–adverb

1.	in what way or manner; by what means?: How did the accident happen?

2.	to what extent, degree, etc.?: How damaged is the car?

3.	in what state or condition?: How are you?

4.	for what reason; why?: How can you talk such nonsense?

5.	to what effect; with what meaning?: How is one to interpret his action?

6.	what?: How do y 99d ou mean? If they don't have vanilla, how about chocolate?

7.	(used as an intensifier): How seldom I go there!

8.	by what title or name?: How does one address the president?

9.	at what price: How are the new cars going, cheaper than last year's models?

10.	by what amount or in what measure or quantity?: How do you sell these tomatoes?

11.	in what form or shape?: How does the demon appear in the first act of the opera? How does the medication come?

–conjunction

12.	the manner or way in which: He couldn't figure out how to solve the problem.

13.	about the manner, condition, or way in which: I don't care how you leave your desk when you go. Be careful how you act.

14.	in whatever manner or way; however: You can travel how you please.

15.	Informal. that: He told us how he was honest and could be trusted.

–noun

16.	a question concerning the way or manner in which something is done, achieved, etc.: a child's unending whys and hows.

17.	a way or manner of doing something: to consider all the hows and wherefores.

18.	a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter H.

—Idioms

19.	and how! Informal. certainly! you bet!: Am I happy? And how!

20.	Here's how, Informal. (used as a toast).

21.	how come? Informal. how is it that? why?: How come you never visit us anymore?

22.	how so? how does it happen to be so? why?: You haven't any desire to go? How so?

–verb (used with object)

1.	to receive or come to have possession, use, or enjoyment of: to get a birthday present; 3fb to get a pension.

2.	to cause to be in one's possession or succeed in having available for one's use or enjoyment; obtain; acquire: to get a good price after bargaining; to get oil by drilling; to get information.

3.	to go after, take hold of, and bring (something) for one's own or for another's purposes; fetch: Would you get the milk from the refrigerator for me?

4.	to cause or cause to become, to do, to move, etc., as specified; effect: to get one's hair cut; to get a person drunk; to get a fire to burn; to get a dog out of a room.

5.	to communicate or establish communication with ov 3e8 er a distance; reach: You can always get me by telephone.

6.	to hear or hear clearly: I didn't get your last name.

7.	to acquire a mental grasp or command of; learn: to get a lesson.

8.	to capture; seize: Get him before he escapes!

9.	to receive as a punishment or sentence: to get a spanking; to get 20 years in jail.

ed2

10.	to prevail on; influence or persuade: We'll get him to go with us.

11.	to prepare; make ready: to get dinner.

12.	(esp. of animals) to beget.

13.	Informal. to affect emotionally: Her pleas got me.

14.	to hit, strike, or wound: The bullet got him in the leg.

15.	Informal. to kill.

16.	Informal. to take vengeance on: I'll get you yet!

17.	to catch or be afflicted with; come down with or suffer from: He got malaria while living in the tropics. She gets butterflies before every performance.

18.	Informal. to puzzle; irritate; annoy: Their silly remarks get me.

19.	Informal. to understand; comprehend: I don't get the joke. This report may be crystal-clear to a scientist, but I don't get it.

–verb (used without object)

20.	to come to a specified place; arrive; reach: to get home late.

21.	to succeed, become enabled, or be permitted: You get to meet a lot of interesting people.

22.	to become or to cause oneself to become as specified; reach a certain condition: to get angry; to get sick.

23.	(used as an auxiliary verb fol. by a past participle to form the passive): to get married; to get elected; to get hit by a car.

24.	to succeed in coming, going, arriving at, visiting, etc. (usually fol. by away, in, into, out, etc.): I don't get into town very often.

25.	to bear, endure, or survive (usually fol. by through or over): Can he get through another bad winter?

26.	to earn money; gain.

27.	Informal. to leave promptly; scram: He told us to get.

28.	to start or enter upon 875 the action of (fol. by a present participle expressing action): to get moving; Get rolling.

–noun

29.	an offspring or the total of the offspring, esp. of a male animal: the get of a stallion.

30.	a return of a ball, as in tennis, that would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent.

31.	British Slang. a. something earned, as salary, profits, etc.: What's your week's get? b. a child born out of wedlock.

—Verb phrases

32.	get about, a. to move about; be active: He gets about with difficulty since his illness. b. to become known; spread: It was supposed to be a secret, but somehow it got about. c. to be socially active: She's been getting about much more since her family moved to the city. Also, get around.

33.	get across, a. to make or become understandable; communicate: to get a 7f1 lesson across to students. b. to be convincing about; impress upon others: The fire chief got across forcefully the fact that turning in a false alarm is a serious offense.

34.	get ahead, to be successful, as in business or society: She got ahead by sheer determination.

35.	get ahead of, a. to move forward of, as in traveling: The taxi got ahead of her after the light changed. b. to surpass; outdo: He refused to let anyone get ahead of him in business.

36.	get along, a. to go away; leave. b. get on.

37.	get around, a. to circumvent; outwit. b. to ingratiate oneself with (someone) through flattery or cajolery. c. to travel from place to place; circulate: I don't get around much anymore. d. get about.

38.

get at, a. to reach; touch: to stretch in order to get at a top shelf. b. to suggest, hint at, or imply; intimate: What are you getting at? c. to discover; determine: to get at the root of a problem. d. Informal. to influence by surreptitious or illegal means; bribe: The gangsters couldn't get at the mayor.

39.	get away, a. to escape; flee: He tried to get away, but the crowd was too dense. b. to start out; leave: The racehorses got away from the starting gate.

40.	get away with, to perpetrate or accomplish without detection or punishment: Some people lie and cheat and always seem to get away with it.

41.	get by, a. to succeed in going past: to get by a police barricade. b. to manage to exist, survive, continue in business, etc., in spite of difficulties. c. to evade the notice of: He doesn't let much get by him.

42.

get down, a. to bring or come down; descend: The kitten climbed the tree, but then couldn't get down again. b. to concentrate; attend: to get down to the matter at hand. c. to depress; discourage; fatigue: Nothing gets me down so much as a rainy day. d. to swallow: The pill was so large that he couldn't get it down. e. to relax and enjoy oneself completely; be uninhibited in one's enjoyment: getting down with a bunch of old friends.

43.

get in, a. to go into a place; enter: He forgot his key and couldn't get in. b. to arrive; come: They both got in on the same train. c. to become associated with: He got in with a bad crowd. d. to be chosen or accepted, as for office, membership, etc.: As secretary of the club, his friend made sure that he got in. e. to become implicated in: By embezzling money to pay his gambling debts quickly, he was getting in further and further.

44.

get off, a. to escape the consequences of or punishment for one's actions. b. to help (someone) escape punishment: A good lawyer might get you off. c. to begin a journey; leave: He got off on the noon flight. d. to leave (a train, plane, etc.); dismount from (a horse); alight. e. to tell (a joke); express (an opinion): The comedian got off a couple of good ones. f. Informal. to have the effrontery: Where does he get off telling be7 me how to behave? g. Slang: Vulgar. to experience orgasm. h. to experience or cause to experience a high from or as if from a drug. i. to cause to feel pleasure, enthusiasm, or excitement: a new rock group that gets everyone off.

45.	get on or along, a. to make progress; proceed; advance. b. to have sufficient means to manage, survive, or fare. c. to be on good terms; agree: She simply can't get on with her brothers. d. to advance in age: He is getting on in years.

46.

get out, a. to leave (often fol. by of): Get out of here! We had to get out of the bus at San Antonio. b. to become publicly known: We mustn't let this story get out. c. to withdraw or retire (often fol. by of): He decided to get out of the dry goods business. d. to produce or complete: Let's get this work out!

47.	get over, a. to recover from: to get over an illness. b. get across.

48.

get through, a. to succeed, as in meeting, reaching, or contacting by telephone (usually fol. 3e8 by to): I tried to call you last night, but I couldn't get through. b. to complete; finish: How he ever got through college is a mystery. c. to make oneself understood: One simply cannot get through to her.

49.	get to, a. to get in touch or into communication with; contact: It was too late by the time he got to the authorities. b. Informal. to make an impression on; affect: This music really gets to you. c. to begin: When he gets to telling stories about the war, there's no stopping him.

—Idioms

50.	get back, a. to come back; return: When will you get back? b. to recover; regain: He got back his investment with interest. c. to be revenged: She waited for a chance to get back at her accuser.

51.	get even. even 1 (def. 26).

52.	get going, a. to begin; act: They wanted to get going on the construction of the house. b. to increase one's speed; make haste: If we don't get going, we'll never arrive in time.

53.	get it, Informal. a. to be punished or reprimanded: You'll get 6c9 it for breaking that vase! b. to understand or grasp something: This is just between us, get it?

54.	get it off, Slang: Vulgar. to experience orgasm.

55.	get it on, a. Informal. to work or perform with satisfying harmony or energy or develop a strong rapport, as in music: a rock group really getting it on with the audience. b. Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse.

56.	get it up, Slang: Vulgar, to achieve an erection of the penis.

57.	get off on, Slang. to become enthusiastic about or excited by: After years o fdd f indifference, she's getting off on baseball.

58.	get round. get around.

59.	get the lead out. lead 2 (def. 15).

60.	get there, to reach one's goal; succeed: He wanted to be a millionaire but he died before he got there.

61.	get together, a. to accumulate; gather: to get together a portfolio of 20 stocks. b. to congregate; meet: The alumnae chapter gets together twice a year. c. to come to an accord; agree: They simply couldn't get together on matters of policy.

62.

get up, a. to sit up or stand; arise. b. to rise from bed. c. to ascend or mount. d. to prepare; arrange; organize: to get up an exhibit. e. to draw upon; marshal; rouse: to get up one's courage. f. to acquire a knowledge of. g. (to a horse) go! go ahead! go faster! h. to dress, as in a costume or disguise: She got herself up as an astronaut. i. to produce in a specified style, as a book: It was got up in brown leather with gold endpapers.

63.	has or have got, a. to possess or own; have: She's got a new car. Have you got the tickets? b. must (fol. by an infinitive): He's got to get to a doctor right away. c. to suffer from: Have you got a cold?