What does settle mean?
Definitions for settle
ˈsɛt lset·tle
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word settle.
Princeton's WordNet
settle, setteeverb
a long wooden bench with a back
settle, settle downverb
settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground
"dust settled on the roofs"
decide, settle, resolve, adjudicateverb
bring to an end; settle conclusively
"The case was decided"; "The judge decided the case in favor of the plaintiff"; "The father adjudicated when the sons were quarreling over their inheritance"
settle, square off, square up, determineverb
settle conclusively; come to terms
"We finally settled the argument"
settle, locateverb
take up residence and become established
"The immigrants settled in the Midwest"
reconcile, patch up, make up, conciliate, settleverb
come to terms
"After some discussion we finally made up"
sink, settle, go down, go underverb
go under, "The raft sank and its occupants drowned"
settle, root, take root, steady down, settle downverb
become settled or established and stable in one's residence or life style
"He finally settled down"
settleverb
become resolved, fixed, established, or quiet
"The roar settled to a thunder"; "The wind settled in the West"; "it is settling to rain"; "A cough settled in her chest"; "Her mood settled into lethargy"
settleverb
establish or develop as a residence
"He settled the farm 200 years ago"; "This land was settled by Germans"
settleverb
come to rest
settleverb
arrange or fix in the desired order
"She settled the teacart"
settleverb
accept despite lack of complete satisfaction
"We settled for a lower price"
settleverb
end a legal dispute by arriving at a settlement
"The two parties finally settled"
settleverb
dispose of; make a financial settlement
settleverb
become clear by the sinking of particles
"the liquid gradually settled"
settleverb
cause to become clear by forming a sediment (of liquids)
subside, settleverb
sink down or precipitate
"the mud subsides when the waters become calm"
ensconce, settleverb
fix firmly
"He ensconced himself in the chair"
settle, get backverb
get one's revenge for a wrong or an injury
"I finally settled with my old enemy"
finalize, finalise, settle, nail downverb
make final; put the last touches on; put into final form
"let's finalize the proposal"
settleverb
form a community
"The Swedes settled in Minnesota"
fall, descend, settleverb
come as if by falling
"Night fell"; "Silence fell"
Wiktionary
settlenoun
A seat of any kind.
settlenoun
A long bench, often with a high back and arms, with storage space underneath for linen.
settlenoun
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.
settleverb
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.
settleverb
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.
settleverb
To cause to be no longer in a disturbed condition; to render quiet; to still; to calm; to compose.
settleverb
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.
settleverb
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.
settleverb
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.
settleverb
To determine, as something which is exposed to doubt or question; to free from uncertainty 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.
settleverb
To adjust, as something in discussion; to make up; to compose; to pacify; as, to settle a quarrel.
settleverb
To adjust, as accounts; to liquidate; to balance; as, to settle an account.
settleverb
To pay; as, to settle a bill. --Abbott.
settleverb
To plant with inhabitants; to colonize; to people; as, the French first settled Canada; the Puritans settled New England; Plymouth was settled in 1620.
settleverb
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.
settleverb
To fix one's residence; to establish a dwelling place or home; as, the Saxons who settled in Britain.
settleverb
To enter into the married state, or the state of a householder.
settleverb
To be established in an employment or profession; as, to settle in the practice of law.
settleverb
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.
settleverb
To become clear after being turbid or obscure; to clarify by depositing matter held in suspension; as, the weather settled; wine settles by standing.
settleverb
To sink to the bottom; to fall to the bottom, as dregs of a liquid, or the sediment of a reservoir.
settleverb
To sink gradually to a lower level; to subside, as the foundation of a house, etc.
settleverb
To become calm; to cease from agitation.
settleverb
To adjust differences or accounts; to come to an agreement; as, he has settled with his creditors.
settleverb
To make a jointure for a wife.
Etymology: From Old English setl, from *setla-, representing sed-lo-, from. Cognate with German Sessel, Dutch zetel; and with Greek ἑλλά, Latin sedo, Russian седло. The verb (Old English setlan) developed from the noun.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
SETTLEnoun
A seat; a bench; something to sit on.
Etymology: setol , Sax.
From the bottom to the lower settle shall be two cubits. Ezek. xliii. 14.
The man, their hearty welcome first exprest,
A common settle drew for either guest,
Inviting each his weary limbs to rest. Dryden.To Settleverb
Etymology: from the noun.
I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings. Ezek. xxxvi. 11.
In hope to find
Better abode, and my afflicted powers
To settle here. John Milton.The father thought the time drew on
Of settling in the world his only son. Dryden.Settl’d in his face I see
Sad resolution. John Milton.Justice submitted to what Abra pleas’d:
Her will alone could settle or revoke,
And law was fix’d by what she latest spoke. Matthew Prior.This exactness will be judged troublesome, and therefore most men will think they may be excused from settling the complex ideas of mixed modes so precisely in their minds. John Locke.
Medals give a very great light to history, in confirming such passages as are true in old authors, and settling such as are told after different manners. Addison.
His banish’d gods restor’d to rites divine,
And settl’d sure succession in his line. John Dryden, Æn.If you will not take some care to settle our language, and put it into a state of continuance, your memory shall not be preserved above an hundred years, further than by imperfect tradition. Jonathan Swift.
This, by a settled habit in things, whereof we have frequent experience, is performed so quick, that we take that for the perception of our sensation which is an idea formed by our judgment. John Locke.
A pamphlet that talks of slavery, France, and the pretender; they desire no more: it will settle the wavering, and confirm the doubtful. Jonathan Swift.
Cover ant-hills up, that the rain may settle the turf before the Spring. John Mortimer, Husbandry.
I have given him the parsonage of the parish, and, because I know his value, have settled upon him a good annuity for life. Joseph Addison, Spectator.
Exalt your passion by directing and settling it upon an object, the due contemplation of whose loveliness may cure perfectly all hurts received from mortal beauty. Boyle.
So do the winds and thunders cleanse the air;
So working seas settle and purge the wine. Davies.When thou art settling thyself to thy devotions, imagine thou hearest thy Saviour calling to thee, as he did to Martha, Why art thou so careful? Brian Duppa.
To Settleverb
This is mere moral babble, and direct
Against the canon laws of our foundation:
I must not suffer this; yet ’tis the lees
And settlings of a melancholy blood. John Milton.Your fury then boil’d upward to a foam;
But since this message came, you sink and settle,
As if cold water had been pour’d upon you. Dryden.A government, upon such occasions, is always thick before it settles. Joseph Addison, Freeholder.
The Spinetæ, descended from the Pelesgi, settled at the mouth of the river Po. Arbuthnot.
As people marry now, and settle,
Fierce love abates his usual mettle;
Worldly desires, and houshold cares,
Disturb the godhead’s soft affairs. Matthew Prior.The wind came about and settled in the West, so as we could make no way. Francis Bacon.
That country became a gained ground by the mud brought down by the Nilus, which settled by degrees into a firm land. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours.
According to laws established by the divine wisdom, it was wrought by degrees from one form into another, ’till it settled at length into an habitable earth. Burnet.
Chyle, before it circulates with the blood, is whitish: by the force of circulation it runs through all the intermediate colours, ’till it settles in an intense red. Arbuthnot.
When time hath worn out their natural vanity, and taught them discretion, their fondness settles on its proper object. Spect.
Warm’d in the brain the brazen weapon lies,
And shades eternal settle o’er his eyes. Alexander Pope.’Till the fury of his highness settle,
Come not before him. William Shakespeare, Winter’s Tale.He sighs with most success that settles well. Samuel Garth.
One part being moist, and the other dry, occasions its settling more in one place than another, which causes cracks and settlings in the wall. John Mortimer, Husbandry.
ChatGPT
settle
To settle generally means to resolve, conclude, or find a resolution to a problem, dispute, or disagreement. It can also refer to hiring a new place of residence, committing to a particular location, or making oneself comfortable or established in a new environment or situation. It can also mean to calm, soothe, or bring peace to someone's mind or emotions.
Webster Dictionary
Settlenoun
a seat of any kind
Settlenoun
a bench; especially, a bench with a high back
Settlenoun
a place made lower than the rest; a wide step or platform lower than some other part
Settlenoun
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
Settlenoun
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
Settlenoun
to cause to be no longer in a disturbed condition; to render quiet; to still; to calm; to compose
Settlenoun
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
Settlenoun
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
Settlenoun
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
Settlenoun
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
Settlenoun
to adjust, as something in discussion; to make up; to compose; to pacify; as, to settle a quarrel
Settlenoun
to adjust, as accounts; to liquidate; to balance; as, to settle an account
Settlenoun
hence, to pay; as, to settle a bill
Settlenoun
to plant with inhabitants; to colonize; to people; as, the French first settled Canada; the Puritans settled New England; Plymouth was settled in 1620
Settleverb
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
Settleverb
to fix one's residence; to establish a dwelling place or home; as, the Saxons who settled in Britain
Settleverb
to enter into the married state, or the state of a householder
Settleverb
to be established in an employment or profession; as, to settle in the practice of law
Settleverb
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
Settleverb
to become clear after being turbid or obscure; to clarify by depositing matter held in suspension; as, the weather settled; wine settles by standing
Settleverb
to sink to the bottom; to fall to the bottom, as dregs of a liquid, or the sediment of a reserveir
Settleverb
to sink gradually to a lower level; to subside, as the foundation of a house, etc
Settleverb
to become calm; to cease from agitation
Settleverb
to adjust differences or accounts; to come to an agreement; as, he has settled with his creditors
Settleverb
to make a jointure for a wife
Etymology: [OE. setel, setil, a seat, AS. setl: akin to OHG. sezzal, G. sessel, Goth. sitls, and E. sit. 154. See Sit.]
Freebase
Settle
Settle is a small market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically within the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is served by the Settle railway station, which is located near the town centre, and Giggleswick railway station which is a mile away. It is 29 miles from Leeds Bradford Airport. The main road running through Settle is the B6480, which links to the A65, connecting Settle to Skipton and Kendal. The town has a population of 2,421 according to the 2001 Census.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Settle
set′l, v.t. to set or place in a fixed state: to fix: to establish in a situation or business: to render quiet, clear, &c.: to decide: to free from uncertainty: to quiet: to compose: to fix by gift or legal act: to adjust: to liquidate or pay: to colonise.—v.i. to become fixed or stationary: to fix one's residence or habits of life (often with down): to grow calm or clear: to sink by its own weight: to sink to the bottom: to cease from agitation.—adj. Sett′led, fixed, firmly seated or decided: quiet, sober.—ns. Sett′ledness; Sett′lement, act of settling: state of being settled: payment: arrangement: a colony newly settled: a subsidence or sinking of a wall, &c.: a sum newly settled on a woman at her marriage; Sett′ler, one who settles: a colonist; Sett′ling, the act of making a settlement: the act of subsiding: the adjustment of differences: sediment: dregs; Sett′ling-day, a date fixed by the Stock Exchange for the completion of transactions—in consols, once a month; in all other stocks, twice a month, each settlement occupying three days (contango-day, name-day, and pay-day). [A.S. setlan, to fix—setl, a seat.]
Settle
set′l, v.t. to decide, conclude: to fix, appoint: regulate: to pay, balance: to restore to good order.—v.i. to adjust differences or accounts: to meet one's pecuniary obligations fully. [A.S. sahtlian, to reconcile, saht, reconciliation—sacan, to contend. Confused in both form and meaning with the preceding.]
Settle
set′l, n. a long high-backed bench for sitting on: (B.) also, a platform lower than another part.—n. Sett′le-bed, a bed which is folded or shut up so as to form a seat by day. [A.S. setl—sittan, to sit; Ger. sessel.]
Dictionary of Nautical Terms
settle
Now termed the stern-sheets [derived from the Anglo-Saxon settl, a seat].--To settle. To lower; also to sink, as "the deck has settled;" "we settled the land." (See LAYING.) "Settle the main top-sail halliards," i.e. ease them off a little, so as to lower the yard, as on shaking out a reef.
Suggested Resources
settle
Song lyrics by settle -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by settle on the Lyrics.com website.
Surnames Frequency by Census Records
SETTLE
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Settle is ranked #4329 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
The Settle surname appeared 8,202 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 would have the surname Settle.
82.6% or 6,782 total occurrences were White.
10.7% or 884 total occurrences were Black.
3.4% or 283 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
1.9% or 162 total occurrences were of two or more races.
0.6% or 51 total occurrences were Asian.
0.4% or 40 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
British National Corpus
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'settle' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3905
Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'settle' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3462
Verbs Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'settle' in Verbs Frequency: #285
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of settle in Chaldean Numerology is: 6
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of settle in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9
Examples of settle in a Sentence
It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.
The market is focused on whether the Nikkei futures and options will settle above 23,000... it looks positive as the Nikkei has traded above a key technical line, if they settle above that level, the next resistance will likely be at 23,200.
The secret to reality, is stillness of body and mind. Mental clarity is like a pond. Still the pond. Let everything settle. Vision then becomes crystal clear. When we still the body. When we still the mind. When we let all thoughts and emotions settle. When we remove all distractions. Only then, we clearly see reality as it is.
It's never too late to settle, on the other hand, they may be rolling the dice to see what the judge says and settle after that.
It seems to me that it is Europe that is driving most of what is going on right now - negotiations that are going on with Greece, the volatility in German Bunds, those sort of things. if those things settle down, then our markets will settle down into what they would normally do, which is get quiet before the big monthly reports.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for settle
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