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Webster 1913 Edition

Settle

Set′tle

,
Noun.
[OE.
setel
,
setil
, a seat, AS.
setl
: akin to OHG.
sezzal
, G.
sessel
, Goth.
sitls
, and E.
sit
. √154. See
Sit
.]
1.
A seat of any kind.
[Obs.]
“Upon the settle of his majesty”
Hampole.
2.
A bench; especially, a bench with a high back.
3.
A place made lower than the rest; a wide step or platform lower than some other part.
And from the bottom upon the ground, even to the lower
settle
, shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit.
Ezek. xliii. 14.
Settle bed
,
a bed convertible into a seat.
[Eng.]

Set′tle

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Settled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Settling
.]
[OE.
setlen
, AS.
setlan
. √154. See
Settle
,
Noun.
In senses 7, 8, and 9 perhaps confused with OE.
sahtlen
to reconcile, AS.
sahtlian
, fr.
saht
reconciliation,
sacon
to contend, dispute. Cf.
Sake
.]
1.
To place in a fixed or permanent condition; to make firm, steady, or stable; to establish; to fix; esp., to establish in life; to fix in business, in a home, or the like.
And he
settled
his countenance steadfastly upon him, until he was ashamed.
2 Kings viii. 11. (Rev. Ver.)
The father thought the time drew on
Of
setting
in the world his only son.
Dryden.
2.
To establish in the pastoral office; to ordain or install as pastor or rector of a church, society, or parish;
as, to
settle
a minister
.
[U. S.]
3.
To cause to be no longer in a disturbed condition; to render quiet; to still; to calm; to compose.
God
settled
then the huge whale-bearing lake.
Chapman.
Hoping that sleep might
settle
his brains.
Bunyan.
4.
To clear of dregs and impurities by causing them to sink; to render pure or clear; – said of a liquid;
as, to
settle
coffee, or the grounds of coffee
.
5.
To restore or bring to a smooth, dry, or passable condition; – said of the ground, of roads, and the like;
as, clear weather
settles
the roads
.
6.
To cause to sink; to lower; to depress; hence, also, to render close or compact;
as, to
settle
the contents of a barrel or bag by shaking it
.
7.
To determine, as something which is exposed to doubt or question; to free from unscertainty or wavering; to make sure, firm, or constant; to establish; to compose; to quiet;
as, to
settle
the mind when agitated; to
settle
questions of law; to
settle
the succession to a throne; to
settle
an allowance
.
It will
settle
the wavering, and confirm the doubtful.
Swift.
8.
To adjust, as something in discussion; to make up; to compose; to pacify;
as, to
settle
a quarrel
.
9.
To adjust, as accounts; to liquidate; to balance;
as, to
settle
an account
.
10.
Hence, to pay;
as, to
settle
a bill
.
[Colloq.]
Abbott.
11.
To plant with inhabitants; to colonize; to people;
as, the French first
settled
Canada; the Puritans
settled
New England; Plymouth was
settled
in 1620.
To settle on
or
To settle upon
,
(a)
to confer upon by permanent grant; to assure to.
“I . . . have settled upon him a good annuity.”
Addison.
(b)
to choose; to decide on; – sometimes with the implication that the choice is not ideal, but the best available.
–
To settle the land
(Naut.)
,
to cause it to sink, or appear lower, by receding from it.
Syn. – To fix; establish; regulate; arrange; compose; adjust; determine; decide.

Set′tle

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To become fixed or permanent; to become stationary; to establish one’s self or itself; to assume a lasting form, condition, direction, or the like, in place of a temporary or changing state.
The wind came about and
settled
in the west.
Bacon.
Chyle . . . runs through all the intermediate colors until it
settles
in an intense red.
Arbuthnot.
2.
To fix one's residence; to establish a dwelling place or home;
as, the Saxons who
settled
in Britain
.
3.
To enter into the married state, or the state of a householder.
As people marry now and
settle
.
Prior.
4.
To be established in an employment or profession;
as, to
settle
in the practice of law
.
5.
To become firm, dry, and hard, as the ground after the effects of rain or frost have disappeared;
as, the roads
settled
late in the spring
.
6.
To become clear after being turbid or obscure; to clarify by depositing matter held in suspension;
as, the weather
settled
; wine
settles
by standing
.
A government, on such occasions, is always thick before it
settles
.
Addison.
7.
To sink to the bottom; to fall to the bottom, as dregs of a liquid, or the sediment of a reserveir.
8.
To sink gradually to a lower level; to subside, as the foundation of a house, etc.
9.
To become calm; to cease from agitation.
Till the fury of his highness
settle
,
Come not before him.
Shakespeare
10.
To adjust differences or accounts; to come to an agreement;
as, he has
settled
with his creditors
.
11.
To make a jointure for a wife.
He sighs with most success that
settles
well.
Garth.

Webster 1828 Edition

Settle

SET'TLE

,
Noun.
[L. sedile. See Set.] A seat or bench; something to sit on.

SET'TLE

,
Verb.
T.
[from set.]
1. To place in a permanent condition after wandering or fluctuation.
I will settle you after your old estates. Ezek. 36.
2. To fix; to establish; to make permanent in any place.
I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom forever. 1 Chron. 17.
3. To establish in business or way of life; as, to settle a son in trade.
4. To marry; as, to settle a doughter.
5. To establish; to confirm.
Her will alone could settle or revoke. Prior.
6. To determine what is uncertain; to establish; to free from doubt; as, to settle questions or points of law. The supreme court have settled the question.
7. To fix; to establish; to make certain or permanent; as, to settle the succession to the thron in a particular family. So we speak of settled habits and settled opinions.
8. To fix or establish; not to suffer to doubt or waver.
It will settle teh wavering and confirm the doubtful. Swift.
9. To make close or compact.
Cover ant-hills up that the rain may settle the turf before the spring.

Definition 2024

Settle

Settle

See also: settle

English

Proper noun

Settle

  1. a town in North Yorkshire, England.

settle

settle

See also: Settle

English

Verb

settle ‎(third-person singular simple present settles, present participle settling, simple past and past participle settled)

  1. (transitive) To place in a fixed or permanent condition; to make firm, steady, or stable; to establish; to fix; especially, to establish in life; to fix in business, in a home etc.
    • And he settled his countenance steadfastly upon him,until he was ashamed. --2 Kings VIII. 11. (Rev. Ver.)
    • 1700, Ovid, Metamorphoses, translation of original by John Dryden:
      The father thought the time drew on Of settling in the world his only son.
  2. (transitive, obsolete, US) To establish in the pastoral office; to ordain or install as pastor or rector of a church, society, or parish.
    to settle a minister‎
  3. (transitive) To cause to be no longer in a disturbed condition; to quieten; to still; to calm; to compose.
  4. (transitive) To clear or purify (a liquid) of dregs and impurities by causing them to sink.
    to settle coffee, or the grounds of coffee‎
  5. (transitive) To restore (ground, roads etc.) or bring to a smooth, dry, or passable condition.
    clear weather settles the roads‎
  6. (transitive) To cause to sink; to lower.
    to settle the contents of a barrel or bag by shaking it‎
  7. (transitive) To determine, as something which is exposed to doubt or question; to free from uncertainty.
    • Jonathan Swift
      It will settle the wavering, and confirm the doubtful.
    to settle the mind when agitated;  to settle questions of law;  to settle the succession to a throne;  to settle an allowance‎
  8. (transitive) To pacify (a discussion, quarrel).
    to settle a quarrel‎
  9. (transitive, archaic) To adjust (accounts); to liquidate; to balance.
    to settle an account‎
  10. (transitive, colloquial) To pay.
    • to settle a bill
  11. (transitive) To colonize; to move people to (a land or territory).
    the French first settled Canada;  the Puritans settled New England;  Plymouth was settled in 1620.‎
  12. (intransitive) To become fixed, permanent or stationary; to establish one's self or itself.
    • Francis Bacon
      The wind came about and settled in the west.
    • John Arbuthnot
      Chyle […] runs through all the intermediate colors until it settles in an intense red.
  13. (intransitive) To fix one's residence; to establish a dwelling place or home.
    the Saxons who settled in Britain‎
  14. (intransitive) To become married, or a householder.
  15. (intransitive) To be established in a profession or in employment.
    to settle in the practice of law‎
  16. (intransitive) To become firm, dry, and hard, like the ground after the effects of rain or frost have disappeared.
    the roads settled late in the spring.‎
  17. (intransitive) To become clear after being unclear or vague.
    • Joseph Addison
      A government, on such occasions, is always thick before it settles.
    the weather settled;  wine settles by standing‎
  18. (intransitive) To sink to the bottom of a body of liquid, for example dregs of a liquid, or the sediment of a reservoir.
  19. (intransitive) To sink gradually to a lower level; to subside, for example the foundation of a house, etc.
  20. (intransitive) To become calm; to stop being agitated.
  21. (intransitive) To adjust differences or accounts; to come to an agreement.
    He has settled with his creditors.‎
  22. (intransitive, obsolete) To make a jointure for a wife.
    • Samuel Garth
      He sighs with most success that settles well.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

settle ‎(plural settles)

  1. (archaic) A seat of any kind.
    • Hampole
      upon the settle of his majesty
  2. A long bench, often with a high back and arms, with storage space underneath for linen.
  3. (obsolete) A place made lower than the rest; a wide step or platform lower than some other part.
    • Bible, Ezekiel xliii. 14
      And from the bottom upon the ground, even to the lower settle, shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit.

Quotations

  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:settle.

Etymology

From Middle English settle, setle, setel, setil, seotel, from Old English setl ‎(“that upon which one sits, a seat, a settle, a place to sit”), from Proto-Germanic *setlaz ‎(“a seat; arm-chair”), representing Proto-Indo-European *sed-lo-, from *sed- ‎(“sit”). Cognate with Dutch zetel, German Sessel, Latin sella.

For the verb, compare Dutch zetelen ‎(“to be established, settle”).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: sĕtʹəl, IPA(key): /ˈsɛtəl/
  • Rhymes: -ɛtəl

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