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set·ting (sĕtĭng)
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n.
1. The position, direction, or way in which something, such as an automatic control, is set.
2.
a. The context and environment in which a situation is set; the background.
b. The time, place, and circumstances in which a narrative, drama, or film takes place.
3. Music A composition written or arranged to fit a text, such as a poetical work.
4. A mounting, as for a jewel.
5. A place setting.
6. A set of eggs in a hen's nest.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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