Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To propel through the air with a motion of the hand or arm.
  • intransitive verb To propel or discharge into the air by any means.
  • intransitive verb To cause to move with great force or speed; propel or displace.
  • intransitive verb To force (an opponent) to the ground or floor, as in wrestling or the martial arts.
  • intransitive verb To cause to fall off.
  • intransitive verb Informal To cause confusion or perplexity in; disconcert or nonplus.
  • intransitive verb To put on or off hastily or carelessly.
  • intransitive verb To put suddenly or forcefully into a given condition, position, or activity.
  • intransitive verb To devote, apply, or direct.
  • intransitive verb To form on a potter's wheel.
  • intransitive verb To twist (fibers) into thread.
  • intransitive verb To roll (dice).
  • intransitive verb To roll (a particular combination) with dice.
  • intransitive verb To discard or play (a card).
  • intransitive verb To send forth; project.
  • intransitive verb To cause (one's voice) to seem to come from a source other than oneself.
  • intransitive verb To cause to fall on or over something; cast.
  • intransitive verb To bear (young). Used of cows or horses, for example.
  • intransitive verb To arrange or give (a party, for example).
  • intransitive verb To move (a lever or switch) in order to activate, deactivate, or control a device.
  • intransitive verb Informal To lose or give up (a contest, for example) purposely.
  • intransitive verb To abandon oneself to; have.
  • intransitive verb To commit (oneself), especially for leniency or support.
  • intransitive verb To deliver (a punch), as in boxing.
  • intransitive verb To cast, fling, or hurl something.
  • noun The act or an instance of throwing.
  • noun The distance to which something is or can be thrown.
  • noun A roll or cast of dice.
  • noun The combination of numbers so obtained.
  • noun Informal A single chance, venture, or instance.
  • noun Sports The act of throwing or a technique used to throw an opponent in wrestling or the martial arts.
  • noun A light coverlet, such as an afghan.
  • noun A scarf or shawl.
  • noun The radius of a circle described by a crank, cam, or similar machine part.
  • noun The maximum displacement of a machine part moved by another part, such as a crank or cam.
  • noun Geology The amount of vertical displacement of a fault.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English throwen, to turn, twist, hurl, from Old English thrāwan; see terə- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English throwe, alteration of thrawe from Old English þrāwu ("labor pang, agony in childbirth or death"), akin to Old English þrēa ("affliction, pang"), þrōwan ("to suffer"). More at throe

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English throwen, thrawen, from Old English þrāwan ("to turn, twist, curl, rack, torture, turn around"), from Proto-Germanic *þrēanan (“to turn”), from Proto-Indo-European *ter- (“to rub, rub by twisting, twist, turn”). Cognate with Scots thraw ("to twist, turn, throw"), Dutch draaien ("to turn"), Low German draien, dreien ("to turn (in a lathe)"), German drehen ("to turn"), Danish dreje ("to turn"), Swedish dreja ("to turn"), Albanian dredh ("to turn, twist, tremble").

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Old English þrāh, þrāg ("space of time, period, while"). Of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Gothic 𐌸𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (þragjan, "to run").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word throw.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • "18. To bear (young). Used of cows or horses, for example."

    --American Heritage Dictionary

    January 12, 2011

  • What with cleaning up all the manure and straw afterwards I don't feel I could bear a party this weekend.

    January 12, 2011

  • Now I'm going to giggle inappropriately if anyone mentions being thrown from a horse.

    January 12, 2011

  • Or being thrown out of a party.

    January 12, 2011

  • How about horseshoe throwing competitions?

    January 12, 2011

  • Oh, ouch!

    *giggle*

    January 12, 2011

  • How about a throw back to the old(en) days?

    January 12, 2011