Do \Do\, v. t. or auxiliary. [imp. Din; p. p. Done; p. pr. &
vb. n. Doing. This verb, when transitive, is formed in the
indicative, present tense, thus: I do, thou doest (?) or dost
?, he does (?), doeth (?), or doth (?); when auxiliary, the
second person is, thou dost. As an independent verb, dost is
obsolete or rare, except in poetry. ``What dost thou in this
world?'' --Milton. The form doeth is a verb unlimited, doth,
formerly so used, now being the auxiliary form. The second
pers, sing., imperfect tense, is didst (?), formerly didest
(?).]
[AS. d?n; akin to D. doen, OS. duan, OHG. tuon, G.
thun, Lith. deti, OSlav. d?ti, OIr. d['e]nim I do, Gr. ? to
put, Skr. dh[=a], and to E. suffix -dom, and prob. to L.
facere to do, E. fact, and perh. to L. -dere in some
compounfds, as addere to add, credere to trust. ??? Cf.
Deed, Deem, Doom, Fact, Creed, Theme.]
1. To place; to put. [Obs.]
--Tale of a Usurer (about 1330).
2. To cause; to make; -- with an infinitive. [Obs.]
My lord Abbot of Westminster did do shewe to me late
certain evidences. --W. Caxton.
I shall . . . your cloister do make. --Piers
Plowman.
A fatal plague which many did to die. --Spenser.
We do you to wit [i. e., We make you to know] of the
grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia.
--2 Cor. viii.
1.
Note: We have lost the idiom shown by the citations (do used
like the French faire or laisser), in which the verb in
the infinitive apparently, but not really, has a
passive signification, i. e., cause . . . to be made.
3. To bring about; to produce, as an effect or result; to
effect; to achieve.
The neglecting it may do much danger. --Shak.
He waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither
good not harm. --Shak.
4. To perform, as an action; to execute; to transact to carry
out in action; as, to do a good or a bad act; do our duty;
to do what I can.
Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work. --Ex.
xx. 9.
We did not do these things. --Ld. Lytton.
You can not do wrong without suffering wrong.
--Emerson.
Hence: To do homage, honor, favor, justice, etc., to
render homage, honor, etc.
5. To bring to an end by action; to perform completely; to
finish; to accomplish; -- a sense conveyed by the
construction, which is that of the past participle done.
``Ere summer half be done.'' ``I have done weeping.''
--Shak.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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