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do-or-die

[doo-er-dahy]
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adjective
  1. reflecting or characterized by an irrevocable decision to succeed at all costs; desperate; all-out: a do-or-die attempt to halt the invaders.
  2. involving a potentially fatal crisis or crucial emergency.
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Origin of do-or-die

First recorded in 1875–80

do

1
[doo; unstressed doo, duh]
verb (used with object), present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.
  1. to perform (an act, duty, role, etc.): Do nothing until you hear the bell.
  2. to execute (a piece or amount of work): to do a hauling job.
  3. to accomplish; finish; complete: He has already done his homework.
  4. to put forth; exert: Do your best.
  5. to be the cause of (good, harm, credit, etc.); bring about; effect.
  6. to render, give, or pay (homage, justice, etc.).
  7. to deal with, fix, clean, arrange, move, etc., (anything) as the case may require: to do the dishes.
  8. to travel; traverse: We did 30 miles today.
  9. to serve; suffice for: This will do us for the present.
  10. to condone or approve, as by custom or practice: That sort of thing simply isn't done.
  11. to travel at the rate of (a specified speed): He was doing 80 when they arrested him.
  12. to make or prepare: I'll do the salad.
  13. to serve (a term of time) in prison, or, sometimes, in office.
  14. to create, form, or bring into being: She does wonderful oil portraits.
  15. to translate into or change the form or language of: MGM did the book into a movie.
  16. to study or work at or in the field of: I have to do my math tonight.
  17. to explore or travel through as a sightseer: They did Greece in three weeks.
  18. (used with a pronoun, as it or that, or with a general noun, as thing, that refers to a previously mentioned action): You were supposed to write thank-you letters; do it before tomorrow, please.
  19. Informal. to wear out; exhaust; tire: That last set of tennis did me.
  20. Informal. to cheat, trick, or take advantage of: That crooked dealer did him for $500 at poker.
  21. Informal. to attend or participate in: Let's do lunch next week.
  22. Slang. to use (a drug or drugs), especially habitually: The police report said he was doing cocaine.
  23. Slang. to rob; steal from: The law got him for doing a lot of banks.
  24. Slang: Vulgar. to have sex with.
  25. Informal. (usually in the negative) to act in accordance with expectations associated with (something specified): Just ignore her insults—she doesn’t do polite.
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verb (used without object), present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.
  1. to act or conduct oneself; be in action; behave.
  2. to proceed: to do wisely.
  3. to get along; fare; manage: to do without an automobile.
  4. to be in health, as specified: Mother and child are doing fine.
  5. to serve or be satisfactory, as for the purpose; be enough; suffice: Will this do?
  6. to finish or be finished.
  7. to happen; take place; transpire: What's doing at the office?
  8. (used as a substitute to avoid repetition of a verb or full verb expression): I think as you do.
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auxiliary verb, present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.
  1. (used in interrogative, negative, and inverted constructions): Do you like music? I don't care. Seldom do we witness such catastrophes.
  2. Archaic. (used in imperatives with you or thou expressed; and occasionally as a metric filler in verse): Do thou hasten to the king's side. The wind did blow, the rain did fall.
  3. (used to lend emphasis to a principal verb): Do visit us!
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noun, plural dos, do's.
  1. Informal. a burst of frenzied activity; action; commotion.
  2. Informal. a hairdo or hair styling.
  3. British Slang. a swindle; hoax.
  4. Chiefly British. a festive social gathering; party.
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Verb Phrases
  1. do by, to deal with; treat: He had always done well by his family.
  2. do for,
    1. to cause the defeat, ruin, or death of.
    2. Chiefly British.to cook and keep house for; manage or provide for.
  3. do in, Informal.
    1. to kill, especially to murder.
    2. to injure gravely or exhaust; wear out; ruin: The tropical climate did them in.
    3. to cheat or swindle: He was done in by an unscrupulous broker.
  4. do over, to redecorate.
  5. do up, Informal.
    1. to wrap and tie up.
    2. to pin up or arrange (the hair).
    3. to renovate; launder; clean.
    4. to wear out; tire.
    5. to fasten: Do up your coat.
    6. to dress: The children were all done up in funny costumes.
  6. do with, to gain advantage or benefit from; make use of: I could do with more leisure time.
  7. do without,
    1. to forgo; dispense with.
    2. to dispense with the thing mentioned: The store doesn't have any, so you'll have to do without.
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Idioms
  1. do a number on (someone). number(def 39).
  2. do away with,
    1. to put an end to; abolish.
    2. to kill.
  3. do one proud. proud(def 11).
  4. do one's number. number(def 40).
  5. do one's (own) thing. thing1(def 22).
  6. do or die, to make a supreme effort.
  7. do out of, Informal. to swindle; cheat: A furniture store did me out of several hundred dollars.
  8. dos and don'ts, customs, rules, or regulations: The dos and don'ts of polite manners are easy to learn.
  9. do time, Informal. to serve a term in prison: It's hard to get a decent job once you've done time.
  10. do to death. death(def 15).
  11. have to do with. have(def 37).
  12. make do, to get along with what is at hand, despite its inadequacy: I can't afford a new coat so I have to make do with this one.
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Origin of do

1
before 900; Middle English, Old English dōn; cognate with Dutch doen, German tun; akin to Latin -dere to put, facere to make, do, Greek tithénai to set, put, Sanskrit dadhāti (he) puts
Can be confuseddew do dew

Synonyms for do

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1, 27. act.

Synonym study

3. Do, accomplish, achieve mean to bring some action to a conclusion. Do is the general word: He did a great deal of hard work. Accomplish and achieve both connote successful completion of an undertaking. Accomplish emphasizes attaining a desired goal through effort, skill, and perseverance: to accomplish what one has hoped for. Achieve emphasizes accomplishing something important, excellent, or great: to achieve a major breakthrough.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for do or die

frantic, last-gasp, do-or-die, championship, clash, meeting, tournament, fight, trial, game, race, struggle, sport, rivalry, event, match, firm, obstinate, reserved, crisp
British Dictionary definitions for do or die

DO

abbreviation for
  1. Doctor of Optometry
  2. Doctor of Osteopathy
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do-or-die

adjective
  1. (prenominal) of or involving a determined and sometimes reckless effort to succeed
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do

1
verb does, doing, did or done
  1. to perform or complete (a deed or action)to do a portrait; the work is done
  2. (often intr; foll by for) to serve the needs of; be suitable for (a person, situation, etc); sufficethere isn't much food, but it'll do for the two of us
  3. (tr) to arrange or fixyou should do the garden now
  4. (tr) to prepare or provide; servethis restaurant doesn't do lunch on Sundays
  5. (tr) to make tidy, elegant, ready, etc, as by arranging or adorningto do one's hair
  6. (tr) to improve (esp in the phrase do something to or for)
  7. (tr) to find an answer to (a problem or puzzle)
  8. (tr) to translate or adapt the form or language ofthe book was done into a play
  9. (intr) to conduct oneselfdo as you please
  10. (intr) to fare or managehow are you doing these days?
  11. (tr) to cause or producecomplaints do nothing to help
  12. (tr) to give or renderyour portrait doesn't do you justice; do me a favour
  13. (tr) to work at, esp as a course of study or a professionhe is doing chemistry; what do you do for a living?
  14. (tr) to perform (a play, etc); actthey are doing ``Hamlet'' next week
  15. (tr) to travel at a specified speed, esp as a maximumthis car will do 120 mph
  16. (tr) to travel or traverse (a distance)we did 15 miles on our walk
  17. (takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary before the subject of an interrogative sentence as a way of forming a questiondo you agree?; when did John go out?
  18. (takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary to intensify positive statements and commandsI do like your new house; do hurry!
  19. (takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary before a negative adverb to form negative statements or commandshe does not like cheese; do not leave me here alone!
  20. (takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary in inverted constructionslittle did he realize that; only rarely does he come in before ten o'clock
  21. used as an auxiliary to replace an earlier verb or verb phrase to avoid repetitionhe likes you as much as I do
  22. (tr) informal to visit or explore as a sightseer or touristto do Westminster Abbey
  23. (tr) to wear out; exhaust
  24. (intr) to happen (esp in the phrase nothing doing)
  25. (tr) slang to serve (a period of time) as a prison sentencehe's doing three years for burglary; he's doing time
  26. (tr) informal to cheat or swindle
  27. (tr) slang to robthey did three shops last night
  28. (tr) slang
    1. to arrest
    2. to convict of a crime
  29. (tr) Australian informal to lose or spend (money) completely
  30. (tr) slang, mainly British to treat violently; assault
  31. (tr) slang to take or use (a drug)
  32. (tr) taboo, slang (of a male) to have sexual intercourse with
  33. (tr) to partake in (a meal)let's do lunch
  34. do or do a informal to act like; imitatehe's a good mimic – he can do all his friends well
  35. do or die to make a final or supreme effort
  36. how do you do? a conventional formula when being introduced
  37. make do to manage with whatever is available
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noun plural dos or do's
  1. slang an act or instance of cheating or swindling
  2. informal, mainly British and NZ a formal or festive gathering; party
  3. do's and don'ts informal those things that should or should not be done; rules
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See also do away with, do by, do down, do for, do in, done, do out, do over, do up, do with, do without

Word Origin for do

Old English dōn; related to Old Frisian duān, Old High German tuon, Latin abdere to put away, Greek tithenai to place; see deed, doom

do

2
noun plural dos
  1. a variant spelling of doh 1
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do

3
the internet domain name for
  1. Dominican Republic
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for do or die

do

v.

Middle English do, first person singular of Old English don "make, act, perform, cause; to put, to place," from West Germanic *don (cf. Old Saxon duan, Old Frisian dua, Dutch doen, Old High German tuon, German tun), from PIE root *dhe- "to put, place, do, make" (see factitious).

Use as an auxiliary began in Middle English. Periphrastic form in negative sentences ("They did not think") replaced the Old English negative particles ("Hie ne wendon"). Slang meaning "to do the sex act with or to" is from 1913. Expression do or die is attested from 1620s. Cf. does, did, done.

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do

n.

first (and last) note of the diatonic scale, by 1754, from do, used as a substitution for ut (see gamut) for sonority's sake, first in Italy and Germany. U.S. slang do-re-mi "money" is from 1920s, probably a pun on dough in its slang sense of "cash."

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with do or die

do or die

Exert supreme effort because failure is close at hand, as in Carol was going to set up the computer, do or die. This hyperbolic expression in effect says one will not be deterred by any obstacle. [c. 1600]

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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.