settle1
- to appoint, fix, or resolve definitely and conclusively; agree upon (as time, price, or conditions).
- to place in a desired state or in order: to settle one's affairs.
- to pay, as a bill.
- to close (an account) by payment.
- to migrate to and organize (an area, territory, etc.); colonize: The pilgrims settled Plymouth.
- to cause to take up residence: They settled immigrants in urban areas.
- to furnish (a place) with inhabitants or settlers: The French settled this colony with army veterans.
- to quiet, calm, or bring to rest (the nerves, stomach, etc.).
- to stop from annoying or opposing: A sharp word will settle that youngster.
- to conclude or resolve: to settle a dispute.
- to make stable; place in a permanent position or on a permanent basis.
- to cause (a liquid) to become clear by depositing dregs.
- to cause (dregs, sediment, etc.) to sink or be deposited.
- to cause to sink down gradually; make firm or compact.
- to dispose of finally; close up: to settle an estate.
- Law.
- to secure (property, title, etc.) on or to a person by formal or legal process.
- to terminate (legal proceedings) by mutual consent of the parties.
- to decide, arrange, or agree (often followed by on or upon): to settle on a plan of action.
- to arrange matters in dispute; come to an agreement: to settle with a person.
- to pay a bill; make a financial arrangement (often followed by up).
- to take up residence in a new country or place: Many Frenchmen settled along the Mississippi River following La Salle's explorations.
- to come to rest, as from flight: A bird settled on a bough.
- to gather, collect, or become fixed in a particular place, direction, etc.: A cold settled in my head.
- to become calm or composed (often followed by down): I'll wait until the class settles before starting the lesson.
- to come to rest (often followed by down): We settled down for the night at an old country inn.
- to sink down gradually; subside.
- to become clear by the sinking of suspended particles, as a liquid.
- to sink to the bottom, as sediment.
- to become firm or compact, as the ground.
- (of a female animal) to become pregnant; conceive.
- settle down,
- to become established in some routine, especially upon marrying, after a period of independence or indecision.
- to become calm or quiet.
- to apply oneself to serious work: There were so many distractions that we weren't able to settle down to studying.
- settle for, to be satisfied with: to settle for less.
- settle into, to become established in: to settle into a new routine.
Origin of settle1
Synonyms
See more synonyms for settle on Thesaurus.comsettle down
- (also tr) to make or become quiet and orderly
- (often foll by to) to apply oneself diligentlyplease settle down to work
- to adopt an orderly and routine way of life, take up a permanent post, etc, esp after marriage
settle1
- (tr) to put in order; arrange in a desired state or conditionhe settled his affairs before he died
- to arrange or be arranged in a fixed or comfortable positionhe settled himself by the fire
- (intr) to come to rest or a halta bird settled on the hedge
- to take up or cause to take up residencethe family settled in the country
- to establish or become established in a way of life, job, residence, etc
- (tr) to migrate to and form a community; colonize
- to make or become quiet, calm, or stable
- (intr) to be cast or spread; come downfog settled over a wide area
- to make (a liquid) clear or (of a liquid) to become clear; clarify
- to cause (sediment) to sink to the bottom, as in a liquid, or (of sediment) to sink thus
- to subside or cause to subside and become firm or compactthe dust settled
- (sometimes foll by up) to pay off or account for (a bill, debt, etc)
- (tr) to decide, conclude, or dispose ofto settle an argument
- (intr; often foll by on or upon) to agree or fixto settle upon a plan
- (tr; usually foll by on or upon) to secure (title, property, etc) to a person, as by making a deed of settlement, will, etche settled his property on his wife
- to determine (a legal dispute, etc) by agreement of the parties without resort to court action (esp in the phrase settle out of court)
Word Origin
settle2
- a seat, for two or more people, usually made of wood with a high back and arms, and sometimes having a storage space in the boxlike seat
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for settle down
settle
v.
"come to rest," Old English setlan "cause to sit, place, put," from setl "a seat" (see settle (n.)). Related: Settling. Cf. German siedeln "to settle, colonize."
From c.1300 of birds, etc., "to alight." From early 14c. as "sink down, descend; cave in." Early 15c. in reference to suspended particles in a liquid. Sense of "establish a permanent residence" first recorded 1620s; that of "decide" is 1620s. Meaning "secure title to by deed" is from 1660s.
Meaning "reconcile" (a quarrel, differences, etc.) perhaps is influenced by Middle English sahtlen "to reconcile," from Old English saht "reconciliation," from Old Norse satt "reconciliation." To settle down "become content" is from 1853; transitive sense from 1520s; as what married couples do in establishing domesticity, from 1718. To settle for "content oneself with" is from 1943.
settle
n.
"long bench," 1550s, from Middle English setle "a seat," from Old English setl "a seat, stall; position, abode; setting of a heavenly body," related to sittan "to sit," from Proto-Germanic *setla- (cf. Middle Low German, Middle Dutch setel, Dutch zetel, German Sessel, Gothic sitls), from PIE *sedla- (cf. Latin sella "seat, chair," Old Church Slavonic sedlo "saddle," Old English sadol "saddle"), from root *sed- (1) "to sit" (see sedentary).
Idioms and Phrases with settle down
settle down
1
Begin living a stable, orderly life; also, marry. For example, After traveling all over the world for years, he decided to settle down in his home town, or Her parents wished she would settle down and raise a family. [Early 1600s]
2
Become calm, less nervous, or less restless, as in Come on, children, it's time to settle down. [Mid-1800s]
3
Apply oneself seriously, as in If you don't settle down to your homework, you'll never get it done. [First half of 1800s]