settle

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To put into order; arrange or fix definitely as desired.
2. v. To put firmly into a desired position or place; establish.
3. v. To establish as a resident or residents: settled her family in Ohio.
4. v. To establish residence in; colonize: Pioneers settled the West.
5. v. To establish in a residence, business, or profession.
6. v. To restore calmness or comfort to.
7. v. To cause to sink, become compact, or come to rest.
8. v. To cause (a liquid) to become clear by forming a sediment.
9. v. To subdue or make orderly.
10. v. To establish on a permanent basis; stabilize.
11. v. To make compensation for (a claim).
12. v. To pay (a debt).
13. v. To conclude (a dispute, for example) by a final decision.
14. v. To decide (a lawsuit) by mutual agreement of the involved parties without court action.
15. v. Law To secure or assign (property or title) by legal action.
16. v. To discontinue moving and come to rest in one place.
17. v. To move downward; sink or descend, especially gradually: Darkness settled over the fields. Dust settled in the road.
18. v. To become clear by the sinking of suspended particles. Used of liquids.
19. v. To be separated from a solution or mixture as a sediment.
20. v. To become compact by sinking, as sediment when stirred up.
21. v. To establish one's residence: settled in Canada.
22. v. To become established or localized: The cold settled in my chest.
23. v. To reach a decision; determine: We finally settled on a solution to the problem. See Synonyms at decide.
24. v. To come to an agreement, especially to resolve a lawsuit out of court.
25. v. To provide compensation for a claim.
26. v. To pay a debt.
27. n. A long wooden bench with a high back, often including storage space beneath the seat.
28. settle down To begin living a stable and orderly life: He settled down as a farmer with a family.
29. settle down To become calm or composed.
30. settle for To accept in spite of incomplete satisfaction: had to settle for a lower wage than the one requested.
31. idiom. settle (one's) stomach To relieve one's indigestion or nausea.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A seat; a bench; a ledge.
2. n. Specifically, a seat longer than a chair; a bench with a high back and arms, made to accommodate two or more persons. Old settles were usually of oak, and were often made with a chest or coffer under the seat. Compare box-settle and long settle, below.
3. n. A seat fixed or placed at the foot of a bedstead.
4. n. A part of a platform lower than another part.
5. n. One of the successive platforms or stages leading up from the floor to the great altar of the Jewish Temple.
6. To place in a fixed or permanent position or condition; confirm; establish, as for residence or business.
7. To establish or fix, as in any way of life, or in any business, office, or charge: as, to settle a young man in a trade or profession; to settle a daughter by marriage; to settle a clergyman in a parish.
8. To set or fix, as in purpose or intention.
9. To adjust; put in position; cause to sit properly or firmly: as, to settle one's cloak in the wind; to settle one's feet in the stirrups.
10. To change from a disturbed or troubled state to one of tranquillity, repose, or security; quiet; still; hence, to calm the agitation of; compose: as, to settle the mind when disturbed or agitated.
11. To change from a turbid or muddy condition to one of clearness; clear of dregs; clarify.
12. To cause to sink to the bottom, as sediment.
13. To render compact, firm, or solid; hence, to bring to a dry, passable condition: as, the fine weather will settle the roads.
14. To plant with inhabitants; colonize; people: as, the Puritans settled New England.
15. To devolve, make over, or secure by formal or legal process or act: as, to settle an annuity on a person.
16. Synonyms To fix, institute, ordain.
17. To become set or fixed: as sume a continuing, abiding, or lasting position, form, or condition; become stationary, from a temporary or changing state; stagnate.
18. To establish a residence; take up permanent habitation or abode.
19. To be established in a way of life; quit an irregular and desultory for a methodical life; be established in an employment or profession; especially, to enter the married state or the state of a householder, or to be ordained or in stalled over a church or congregation: as, to settle in life: often with down.
20. To become clear; purify itself; become clarified, as a liquid.
21. To sink down more or less gradually; subside; descend: often with on or upon.
22. Specifically.
23. To fall to the bottom, as sediment.
24. To sink, as the foundations or floors of a building; become lowered, as by the yielding of earth or timbers be neath: as, the house has settled.
25. To become compact and hard by drying: as, the roads settle after rain or the melting of snow.
26. To alight, as a bird on a bough or on the ground.
27. To become calm; cease to be agitated.
28. To resolve; determine; decide; fix: as, they have not yet settled on a house.
29. To make a jointure for a wife.
30. To reconcile.
31. To determine: decide, as something in doubt or debate; bring to a conclusion; con clude: confirm; free from uncertainty or wavering: as, to settle a dispute; to settle a vexatious question; to settle one's mind.
32. To fix: appoint; set, as a date or day.
33. To set in order; regulate; dispose of.
34. To reduce to order or good behavior; give a quietus to: as, he was inclined to be insolent, but I soon settled him.
35. To liquidate: balance; pay: as, to settle an account, claim, or score.
36. To become reconciled; be at peace.
37. To adjust differences, claims, or accounts; come to an agreement: as, he has settled with his creditors.
38. To pay one's bill; discharge a claim or demand.

Wiktionary

1. n. archaic A seat of any kind.
2. n. A long bench, often with a high back and arms, with storage space underneath for linen.
3. n. obsolete A place made lower than the rest; a wide step or platform lower than some other part.
4. v. transitive 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.
5. v. transitive, obsolete, US 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.
6. v. transitive To cause to be no longer in a disturbed condition; to render quiet; to still; to calm; to compose.
7. v. transitive 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.
8. v. transitive 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.
9. v. transitive 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.
10. v. transitive 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.
11. v. transitive To adjust, as something in discussion; to make up; to compose; to pacify; as, to settle a quarrel.
12. v. transitive, archaic To adjust, as accounts; to liquidate; to balance; as, to settle an account.
13. v. transitive, colloquial To pay; as, to settle a bill. --Abbott.
14. v. transitive To plant with inhabitants; to colonize; to people; as, the French first settled Canada; the Puritans settled New England; Plymouth was settled in 1620.
15. v. intransitive 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.
16. v. intransitive To fix one's residence; to establish a dwelling place or home; as, the Saxons who settled in Britain.
17. v. intransitive To enter into the married state, or the state of a householder.
18. v. intransitive To be established in an employment or profession; as, to settle in the practice of law.
19. v. intransitive 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.
20. v. intransitive To become clear after being turbid or obscure; to clarify by depositing matter held in suspension; as, the weather settled; wine settles by standing.
21. v. intransitive To sink to the bottom; to fall to the bottom, as dregs of a liquid, or the sediment of a reservoir.
22. v. intransitive To sink gradually to a lower level; to subside, as the foundation of a house, etc.
23. v. intransitive To become calm; to cease from agitation.
24. v. intransitive To adjust differences or accounts; to come to an agreement; as, he has settled with his creditors.
25. v. intransitive, obsolete To make a jointure for a wife.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. obsolete A seat of any kind.
2. n. A bench; especially, a bench with a high back.
3. n. A place made lower than the rest; a wide step or platform lower than some other part.
4. v. 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.
5. v. United States To establish in the pastoral office; to ordain or install as pastor or rector of a church, society, or parish.
6. v. To cause to be no longer in a disturbed condition; to render quiet; to still; to calm; to compose.
7. v. To clear of dregs and impurities by causing them to sink; to render pure or clear; -- said of a liquid.
8. v. To restore or bring to a smooth, dry, or passable condition; -- said of the ground, of roads, and the like.
9. v. To cause to sink; to lower; to depress; hence, also, to render close or compact.
10. v. 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.
11. v. To adjust, as something in discussion; to make up; to compose; to pacify.
12. v. To adjust, as accounts; to liquidate; to balance.
13. v. colloq. Hence, to pay.
14. v. To plant with inhabitants; to colonize; to people
15. v. 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.
16. v. To fix one's residence; to establish a dwelling place or home.
17. v. To enter into the married state, or the state of a householder.
18. v. To be established in an employment or profession.
19. v. To become firm, dry, and hard, as the ground after the effects of rain or frost have disappeared.
20. v. To become clear after being turbid or obscure; to clarify by depositing matter held in suspension.
21. v. To sink to the bottom; to fall to the bottom, as dregs of a liquid, or the sediment of a reserveir.
22. v. To sink gradually to a lower level; to subside, as the foundation of a house, etc.
23. v. To become calm; to cease from agitation.
24. v. To adjust differences or accounts; to come to an agreement.
25. v. To make a jointure for a wife.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground
2. v. establish or develop as a residence
3. v. get one's revenge for a wrong or an injury
4. v. become clear by the sinking of particles
5. v. end a legal dispute by arriving at a settlement
6. v. accept despite lack of complete satisfaction
7. n. a long wooden bench with a back
8. v. dispose of; make a financial settlement
9. v. become resolved, fixed, established, or quiet
10. v. become settled or established and stable in one's residence or life style
11. v. go under,
12. v. sink down or precipitate
13. v. settle conclusively; come to terms
14. v. cause to become clear by forming a sediment (of liquids)
15. v. bring to an end; settle conclusively
16. v. take up residence and become established
17. v. come to terms
18. v. come as if by falling
19. v. fix firmly
20. v. form a community
21. v. make final; put the last touches on; put into final form
22. v. come to rest
23. v. arrange or fix in the desired order