Definition of "do"

do¹

/duː/

verb
third-person singular simple present does, present participle doing, simple past did, past participle done
1. (auxiliary) A syntactic marker.
  1. (auxiliary) A syntactic marker in a question whose main verb is not another auxiliary verb or be.
  2. (auxiliary) A syntactic marker in negations with the indicative and imperative moods.
    Quotations
    “Well,” I answered, at first with uncertainty, then with inspiration, “he would do splendidly to lead your cotillon, if you think of having one.” ¶ “So you do not dance, Mr. Crocker?” ¶ I was somewhat set back by her perspicuity.
    1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., page 51
  3. (auxiliary) A syntactic marker for emphasis with the indicative, imperative, and subjunctive moods.
    Quotations
    “I don't know how you and the ‘head,’ as you call him, will get on, but I do know that if you call my duds a ‘livery’ again there'll be trouble. It's bad enough to go around togged out like a life saver on a drill day, but I can stand that 'cause I'm paid for it. […] ”
    1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 7, in Mr. Pratt's Patients
    "Do stop it," said Susan; "it won't make things any better having a row between you two. Let's go and find Lucy."
    1950, C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
  4. (pro-verb) A syntactic marker that refers back to an earlier verb and allows the speaker to avoid repeating the verb; in most dialects, not used with auxiliaries such as be, though it can be in AAVE.
    Quotations
    Don't be a naughty baby,Come to papa, come to papa, do!My sweet embraceable you.
    1930, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Embraceable You
2. (transitive) To perform; to execute.
  Quotations
  The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing", […] and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.
  2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 48
3. (obsolete, transitive) To cause, make (someone) (do something).
  Quotations
  And also my lorde abbot of westmynster ded do shewe to me late, certayn euydences wryton in olde englysshe […](please add an English translation of this quotation)
  1490, William Caxton, “Prologue”, in Eneydos (in Middle English); republished as Caxton's Eneydos, London: Early English Text Society, 1890, page 2
  Sometimes to do him laugh, ſhe would aſſay / To laugh at ſhaking off the leaues light, / Or to behold the water worke […]
  1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, stanza 7, page 258
  Emongſt the reſt a wicked maladie / Raign’d emongſt men, that manie did to die, […]
  1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Prosopopoia. Or Mother Hubberds Tale.”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […]
  MOreouer, brethren, wee do you to wit [i.e. we make you to know] of the grace of God beſtowed on the Churches of Macedonia, […]
  1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], 2 Corinthians 8:1, column 1
4. (intransitive, transitive) To suffice.
  Quotations
  “Well,” I answered, at first with uncertainty, then with inspiration, “he would do splendidly to lead your cotillon, if you think of having one.” ¶ “So you do not dance, Mr. Crocker?” ¶ I was somewhat set back by her perspicuity.
  1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., page 51
  "Here," she said, "take your old Bunny! He'll do to sleep with you!" And she dragged the Rabbit out by one ear, and put him into the Boy's arms.
  1922, Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit
5. (intransitive) To be reasonable or acceptable.
6. (ditransitive) To have (as an effect).
7. (intransitive) To fare, perform (well or poorly).
  Quotations
  Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.
  2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845
  1. (especially England, intransitive) To fare well; to thrive; to prosper; (of livestock) to fatten.
    Quotations
    A big framed beast takes a lot of food — expensive food at that [—] to keep it doing […]
    1908 September 21, “The fattening beast”, in Mark Lane Express Agricultural Journal‎, page 340
    That farm would go like a rick a-fire. It would do: it would go forward and prosper and make him his money.
    1971, George Ewart Evans, quoting ploughman Charles Last (born 1878), Tools of Their Trades: An Oral History of Men at Work c. 1900‎, Taplinger Publishing Company, page 68
8. (transitive, chiefly in questions) To have as one's job.
9. To perform the tasks or actions associated with (something).
10. To cook.
  Quotations
  It seemed, from his account, that he was very good at doing scrambled eggs.
  1889, Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat […] ‎
  We went down below, and the galley-slave did some ham and eggs, and the first lieutenant, who was aged 19, told me about Sicily, and time went like a flash.
  1944, “News from the Suburbs”, in Punch‎
  Next morning, they woke about ten o'clock, Kev, went for a shower while Alice, did some toast, put the kettle on, and when he came out, she went in.
  2005, Alan Tansley, The Grease Monkey, page 99
11. (transitive) To travel in, to tour, to make a circuit of.
  Quotations
  We 'did' London to our hearts' content,—thanks to Fred and Frank,—and were sorry to go away; […]
  1869, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, “Our Foreign Correspondent”, in Little Women: […], part second, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, page 115
  After doing Paris and its suburbs, I started for London […]
  1892, James Batchelder, Multum in Parvo: Notes from the Life and Travels of James Batchelder‎, page 97
  No tourist can get credit for seeing America first without doing New York, the Wonderful Town, the Baghdad-on-Hudson, the dream in the eye of the Kansas hooker […]
  1968 July 22, Ralph Schoenstein, “Nice Place to Visit”, in New York Magazine‎, page 28
12. (transitive) To treat in a certain way.
  Quotations
  They did me well, I assure you—uncommon well: Bollinger of '84; green chartreuse fit for a prince; […]
  1894, Harper's New Monthly Magazine‎, volume 87, page 59, column 1
  Upon my word, although he [my host] certainly did me uncommonly well, I began to feel I'd be more at ease among the bushmen.
  1928, Dorothy L[eigh] Sayers, “The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers”, in Lord Peter Views the Body
  "Why you gonna do me like that?" I ask. "Do what?" "Dog me."
  1994, Jervey Tervalon, Understand This‎, page 50
13. (transitive) To work for or on, by way of caring for, looking after, preparing, cleaning, keeping in order, etc.
  Quotations
  The woman-who-did did not do very well, Juliet thought.
  2018, Kate Atkinson, Transcription, page 291
14. (intransitive, obsolete) To act or behave in a certain manner; to conduct oneself.
  Quotations
  Vnto this day they doe after the former manners: they feare not the Lord, neither doe they after their Statutes, or after their Ordinances, or after the Law and Commaundement which the Lord commaunded the children of Iacob, whom hee named Iſrael, […]
  1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], 2 Kings 17:34, column 2
15. (transitive) To spend (time) in jail. (See also do time)
16. (transitive) To impersonate or depict.
17. (with 'a' and the name of a person, place, event, etc.) To copy or emulate the actions or behaviour that is associated with the person or thing mentioned.
18. (transitive, slang) To kill.
  Quotations
  Case pulled the .22 out of his pocket and levelled it at Wage's crotch. “I hear you wanna do me.”
  1984, William Gibson, Neuromancer (Sprawl; book 1), New York, N.Y.: Ace Books, page 22
  About a year ago, a boy name Brandon got got here in Baltimore. Stuck and burned before he passed. […] Wasn't no need for y'all to do him the way y'all did.
  2003 August 17, George Pelecanos, “Bad Dreams” (43:27 from the start), in The Wire, season 2, episode 11 (television production), spoken by Omar Little (Michael K. Williams), via HBO
  He's gonna do me, Jarvis. I kid you not, this time he's gonna do me proper.
  2004, Patrick Stevens, Politics Is the Greatest Game: A Johannesburg Liberal Lampoon‎, page 314
  The order came and I did him right there. The bullet went right where it was supposed to go.
  2007, E.J. Churchill, The Lazarus Code, page 153
19. (transitive, slang) To deal with for good and all; to finish up; to undo; to ruin; to do for.
  Quotations
  Sometimes they lie in wait in these dark streets, and fracture his skull, […] or break his arm, or cut the sinew of his wrist; and that they call doing him.
  1870, Charles Reade, Put Yourself in His Place
20. (informal) To punish for a misdemeanor.
21. (transitive, slang) To have sex with. (See also do it)
  Quotations
  Deme. Villaine what haſt thou done?A. That which thou canſt not vndoe.Chiron. Thou haſt vndone our mother.Aron. Villaine I haue done thy mother.
  c. 1588–1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, […], published 1594, [Act IV, scene ii]
  […] one day I did her on the kitchen table, and several times on the dining-room table.
  1996, James Russell Kincaid, My Secret Life, page 81
  The uninhibited woman within wanted to do him right there on the countertop, but I remained composed.
  2008, On the Line, Donna Hill‎, page 84
22. (transitive) To cheat or swindle.
  Quotations
  He was not to be done, at his time of life, by frivolous offers of a compromise that might have secured him seventy-five per cent.
  1852, Thomas De Quincey, Sir William Hamilton
23. (transitive) To convert into a certain form; especially, to translate.
24. (transitive, intransitive) To finish.
25. (archaic, dialectal, transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the present progressive of verbs.
  Quotations
  ...An' the dogs do bark, an' the rooks be a-vled to the elems high and dark, an' the water do roar at mill.
  1844, William Barnes, “Evenén in the Village”, in Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect
26. (stock exchange) To cash or to advance money for, as a bill or note.
27. (informal, transitive, ditransitive) To make or provide.
28. (informal, transitive) To injure (one's own body part).
  Quotations
  "Defender Kolo Toure admitted Given will be a loss, but gave his backing to Nielsen. 'I think he's done his shoulder,' said the Ivorian."
  2010 April 24, “Given stretchered off with suspected broken shoulder”, in The Irish Times‎, retrieved 2015-07-21
  "Watto will spend the entire winter stretching and doing Pilates, and do a hamstring after bending down to pick up his petrol cap after dropping it filling his car at Caltex Cronulla."
  2014 April 14, Matt Cleary, “What do Australia's cricketers do on holiday?”, in ESPNcricinfo‎, retrieved 2015-07-21
  "'I knew straight away I'd done my ACL, I heard the sound - it was very loud and a few of the boys said they heard it as well,' Otten said."
  2014 August 13, Harry Thring, “I knew straight away I'd done my ACL: Otten”, in AFL.com.au‎, retrieved 2015-07-21
29. (transitive) To take drugs.
30. (transitive, in the form be doing [somewhere]) To exist with a purpose or for a reason.
noun
plural dos or do's or (uncommon) doos
1. (UK, informal) A party, celebration, social function; usually of moderate size and formality.
  Quotations
  She was into French cuisine but I ain't no Cordon Bleu / This was at some do in Palmers Green, I had no luck with her
  1980, Jona Lewie, Keef Trouble (lyrics and music), “You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties”, performed by Jona Lewie
  […] ; this aside, though, neon forever the moniker of trash, this is a posh do, in an opera house full of folk in tuxes.
  2013 September 13, Russell Brand, “Russell Brand and the GQ awards”, in The Guardian‎
2. (informal) Clipping of hairdo.
  Quotations
  I like the new do.
  2012, Hannah Richell, The Secrets of the Tides, page 464
3. (chiefly fossilized) Something that can or should be done.
  Quotations
  With the coming of Monday arrived a new life for David—a curious life full of "don'ts" and "dos."
  1916, Eleanor H. Porter, chapter VIII, in Just David‎
4. (chiefly obsolete, fossilized in the UK) Something that has been done.
5. (archaic) Ado; bustle; stir; to-do; A period of confusion or argument.
  Quotations
  A great deal of do, and a great deal of trouble.
  1689, John Selden, Table Talk
6. (obsolete, UK, slang) A cheat; a swindler.
7. (obsolete, UK, slang) An act of swindling; a fraud or deception.
8. (UK, slang) A homicide.
  Quotations
  Get it done, no not properlyThem man thought that they got meTrue, I came back like a fucking zombieAttempted do with the chingHave an opp boy say “please don’t chong me!”
  2020 December 4, “No fibs” (from 1:35 of the track, 18:51 of the whole mixtape), in (Zone 2) Karma × Trizzac (lyrics), Demented

do²

/dəʊ/

noun
plural dos
1. (music) A syllable used in solfège to represent the first and eighth tonic of a major scale.

do³

adverb
not comparable
1. (archaic) Abbreviation of ditto.

Definition of "do"

do1

verb

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noun

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do2

noun

do3

adverb

do¹

do²

do³