do

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To carry out or perform an action or task.

   If you want something done, do it yourself.

2. 2
   verb

   Used as a helper word to form questions and negatives.

   Do you go there often?

3. 3
   verb

   To manage, get along, or make progress.

   How are the new staff doing in their jobs?

4. 4
   verb

   To be enough or acceptable for a purpose.

   We don't have much, but this will have to do.

5. 5
   verb

   To travel a particular distance or reach a particular speed.

   This car can do 150 miles per hour.

Common collocations

• do a dance Verb + noun
• do a jump Verb + noun
• do a favor Verb + noun
• do business Verb + noun
• do magic Verb + noun
• do some walking Verb + noun
• do your part Verb + noun

From Middle English don, from Old English dōn, from Proto-West Germanic *dōn, from Proto-Germanic *dōną, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, do, make”). For senses 4 and 5, compare Old Norse duga, also Northern English dow. The past tense form is from Middle English didde, dude, from Old English dyde, *diede, an unexpected development from Proto-Germanic *dedǭ/*dedē (the expected reflex would be *ded), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰédʰeh₁ti, an athematic e-reduplicated verb of the same root *dʰeh₁-. The meaningless use of do in interrogative, negative, and affirmative sentences (e.…

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