set-in
adjective
made separately and placed within another unit.
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set-in
American
[set-in]
/ ˈsɛtˌɪn /
adjective
set in
British
verb
-
to become established
the winter has set in
-
(of wind) to blow or (of current) to move towards shore
adjective
set in
Idioms
-
Insert, put in, as in I still have to set in the sleeves and then the sweater will be done . [Late 1300s]
-
Begin to happen or become apparent, as in Darkness was setting in as I left . [c. 1700]
-
Move toward the shore, said of wind or water, as in The tide sets in very quickly here . [Early 1700s]
Etymology
Origin of set-in
First recorded in 1525–35; adj. use of verb phrase set in
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“As a fisher that chases fish, it is really hard to go back to a set-in position just hoping the fish come to you. That’s a real adjustment.”
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 6, 2023
This technique might do the trick on its own, but it also doubles as a pre-treatment for set-in stains on removable cushion covers that need to head to the laundry room.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2022
Max Mara’s oversized camel Teddy Bear Icon wool faux-fur coat has a rich and luxurious vibe with lapels, low set-in sleeves, double-breasted two-button fastening and welt pockets. $3,990.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 29, 2018
Take note: Her knee-covering straight skirts delivered a precise fit, due to the set-in waistband and back center zipper in most styles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2015
The country is full of hopo-hedges, but the animals are harassed, and we never see them. 11th March, 1867..—Detained by a set-in rain.
From The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume I (of 2), 1866-1868 by Waller, Horace
The number that funds America gets set in Tokyo on Thursday night, and you will see it at Friday’s U.S. market open.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The 13 chosen books include novels set in Mexico City, a remote Scottish island, an assissted suicide clinic in Zurich, 1980s Jamaica, and Massachussetts before the 2024 US election.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
But the play, which is set in “The Wings,” a charity home for retired actresses, provides a feast for veteran thespians for whom it would be impolite to ask their age.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
The adaptation of the Tony-award-winning musical blends two ancient Greek myths with themes of love and class struggle, set in the Depression-era world.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
A gale set in on the fifteenth, and winds of more than seventy miles per hour drove them north for six days.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
