[set forth]{v.}, {formal} 1. To explain exactly or clearly. •/The President set forth his plans in a television talk./ 2. To start to go somewhere; begin a trip. •/The troop set forth on their ten-mile hike early./ Compare: SET OUT.

[set free]{v. phr.} To liberate. •/The trapper set all the small animals free before the snowstorm hit./

[set great store by] See: SET STORE BY.

[set in]{v.} To begin; start; develop. •/Before the boat could reach shore, a storm had set in./ •/He did not keep the cut clean and infection set in./ •/The wind set in from the east./

[set in one’s ways]{adj. phr.} Stubborn; opinionated; unchangeable. •/My grandfather is so old and set in his ways that he’ll eat nothing new./

[set loose] See: LET LOOSE(1a).

[set off]{v.} 1. To decorate through contrast; balance by difference. •/The bright colors of the birds were set off by the white snow./ •/A small gold pin set off her plain dark dress./ 2. To balance; make somewhat equal. •/Her great wealth, as he thought, set off her plain face./ 3a. To begin to go. •/They set off for the West in a covered wagon./ Compare: SET OUT. 3b. To cause to begin. •/A letter from home set off an attack of homesickness./ •/An atomic explosion is created by setting off a chain reaction in the atom./ Compare: TOUCH OFF. 3c. To cause to explode. •/On July 4 we set off firecrackers in many places./

[set of new threads]{n. phr.} New men’s suit. •/"Nice set of new threads'" Ed said, when he saw Dave in his new tailor-made outfit./

[set on] also [set upon] {v.} 1. To begin suddenly to fight against; attack fiercely. •/Tom was walking through the park when a gang of boys set on him./ 2. To cause to attack. •/Some boys went to steal melons but the farmer set his dog on them./

[set one’s cap for]{v. phr.}, {informal} To attempt to win the love of or to marry. •/Usually used of a girl or woman./ •/The young girl set her cap for the new town doctor, who was a bachelor./

[set one’s face against]{v. phr.}, {literary} To be very much against; strongly disapprove. •/The banker’s daughter wanted to marry a poor boy, but her father set his face against it./

[set one’s hand to] See: PUT ONE’S HAND TO.

[set one’s hand to the plow] See: PUT ONE’S HAND TO THE PLOW.

[set one’s heart on]{v. phr.} To want very much. •/He set his heart on that bike./ also: To be very desirous of; hope very much to succeed in. — Used with a verbal noun. •/He set his heart on winning the race./

[set one’s house in order] See: PUT ONE’S HOUSE IN ORDER.

[set one’s mind at rest]{v. phr.} To relieve someone’s anxieties; reassure someone. •/"Lef me set your mind at rest about the operation," Dr. Vanek said. "You’ll be back on your feet in a week."/

[set one’s mind on]{v. phr.} To be determined to; decide to. •/He has set his mind on buying an old chateau in France./

[set one’s sights]{v. phr.} 1. To want to reach; aim for. •/John has set his sights higher than the job he has now./ 2. To wish to get or win. •/Owen set his sights on the championship./

[set one’s teeth on edge]{v. phr.} 1. To have a sharp sour taste that makes you rub your teeth together. •/The lemon juice set my teeth on edge./ 2. To make one feel nervous or annoyed. •/She looks so mean that her face sets my teeth on edge./

[set on foot] See: ON FOOT.

[set out]{v.} 1. To leave on a journey or voyage. •/The Pilgrims set out for the New World./ Compare: SET FORTH(2), SET OFF(4), START OUT. 2. To decide and begin to try; attempt. •/George set out to improve his pitching./ 3. To plant in the ground. •/The gardener set out some tomato seedlings./

[set right]{v. phr.} To discipline; correct; indicate the correct procedure. •/"Your bookkeeping is all messed up," the accountant said. "Let me set it right for you, once and for all."/

[set sail]{v. phr.} To begin a sea voyage; start sailing. •/The ship set sail for Europe./

[set store by]{v. phr.}, {informal} To like or value; want to keep. Used with a qualifying word between "set" and "store". •/George sets great store by that old tennis racket./ •/Pat doesn’t set much store by Mike’s advice./

[set the ball rolling] See: GET THE BALL ROLLING.

[set the pace]{v. phr.} To decide on a rate of speed of travel or rules that are followed by others. •/The scoutmaster set the pace so that the shorter boys would not get tired trying to keep up./ •/Louise set the pace in selling tickets for the school play./ — [pace-setter] {n.} •/John is the pace-setter of the class./ — [pace-setting] {adj.} •/Bob’s time in the cross-country race was pace-setting./ •/The country is growing at a pace-setting rate./

[set the stage for]{v. phr.} To prepare the way or situation for (an event); to make a situation ready for something to happen. •/The country’s economic problems set the stage for a depression./

[set the world on fire]{v. phr.}, {informal} To do something outstanding; act in a way that attracts much attention or makes you famous. •/John works hard, but he will never set the world on fire./ •/Mary could set the world on fire with her piano playing./

[setting-up]{adj.} Done early in the morning to make you fresh and feel strong for the day. •/Tom jumped out of bed and did his setting-up exercises./ Compare: DAILY DOZEN.

[settle a score] also [wipe out an old score] To hurt (someone) in return for a wrong or loss. •/John settled an old score with Bob by beating him./ Compare: GET BACK AT, GET EVEN.

[settle down]{v.} 1. To live more quietly and sensibly; have a regular place to live and a regular job; stop acting wildly or carelessly, especially by growing up. •/John will settle down after he gets a job and gets married./ 2. To become quiet, calm, or comfortable. •/Father settled down with the newspaper./ •/The house settled down for the night after the children were put to bed./ •/The teacher told the students to settle down and study the lesson./

[settle for]{v.} To be satisfied with (less) agree to; accept. •/Jim wanted $200 for his old car, but he settled for $100./

[settle on]{v. phr.} To decide which one to choose among various alternatives. •/My parents have been debating what kind of a car to get and have finally settled on a BMW from Germany./

[settle up]{v. phr.} To pay up; conclude monetary or other transactions. •/"Let’s settle up," Carol’s attorney said, when she sued Don for a hefty sum of money after their divorce./

[set to]{v.} 1. To make a serious beginning. •/Charlie took a helping of turkey, grabbed his knife and fork, and set to./ 2. To start to fight. •/One man called the other a liar and they set to./

[set to music]{v. phr.} To compose a musical accompaniment to verse. •/Schubert and Beethoven both set to music many a famous poem by Goethe and Schiller./

[set to rights] See: PUT TO RIGHTS.

[set tongues wagging] See: TONGUES WAG.

[setup]{v.} 1. To provide the money for the necessities for. •/When he was twenty-one, his father set him up in the clothing business./ 2. To establish; start. •/The government has set up many hospitals for veterans of the armed forces./ 3. To make ready for use by putting the parts together or into their right place. •/The men set up the new printing press./ 4. To bring into being; cause. •/Ocean tides are set up by the pull between earth and the moon./ 5. To claim; pretend. •/He set himself up to be a graduate of a medical school, but he was not./ 6. To harm someone by entrapment or some other ruse. •/Joe was actually innocent of the robbery, but his "trusted friends" set him up, so the police found the gun in his car./