Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[set back on one’s heels] or [knock back on one’s heels] {v. phr.}, {informal} To give an unpleasant surprise; upset suddenly; stop or turn back (someone’s) progress. •/Jack brags too much and it set him back on his heels when the coach told him he wasn’t as good a player as he thought he was./ •/Jean was doing very well in school until sickness knocked her back on her heels./ Compare: KNOCK FOR A LOOP, THROW FOR A LOSS.

[set down]{v.} 1. To write; record. •/He set down all his important thoughts in his dairy./ •/At the beginning of his letter Dan set down the date./ Syn.: PUT DOWN. 2. To stop a bus or other vehicle and let (someone) get off. •/The bus driver set her down at the corner./ 3. To put into some group; classify; consider. •/When he heard the man speak, he set him down as a fool./ 4. To explain; think a reason for. •/The teacher set down the boy’s poor English to his foreign birth./

[set eyes on] See: LAY EYES ON.

[set fire to]{v. phr.} To cause to burn; start a fire in. •/The sparks set fire to the oily rags./ Compare: CATCH FIRE.

[set foot]{v. phr.} To step; walk; go. — Used with a negative. •/She would not let him set foot across her threshold./ •/She told the boy not to set foot out of the house until he had finished supper./

[set forth]{v.}, {formal} 1. To explain exactly or clearly. •/The President set forth his plans in a television talk./ 2. To start to go somewhere; begin a trip. •/The troop set forth on their ten-mile hike early./ Compare: SET OUT.

[set free]{v. phr.} To liberate. •/The trapper set all the small animals free before the snowstorm hit./

[set great store by] See: SET STORE BY.

[set in]{v.} To begin; start; develop. •/Before the boat could reach shore, a storm had set in./ •/He did not keep the cut clean and infection set in./ •/The wind set in from the east./

[set in one’s ways]{adj. phr.} Stubborn; opinionated; unchangeable. •/My grandfather is so old and set in his ways that he’ll eat nothing new./

[set loose] See: LET LOOSE(1a).

[set off]{v.} 1. To decorate through contrast; balance by difference. •/The bright colors of the birds were set off by the white snow./ •/A small gold pin set off her plain dark dress./ 2. To balance; make somewhat equal. •/Her great wealth, as he thought, set off her plain face./ 3a. To begin to go. •/They set off for the West in a covered wagon./ Compare: SET OUT. 3b. To cause to begin. •/A letter from home set off an attack of homesickness./ •/An atomic explosion is created by setting off a chain reaction in the atom./ Compare: TOUCH OFF. 3c. To cause to explode. •/On July 4 we set off firecrackers in many places./

[set of new threads]{n. phr.} New men’s suit. •/"Nice set of new threads'" Ed said, when he saw Dave in his new tailor-made outfit./

[set on] also [set upon] {v.} 1. To begin suddenly to fight against; attack fiercely. •/Tom was walking through the park when a gang of boys set on him./ 2. To cause to attack. •/Some boys went to steal melons but the farmer set his dog on them./