GET, v.t. pret. got. [gat, obs.] pp. got, gotten.

To arrive at any place or state; followed by some modifying word, and sometimes implying difficulty or labor; as, To get away or away from, to depart; to quit; to leave; or to disengage one's self from. To get among, to arrive in the midst of; to become one of a number. To get before, to arrive in front, or more forward. To get behind, to fall in the rear; to lag. To get back, to arrive at the place from which one departed; to return. To get clear, to disengage one's self; to be released as from confinement, obligation or burden; also, to be freed from danger or embarrassment. To get down, to descend; to come from an elevation. To get home, to arrive at one's dwelling. To get in or into, to arrive within an inclosure, or a mixed body; to pass in; to insinuate one's self. To get loose or free, to disengage one's self; to be released from confinement. To get off, to escape; to depart; to get clear; also, to alight; to descend from. To get out, to depart from an inclosed place or from confinement; to escape; to free one's self from embarrassment. To get along, to proceed; to advance. To get rid of, to disengage one's self from; also, to shift off; to remove. To get together, to meet; to assemble; to convene. To get up, to arise; to rise from a bed or a seat; also, to ascend; to climb. To get through, to pass through and reach a point beyond any thing; also, to finish; to accomplish. To get quit of, to get rid of; to shift off, or to disengage one's self from. To get forward, to proceed; to advance; also, to prosper; to advance in wealth. To get near, to approach within a small distance. To get ahead, to advance; to prosper. To get on, to proceed; to advance. To get a mile or other distance, to pass over it in traveling. To get at, to reach; to make way to. To get asleep, to fall asleep. To get drunk, to become intoxicated. To get between, to arrive between. To get to, to reach; to arrive.

1. To procure; to obtain; to gain possession of, by almost any means. We get favor by kindness; we get wealth by industry and economy; we get land by purchase; we get poise by good conduct; and we get blame by doing injustice. The merchant should get a profit on his goods; the laborer should get a due reward for his labor; most men get what they can for their goods or for their services. Get differs from acquire, as it does not always express permanence of possession, which is the appropriate sense of acquire. We get a book or a loaf of bread by borrowing, we do not acquire it; but we get or acquire an estate.
2. To have. Thou hast got the face of a man. Herbert. This is a most common, but gross abuse of this word. We constantly hear it said, I have got no corn, I have got no money, she has got a fair complexion, when the person means only, I have no corn, I have no money, she has a fair complexion.
3. To beget; to procreate; to generate. Locke.
4. To learn; as, to get a lesson.
5. To prevail on; to induce; to persuade. Though the king could not get him to engage in a life of business. Spectator. [This is not elegant.]
6. To procure to be. We could not get the work done. [Not elegant.] To get off, to put off; to take or pull off; as, to get of a garment; also, to remove; as, to get off a ship from shoals. To sell; to dispose of; as, to get off goods. To get on, to put on; to draw or pull on; as, to get on a coat; to get on boots. To get in, to collect and shelter; to bring under cover; as, to get in corn. To get out, to draw forth; as, to get out a secret. To draw out; to disengage. To get the day, to win; to conquer; to gain the victory. To get together, to collect; to amass. To get over, to surmount; to conquer; to pass without being obstructed; as, to get over difficulties; also, to recover; as, to get over sickness. To get above, to surmount; to surpass. To get up, to prepare and introduce upon the stage; to bring forward. With a pronoun following, it signifies to betake; to remove; to go; as, get you to bed; get thee out of the land. But this mode of expression can hardly be deemed elegant.

1. Jet, the mineral.
   
   
   [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. Fashion; manner; custom.
   
   
   [Obs.] Chaucer.
3. To procure; to obtain; to gain possession of; to acquire; to earn; to obtain as a price or reward; to come by; to win, by almost any means; as, to get favor by kindness; to get wealth by industry and economy; to get land by purchase, etc.
4. To make acquisition; to gain; to profit; to receive accessions; to be increased.
   
   

   We mourn, France smiles; we lose, they daily get. Shak.

5. Offspring; progeny; as, the get of a stallion.
6. Artifice; contrivance.
   
   
   [Obs.] Chaucer.
7. Hence, with have and had, to come into or be in possession of; to have.
   
   
   Johnson.

   Thou hast got the face of man. Herbert.

8. To arrive at, or bring one's self into, a state, condition, or position; to come to be; to become; -- with a following adjective or past participle belonging to the subject of the verb; as, to get sober; to get awake; to get beaten; to get elected.
   
   

   To get rid of fools and scoundrels. Pope.

   His chariot wheels get hot by driving fast. Coleridge.

   * It [get] gives to the English language a middle voice, or a power of verbal expression which is neither active nor passive. Thus we say to get acquitted, beaten, confused, dressed. Earle.

   * Get, as an intransitive verb, is used with a following preposition, or adverb of motion, to indicate, on the part of the subject of the act, movement or action of the kind signified by the preposition or adverb; or, in the general sense, to move, to stir, to make one's way, to advance, to arrive, etc.; as, to get away, to leave, to escape; to disengage one's self from; to get down, to descend, esp. with effort, as from a literal or figurative elevation; to get along, to make progress; hence, to prosper, succeed, or fare; to get in, to enter; to get out, to extricate one's self, to escape; to get through, to traverse; also, to finish, to be done; to get to, to arrive at, to reach; to get off, to alight, to descend from, to dismount; also, to escape, to come off clear; to get together, to assemble, to convene.

   To get ahead, to advance; to prosper. - - To get along, to proceed; to advance; to prosper. -- To get a mile (or other distance), to pass over it in traveling. -- To get among, to go or come into the company of; to become one of a number. -- To get asleep, to fall asleep. -- To get astray, to wander out of the right way. -- To get at, to reach; to make way to. To get away with, to carry off; to capture; hence, to get the better of; to defeat. -- To get back, to arrive at the place from which one departed; to return. -- To get before, to arrive in front, or more forward. -- To get behind, to fall in the rear; to lag. -- To get between, to arrive between. -- To get beyond, to pass or go further than; to exceed; to surpass. "Three score and ten is the age of man, a few get beyond it." Thackeray. -- To get clear, to disengage one's self; to be released, as from confinement, obligation, or burden; also, to be freed from danger or embarrassment. -- To get drunk, to become intoxicated. -- To get forward, to proceed; to advance; also, to prosper; to advance in wealth. -- To get home, to arrive at one's dwelling, goal, or aim. -- To get into. (a) To enter, as, "she prepared to get into the coach." Dickens. (b) To pass into, or reach; as, " a language has got into the inflated state." Keary. -- To get loose or free, to disengage one's self; to be released from confinement. -- To get near, to approach within a small distance. -- To get on, to proceed; to advance; to prosper. -- To get over. (a) To pass over, surmount, or overcome, as an obstacle or difficulty. (b) To recover from, as an injury, a calamity. -- To get through. (a) To pass through something. (b) To finish what one was doing. -- To get up. (a) To rise; to arise, as from a bed, chair, etc. (b) To ascend; to climb, as a hill, a tree, a flight of stairs, etc.

9. To beget; to procreate; to generate.
   
   

   I had rather to adopt a child than get it. Shak.

10. To obtain mental possession of; to learn; to commit to memory; to memorize; as to get a lesson; also with out; as, to get out one's Greek lesson.
    
    

    It being harder with him to get one sermon by heart, than to pen twenty. Bp. Fell.

11. To prevail on; to induce; to persuade.
    
    

    Get him to say his prayers. Shak.

12. To procure to be, or to cause to be in any state or condition; -- with a following participle.
    
    

    Those things I bid you do; get them dispatched. Shak.

13. To betake; to remove; -- in a reflexive use.
    
    

    Get thee out from this land. Gen. xxxi. 13.

    He . . . got himself . . . to the strong town of Mega. Knolles.

    * Get, as a transitive verb, is combined with adverbs implying motion, to express the causing to, or the effecting in, the object of the verb, of the kind of motion indicated by the preposition; thus, to get in, to cause to enter, to bring under shelter; as, to get in the hay; to get out, to make come forth, to extract; to get off, to take off, to remove; to get together, to cause to come together, to collect.

    To get by heart, to commit to memory. - - To get the better of, To get the best of, to obtain an advantage over; to surpass; to subdue. -- To get up, to cause to be established or to exit; to prepare; to arrange; to construct; to invent; as, to get up a celebration, a machine, a book, an agitation.

    Syn. -- To obtain; gain; win; acquire. See Obtain.