put

The word “put” means to move something into a particular place or position. In plain terms, one of the most basic English verbs, meaning to place, position, or express something.

“Put” is pronounced puut (/pʊt/ in IPA).

Here is “put” used in a sentence: “Put the keys on the table when you come in.”

Depending on how it is used, “put” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “put” comes from Old English. From Old English roots meaning "to push" or "to thrust" — the sense of physically placing something came later.

“Put” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Put” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to move something into a particular place or position.

'Put' means to move something into a place or position, and is one of the most common English verbs. 'Putt' is a golf term: to hit the ball gently on the green toward the hole. They sound different too — 'put' rhymes with 'foot,' while 'putt' rhymes with 'cut.'

Both mean to set something somewhere, and often swap freely. 'Place' is a little more formal and suggests care or precision, as in placing a vase just so. 'Put' is the everyday, all-purpose word and can be more casual. You put keys down; you place a trophy on display.

'Put' is irregular and does not change: the past tense and past participle are both simply 'put.' You say 'I put it there yesterday,' not 'putted.' Only the golf verb 'putt' adds an ending, becoming 'putted.' This makes 'put' one of several verbs that stay the same across tenses.

'Put the milk in the fridge,' 'She put her bag on the chair,' and 'He put his hand up' all show the core meaning. 'Put' also appears in countless phrases, such as 'put off' (delay), 'put up with' (tolerate), and 'put together' (assemble).