set-to
[ set-too ]
/ ˈsɛtˌtu /
noun, plural set-tos.
a usually brief, sharp fight or argument.
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Origin of set-to
First recorded in 1735–45; noun use of verb phrase set to
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
British Dictionary definitions for set-to
set to
verb (intr, adverb)
to begin working
to start fighting
noun set-to
informal a brief disagreement or fight
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
Idioms and Phrases with set-to
set to
Apply oneself, begin, work energetically, as in We set to revamping our policy on child care, or She set to studying for the bar exam. [Early 1400s]
Begin fighting, as in Both of them were furious, and they set to immediately. [First half of 1700s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.