Set vs. Put — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 5, 2023
Set typically implies placing with intention or arrangement, while Put generally means to place or position something without specific order.
Difference Between Set and Put
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Set and Put are common verbs in the English language, yet they contain distinctive nuances. Set often carries a sense of intention, placement in a particular position, or preparation for a specific purpose. For instance, when you set a table, you're arranging it with plates, utensils, and glasses in preparation for a meal. On the contrary, Put leans towards a more general placement without implying arrangement or specific purpose. If you put a book on a table, it doesn't suggest any special placement.
Diving deeper, Set can also suggest stability or permanence. A jewel is set into a ring, signifying it's securely and intentionally placed. Put, in comparison, does not necessarily convey such permanence. You might put a pen in a drawer, but there's no indication of how it's positioned or that it's intended to remain there long-term.
Interestingly, Set can have a plethora of meanings beyond just placement. For instance, the sun can set, signifying its descent below the horizon. Put doesn't share this vast array of definitions; its usage remains more confined to the act of placing or positioning.
To summarize, while both verbs revolve around placement, Set typically emphasizes intention, arrangement, or a specific purpose, whereas Put is more about general placement without those implications.
Comparison Chart
Definition
To place with intention or arrangement.
To place or position without specific order.
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Nuance
Implies specific order or purpose.
General placement.
Examples
Set a timer, set the table.
Put the book down, put away the toys.
Degree of permanence
Often suggests stability or secure placement.
Lacks the sense of permanence.
Breadth of meanings
Has various meanings beyond placement.
Primarily about placing or positioning.
Compare with Definitions
Set
To adjust or arrange for a specific purpose.
He set the alarm for 6 AM.
Put
To move to or place in a particular position.
I put the keys on the table.
Set
The act of hardening or becoming fixed in place.
The concrete takes hours to set.
Put
To cause to undergo or experience.
The news put her in a good mood.
Set
To establish or decide firmly.
They set a date for the wedding.
Put
Move to or place in a particular position
Harry put down his cup
I put my hand out towards her
Watch where you're putting your feet!
Set
Put, lay, or stand (something) in a specified place or position
Catherine set a chair by the bed
Delaney set the mug of tea down
Put
Bring into a particular state or condition
He is putting himself at risk
They tried to put me at ease
A large aid programme was put into practice
Set
Put or bring into a specified state
The hostages were set free
The Home Secretary set in motion a review of the law
Put
Cause (someone or something) to be subject to something
Commentators put some of the blame on Congress
He defended his decision to put VAT on domestic fuel
Set
Adjust (a clock or watch), typically to show the right time
Set your watch immediately to local time at your destination
To revert to an old style would be to try to set back the clock and deny the progress which had been made
Put
Throw (a shot or weight) as an athletic sport
She set a women's record by putting the shot 56' 7"
Set
Harden into a solid or semi-solid state
Cook for a further thirty-five minutes until the filling has set
Put
A throw of a shot or weight.
Set
(of the sun, moon, or another celestial body) appear to move towards and below the earth's horizon as the earth rotates
The sun was setting and a warm red glow filled the sky
Put
Short for put option
Set
(of a tide or current) take or have a specified direction or course
A fair tide can be carried well past Land's End before the stream sets to the north
Put
To place in a specified location; set
She put the books on the table.
Set
Start (a fire)
The school had been broken into and the fire had been set
Put
To cause to be in a specified condition
His gracious manners put me at ease.
Set
(of blossom or a tree) form into or produce (fruit)
Wait until first flowers have set fruit before planting out the peppers
Put
To cause (one) to undergo something; subject
The interrogators put the prisoner to torture.
Set
Sit
The rest of them people just set there goggle-eyed for a minute
Put
To assign; attribute
They put a false interpretation on events.
Set
Group (pupils or students) in sets according to ability.
Put
To estimate
We put the time at five o'clock.
Set
A group or collection of things that belong together or resemble one another or are usually found together
A spare set of clothes
A set of false teeth
A new cell with two sets of chromosomes
Put
To impose or levy
The governor has put a tax on cigarettes.
Set
The way in which something is set, disposed, or positioned
The shape and set of the eyes
Put
(Games) To wager (a stake); bet
Put $50 on a horse.
Set
A radio or television receiver
A TV set
Put
(Sports) To hurl with an overhand pushing motion
Put the shot.
Set
A collection of scenery, stage furniture, and other articles used for a particular scene in a play or film.
Put
To bring up for consideration or judgment
Put a question to the judge.
Set
An arrangement of the hair when damp so that it dries in the required style
A shampoo and set
Put
To express; state
I put my objections bluntly.
Set
A cutting, young plant, or bulb used in the propagation of new plants.
Put
To render in a specified language or literary form
Put prose into verse.
Set
The last coat of plaster on a wall.
Put
To adapt
The lyrics had been put to music.
Set
The amount of spacing in type controlling the distance between letters.
Put
To urge or force to an action
A mob that put the thief to flight.
Set
Variant spelling of sett
Put
To apply
We must put our minds to it.
Set
Another term for plant (sense 4 of the noun)
Put
To force the purchase of (a stock or commodity) by exercising a put option.
Set
Fixed or arranged in advance
Try to feed the puppy at set times each day
Put
(Nautical) To proceed
The ship put into the harbor.
Set
Ready, prepared, or likely to do something
Water costs look set to increase
The first family was set for a quiet night of rest
Both are all set to get married
Put
(Sports) An act of putting the shot.
Set
To put in a specified position or arrangement; place
Set a book on a table.
Set the photo next to the flowers.
Put
An option to sell a stipulated amount of stock or securities within a specified time and at a fixed price.
Set
To put into a specified state
Set the prisoner at liberty.
Set the house ablaze.
Set the machine in motion.
Put
Fixed; stationary
Stay put.
Set
To cause to begin an action
The noise set the dog to barking.
Put
To place something somewhere.
She put her books on the table.
Set
To cause or assign (someone) to undertake an action or perform a service
The sergeant set the recruit to sweeping the barracks.
Put
To bring or set into a certain relation, state or condition.
Put your house in order!
He is putting all his energy into this one task.
She tends to put herself in dangerous situations.
Set
To incite to hostile feeling or action
A dispute that set the neighbors against each other.
Put
(finance) To exercise a put option.
He got out of his Procter and Gamble bet by putting his shares at 80.
Set
To position (oneself) so as to be ready to do something, such as start running a race.
Put
To express something in a certain manner.
When you put it that way, I guess I can see your point.
Set
To position or secure so as to be fixed or immobile
Set the fence post in cement.
Put
(athletics) To throw a heavy iron ball, as a sport. See shot put. Do not confuse with putt.
Set
To put in a mounting; mount
Set an emerald in a pendant.
Put
To steer; to direct one's course; to go.
Set
To apply jewels to; stud
The tiara was set with diamonds.
Put
To play a card or a hand in the game called put.
Set
To cause (a hook) to become fixed in a fish's mouth.
Put
To attach or attribute; to assign.
To put a wrong construction on an act or expression
Set
To arrange for the consumption of a meal
Set the table.
Set a place at table.
Put
(obsolete) To lay down; to give up; to surrender.
Set
To adjust (an instrument or device) to a specific point or calibration
Set the alarm for 7:00.
Put
To set before one for judgment, acceptance, or rejection; to bring to the attention.
To put a question; to put a case
Set
To prepare (a trap) for catching prey.
Put
(obsolete) To incite; to entice; to urge; to constrain; to oblige.
Set
To adjust (a saw) by deflecting the teeth.
Put
(mining) To convey coal in the mine, as for example from the working to the tramway.
Set
(Nautical)To spread open to the wind
Set the sails.
Put
(business) A right to sell something at a predetermined price.
Set
To arrange scenery on (a theater stage).
Put
(finance) Short for put option.
He bought a January '08 put for Procter and Gamble at 80 to hedge his bet.
Set
To restore to a proper and normal state when dislocated or broken
Set a broken arm.
Put
The act of putting; an action; a movement; a thrust; a push.
The put of a ball
Set
To apply equipment, such as curlers and clips, to (hair) in order to style.
Put
(uncountable) An old card game.
Set
To concentrate or direct (one's mind or attention, for example) on a purpose or goal.
Put
(obsolete) A fellow, especially an eccentric or elderly one; a duffer.
Set
To direct or focus (one's desires or hopes, for example) on a certain thing.
Put
(obsolete) A prostitute.
Set
(Sports)To pass (a volleyball), usually with the fingertips, in an arc close to the net so that a teammate can drive it over the net.
Put
A pit.
Set
To arrange (type) into words and sentences preparatory to printing; compose.
Put
A rustic; a clown; an awkward or uncouth person.
Queer country puts extol Queen Bess's reign.
What droll puts the citizens seem in it all.
Set
To transpose (text, for example) into type.
Put
The act of putting; an action; a movement; a thrust; a push; as, the put of a ball.
Set
To compose (music) to fit a given text.
Put
A certain game at cards.
Set
To write (words) to fit a given melodic line.
Put
A privilege which one party buys of another to "put" (deliver) to him a certain amount of stock, grain, etc., at a certain price and date.
A put and a call may be combined in one instrument, the holder of which may either buy or sell as he chooses at the fixed price.
Set
To declare or demonstrate (a precedent or standard, for instance).
Put
A prostitute.
Set
To provide or establish as a model
A parent must set a good example for the children.
Put
To move in any direction; to impel; to thrust; to push; - nearly obsolete, except with adverbs, as with by (to put by = to thrust aside; to divert); or with forth (to put forth = to thrust out).
His chief designs are . . . to put thee by from thy spiritual employment.
Set
To establish as the highest level of performance
Set a swimming record.
Put
To bring to a position or place; to place; to lay; to set; figuratively, to cause to be or exist in a specified relation, condition, or the like; to bring to a stated mental or moral condition; as, to put one in fear; to put a theory in practice; to put an enemy to fight.
This present dignity,In which that I have put you.
I will put enmity between thee and the woman.
He put no trust in his servants.
When God into the hands of their delivererPuts invincible might.
In the mean time other measures were put in operation.
Set
To arrange or establish (a computer password, for example) to allow future action.
Put
To attach or attribute; to assign; as, to put a wrong construction on an act or expression.
Set
To prescribe as a time for
Set the meeting for Friday afternoon.
Put
To lay down; to give up; to surrender.
No man hath more love than this, that a man put his life for his friends.
Set
To prescribe the unfolding of (a drama or narrative, for instance) in a specific place
A play that is set in Venice.
Put
To set before one for judgment, acceptance, or rejection; to bring to the attention; to offer; to state; to express; figuratively, to assume; to suppose; - formerly sometimes followed by that introducing a proposition; as, to put a question; to put a case.
Let us now put that ye have leave.
Put the perception and you put the mind.
These verses, originally Greek, were put in Latin.
All this is ingeniously and ably put.
Set
To value or regard something at the rate of
She sets a great deal by good nutrition.
Put
To incite; to entice; to urge; to constrain; to oblige.
These wretches put us upon all mischief.
Put me not use the carnal weapon in my own defense.
Thank him who puts me, loath, to this revenge.
Set
To fix at a given amount
The judge set bail for the defendant at $50,000.
Put
To throw or cast with a pushing motion "overhand," the hand being raised from the shoulder; a practice in athletics; as, to put the shot or weight.
Set
To make as an estimate of worth
We set a high value on human life.
Put
To convey coal in the mine, as from the working to the tramway.
Put case that the soul after departure from the body may live.
Coming from thee, I could not put him back.
Mark, how a plain tale shall put you down.
Sugar hath put down the use of honey.
I hoped for a demonstration, but Themistius hoped to put me off with an harangue.
We might put him off with this answer.
For the certain knowledge of that truthI put you o'er to heaven and to my mother.
Set
To cause to sit
Set yourself over by the fire.
Put
To go or move; as, when the air first puts up.
Set
To put (a hen) on eggs for the purpose of hatching them.
Put
To steer; to direct one's course; to go.
His fury thus appeased, he puts to land.
Set
To point to the location of (game) by holding a fixed body position. Used of a hunting dog.
Put
To play a card or a hand in the game called put.
Set
(Botany)To produce, as after pollination
Set seed.
Put
The option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date
Set
To disappear below the horizon
The sun set at seven that evening.
Put
Put into a certain place or abstract location;
Put your things here
Set the tray down
Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children
Place emphasis on a certain point
Set
To diminish or decline; wane
When the glory of the empire set.
Put
Cause to be in a certain state; cause to be in a certain relation;
That song put me in awful good humor
Set
To sit on eggs. Used of fowl.
Put
Formulate in a particular style or language;
I wouldn't put it that way
She cast her request in very polite language
Set
To become fixed; harden
Allowed the aspic to set.
Put
Attribute or give;
She put too much emphasis on her the last statement
He put all his efforts into this job
The teacher put an interesting twist to the interpretation of the story
Set
To become permanent. Used of dye.
Put
Make an investment;
Put money into bonds
Set
To become whole; knit. Used of a broken bone.
Put
Estimate;
We put the time of arrival at 8 P.M.
Set
To point to the location of game by holding a fixed body position. Used of a hunting dog.
Put
Cause (someone) to undergo something;
He put her to the torture
Set
(Botany)To mature or develop, as after pollination.
Put
Adapt;
Put these words to music
Set
(Nonstandard)To sit
"If Emmett drives, I could set up front" (Bobbie Ann Mason).
Put
Arrange thoughts, ideas, temporal events, etc.;
Arrange my schedule
Set up one's life
I put these memories with those of bygone times
Set
To position oneself preparatory to an action, such as running a race.
Put
To express or state.
She put her thoughts eloquently.
Set
Fixed or established by agreement
A set time for the launching.
Put
To apply or subject to.
They put him to work immediately.
Set
Established by convention
Followed set procedures for filing a grievance.
Put
To invest with or as with a trait.
Don't put the blame on me.
Set
Established deliberately; intentional
Our set purpose is to win the conflict.
Set
Fixed and rigid
"His bearded face already has a set, hollow look" (Conor Cruise O'Brien).
Set
Unwilling or very reluctant to change
He is set in his ways.
Set
Intent and determined
"He is dead set against rushing abroad to build a plant" (Fortune).
Set
Ready; prepared
We are set to leave early tomorrow morning.
Set
The act or process of setting.
Set
The condition resulting from setting.
Set
The manner in which something is positioned
The set of her cap.
Set
A permanent firming or hardening of a substance, as by cooling.
Set
The deflection of the teeth of a saw.
Set
The carriage or bearing of a part of the body.
Set
A particular psychological state, usually that of anticipation or preparedness
"The mental set of an audience is crucial to his performance" (Psychology Today).
Set
A descent below the horizon.
Set
The direction or course of wind or water.
Set
A seedling, slip, or cutting that is ready for planting.
Set
The act of arranging hair by waving and curling it.
Set
(Sports)The act of setting a volleyball for a teammate.
Set
In Texas hold'em, a hand in which a player has two cards of the same rank and another card of that rank is among the community cards.
Set
A group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
A chess set.
Set
A group of persons sharing a common interest
The high-school set.
Set
A group of books or periodicals published as a unit.
Set
A number of couples required for participation in a square dance.
Set
The movements constituting a square dance.
Set
The scenery constructed for a theatrical performance.
Set
The entire enclosure in which a movie is filmed; the sound stage.
Set
A session of music, typically dance music, played before an intermission.
Set
The music so played.
Set
The collective receiving apparatus assembled to operate a radio or television.
Set
(Mathematics) A collection of distinct elements having specific common properties
A set of positive integers.
Set
A group of games constituting one division or unit of a match, as in tennis.
Set
An offensive formation in football or basketball.
Set
Variant of Seth2.
Set
(transitive) To put (something) down, to rest.
Pick up
Set the tray there.
Set
(transitive) To attach or affix (something) to something else, or in or upon a certain place.
I have set my heart on running the marathon.
Set
(transitive) To put in a specified condition or state; to cause to be.
Set
(transitive) To start (a fire).
Set
To cause to stop or stick; to obstruct; to fasten to a spot.
To set a coach in the mud
Set
(transitive) To determine or settle.
To set the rent
Set
(transitive) To adjust.
Set
(transitive) To punch (a nail) into wood so that its head is below the surface.
Set
(transitive) To arrange with dishes and cutlery, to set the table.
Please set the table for our guests.
Set
(transitive) To introduce or describe.
I’ll tell you what happened, but first let me set the scene.
Set
(transitive) To locate (a play, etc.); to assign a backdrop to, geographically or temporally.
He says he will set his next film in France.
Her debut novel is set during the U.S. Civil War.
Set
(transitive) To compile, to make (a puzzle or challenge).
This crossword was set by Araucaria.
Set
(transitive) To prepare (a stage or film set).
Set
(transitive) To fit (someone) up in a situation.
Set
(transitive) To arrange (type).
It was a complex page, but he set it quickly.
Set
(transitive) To devise and assign (work) to.
The teacher set her students the task of drawing a foot.
Set
To direct (the ball) to a teammate for an attack.
Set
(intransitive) To solidify.
The glue sets in five minutes.
Set
(transitive) To render stiff or solid; especially, to convert into curd; to curdle.
To set milk for cheese
Set
(intransitive) Of a heavenly body, to disappear below the horizon of a planet, etc, as the latter rotates.
The moon sets at eight o'clock tonight.
Set
To defeat a contract.
Set
To begin to move; to go forth.
Set
To produce after pollination.
To set seed
Set
To be fixed for growth; to strike root; to begin to germinate or form.
Set
To sit be in a seated position.
He sets in that chair all day.
Set
To hunt game with the aid of a setter.
Set
Of a dog, to indicate the position of game.
The dog sets the bird.
Your dog sets well.
Set
To apply oneself; to undertake earnestly.
Set
(ambitransitive) To fit music to words.
Set
(ambitransitive) To place plants or shoots in the ground; to plant.
To set pear trees in an orchard
Set
To become fixed or rigid; to be fastened.
Set
To have a certain direction of motion; to flow; to move on; to tend.
The current sets to the north; the tide sets to the windward.
Set
To acknowledge a dancing partner by facing him or her and moving first to one side and then to the other, while she or he does the opposite.
Set to partners! was the next instruction from the caller.
Set
To place or fix in a setting.
To set a precious stone in a border of metal
To set glass in a sash
Set
To put in order in a particular manner; to prepare.
To set (that is, to hone) a razor
To set a saw
Set
To extend and bring into position; to spread.
To set the sails of a ship
Set
To give a pitch to, as a tune; to start by fixing the keynote.
Set
To reduce from a dislocated or fractured state.
To set a broken bone
Set
(masonry) To lower into place and fix solidly, as the blocks of cut stone in a structure.
Set
(obsolete) To wager in gambling; to risk.
Set
To adorn with something infixed or affixed; to stud; to variegate with objects placed here and there.
Set
(obsolete) To value; to rate; used with at.
Set
To establish as a rule; to furnish; to prescribe; to assign.
To set a good example
Set
(Scotland) To suit; to become.
It sets him ill.
Set
To divide a class group in a subject according to ability
Set
A punch for setting nails in wood.
Nail set
Set
A device for receiving broadcast radio waves (or, more recently, broadcast data); a radio or television.
Television set
Set
: a hole made and lived in by a badger.
Set
: pattern of threads and yarns.
Set
: piece of quarried stone.
Set
(horticulture) A small tuber or bulb used instead of seed, particularly onion sets and potato sets.
Set
The amount the teeth of a saw protrude to the side in order to create the kerf.
Set
(engineering) A permanent change of shape caused by excessive strain, as from compression, tension, bending, twisting, etc.
The set of a spring
Set
A bias of mind; an attitude or pattern of behaviour.
Set
(piledriving) A piece placed temporarily upon the head of a pile when the latter cannot otherwise be reached by the weight, or hammer.
Set
The width of the body of a type.
Set
A young oyster when first attached.
Set
Collectively, the crop of young oysters in any locality.
Set
A series or group of something. (Note the similar meaning in Etymology 4, Noun)
Set
(colloquial) The manner, state, or quality of setting or fitting; fit.
The set of a coat
Set
The pattern of a tartan, etc.
Set
The camber of a curved roofing tile.
Set
The full number of eggs set under a hen.
Set
That which is staked; a wager; hence, a gambling game.
Set
A young plant fit for setting out; a slip; shoot.
Set
A rudimentary fruit.
Set
The setting of the sun or other luminary; (by extension) the close of the day.
Set
General movement; direction; drift; tendency.
Set
A matching collection of similar things. (Note the similar meaning in Etymology 2, Noun.)
A set of tables
Set
A collection of various objects for a particular purpose.
A set of tools
Set
An object made up of several parts.
A set of steps
Set
(set theory) A collection of zero or more objects, possibly infinite in size, and disregarding any order or repetition of the objects which may be contained within it.
Set
Set theory.
Set
A group of people, usually meeting socially.
The country set
Set
The scenery for a film or play.
Set
The general locations and area where a movie’s, a film’s, or a video’s scenery is arranged to be filmed also including places for actors, assorted crew, director, producers which are typically not filmed.
Set
(dance) The initial or basic formation of dancers.
Set
(exercise) A group of repetitions of a single exercise performed one after the other without rest.
Set
(tennis) A complete series of games, forming part of a match.
Set
(volleyball) A complete series of points, forming part of a match.
Set
(volleyball) The act of directing the ball to a teammate for an attack.
Set
(music) A musical performance by a band, disc jockey, etc., consisting of several musical pieces.
Set
(music) A drum kit, a drum set.
He plays the set on Saturdays.
Set
A class group in a subject where pupils are divided by ability.
Set
Three of a kind, especially if two cards are in one's hand and the third is on the board. Compare three of a kind, especially with two cards on the board and one in one's hand.
Set
Fixed in position.
Set
Rigid, solidified.
Set
Ready, prepared.
On your marks, get set, go!;
On your marks, set, go!
Set
Intent, determined (to do something).
Set on getting to his destination
Set
Prearranged.
A t=a meal that is instituted by a [[restaurateur for a limited occasion
Set
Fixed in one’s opinion.
I’m set against the idea of smacking children to punish them.
Set
(of hair) Fixed in a certain style.
Set
To cause to sit; to make to assume a specified position or attitude; to give site or place to; to place; to put; to fix; as, to set a house on a stone foundation; to set a book on a shelf; to set a dish on a table; to set a chest or trunk on its bottom or on end.
I do set my bow in the cloud.
Set
Hence, to attach or affix (something) to something else, or in or upon a certain place.
Set your affection on things above.
The Lord set a mark upon Cain.
Set
To make to assume specified place, condition, or occupation; to put in a certain condition or state (described by the accompanying words); to cause to be.
The Lord thy God will set thee on high.
I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother.
Every incident sets him thinking.
Set
To fix firmly; to make fast, permanent, or stable; to render motionless; to give an unchanging place, form, or condition to.
Set
To cause to stop or stick; to obstruct; to fasten to a spot; hence, to occasion difficulty to; to embarrass; as, to set a coach in the mud.
They show how hard they are set in this particular.
Set
To put into a desired position or condition; to adjust; to regulate; to adapt.
Set
To fix beforehand; to determine; hence, to make unyielding or obstinate; to render stiff, unpliant, or rigid; as, to set one's countenance.
His eyes were set by reason of his age.
On these three objects his heart was set.
Make my heart as a millstone, set my face as a flint.
Set
To put in order in a particular manner; to prepare; as, to set (that is, to hone) a razor; to set a saw.
Tables for to sette, and beddes make.
Set
To stake at play; to wager; to risk.
I have set my life upon a cast,And I will stand the hazard of the die.
Set
To fix in the ground, as a post or a tree; to plant; as, to set pear trees in an orchard.
Set
To extend and bring into position; to spread; as, to set the sails of a ship.
Set
To fit with music; to adapt, as words to notes; to prepare for singing.
Set thy own songs, and sing them to thy lute.
Set
To fix, as a precious stone, in a border of metal; to place in a setting; hence, to place in or amid something which serves as a setting; as, to set glass in a sash.
And him too rich a jewel to be setIn vulgar metal for a vulgar use.
Set
To give a pitch to, as a tune; to start by fixing the keynote; as, to set a psalm.
Set
To determine; to appoint; to assign; to fix; as, to set a time for a meeting; to set a price on a horse.
Set
To render stiff or solid; especially, to convert into curd; to curdle; as, to set milk for cheese.
Set
To reduce from a dislocated or fractured state; to replace; as, to set a broken bone.
Set
To adorn with something infixed or affixed; to stud; to variegate with objects placed here and there.
High on their heads, with jewels richly set,Each lady wore a radiant coronet.
Pastoral dales thin set with modern farms.
Set
To make to agree with some standard; as, to set a watch or a clock.
Set
To value; to rate; - with at.
Be you contented, wearing now the garland,To have a son set your decrees at naught.
I do not set my life at a pin's fee.
Set
To lower into place and fix solidly, as the blocks of cut stone in a structure.
Set
To point out the seat or position of, as birds, or other game; - said of hunting dogs.
Set
To establish as a rule; to furnish; to prescribe; to assign; as, to set an example; to set lessons to be learned.
Set
To suit; to become; as, it sets him ill.
Set
To compose; to arrange in words, lines, etc.; as, to set type; to set a page.
Setting aside all other considerations, I will endeavor to know the truth, and yield to that.
Some rules were to be set down for the government of the army.
This law we may name eternal, being that order which God . . . hath set down with himself, for himself to do all things by.
The Venetian admiral had a fleet of sixty galleys, set forth by the Venetians.
If you please to assist and set me in, I will recollect myself.
They . . . set off the worst faces with the best airs.
An ugly woman, in rich habit set out with jewels, nothing can become.
The Venetians pretend they could set out, in case of great necessity, thirty men-of-war.
I could set out that best side of Luther.
I'll set up such a note as she shall hear.
Set
To pass below the horizon; to go down; to decline; to sink out of sight; to come to an end.
Ere the weary sun set in the west.
Thus this century sets with little mirth, and the next is likely to arise with more mourning.
Set
To fit music to words.
Set
To place plants or shoots in the ground; to plant.
Set
To be fixed for growth; to strike root; to begin to germinate or form; as, cuttings set well; the fruit has set well (i. e., not blasted in the blossom).
Set
To become fixed or rigid; to be fastened.
A gathering and serring of the spirits together to resist, maketh the teeth to set hard one against another.
Set
To congeal; to concrete; to solidify; - of cements, glues, gels, concrete, substances polymerizing into plastics, etc.
That fluid substance in a few minutes begins to set.
Set
To have a certain direction in motion; to flow; to move on; to tend; as, the current sets to the north; the tide sets to the windward.
Set
To begin to move; to go out or forth; to start; - now followed by out.
The king is set from London.
Set
To indicate the position of game; - said of a dog; as, the dog sets well; also, to hunt game by the aid of a setter.
Set
To apply one's self; to undertake earnestly; - now followed by out.
If he sets industriously and sincerely to perform the commands of Christ, he can have no ground of doubting but it shall prove successful to him.
Set
To fit or suit one; to sit; as, the coat sets well.
He that would seriously set upon the search of truth.
Cassio hath here been set on in the dark.
Those men who set up for mortality without regard to religion, are generally but virtuous in part.
Set
Fixed in position; immovable; rigid; as, a set line; a set countenance.
Set
Firm; unchanging; obstinate; as, set opinions or prejudices.
Set
Regular; uniform; formal; as, a set discourse; a set battle.
Set
Established; prescribed; as, set forms of prayer.
Set
Adjusted; arranged; formed; adapted.
Set
The act of setting, as of the sun or other heavenly body; descent; hence, the close; termination.
The weary sun hath made a golden set.
Set
That which is set, placed, or fixed.
We will in France, by God's grace, play a setShall strike his father's crown into the hazard.
That was but civil war, an equal set.
Set
Permanent change of figure in consequence of excessive strain, as from compression, tension, bending, twisting, etc.; as, the set of a spring.
Set
A number of things of the same kind, ordinarily used or classed together; a collection of articles which naturally complement each other, and usually go together; an assortment; a suit; as, a set of chairs, of china, of surgical or mathematical instruments, of books, etc.
Set
A kind of punch used for bending, indenting, or giving shape to, metal; as, a saw set.
Set
A number of persons associated by custom, office, common opinion, quality, or the like; a division; a group; a clique.
This falls into different divisions, or sets, of nations connected under particular religions.
Set
A piece placed temporarily upon the head of a pile when the latter cannot be reached by the weight, or hammer, except by means of such an intervening piece.
Set
Direction or course; as, the set of the wind, or of a current.
Set
A short steel spike used for driving the head of a nail below the surface. Called also nail set.
Set
In dancing, the number of persons necessary to execute a quadrille; also, the series of figures or movements executed.
Set
The deflection of a tooth, or of the teeth, of a saw, which causes the the saw to cut a kerf, or make an opening, wider than the blade.
Set
A young oyster when first attached.
Set
A series of as many games as may be necessary to enable one side to win six. If at the end of the tenth game the score is a tie, the set is usually called a deuce set, and decided by an application of the rules for playing off deuce in a game. See Deuce.
Set
That dimension of the body of a type called by printers the width.
Set
Any of various standards of measurement of the fineness of cloth; specif., the number of reeds in one inch and the number of threads in each reed. The exact meaning varies according to the location where it is used. Sometimes written sett.
Set
A stone, commonly of granite, shaped like a short brick and usually somewhat larger than one, used for street paving. Commonly written sett.
Set
Camber of a curved roofing tile.
Set
The manner, state, or quality of setting or fitting; fit; as, the set of a coat.
Set
Any collection or group of objects considered together.
Set
An evil beast-headed god with high square ears and a long snout; his was the brother and murderer of Osiris. Called also Seth
Set
A group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used;
A set of books
A set of golf clubs
A set of teeth
Set
(mathematics) an abstract collection of numbers or symbols;
The set of prime numbers is infinite
Set
Several exercises intended to be done in series;
He did four sets of the incline bench press
Set
Representation consisting of the scenery and other properties used to identify the location of a dramatic production;
The sets were meticulously authentic
Set
An unofficial association of people or groups;
The smart set goes there
They were an angry lot
Set
A relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way;
The set of his mind was obvious
Set
The act of putting something in position;
He gave a final set to his hat
Set
A unit of play in tennis or squash;
They played two sets of tennis after dinner
Set
The process of becoming hard or solid by cooling or drying or crystallization;
The hardening of concrete
He tested the set of the glue
Set
Evil beast-headed Egyptian god with high square ears and a long snout; brother and murderer of Osiris
Set
The descent of a heavenly body below the horizon;
Before the set of sun
Set
(psychology) a temporary readiness to respond in a particular way;
The subjects' set led them to solve problems the familiar way and to overlook the simpler solution
His instructions deliberately gave them the wrong set
Set
Any electronic equipment that receives or transmits radio or tv signals;
The early sets ran on storage batteries
Set
Put into a certain place or abstract location;
Put your things here
Set the tray down
Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children
Place emphasis on a certain point
Set
Fix conclusively or authoritatively;
Set the rules
Set
Decide upon or fix definitely;
Fix the variables
Specify the parameters
Set
Establish as the highest level or best performance;
Set a record
Set
Put into a certain state; cause to be in a certain state;
Set the house afire
Set
Fix in a border;
The goldsmith set the diamond
Set
Make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc;
Get the children ready for school!
Prepare for war
I was fixing to leave town after I paid the hotel bill
Set
Set to a certain position or cause to operate correctly;
Set clocks or instruments
Set
Locate;
The film is set in Africa
Set
Disappear beyond the horizon;
The sun sets early these days
Set
Adapt for performance in a different way;
Set this poem to music
Set
Put or set (seeds or seedlings) into the ground;
Let's plant flowers in the garden
Set
Apply or start;
Set fire to a building
Set
Become gelatinous;
The liquid jelled after we added the enzyme
Set
Put into a position that will restore a normal state;
Set a broken bone
Set
Insert (a nail or screw below the surface, as into a countersink)
Set
Give a fine, sharp edge to a knife or razor
Set
Urge a dog to attack someone
Set
Estimate;
We put the time of arrival at 8 P.M.
Set
Equip with sails, masts, etc.;
Rig a ship
Set
Get ready for a particular purpose or event;
Set up an experiment
Set the table
Lay out the tools for the surgery
Set
Alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard;
Adjust the clock, please
Correct the alignment of the front wheels
Set
Bear fruit;
The apple trees fructify
Set
Arrange attractively;
Dress my hair for the wedding
Set
(usually followed by `to' or `for') on the point of or strongly disposed;
In no fit state to continue
Fit to drop
Laughing fit to burst
She was fit to scream
Primed for a fight
We are set to go at any time
Set
Fixed and unmoving;
With eyes set in a fixed glassy stare
His bearded face already has a set hollow look
A face rigid with pain
Set
Situated in a particular spot or position;
Valuable centrally located urban land
Strategically placed artillery
A house set on a hilltop
Nicely situated on a quiet riverbank
Set
Set down according to a plan:
A carefully laid table with places set for four people
Stones laid in a pattern
Set
Being below the horizon;
The moon is set
Set
Determined or decided upon as by an authority;
Date and place are already determined
The dictated terms of surrender
The time set for the launching
Set
Converted to solid form (as concrete)
Set
To place something in a particular position.
She set the vase on the mantle.
Set
To fix or establish a particular state.
Set the oven to 350 degrees.
Common Curiosities
Can I interchange Set and Put in sentences?
Sometimes, but not always, as Set can imply a specific arrangement, while Put is more neutral.
Does Put have other meanings besides placement?
Yes, like expressing or causing to undergo, as in "put to the test."
Can Set imply permanence?
Often, like when a jewel is set into a ring, it suggests secure placement.
Do Set and Put mean the same thing?
Not exactly. While both refer to placement, Set often implies intention or arrangement, and Put is more general.
Why would I use Set over Put?
Use Set when emphasizing intention, specific position, or arrangement.
Does Set have many meanings?
Yes, beyond placement, it can mean to fix a state, adjust, harden, or decide.
Is it correct to say "put the table"?
Typically, no. You'd say "set the table," implying arrangement for a meal.
How does Set relate to preparation?
Set can mean arranging or adjusting for a specific purpose, like "set a trap."
Can Put suggest a specific order?
Generally no, Put is neutral about order or arrangement.
How does Set relate to time?
Set can refer to events based on time, like "the sun sets."
Can I use Put to mean express?
Yes, like "put your feelings into words."
Can Put mean to store away?
Yes, like "put away the groceries."
Do Set and Put share any synonyms?
Yes, both can mean "place," but context determines which is more suitable.
What's a common mistake with Put?
Using it where Set is more appropriate, like "put the table" instead of "set the table."
Does Set always mean to place something?
No, it has varied meanings like fixing a state or adjusting for a purpose.
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Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
