make

v. & n.
—v. (past and past part. made)
1 tr. construct; create; form from parts or other substances (made a table; made it out of cardboard; made him a sweater).
2 tr. (foll. by to + infin.) cause or compel (a person etc.) to do something (make him repeat it; was made to confess).
3 tr. a cause to exist; create; bring about (made a noise; made an enemy). b cause to become or seem (made an exhibition of myself; made him angry). c appoint; designate (made him a Cardinal).
4 tr. compose; prepare; draw up (made her will; made a film about Japan).
5 tr. constitute; amount to (makes a difference; 2 and 2 make 4; this makes the tenth time).
6 tr. a undertake or agree to (an aim or purpose) (made a promise; make an effort). b execute or perform (a bodily movement, a speech, etc.) (made a face; made a bow).
7 tr. gain, acquire, procure (money, a profit, etc.) (made pound20,000 on the deal).
8 tr. prepare (tea, coffee, a dish, etc.) for consumption (made egg and chips).
9 tr. a arrange bedclothes tidily on (a bed) ready for use. b arrange and light materials for (a fire).
10 intr. a proceed (made towards the river). b (foll. by to + infin.) begin an action (he made to go).
11 tr. colloq. a arrive at (a place) or in time for (a train etc.) (made the border before dark; made the six o'clock train). b manage to attend; manage to attend on (a certain day) or at (a certain time) (couldn't make the meeting last week; can make any day except Friday). c achieve a place in (made the first eleven; made the six o'clock news). d US achieve the rank of (made colonel in three years).
12 tr. establish or enact (a distinction, rule, law, etc.).
13 tr. consider to be; estimate as (what do you make the time?; do you make that a 1 or a 7?).
14 tr. secure the success or advancement of (his mother made him; it made my day).
15 tr. accomplish (a distance, speed, score, etc.) (made 60 m.p.h. on the motorway).
16 tr. a become by development or training (made a great leader). b serve as (a log makes a useful seat).
17 tr. (usu. foll. by out) represent as; cause to appear as (makes him out a liar).
18 tr. form in the mind; feel (I make no judgement).
19 tr. (foll. by it + compl.) a determine, establish, or choose (let's make it Tuesday; made it my business to know). b bring to (a chosen value etc.) (decided to make it a dozen).
20 tr. sl. have sexual relations with.
21 tr. Cards a win (a trick). b play (a card) to advantage. c win the number of tricks that fulfils (a contract). d shuffle (a pack of cards) for dealing.
22 tr. Cricket score (runs).
23 tr. Electr. complete or close (a circuit) (opp. BREAK).
24 intr. (of the tide) begin to flow or ebb.
—n.
1 (esp. of a product) a type, origin, brand, etc. of manufacture (different make of car; our own make).
2 a kind of mental, moral, or physical structure or composition.
3 an act of shuffling cards.
4 Electr. a the making of contact. b the position in which this is made.
Phrases and idioms:
be made for be ideally suited to. be made of consist of (cake made of marzipan). have it made colloq. be sure of success. made dish a dish prepared from several separate foods. made man a man who has attained success. made of money colloq. very rich. made road a properly surfaced road of tarmac, concrete, etc. made to measure (of a suit etc.) made to a specific customer's measurements. made to order see ORDER. make after archaic pursue. make against be unfavourable to. make as if (or though) (foll. by to + infin. or conditional) act as if the specified circumstances applied (made as if to leave; made as if he would hit me; made as if I had not noticed). make away (or off) depart hastily. make away with
1 get rid of; kill.
2 squander.
make-believe (or -belief)
1 pretence.
2 pretended. make believe pretend. make conversation talk politely. make a day (or night etc.) of it devote a whole day (or night etc.) to an activity.
make do
1 manage with the limited or inadequate means available.
2 (foll. by with) manage with (something) as an inferior substitute. make an example of punish as a warning to others. make a fool of see FOOL(1).
make for
1 tend to result in (happiness etc.).
2 proceed towards (a place).
3 assault; attack.
4 confirm (an opinion). make friends (often foll. by with) become friendly. make fun of see FUN. make good see GOOD. make a habit of see HABIT. make a hash of see HASH(1). make hay see HAY(1). make head or tail of see HEAD. make a House Polit. secure the presence of enough members for a quorum or support in the House of Commons.
make it colloq.
1 succeed in reaching, esp. in time.
2 be successful.
3 (usu. foll. by with) sl. have sexual intercourse (with). make it up 1 be reconciled, esp. after a quarrel.
2 fill in a deficit. make it up to remedy negligence, an injury, etc. to (a person). make light of see LIGHT(2). make love see LOVE. make a meal of see MEAL(1). make merry see MERRY. make money acquire wealth or an income. make the most of see MOST.
make much (or little or the best) of
1 derive much (or little etc.) advantage from.
2 give much (or little etc.) attention, importance, etc., to. make a name for oneself see NAME. make no bones about see BONE.
make nothing of
1 do without hesitation.
2 treat as a trifle.
3 be unable to understand, use, or deal with.
make of
1 construct from.
2 conclude to be the meaning or character of (can you make anything of it?). make off = make away. make off with carry away; steal. make oneself scarce see SCARCE. make or break (or mar) cause the success or ruin of.
make out
1 a distinguish by sight or hearing. b decipher (handwriting etc.).
2 understand (can't make him out).
3 assert; pretend (made out he liked it).
4 colloq. make progress; fare (how did you make out?).
5 (usu. foll. by to, in favour of) draw up; write out (made out a cheque to her).
6 prove or try to prove (how do you make that out?).
make over
1 transfer the possession of (a thing) to a person.
2 refashion (a garment etc.). make a point of see POINT.
make sail Naut.
1 spread a sail or sails.
2 start a voyage. make shift see SHIFT. make so bold as to see BOLD.
make time
1 (usu. foll. by for or to + infin.) find an occasion when time is available.
2 (usu. foll. by with) esp. US sl. make sexual advances (to a person).
make-up
1 cosmetics for the face etc., either generally or to create an actor's appearance or disguise.
2 the appearance of the face etc. when cosmetics have been applied (his make-up was not convincing).
3 Printing the making up of a type.
4 Printing the type made up.
5 a person's character, temperament, etc.
6 the composition or constitution (of a thing).
make up
1 serve or act to overcome (a deficiency).
2 complete (an amount, a party, etc.).
3 compensate.
4 be reconciled.
5 put together; compound; prepare (made up the medicine).
6 sew (parts of a garment etc.) together.
7 get (a sum of money, a company, etc.) together.
8 concoct (a story).
9 (of parts) compose (a whole).
10 a apply cosmetics. b apply cosmetics to.
11 settle (a dispute).
12 prepare (a bed) for use with fresh sheets etc.
13 Printing arrange (type) in pages.
14 compile (a list, an account, a document, etc.).
15 arrange (a marriage etc.). make up one's mind decide, resolve. make up to curry favour with; court.
make water
1 urinate.
2 (of a ship) take in water. make way 1 (often foll. by for) allow room for others to proceed.
2 achieve progress. make one's way proceed. make with US colloq. supply; perform; proceed with (made with the feet and left in a hurry).
on the make colloq.
1 intent on gain.
2 looking for sexual partners. self-made man etc. a man etc. who has succeeded by his own efforts.
Derivatives:
makable adj.
Etymology: OE macian f. WG: rel. to MATCH(1)