Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
do
do
(doō)
, Verb.
T.
or auxiliary[
imp.
did
(dĭd)
; p. p.
done
(dŭn)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Doing
(doō′ĭng)
. This verb, when transitive, is formed in the indicative, present tense, thus: I do, thou doest (doō′ĕst)
or dost (dŭst)
, he does (dŭz)
, doeth (doō′ĕth)
, or doth (dŭth)
; when auxiliary, the second person is, thou dost. As an independent verb, dost is obsolete or rare, except in poetry. “What dost thou in this world?” Milton.
The form doeth is a verb unlimited, doth, formerly so used, now being the auxiliary form. The second pers, sing., imperfect tense, is didst (dĭdst)
, formerly didest (dĭd′ĕst)
.] [AS.
dōn
; akin to D. doen
, OS. duan
, OHG. tuon
, G. thun
, Lith. deti
, OSlav. dēti
, OIr. dénim
I do, Gr. τιθέναι
to put, Skr. dhā
, and to E. suffix -dom
, and prob. to L. facere
to do, E. fact
, and perh. to L. -dere
in some compounds, as addere
to add, credere
to trust. √65. Cf. Deed
, Deem
, Doom
, Fact
, Creed
, Theme
.] 1.
To place; to put.
[Obs.]
Tale of a Usurer (about 1330).
2.
To cause; to make; – with an infinitive.
[Obs.]
My lord Abbot of Westminster
did
do shewe to me late certain evidences. W. Caxton.
I shall . . . your cloister do make.
Piers Plowman.
A fatal plague which many
did
to die. Spenser.
☞ We have lost the idiom shown by the citations (do used like the French faire or laisser), in which the verb in the infinitive apparently, but not really, has a passive signification, i. e., cause . . . to be made.
3.
To bring about; to produce, as an effect or result; to effect; to achieve.
The neglecting it may
do
much danger. Shakespeare
He waved indifferently ’twixt
doing
them neither good not harm. Shakespeare
4.
To perform, as an action; to execute; to transact to carry out in action;
as, to
do
a good or a bad act; do
our duty; to do
what I can.Six days shalt thou labor and
do
all thy work. Ex. xx. 9.
We did not
Hence: To do homage, honor, favor, justice , etc., to render homage, honor, etc.do
these things. Ld. Lytton.
5.
To bring to an end by action; to perform completely; to finish; to accomplish; – a sense conveyed by the construction, which is that of the past participle done.
“Ere summer half be done.” “I have done weeping.” Shak.
6.
To make ready for an object, purpose, or use, as food by cooking; to cook completely or sufficiently;
as, the meat is
. done
on one side only7.
To put or bring into a form, state, or condition, especially in the phrases, to do death, to put to death; to slay; to do away (often do away with), to put away; to remove; to do on, to put on; to don; to do off, to take off, as dress; to doff; to do into, to put into the form of; to translate or transform into, as a text.
Done to death
by slanderous tongues. Shakespeare
The ground of the difficulty is
done away
. Paley.
Suspicions regarding his loyalty were entirely
done away
. Thackeray.
To
do on
our own harness, that we may not; but we must do on
the armor of God. Latimer.
Then Jason rose and
Blue woolen tunic.
did on
him a fairBlue woolen tunic.
W. Morris (Jason).
Though the former legal pollution be now
done off
, yet there is a spiritual contagion in idolatry as much to be shunned. Milton.
It [“Pilgrim's Progress”] has been
done into
verse: it has been done into
modern English. Macaulay.
8.
To cheat; to gull; to overreach.
[Colloq.]
He was not be
done
, at his time of life, by frivolous offers of a compromise that might have secured him seventy-five per cent. De Quincey.
9.
To see or inspect; to explore;
as, to
. do
all the points of interest[Colloq.]
10.
(Stock Exchange)
To cash or to advance money for, as a bill or note.
☞
(a)
Do and did are much employed as auxiliaries, the verb to which they are joined being an infinitive. As an auxiliary the verb do has no participle. “I do set my bow in the cloud.” Gen. ix. 13.
[Now archaic or rare except for emphatic assertion.]
(b)
They are often used in emphatic construction. “You don't say so, Mr. Jobson. – but I do say so.” Sir W. Scott.
“I did love him, but scorn him now.” Latham.
(c)
In negative and interrogative constructions, do and did are in common use. I do not wish to see them; what do you think? Did Cæsar cross the Tiber? He did not. “Do you love me?” Shak.
(d)
Do, as an auxiliary, is supposed to have been first used before imperatives. It expresses entreaty or earnest request; as, do help me. In the imperative mood, but not in the indicative, it may be used with the verb to be; as, do be quiet. Do, did, and done often stand as a general substitute or representative verb, and thus save the repetition of the principal verb. “To live and die is all we have to do.” Denham.
In the case of do and did as auxiliaries, the sense may be completed by the infinitive (without to) of the verb represented. “When beauty lived and died as flowers do now.” Shak.
“I . . . chose my wife as she did her wedding gown.” Goldsmith.
Dryden.
To do one's best
,
To do one's diligence
to exert one's self; to put forth one's best or most or most diligent efforts.
“We will . . . do our best to gain their assent.” Jowett (Thucyd.).
– To do one's business
, to ruin one.
[Colloq.]
Wycherley.
– To do one shame
, to cause one shame.
[Obs.]
– To do over
. (a)
To make over; to perform a second time.
(b)
To cover; to spread; to smear.
“Boats . . . sewed together and done over with a kind of slimy stuff like rosin.” De Foe.
– To do to death
, to put to death.
(See 7.) [Obs.]
– To do up
. (a)
To put up; to raise.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
(b)
To pack together and envelop; to pack up.
(c)
To accomplish thoroughly.
[Colloq.]
(d)
To starch and iron.
“A rich gown of velvet, and a ruff done up with the famous yellow starch.” Hawthorne.
– To do way
, to put away; to lay aside.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
– To do with
, to dispose of; to make use of; to employ; – usually preceded by what.
“Men are many times brought to that extremity, that were it not for God they would not know what to do with themselves.” Tillotson.
– To have to do with
, to have concern, business or intercourse with; to deal with. When preceded by what, the notion is usually implied that the affair does not concern the person denoted by the subject of have.
“Philology has to do with language in its fullest sense.” Earle.
“What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah?” 2 Sam. xvi. 10.
Webster 1828 Edition
Do
DO
,Verb.
T.
1.
To perform; to execute; to carry into effect; to exert labor or power for brining any thing to the state desired, or to completion; or to bring any thing to pass. We say, this man does his work well; he does more in one day than some men will do in two days.In six days thou shalt do all thy work. Exodus 20.
I will teach you what ye shall do. Exodus 4.
I the Lord do all these things. Isaiah 45.
2.
To practice; to perform; as, to do good or evil.3.
To perform for the benefit or injury of another; with for or to; for, when the thing is beneficial; to, in either case.Till I know what God will do for me. 1 Samuel 22.
Do to him neither good nor evil. But to is more generally omitted. Do him neither good nor harm.
4.
To execute; to discharge; to convey; as, do a message to the king.5.
To perform; to practice; to observe.We lie and do not the truth. 1 John 1.
6.
To exert.Do thy diligence to come shortly to me. 2 Timothy 4.
7.
To transact; as, to do business with another.8.
To finish; to execute or transact and bring to a conclusion. The sense of completion is often implied in this verb; as, we will do the business and adjourn; we did the business and dined.9.
To perform in an exigency; to have recourse to, as a consequential or last effort; to take a step or measure; as, in this crisis, we knew not what to do.What will ye do in the day of visitation. Isaiah 10.
10.
To make or cause.Nothing but death can do me to respire.
11.
To put. Who should do the duke to death?
12.
To answer the purpose.Ill make the songs of Durfy do.
To have to do, to have concern with.
What have I to do with you? 2 Samuel 16.
What have I to do any more with idols? Hosea 14.
To do with, to dispose of; to make use of; to employ. Commerce is dull; we know not what to do with our ships. Idle men know not what to do with their time or with themselves. Also, to gain; to effect by influence.
A jest with a sad brow will do with a fellow who never had the ache in his shoulders.
I can do nothing with this obstinate fellow.
Also, to have concern with; to have business; to deal. [See No. 12.]
To do away, to remove; to destroy; as, to do away imperfections; to do away prejudices.
DO
, v.i.1.
To act or behave, in any manner, well or ill; to conduct ones self.They fear not the Lord, neither do they after the law and commandment. 2 Kings 17.
2.
To fare; to be in a state with regard to sickness or health.How dost thou?
We asked him how he did. How do you do, or how do you?
3.
To succeed; to accomplish a purpose. We shall do without him. Will this plan do? Also, to fit; to be adapted; to answer the design; with for; as, this piece of timber will do for the corner post; this tenon will do for the mortise; the road is repaired and will do for the present.To have to do with, to have concern or business with; to deal with. Have little to do with jealous men. Also, to have carnal commerce with.
Do is used for a verb to save the repetition of it. I shall probably come, but if I do not, you must not wait; that is, if I do not come, if I come not.
Do is also used in the imperative, to express an urgent request or command; as, do come; help me, do; make haste, do. In this case, do is uttered with emphasis.
As an auxiliary, do is used in asking questions. Do you intend to go? Does he wish me to come?
Do is also used to express emphasis. She is coquetish, but still I do love her.
Do is sometimes a mere expletive.
This just reproach their virtue does excite.
Expletives their feeble aid do join.
[The latter use of do is nearly obsolete.]
Do is sometimes used by way of opposition; as, I did love him, but he has lost my affections.