tea service , set n the china or pottery articles used in serving tea, including a teapot, cups, saucers, etc.
closed set
n (Maths)
1 a set that includes all the values obtained by application of a given operation to its members
2 a topological set containing all its own limit points
3 an interval on the real line including its end points, as <lsb>0, 1<rsb>, the set of reals between and including 0 and 1
companion set
n a set of fire irons on a stand
crystal set
n an early form of radio receiver having a crystal detector to demodulate the radio signals but no amplifier, therefore requiring earphones
data set
n (Computing) another name for →
file 1 →
7
dead set
adv
1 absolutely
he is dead set against going to Spain
n
2 the motionless position of a dog when pointing with its muzzle towards game
adj
3 (of a hunting dog) in this position
interj
4 (Austral)
slang an expression of affirmation
dead set, I worked from dawn to dusk
deep-set
adj (of the eyes) deeply set into the face
film set
n the scenery and props as arranged for shooting a film
flash set
n (Civil engineering) undesirably rapid setting of cement in concrete
jet set
n
a a rich and fashionable social set the members of which travel widely for pleasure
b (as modifier)
jet-set travellers
♦
jet-setter n
♦
jet-setting adj
love set
n (Tennis) a set in which the loser has a score of zero
Mandelbrot set
n (Maths) a set of points in the complex plane that is self-replicating according to some predetermined rule such that the boundary of the set has fractal dimensions, used in the study of fractal geometry and in producing patterns in computer graphics
(C20: after Benoît Mandelbrot (born 1924), French mathematician, born in Poland)
mind-set
n the ideas and attitudes with which a person approaches a situation, esp. when these are seen as being difficult to alter
nail set , punch
n a punch for driving the head of a nail below or flush with the surrounding surface
open set
n (Maths)
1 a set which is not a closed set
2 an interval on the real line excluding its end points, as <rsb>0, 1<lsb>, the set of reals between, but excluding, 0 and 1
ordered set
n (Logic, maths) a sequence of elements that is distinguished from the other sequences of the same element by the order of the elements. Thus <lab>a, b<rab> is not identical with <lab>b, a<rab>
permanent set
n (Engineering) the change in shape of a material that results when the load to which it is subjected causes the elastic limit to be exceeded and is then removed
power set
n (Maths, logic) a set the elements of which are all the subsets of a given set
saw set
n a tool used for setting the teeth of a saw, consisting of a type of clamp used to bend each tooth in turn at a slight angle to the plane of the saw, alternate teeth being bent in the same direction
set [1]
vb , sets, setting, set mainly tr
1 to put or place in position or into a specified state or condition
to set a book on the table, to set someone free
2 also intr; foll by: to or on to put or be put (to); apply or be applied
he set fire to the house, they set the dogs on the scent
3 to put into order or readiness for use; prepare
to set a trap, to set the table for dinner
4 also intr to put, form, or be formed into a jelled, firm, fixed, or rigid state
the jelly set in three hours
5 also intr to put or be put into a position that will restore a normal state
to set a broken bone
6 to adjust (a clock or other instrument) to a position
7 to determine or establish
we have set the date for our wedding
8 to prescribe or allot (an undertaking, course of study, etc.)
the examiners have set ``Paradise Lost''
9 to arrange in a particular fashion, esp. an attractive one
she set her hair, the jeweller set the diamonds in silver
10 (of clothes) to hang or fit (well or badly) when worn
11 (Also)
set to music to provide music for (a poem or other text to be sung)
12 (Also)
set up (Printing) to arrange or produce (type, film, etc.) from (text or copy); compose
13 to arrange (a stage, television studio, etc.) with scenery and props
14 to describe or present (a scene or the background to a literary work, story, etc.) in words
his novel is set in Russia
15 to present as a model of good or bad behaviour (esp. in the phrases set an example, set a good example, set a bad example)
16 foll by: on or by to value (something) at a specified price or estimation of worth
he set a high price on his services
17 foll by: at to price (the value of something) at a specified sum
he set his services at £300
18 also intr to give or be given a particular direction
his course was set to the East
19 also intr to rig (a sail) or (of a sail) to be rigged so as to catch the wind
20 intr (of the sun, moon, etc.) to disappear beneath the horizon
21 to leave (dough, etc.) in one place so that it may prove
22 to sharpen (a cutting blade) by grinding or honing the angle adjacent to the cutting edge
23 to displace alternate teeth of (a saw) to opposite sides of the blade in order to increase the cutting efficiency
24 to sink (the head of a nail) below the surface surrounding it by using a nail set
25 (Computing) to give (a binary circuit) the value 1
26 (of plants) to produce (fruits, seeds, etc.) after pollination or (of fruits or seeds) to develop after pollination
27 to plant (seeds, seedlings, etc.)
28 to place (a hen) on (eggs) for the purpose of incubation
29 intr (of a gun dog) to turn in the direction of game, indicating its presence
30 (Scot. and Irish) to let or lease
to set a house
31 (Bridge) to defeat (one's opponents) in their attempt to make a contract
32 a dialect word for →
sit
33 ♦
set eyes on to see
n
34 the act of setting or the state of being set
35 a condition of firmness or hardness
36 bearing, carriage, or posture
the set of a gun dog when pointing
37 the fit or hang of a garment, esp. when worn
38 the scenery and other props used in and identifying the location of a stage or television production, film, etc.
39 (Also called)
set width (Printing)
a the width of the body of a piece of type
b the width of the lines of type in a page or column
a the cut of the sails or the arrangement of the sails, spars, rigging, etc., of a vessel
b the direction from which a wind is blowing or towards which a tide or current is moving
41 (Psychol) a temporary bias disposing an organism to react to a stimulus in one way rather than in others
42 a seedling, cutting, or similar part that is ready for planting
onion sets
43 a blacksmith's tool with a short head similar to a cold chisel set transversely onto a handle and used, when struck with a hammer, for cutting off lengths of iron bars
45 a mechanical distortion of shape or alignment
46 a variant spelling of →
sett
adj
47 fixed or established by authority or agreement
set hours of work
48 usually postpositive rigid or inflexible
she is set in her ways
49 conventional, artificial, or stereotyped, rather than spontaneous
she made her apology in set phrases
50 postpositive; foll by: on or upon resolute in intention
he is set upon marrying
51 (of a book, etc.) prescribed for students' preparation for an examination, (See also)
→
set about →
set against →
set aside →
set back →
set down →
set forth →
set in →
set off →
set on →
set out →
set to →
set up →
set upon
(Old English settan, causative of sittan to sit; related to Old Frisian setta, Old High German sezzan)
set [2]
n
1 a number of objects or people grouped or belonging together, often forming a unit or having certain features or characteristics in common
a set of coins, John is in the top set for maths
2 a group of people who associate together, esp. a clique
he's part of the jet set
a (Also called)
class a collection of numbers, objects, etc., that is treated as an entity: 3, the moon is the set the two members of which are the number 3 and the moon
b (in some formulations) a class that can itself be a member of other classes
4 any apparatus that receives or transmits television or radio signals
5 (Tennis, squash, etc.) one of the units of a match, in tennis one in which one player or pair of players must win at least six games
Graf lost the first set
a the number of couples required for a formation dance
b a series of figures that make up a formation dance
a a band's or performer's concert repertoire on a given occasion
the set included no new numbers
b a continuous performance
the Who played two sets
vb , sets, setting, set
8 intr (in square dancing and country dancing) to perform a sequence of steps while facing towards another dancer
set to your partners
9 usually tr to divide into sets
in this school we set our older pupils for English
(C14 (in the obsolete sense: a religious sect): from Old French sette, from Latin secta sect; later sense development influenced by the verb set1)
SET (in Britain)
abbrev. for selective employment tax: an employment payroll tax, first levied in 1966 and abolished when VAT was introduced in 1973
set about
vb intr, prep
2 to attack physically or verbally
set against
vb tr, prep
1 to balance or compare
to set a person's faults against his virtues
2 to cause to be hostile or unfriendly to
set aside
vb tr, adv
1 to reserve for a special purpose; put to one side
2 to discard, dismiss, or quash
set-aside
n
a (in the European Union) a scheme in which a proportion of farmland is taken out of production in order to reduce surpluses or maintain or increase prices of a specific crop
b (as modifier)
set-aside land
set back
vb tr, adv
2 Informal to cost (a person) a specified amount
n
♦
setback
3 anything that serves to hinder or impede
4 a recession in the upper part of a high building, esp. one that increases the daylight at lower levels
5 (Also called)
offset, setoff a steplike shelf where a wall is reduced in thickness
set chisel
n another name for →
cold chisel
set down
vb tr, adv
1 to write down or record
2 to judge, consider, or regard
he set him down as an idiot
3 foll by: to to ascribe; attribute
his attitude was set down to his illness
6 (Brit) to allow (passengers) to alight from a bus, taxi, etc.
set forth
vb adv
Formal or archaic
1 tr to state, express, or utter
he set forth his objections
2 intr to start out on a journey
the expedition set forth on the first of July
set in
vb intr, adv
1 to become established
the winter has set in
2 (of wind) to blow or (of current) to move towards shore
adj
♦
set-in
3 (of a part) made separately and then added to a larger whole
a set-in sleeve
set off
vb adv
1 intr to embark on a journey
2 tr to cause (a person) to act or do something, such as laugh or tell stories
4 tr to act as a foil or contrast to, esp. so as to improve
that brooch sets your dress off well
5 tr (Accounting) to cancel a credit on (one account) against a debit on another, both of which are in the name of the same person, enterprise, etc.
6 intr to bring a claim by way of setoff
n
♦
setoff
7 anything that serves as a counterbalance
8 anything that serves to contrast with or enhance something else; foil
9 another name for →
setback →
5
10 a counterbalancing debt or claim offered by a debtor against a creditor
11 a cross claim brought by a debtor that partly offsets the creditor's claim, (See also)
→
counterclaim
set-off
n (Printing) a fault in which ink is transferred from a heavily inked or undried printed sheet to the sheet next to it in a pile, (Also called (esp. Brit.))
offset
set on
vb tr
1 prep to cause to attack
they set the dogs on him
2 adv to instigate or incite; urge
he set the child on to demand food
set out
vb adv, mainly tr
1 to present, arrange, or display
he set the flowers out in the vase
2 to give a full account of; explain exactly
he set out the matter in full
3 to plan or lay out (a garden, etc.)
4 intr to begin or embark on an undertaking, esp. a journey
set piece
n
1 a work of literature, music, etc., often having a conventional or prescribed theme, intended to create an impressive effect
2 a piece of scenery built to stand independently as part of a stage set
4 (Sport) a rehearsed team manoeuvre, usually attempted in continuous games at a restart of play, esp. when the other side has been penalized for improper play
set point
n (Tennis, etc.) a point that would enable one side to win a set
set square
n a thin flat piece of plastic, metal, etc., in the shape of a right-angled triangle, used in technical drawing
set theory
n
1 (Maths) the branch of mathematics concerned with the properties and interrelationships of sets
2 (Logic) a theory constructed within first-order logic that yields the mathematical theory of classes, esp. one that distinguishes sets from proper classes as a means of avoiding certain paradoxes
set to
vb intr, adv
2 to start fighting
n
♦
set-to
3 Informal a brief disagreement or fight
set up
vb adv, mainly tr
1 also intr to put into a position of power, etc.
2 also intr to begin or enable (someone) to begin (a new venture), as by acquiring or providing means, equipment, etc.
3 to build or construct
to set up a shed
4 to raise, cause, or produce
to set up a wail
5 to advance or propose
to set up a theory
6 to restore the health of
the sea air will set you up again
7 to establish (a record)
8 Informal to cause (a person) to be blamed, accused, etc.
a to provide (drinks, etc.) for
set 'em up, Joe!
b to pay for the drinks of
I'll set up the next round
10 (Printing) another term for →
set 1 →
12
n
♦
setup
11 Informal the way in which anything is organized or arranged
12 Slang an event the result of which is prearranged
it's a setup
13 a prepared arrangement of materials, machines, etc., for a job or undertaking
14 a station at which a surveying instrument, esp. a theodolite, is set up
15 (Films) the position of the camera, microphones, and performers at the beginning of a scene
adj
♦
set-up
set upon
vb intr, prep to attack
three thugs set upon him
set width
n another name for →
set 1 →
39
sharp-set
adj
1 set to give an acute cutting angle
smart set
n functioning as sing or pl fashionable sophisticated people considered as a group
solution set
n another name for →
truth set
toilet set
n a matching set consisting of a hairbrush, comb, mirror, and clothes brush
truth set
n
1 (Logic, maths, Also called) solution set the set of values that satisfy an open sentence, equation, inequality, etc., having no unique solution
2 (Logic) the set of possible worlds in which a statement is true
well-set
adj well set when postpositive
2 (of a person) strongly built