set on

verb

set on; setting on; sets on

transitive verb

1
: attack
2
a
obsolete : promote
b
: to urge (an animal, such as a dog) to attack or pursue
c
: to incite to action : instigate
d
: to set to work

Examples of set on in a Sentence

without warning, bandits would set on unwary merchants as they traveled along the Silk Road

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of set on was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near set on

Cite this Entry

“Set on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/set%20on. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

seton

noun
se·​ton ˈsēt-ᵊn How to pronounce seton (audio)
: one or more threads or horsehairs or a strip of linen introduced beneath the skin by a knife or needle to provide drainage or formerly to produce or prolong inflammation

Biographical Definition

Seton 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Se·​ton ˈsē-tᵊn How to pronounce Seton (audio)
Saint Elizabeth Ann 1774–1821 Mother Seton née Bayley American religious leader

Seton

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Ernest Thompson 1860–1946 originally surname Thompson American (English-born) writer and illustrator
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