do. — Defs

01 n. An abbreviation of Ditto.

1.
An abbreviation of Ditto. See: Ditto

02 n. A syllable attached to the first tone of the major diatonic scale for the purpose of solmization, or solfeggio. It is the first of the seve…

1.
A syllable attached to the first tone of the major diatonic scale for the purpose of solmization, or solfeggio. It is the first of the seven syllables used by the Italians as manes of musical tones, and replaced, for the sake of euphony, the syllable Ut, applied to the note C. In England and America the same syllables are used by many as a scale pattern, while the tones in respect to absolute pitch are named from the first seven letters of the alphabet.(Mus.)

03 v. t. [or] auxiliary To place; to put.

imp. did; p. p. done; p. pr. & vb. n. Doing

1.
To place; to put.[Obs.]
2.
To cause; to make; -- with an infinitive.[Obs.]
“My lord Abbot of Westminster did do shewe to me late certain evidences.” — W. Caxton.

“I shall . . . your cloister do make.” — Piers Plowman.

“A fatal plague which many did to die.” — Spenser.

“We do you to wit [i. e., We make you to know] of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia.” — 2 Cor. viii. 1.
3.
To bring about; to produce, as an effect or result; to effect; to achieve.
“The neglecting it may do much danger.” — Shak.

“He waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good not harm.” — Shak.
4.
To perform, as an action; to execute; to transact to carry out in action; as, to do a good or a bad act; do our duty; to do what I can.
“Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work.” — Ex. xx. 9.

“We did not do these things.” — Ld. Lytton.

“You can not do wrong without suffering wrong.” — Emerson.
5.
To bring to an end by action; to perform completely; to finish; to accomplish; -- a sense conveyed by the construction, which is that of the past participle done.
6.
To make ready for an object, purpose, or use, as food by cooking; to cook completely or sufficiently; as, the meat is done on one side only.
7.
To put or bring into a form, state, or condition, especially in the phrases, to do death, to put to death; to slay; to do away (often do away with), to put away; to remove; to do on, to put on; to don; to do off, to take off, as dress; to doff; to do into, to put into the form of; to translate or transform into, as a text.
“Done to death by slanderous tongues.” — Shak.

“The ground of the difficulty is done away.” — Paley.

“Suspicions regarding his loyalty were entirely done away.” — Thackeray.

“To do on our own harness, that we may not; but we must do on the armor of God.” — Latimer.

“Then Jason rose and did on him a fair Blue woolen tunic.” — W. Morris (Jason).

“Though the former legal pollution be now done off, yet there is a spiritual contagion in idolatry as much to be shunned.” — Milton.

“It [“Pilgrim's Progress”] has been done into verse: it has been done into modern English.” — Macaulay.
8.
To cheat; to gull; to overreach.[Colloq.]
“He was not be done, at his time of life, by frivolous offers of a compromise that might have secured him seventy-five per cent.” — De Quincey.
9.
To see or inspect; to explore; as, to do all the points of interest.[Colloq.]
10.
To cash or to advance money for, as a bill or note.(Stock Exchange)
11.
To perform work upon, about, for, or at, by way of caring for, looking after, preparing, cleaning, keeping in order, or the like.
“The sergeants seem to do themselves pretty well.” — Harper's Mag.
12.
To deal with for good and all; to finish up; to undo; to ruin; to do for.[Colloq. or Slang]
“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.” — Charles Reade.

“Rarely . . . did the wrongs of individuals to the knowledge of the public.” — Macaulay.

“My brightest hopes giving dark fears a being. As the light does the shadow.” — Longfellow.

Phrases & compounds

To do one's best — to exert one's self; to put forth one's best or most or most diligent efforts.

To do one's business — to ruin one.

To do one shame — to cause one shame.

To do over — To make over; to perform a second time.

To do to death — to put to death.

To do up — To put up; to raise.

To do way — to put away; to lay aside.

To do with — to dispose of; to make use of; to employ; -- usually preceded by what.

To have to do with — to have concern, business or intercourse with; to deal with. When preceded by what, the notion is usually implied that the affair does not concern the person denoted by the subject of have.

04 v. i. To act or behave in any manner; to conduct one's self.

1.
To act or behave in any manner; to conduct one's self.
“They fear not the Lord, neither do they after . . . the law and commandment.” — 2 Kings xvii. 34.
2.
To fare; to be, as regards health; as, they asked him how he did; how do you do to-day?
3.
To succeed; to avail; to answer the purpose; to serve; as, if no better plan can be found, he will make this do.
“You would do well to prefer a bill against all kings and parliaments since the Conquest; and if that won't do; challenge the crown.” — Collier.

“Some folks are happy and easy in mind when their victim is stabbed and done for.” — Thackeray.

05 n. Deed; act; fear.

1.
Deed; act; fear.[Obs.]
2.
Ado; bustle; stir; to do.[R.]
“A great deal of do, and a great deal of trouble.” — Selden.
3.
A cheat; a swindle.[Slang, Eng.]