set-to
noun
a usually brief, sharp fight or argument.
set-to
American
[set-too]
/ ˈsɛtˌtu /
noun
set-tos
plural
set to
British
verb
-
to begin working
-
to start fighting
noun
set to
Idioms
-
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]
Etymology
Origin of set-to
First recorded in 1735–45; noun use of verb phrase set to
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.
Itching for a robust little set-to, they rode around waving the California Republic’s Bear Flag — which by then was a states’ rights symbol.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2024
The three-issue set-to opened in Marvel Mystery Comics No. 8 and is an early example of the Marvel motto “to reflect the world outside your window.”
From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2022
What was most striking about this set-to was how much Warren seemed to be enjoying it.
From The New Yorker • May 17, 2016
Originally scheduled for July 2015, the superhero set-to will now appear on 6 May, 2016.
From BBC • Jan. 19, 2014
"But if you do have a set-to with her?"
From The Spoils of Poynton by James, Henry
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.
