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REFERENCE

get

v.
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈɡɛt// UK //ɡˈɛt// get Archaic Dialect General-service Humorous Informal

v. to receive, obtain, or buy something. It is one of the most common words in English and has many different meanings depending on the words around it.

v. to come into possession of; to receive or acquire. Highly polysemous and often functions as a light verb in various idiomatic constructions.


SIMPLE

I need to get some milk from the shop.

CONTEXTUAL

She managed to get a promotion after working hard on the latest project for six months.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English geten, from Old Norse geta, from Proto-Germanic getaną. Cognate with Old English ġietan (whence also English yet), Old Saxon getan (“to get, to gain sth.”), Old High German pigezzan (“to uphold”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌲𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (bigitan, “to find, discover”)), from Proto-Indo-European gʰed- (“to seize”).

Etymology 2

Variant of git.

Etymology 3

From Hebrew גֵּט (gēṭ).

Usage

Highly transitive in its primary sense; often used as a linking verb to describe a change in state (e.g., 'get tired').

Pitfall

I got to the book yesterdayI got the book yesterdayWhen 'get' means to receive or buy, it is transitive and does not take the preposition 'to'.

Idioms180 entries

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