To act or perform in a way that gives cause for pride. do (one's) bit To make an individual contribution toward an overall effort. do (one's) business Slang To defecate. Used especially of a pet. do (one's) own thing Slang To do what one does best or finds most enjoyable: “I get paid to try cases and to do my thing on trial” (Bruce Cutler). | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English don, from Old English d n. See dh - in Appendix I.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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