put

Put is a basic English verb that means to move something into a location or position. It is typically transitive: one puts the book on the shelf. The form changes irregularly for past tenses in many verbs, but put has the same form in the present, past, and past participle: put, put, put. The present participle is putting. Because of its versatility, put combines with many particles to create common phrasal verbs and idioms.

Common phrasal verbs with put include put off (delay), put on (dress or pretend), put up (provide lodging or raise; also to put up a sign), put in (insert or invest time), put away (store or imprison), put forward (propose), put through (connect by phone or cause to suffer), put up with (tolerate), put together (assemble).

Semantically, put covers placing, assigning, presenting, and applying; it can express placement in space, setting a state, or making a decision. It often requires an object, but many idiomatic uses differ from a literal sense, making it a trigger for figurative meaning.

In finance, put is a noun referring to a put option, which gives the holder the right to sell a security at a specified price before or at expiration. This contrasts with a call option, which gives the right to buy.

Usage notes: because of its many phrasal verbs, put is a high-frequency verb in everyday English, with meanings that extend beyond physical placement to postponement, preparation, and communication.