carry

views updated May 21 2018

car·ry / ˈkarē/ • v. (-ries, -ried) [tr.] 1. support and move (someone or something) from one place to another: medics were carrying a wounded man on a stretcher. ∎  transport: the train service carries 20,000 passengers daily. ∎  have on one's person and take with one wherever one goes: the money he was carrying was not enough to pay the fine | fig. she had carried the secret all her life. ∎  conduct; transmit: nerves carry visual information from the eyes. ∎  be infected with (a disease) and liable to transmit it to others: ticks can carry Lyme disease. ∎  transfer (a figure) to an adjacent column during an arithmetical operation (e.g., when a column of digits adds up to more than ten).2. support the weight of: the bridge is capable of carrying even the heaviest loads. ∎  be pregnant with: she was carrying twins. ∎  (carry oneself) stand and move in a specified way: she carried herself straight and tall. ∎  assume or accept (responsibility or blame). ∎  be responsible for the effectiveness or success of: they relied on dialogue to carry the plot.3. have as a feature or consequence: being a combat sport, karate carries with it the risk of injury.4. take or develop (an idea or activity) to a specified point: he carried the criticism much further. ∎  (of a gun or similar weapon) propel (a missile) to a specified distance. ∎  (of a ball) move or be hit a specified distance: the balls seem to carry well in that ballpark. ∎  Golf hit the ball over and beyond (a particular point).5. (often be carried) approve (a proposed measure) by a majority of votes: the resolution was carried by a two-to-one majority. ∎  persuade (colleagues or followers) to support one's policy: he could not carry the cabinet. ∎  gain (a state or district) in an election.6. (of a newspaper or a television or radio station) publish or broadcast: the paper carried a detailed account of the current crisis. ∎  (of a retail outlet) keep a regular stock of (particular goods for sale). ∎  have visible on the surface: the product does not carry the “UL” symbol. ∎  be known by (a name): some products carry the same names as overseas beers.7. [intr.] (of a sound or a person's voice) be audible at a distance: his voice carried clearly across the room.• n. (pl. -ries) [usu. in sing.] 1. an act of lifting and transporting something from one place to another: we did a carry of equipment. ∎  Football an act of running with the ball from scrimmage. ∎  the action of keeping something, esp. a gun, on one's person: this pistol is the right choice for on-duty or off-duty carry. ∎ hist. a place or route between navigable waters over which boats or supplies had to be carried. ∎  the transfer of a figure into an adjacent column (or the equivalent part of a computer memory) during an arithmetical operation. ∎  Finance the maintenance of an investment position in a securities market, esp. with regard to the costs or profits accruing.2. (in golf) the distance a ball travels before reaching the ground. ∎ (in golf) the distance a ball must travel to reach a certain destination. ∎  the range of a gun or similar weapon.PHRASES: carry the day be victorious or successful.carry weight be influential or important.PHRASAL VERBS: be/get carried away lose self-control: I got carried away when describing the final game.carry something forward transfer figures to a new page or account.carry someone/something off take someone or something away by force: bandits carried off his mule. ∎  (of a disease) kill someone.carry something off succeed in doing something difficult: he could not have carried it off without help.carry on1. continue an activity or task: carry on with what you were doing.2. inf. behave in an extreme way: she carries on about television programming.3. inf. be engaged in a love affair, typically one of which the speaker disapproves: she was carrying on with young Adam.carry something on engage in an activity: he could not carry on a logical conversation.carry something out perform a task or planned operation.carry over extend beyond the normal or original area of application: his artistic practice is clearly carrying over into his social thought.carry something over retain something and apply or deal with it in a new context: much of the wartime economic planning was carried over into the next decade. ∎  postpone an event: the match had to be carried over till Sunday. ∎ another way of saying carry something forward.carry something through bring a project to completion. ∎  bring something safely out of difficulties: he was the only one who could carry the country through.

carry

views updated Jun 27 2018

carry XIV. — AN., ONF. carier, var. of charier (mod. charrier cart, drag), f. c(h)ar CAR.
Hence carrier XIV; see -ER 1.

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