📒 to prepare or arrange something so that it is ready for use or in position
- set something Have you set the alarm clock?
- set something + adv.prep. She set the camera on automatic.
- I set my watch by (= make it show the same time as) the TV.
📒 to arrange knives, forks, etc. on a table for a meal
- set a/the table Can you help me set the table?
- set a/the table for somebody/something Could you set the table for dinner?
- The table was set for six guests.
📒 to fix something so that others copy it or try to achieve it
- This could set a new fashion.
- They set high standards of customer service.
- I am unwilling to set a precedent.
📒 to give somebody a piece of work to do or a task or target to achieve
- set something Who will be setting (= writing the questions for) the French exam?
- The government has set a growth target of 6%.
- set something for something What books have been set (= are to be studied) for the English course?
📒 to arrange or fix something; to decide on something
- They haven't set a date for their wedding yet.
- The government has set strict limits on public spending this year.
- We can't just let the global corporations set the agenda (= decide what is important) every time.
📒 to place the action of a play, novel or film in a particular place, time, etc.
- be set + adv./prep. The novel is set in London in the 1960s.
- The movie is set in Los Angeles in the year 2019.
- This powerful drama is set against the backdrop of the Civil War.
📒 to be located in a particular place
- be set + adv./prep. The house is set in fifty acres of parkland.
📒 to put something/somebody in a particular place or position
- She set a tray down on the table.
- They ate everything that was set in front of them.
- When she fell he picked her up and set her on her feet again.
📒 to cause somebody/something to be in a particular state; to start something happening
- set somebody/something + adv./prep. Her manner immediately set everyone at their ease.
- He pulled the lever and set the machine in motion.
- The new leader has set the party on the road to success.
📒 to go down below the horizon
- We sat and watched the sun setting.
📒 to put a precious stone into a piece of jewellery
- set A in B She had the sapphire set in a gold ring.
- set B with A Her bracelet was set with emeralds.
📒 to become solid or hard
- Leave the concrete to set for a few hours.
- + adj. The glue had set hard.
📒 to fix your face into a determined expression
- Her jaw was set in a determined manner.
📒 to arrange somebody’s hair while it is wet so that it dries in a particular style
- She had her hair washed and set.
📒 to put a broken bone into a fixed position and hold it there, so that it will join together again and get better; to get better in this way
- The surgeon set her broken arm.
📒 to use a machine or computer to arrange writing and images on pages in order to prepare a book, newspaper, etc. for printing
📒 to write music to go with words
- Schubert set many poems to music.