Meanings
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1
verb
To move something into a particular place or position.
She put her books on the table.
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2
verb
To bring someone or something into a particular state or condition.
The new law put many small shops out of business.
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3
verb
To express something in a particular way or with particular words.
I wouldn't put it quite like that.
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4
verb
To estimate or guess an amount, time, or value.
We put the time of arrival at around 8 p.m.
Thesaurus
Common collocations
Etymology
From Middle English putten, pitten, pytten, puten, poten, from Old English putian, *pūtian ("to push, put out"; attested by derivative putung (“pushing, impulse, instigation, urging”)) and potian (“to push, thrust, strike, butt, goad”), both from Proto-West Germanic *putōn, from Proto-Germanic *putōną (“to stick, stab”), which is of uncertain origin. Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bud- (“to shoot, sprout”), which would make it cognate with Sanskrit बुन्द (bundá, “arrow”), Lithuanian budė, and budis (“mushroom, fungus”). Compare also related Old English pȳtan (“to push, poke, thrust, put ou…