# settle

Pronunciation: say "SET-ul" US /ˈsɛtəl/, UK /ˈsɛ.təl/

## Verb

1. To bring a dispute or disagreement to a final conclusion.
   - Simple: To bring an argument or fight to an end so it is finished.
   - _The mediator helped the two sides settle their long-running contract dispute._
   - _The committee settled the question of funding at its final meeting._
2. To grow calm, quiet, or orderly, and stop being agitated.
   - Simple: To become calm and quiet after being upset or noisy.
   - _The protesters gradually settled after the speaker promised reforms._
   - _Wait for the room to settle before you start the lecture._
3. To come to rest in a fixed position and stop moving.
   - Simple: To come to rest in one place and stop moving.
   - _Snowflakes settle gently on the rooftops each winter._
   - _The sediment settled to the bottom of the jar overnight._
4. To make one's permanent home in a place; to establish a dwelling or colony there.
   - Simple: To make your home in a new place and stay there.
   - _Many immigrants settle in cities where they already have relatives._
   - _The pioneers settled along the river valley in the 1840s._
5. To make a person, the nerves, or troubled waters calm again after agitation.
   - Simple: To make someone or something calm and quiet again.
   - _She spoke softly to settle the frightened horse._
   - _A few deep breaths settled his nerves before the interview._
6. To pay a bill or the amount that is owed. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To pay money that you owe, such as a bill.
   - _She offered to settle the dinner bill for everyone._
   - _They settled the outstanding invoice within a week._
7. To sink gradually to a lower level, as the foundation of a building does over time.
   - Simple: To sink slowly down to a lower level over time.
   - _Foundations settle over time, sometimes cracking the walls above them._
   - _The newly filled trench settled several inches during the winter._
8. To reach an agreement on matters in dispute, or to adjust differences or accounts.
   - Simple: To reach an agreement and bring a disagreement to an end.
   - _Rather than keep fighting, the families chose to settle amicably._
   - _The two firms settled after months of difficult negotiation._
9. To determine something conclusively; to fix or set a time, order, or other uncertain matter.
   - Simple: To decide something for sure so there is no more doubt.
   - _The committee met to settle the question of leadership once and for all._
   - _A single coin toss settled which team would start._
10. To place something into a fixed or stable position; to make it firm, steady, or established.
   - Simple: To put something firmly in place so it stays steady.
   - _Workers settle each beam carefully onto its supports._
   - _She settled the heavy pot squarely on the burner._
11. To become married or set up as a householder, beginning a stable home life.
   - Simple: To get married and begin a steady home life.
   - _Many people wait until their thirties to settle and start a family._
   - _He finally settled after years of moving from city to city._
12. To end a lawsuit by agreement between the parties rather than by a court's decision.
   - Simple: To end a court case by agreeing instead of letting a judge decide.
   - _Most personal injury cases settle before they ever reach trial._
   - _The defendant settled out of court for an undisclosed sum._
13. To migrate to a region and establish homes there; to colonize an area.
   - Simple: To move into a new land and make homes there.
   - _European migrants began to settle the coastal lands in the 1600s._
   - _Farmers settled wherever the soil was rich._
14. To close or balance an account by payment, sometimes for less than the full amount owed.
   - Simple: To pay off and close an account, sometimes for less than the full amount.
   - _The firm offered to settle the outstanding account for a reduced sum._
   - _He settled his loan early to save on interest._
15. To put something into its proper place; to make it sit or lie correctly.
   - Simple: To put something into its proper place so it sits well.
   - _Nurses settle each patient into bed before the night shift._
   - _He settled the books neatly onto the shelf._
16. To become clear as suspended particles sink to the bottom.
   - Simple: To turn clear as bits of dirt sink down to the bottom.
   - _Once the wine settles, you can pour it without disturbing the sediment._
   - _Floodwater will settle within a day, leaving a clear layer on top._
17. Of dregs or sediment, to sink to the bottom of a body of liquid.
   - Simple: To sink down to the bottom of a liquid, the way dirt or grit does.
   - _The silt settled slowly behind the new dam._
   - _Tiny particles settle to the bottom of the tank over several hours._
18. To cause dregs, sediment, or other particles to sink down and be deposited.
   - Simple: To make bits of dirt or grit sink down to the bottom.
   - _Brewers settle the yeast by chilling the tank for several days._
   - _A clarifying agent settled the fine particles within an hour._
19. To bring a lawsuit to an end, usually out of court, through agreement among all parties.
   - Simple: To end a legal case by agreeing on terms instead of finishing it in court.
   - _Both sides agreed to settle the suit before it reached a jury._
   - _The defendant settled the matter quietly to avoid publicity._
20. To begin working steadily in a particular job or profession.
   - Simple: To get steady work or a steady job and stay in it.
   - _Many graduates take years to settle in a profession that suits them._
   - _She settled into academic life soon after finishing her doctorate._
21. To establish someone in life, or to set them up in a business, home, or steady position.
   - Simple: To help someone get set up in a home, job, or life.
   - _He spent his savings to settle his sons in trades of their own._
   - _The widow was determined to settle her daughter comfortably before she died._
22. To make a material compact or solid by causing it to pack down.
   - Simple: To press something down so it becomes firm and packed.
   - _Workers used a heavy roller to settle the gravel on the new path._
   - _Repeated watering settled the freshly dug earth around the posts._
23. To become compact as material gradually sinks and packs down.
   - Simple: To sink down and become firm and packed over time.
   - _Freshly poured fill tends to settle before the ground feels solid._
   - _Over several months, the loose gravel settled into a dense, solid bed._
24. To clear or purify a liquid by causing its dregs and impurities to sink to the bottom.
   - Simple: To make a liquid clean by letting the dirt in it sink down.
   - _Winemakers settle the must by letting the heavy solids drop out overnight._
   - _A little fining agent settled the cloudy cider within a day._
26. To formally and legally secure an annuity, property, or title on a particular person.
   - Simple: To legally give money, property, or a title to a person for good.
   - _By the marriage contract, he agreed to settle a generous annuity on his bride._
   - _The will settled the title and lands on a distant cousin._
27. To bring ground, roads, or similar surfaces back to a smooth, dry, or passable condition.
   - Simple: To make ground or a road smooth, dry, and easy to travel on again.
   - _Dry winds soon settle the fields enough for plowing._
   - _The frost finally lifted and settled the lane into firm footing._
28. Of ground, to become firm, dry, and hard once the effects of rain or frost have passed.
   - Simple: To become firm, dry, and hard, the way ground does after rain dries up.
   - _Give the ground time to settle before driving the tractor across it._
   - _The track settled into a firm surface as the frost melted away._
29. To move people into a land or territory in order to colonize it, or to cause them to take up residence in a place.
   - Simple: To move people into a new land so they live there and build homes.
   - _The crown sought to settle loyal subjects across the conquered province._
   - _Officials settled the refugees in villages near the border._
30. To put to death; to kill.
   - Simple: To kill a person or animal.
   - _The outlaw promised to settle anyone who crossed him._
   - _A single shot settled the charging boar before it reached them._

## Noun

25. A long bench with arms and a tall back, often with a chest or storage space built in beneath the seat. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A long wooden bench with a tall back and arms, with storage space under the seat.
   - _The oak settle stood against the wall, its lid lifting to reveal stored linens._
   - _Visitors warmed themselves on the high-backed settle near the hearth._

## Other meanings

- (verb) To put something into a calm or orderly condition, or to deal with it once and for all.
- (verb) To make someone stop speaking, often through force or threats.
- (verb) To install a minister officially as the pastor of a church or parish.
- (verb) To provide property or income for a wife or husband to live on if widowed.
- (verb) Of a farm animal, to conceive or cause to conceive young.
- (noun) Any kind of seat.
- (noun) A sunken area or a broad step set lower than the surrounding level.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–24, 26–30** — This is a merger of two verbs. One comes through Middle English 'setlen' from Old English 'setlan' ('to settle, seat, put to rest'), based on 'setl' ('seat'). The other comes from Middle English 'sahtlen' ('to reconcile, calm') from Old English 'sahtlian', based on 'saht' ('settlement, agreement, peace'). German 'siedeln' is related to the first verb but is not a direct cognate.
**Meaning 25** — From Middle English 'settle' and Old English 'setl' ('a seat, a place to sit'), from Proto-Germanic '*setlaz', representing Proto-Indo-European '*sed-lo-', from '*sed-' ('sit'). It is cognate with Dutch 'zetel', German 'Sessel', and Latin 'sella'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/settle (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).