PUT DOWN

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does put down mean? 

• PUT DOWN (verb)
  The verb PUT DOWN has 8 senses:

1. cause to sit or seat or be in a settled position or place

2. put in a horizontal position

3. cause to come to the ground

4. reduce in worth or character, usually verbally

5. remove (cargo, people, etc.) from and leave

6. put (an animal) to death

7. put down in writing; of texts, musical compositions, etc.

8. make a record of; set down in permanent form

  Familiarity information: PUT DOWN used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PUT DOWN (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to sit or seat or be in a settled position or place

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

place down; put down; set down

Context example:

set down your bags here

Hypernyms (to "put down" is one way to...):

lay; place; pose; position; put; set (put into a certain place or abstract location)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "put down"):

flump; plank; plonk; plop; plump; plump down; plunk; plunk down (set (something or oneself) down with or as if with a noise)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Put in a horizontal position

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

lay; put down; repose

Context example:

lay the patient carefully onto the bed

Hypernyms (to "put down" is one way to...):

lay; place; pose; position; put; set (put into a certain place or abstract location)

Cause:

lie (be lying, be prostrate; be in a horizontal position)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "put down"):

rail (lay with rails)

lay; blow (lay eggs)

bury; entomb; inhume; inter; lay to rest (place in a grave or tomb)

rebury (bury again)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Also:

put (put into a certain place or abstract location)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cause to come to the ground

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

bring down; land; put down

Context example:

the pilot managed to land the airplane safely

Hypernyms (to "put down" is one way to...):

arrive; come; get (reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress)

Cause:

land; set down (reach or come to rest)

Domain category:

air; air travel; aviation (travel via aircraft)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Reduce in worth or character, usually verbally

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

degrade; demean; disgrace; put down; take down

Context example:

His critics took him down after the lecture

Hypernyms (to "put down" is one way to...):

abase; chagrin; humble; humiliate; mortify (cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "put down"):

reduce (lower in grade or rank or force somebody into an undignified situation)

dehumanise; dehumanize (deprive of human qualities)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

put-down (a crushing remark)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Remove (cargo, people, etc.) from and leave

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

discharge; drop; drop off; put down; set down; unload

Context example:

drop off the passengers at the hotel

Hypernyms (to "put down" is one way to...):

deliver (bring to a destination, make a delivery)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "put down"):

wharf (discharge at a wharf)

air-drop (drop (an object) from the air; unload from a plane or helicopter)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 6

Meaning:

Put (an animal) to death

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

destroy; put down

Context example:

the sick cat had to be put down

Hypernyms (to "put down" is one way to...):

kill (cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 7

Meaning:

Put down in writing; of texts, musical compositions, etc.

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

get down; put down; set down; write down

Hypernyms (to "put down" is one way to...):

write (communicate or express by writing)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "put down"):

notate (put into notation, as of music or choreography)

note; take down (make a written note of)

dash down; dash off (write down hastily)

transcribe (write out from speech, notes, etc.)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 8

Meaning:

Make a record of; set down in permanent form

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

enter; put down; record

Hypernyms (to "put down" is one way to...):

preserve; save (to keep up and reserve for personal or special use)

Domain category:

recording; transcription (the act of making a record (especially an audio record))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "put down"):

clock in; clock on; punch in (register one's arrival at work)

book (record a charge in a police register)

register (record in writing; enter into a book of names or events or transactions)

film (record in film)

keep; maintain (maintain by writing regular records)

notch (notch a surface to record something)

mark; score (make underscoring marks)

photograph; shoot; snap (record on photographic film)

tape; videotape (record on videotape)

film; shoot; take (make a film or photograph of something)

clock up; log up (record a distance travelled; on planes and cars)

document (record in detail)

file; file away (place in a container for keeping records)

chronicle (record in chronological order; make a historical record)

inscribe (write, engrave, or print as a lasting record)

manifest (record in a ship's manifest)

ring up (to perform and record a sale on a cash register)

post (display, as of records in sports games)

accession (make a record of additions to a collection, such as a library)

record; tape (register electronically)

chalk up; tally (keep score, as in games)

log (enter into a log, as on ships and planes)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

 Context examples 

She put down her work and got up, thinking, "I will be the first to say, 'Forgive me'", but he did not seem to hear her.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

When we stop a little way short of the church, to put down Peggotty, whom we have brought on the box, she gives it a squeeze, and me a kiss.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Then if he has feared of my trust I shall show it to him, with every thought of my heart put down for his dear eyes to read.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It had been my intention to have her meals served apart, but Wolf Larsen put down his foot.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Nay, nay, I entreat you; for one moment put down your work.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

He put down his gun and ran to her assistance.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Then he put down his axe and sat beside the Scarecrow, who said, "It was a good fight, friend."

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

He changed his appearance as far as he could, and trusted that the likeness, which you could not fail to observe, would be put down to a family resemblance.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Miss Nash has put down all the texts he has ever preached from since he came to Highbury.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

She was put down in Camden Place; and Lady Russell then drove to her own lodgings, in Rivers Street.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)