set

set is one of the 1000 most common headwords.

set

Verb [change]

Plain form
set

Third person singular
sets

Simple past
set

Past participle
set

Present participle
setting

(transitive) If you set something somewhere, you put something into a place.

She sets the lamp on the floor.

I was setting glasses on the table when I heard a noise.
(transitive) If you set something, you put it into some state or condition.

After changing the batteries, you have to set the clock again.

They set the house on fire

He sets the CD player to play.

The guard had never set a prisoner free before.
(transitive) If you set something, you define it or to fix its value.

The teacher set a time limit of two minutes for this exercise.

The date for the exam was set to next Thursday.

The microwave was set to 400 Watts.
(transitive) If you set the table, you put dishes, forks and knives on it.

I set the table for five people, but only three came.
(intransitive) When the sun or moon sets, it moves toward the horizon.

The sun sets every evening.
(intransitive) If something sets, it dries and becomes solid.

The concrete needs to set before a car can drive on it.

This glue needs two hours to set.
The past tense and past participle of set.

Positive
set

Comparative
none

Superlative
none

Something that is set is fixed. It cannot be changed easily.

Don't argue! The rules are set.

The time for the race is set.
To be ready for something.

Are you set?

The scenery for a theatrical work such as a play, ballet, musical, etc.

The Metropolitan Opera's set for Aida is spectacular.

I was painting a wall on the set when the director arrived.
A group of things that can be used together.

This chess set is too expensive to play chess with it.
A group of things, where every single one of them has a certain purpose. All of them are needed to perform a certain operation.

To play poker, you need a set of playing cards and chips.

A mason has a set of tools.
A group of similar things.

I have a set of porcelain figurines depicting characters from Shakespeare's plays.
Persons that have something in common may be called a set.

That rich chick is a member of the Jet Set.

Girls who wear sweaters on Wednesday in my school belong to the sweater set.

The Long Island Horsey Set plays polo on weekends.
The machine with which one gets radio or television programs.

This television set is broken.

This radio set can receive programs from Australia.
In many sports, a number of sets make up a game. This is the case, for example, in tennis and table tennis.

The tennis player won the first two sets, but lost the game.