1. Put into a certain state; cause to be in a certain state
   "set the house afire"
    
2. Fix conclusively or authoritatively
   "set the rules";
   - determine
    
3. Establish or state a specific value or set of values
   "set the parameters";
   - specify, determine, define, fix, limit
    
4. Cause to have a certain (possibly abstract) location
   "Set the tray down";
   - put, place, pose, position, lay
    
5. Establish as the highest level or best performance
   "set a record";
   - mark
    
6. Fix in a border
   "The goldsmith set the diamond"
    
7. Place in a certain position or cause to operate correctly
   "set clocks or instruments"
    
8. Alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard
   "set the clock, please";
   - adjust, correct
    
9. Make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc
   "I was setting up to leave town after I paid the hotel bill";
   - fix, prepare, set up, ready, gear up
    
10. Get ready for a particular purpose or event
    "set up an experiment"; "set the table";
    - set up, lay out
     
11. Put (seeds, seedlings, or plants) into the ground
    "Let's set flowers in the garden";
    - plant
     
12. Put into a position that will restore a normal state
    "set a broken bone"
     
13. Locate or establish in a particular place
    "The film is set in Africa";
    - localize, localise [Brit], place
     
14. Style or arrange hair attractively
    "set my hair for the wedding";
    - dress, arrange, do, coif, coiffe, coiffure
     
15. Equip with sails or masts
    "The crew set the ship for its maiden voyage"; "They set up the new yacht";
    - rig, set up
     
16. (music) adapt for performance in a different way
    "set this poem to music";
    - arrange
     
17. Set in type
    "set these words in italics";
    - typeset
     
18. Give a fine, sharp edge to a knife or razor
    "The barber set the razor before shaving his client"
     
19. Insert (a nail or screw below the surface, as into a countersink)
    "He set the screws to create a smooth finish";
    - countersink
     
20. Go down below the surface (esp. of water) to become submerged
    "the sun sets early these days";
    - go down, go under
     
21. Become gelatinous
    "the liquid set after we added the enzyme";
    - jell, congeal
     
22. Produce fruit
    "the apple trees set";
    - fructify
     
23. Urge to attack someone
    "He set his dogs on the intruder";
    - sic
     
24. Estimate
    "We set the time of arrival at 8 P.M.";
    - place, put
     
25. Apply or start
    "set fire to a building"

1. A group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
   "a set of teeth"; "a set of books"; "a set of golf clubs"
    
2. (mathematics) an abstract collection of numbers or symbols
   "the set of prime numbers is infinite"
    
3. Several exercises intended to be done in series
   "he did four sets of the incline bench press"; "The trainer recommended three exercise sets to target different muscle groups";
   - exercise set
    
4. Any electronic equipment that receives or transmits radio or tv signals
   "the early sets ran on storage batteries"
    
5. A relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
   "the set of his mind was obvious";
   - bent
    
6. The act of putting something in position
   "he gave a final set to his hat"
    
7. A unit of play in tennis or squash
   "they played two sets of tennis after dinner"
    
8. Representation consisting of the scenery and other properties used to identify the location of a dramatic production
   "the sets were meticulously authentic"; "The stage set transported the audience to 19th century London";
   - stage set
    
9. An unofficial association of people or groups
   "the smart set goes there";
   - circle, band, lot
    
10. The process of becoming hard or solid by cooling or drying or crystallization
    "he tested the set of the glue";
    - hardening, solidifying, solidification, curing
     
11. The descent of a heavenly body below the horizon
    "before the set of sun"
     
12. (psychology) being temporarily ready to respond in a particular way
    "his instructions deliberately gave them the wrong set"; "the subjects' set led them to solve problems the familiar way and to overlook the simpler solution";
    - readiness
     
13. A badger's burrow
    "The wildlife photographer patiently waited near the badger's set";
    - sett

1. Positioned in a particular place or situation
   "a house set on a hilltop";
   - located, placed, situated
    
2. Unchanging and unmoving
   "with eyes set in a fixed glassy stare"; "his bearded face already has a set hollow look";
   - fixed, rigid
    
3. (usually followed by ‘to’ or ‘for’) on the point of or strongly disposed
   "we are set to go at any time";
   - fit, primed
    
4. Determined or decided upon as by an authority
   "the time set for the launching";
   - determined, dictated
    
5. Set down according to a plan
   "a carefully laid table with places set for four people";
   - laid
    
6. Converted to solid form (as concrete)
   "The set concrete was ready for the next phase of construction";
   - hardened
    
7. Being below the horizon
   "the moon is set"

1. Evil Egyptian god with the head of a beast that has high square ears and a long snout; brother and murderer of Osiris
   - Seth

Sounds like: session, cen, se

Derived forms: set, setting, sets

See also: arranged, down, hard, nonmoving, ordered, ready, reserve, set off, settled, specify, travel, trigger, unmoving

Type of: abstract entity, abstraction, accumulation, act, action, activity, aggregation, alter, approximate, arrange, assail, assault, assemblage, attack, bury, change, choose, cognitive state, collection, come down, compose, descend, descent, displace, disposition, Egyptian deity, electronic equipment, emplacement, equip, establish, estimate, exercise, exercising, father, fit, fit out, gauge, go down, groom, hone, impress, inclination, initiate, judge, lay down, location, make, modify, move, multiply, natural action, natural process, neaten, originate, outfit, period of play, physical exercise, physical exertion, pick out, placement, play, playing period, position, positioning, present, print, procreate, represent, representation, reproduce, select, set on, set up, sink, social group, solidify, stage, start, state of mind, take, tendency, workout, write

Part of: communication equipment, communication system, mise en scène, plastination, setting, stage setting

Encyclopedia: Set