do for

\\ˈdüfə(r), -ˌfȯ...\ transitive verb

1. : to attend to the wants and needs of : take care of; especially : to act as the domestic servant of

during her illness she was done for by a neighbor

2. : to bring about the death or ruin of : destroy, kill

a gash in the side of the helmet which would have done for a man of lesser breed — Richard Joseph

* * *

1) informal defeat, ruin, or kill

without that contract we're done for

2) Brit., informal do the cleaning for (a person or private household)

Florrie usually did for the Shermans in the mornings

3) suffice for

the old version will do for now

* * *

do for [phrasal verb]

do for (someone) Brit, informal

1 : to cause the death or ruin of (someone)

All that hard work nearly did for him. [=nearly killed him]

— see also done for at ↑done, 2

2 : to do the cleaning and cooking for (someone)

Mrs. Jones does for the vicar now his wife's passed on.

• • •

Main Entry: ↑do