Word definition: throw

Etimology


From Middle English throwen, thrawen, from Old English þrāwan (“to turn, twist”), from Proto-West Germanic *þrāan, from Proto-Germanic *þrēaną (“to twist, turn”), from Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- (“to rub, rub by twisting, twist, turn”). Cognate with Scots thraw (“to twist, turn, throw”), West Frisian triuwe (“to push”), Dutch draaien (“to turn”), Low German draien, dreien (“to turn (in a lathe)”), German drehen (“to turn”). Displaced Middle English werpen.

verb


throw (third-person singular simple present throws, present participle throwing, simple past threw or (nonstandard) throwed, past participle thrown or (nonstandard) throwed or (nonstandard) threw)

(transitive) To hurl; to release (an object) with some force from one's hands, an apparatus, etc. so that it moves rapidly through the air.

(transitive) To eject or cause to fall off.

(transitive) To move to another position or condition; to displace.

(transitive, ceramics) To make (a pot) by shaping clay as it turns on a wheel.

(transitive, cricket, of a bowler) To deliver (the ball) illegally by straightening the bowling arm during delivery.

(transitive, computing) To send (an error) to an exception-handling mechanism in order to interrupt normal processing.

(sports, video games) To intentionally lose a game.

(sports, transitive) (of a game where one's role is throwing something) to perform in a specified way in (a match).

(transitive, informal) To confuse or mislead.

(transitive, figuratively) To send desperately.

(transitive) To imprison.

(transitive) To organize an event, especially a party.

(transitive, intransitive) To roll (a die or dice).

(transitive) To cause a certain number on the die or dice to be shown after rolling it.

(transitive, bridge) To discard.

(martial arts) To lift the opponent off the ground and bring him back down, especially into a position behind the thrower.

(transitive, said of one's voice) To change in order to give the illusion that the voice is that of someone else.

(transitive) To show sudden emotion, especially anger.

(transitive) To project or send forth.

To put on hastily; to spread carelessly.

To twist two or more filaments of (silk, etc.) so as to form one thread; to twist together, as singles, in a direction contrary to the twist of the singles themselves; sometimes applied to the whole class of operations by which silk is prepared for the weaver.

(baseball, slang, of a team, a manager, etc.) To select (a pitcher); to assign a pitcher to a given role (such as starter or reliever).

(transitive) To install (a bridge).

(obsolete, Scotland, Northern England) To twist or turn.

(American football) Synonym of pass

(transitive, of a punch or boxing combination) To deliver.

(transitive, veterinary medicine) Of animals: to give birth to (young).

Examples


Synonyms: bowl, bung, buzz, cast, catapult, chuck, dash, direct, fire, fling, flip, heave, hurl, launch, lob, pitch, project, propel, send, shoot, shy, sling, toss, whang

throw a shoe; throw a javelin; the horse threw its rider

When this conversation was repeated in detail within the hearing of the young woman in question, and undoubtedly for his benefit, Mr. Trevor threw shame to the winds and scandalized the Misses Brewster then and there by proclaiming his father to have been a country storekeeper.

There the snake throws her enamelled skin.

Synonyms: eject, throw off

Synonyms: displace, relocate

throw the switch

This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer.

Through practice, you'll learn how to add the right amount of water as you throw a pot, and your fingers will feel when the pot has reached the proper thickness.

If the file is read-only, the method throws an invalid-operation exception.

Synonym: take a dive

The tennis player was accused of taking bribes to throw the match.

Four pairs of women's doubles badminton players, including the Chinese top seeds, have been ejected from the Olympic tournament for trying to throw matches in an effort to secure a more favourable quarter-final draw.

The pitcher threw a perfect game.

The deliberate red herring threw me at first.

"Jann, why does he hate me so much?" That question threw me. I was expecting a lunatic yelling profanities.

Their sergeant threw the troops into pitched battle.

Stoke threw men forward in numbers as they attempted to find a way back into the game, and Mark Schwarzer was forced into a low save from Huth's close-range effort.

The magistrate ordered the suspect to be thrown into jail.

The plot of Felix was quickly discovered, and De Lacey and Agatha were thrown into prison.

The standard method of dealing with an addict was to arrest him, throw him into a cell, and leave him until the agonizing pangs of withdrawal were over.

She was known for throwing the craziest parties in college.

And now, Clevelanders hoping to bring the Rock Roll Hall of Fame to their city are throwing a bash to commemorate the 34th birthday of disc Jockey Alan Freed's "Moondog Coronation Ball".

Should you be interested, for whatever reason, it will tell you how to throw a party for your 40-year-old husband or your 100-year-old great-grandmother. It also describes games that can be played at various kinds of parties […]

The kings came to the agreement between themselves that they would cast lots by the dice to determine who should have this property, and that he who threw the highest should have the district. The Swedish king threw two sixes, and said King Olaf need scarcely throw.

The kings came to the agreement between themselves that they would cast lots by the dice to determine who should have this property, and that he who threw the highest should have the district. The Swedish king threw two sixes, and said King Olaf need scarcely throw.

Declarer threw his queen of spades on the high diamond. He then won the last three tricks with his ace, queen and nine of hearts behind East's jack third.

“Then, when I throw my voice, when I speak as someone who's quite different from me, it starts to feel very authentic.”

Bill runs into the kitchen and tells Dad that Erik is throwing a tantrum. He tells Bill to go back and watch his program and to ignore his brother. Fifteen minutes later, Erik is still screaming […]

In 1975, pregnant with the second of her three children, she threw a hissy fit to get on a trip to Boston for elected officials.

Warwick left the undertaker's shop and retraced his steps until he had passed the lawyer's office, toward which he threw an affectionate glance.

In other European cities the president visited this week, people waited for his motorcade to pass to throw insults at him, requiring the police to intervene with batons, water cannons and tear gas.

O'er his fair limbs a flowery vest he threw.

A person named Crocket endeavoured to throw silk at Derby in the year 1702 ; but his machinery was imperfect

I have a minor quibble with Gleason's decision to throw Lefty Williams in Game Eight with the Series in the balance.

[…] across the rapid smaragdus-green waters, pouring onward into the country, are thrown three bridges ...

a thrown nail

···not only did I not want to throw a punch at him, I wanted to give him a solid silver token of thanks···

At the end of the normal gestation period the cow threw two calf mummies as large as cats.

"They can kid twice a year if things are right, and they often throw twins and triplets."

Related words


synonyms

See also Thesaurus:throw

noun


throw (plural throws)

The flight of a thrown object.

The act of throwing something.

One's ability to throw.

A distance travelled; displacement.

A piece of fabric used to cover a bed, sofa or other soft furnishing.

A single instance, occurrence, venture, or chance.

(veterinary medicine) The act of giving birth in animals, especially in cows.

Examples


What a great throw by the quarterback!

With an accurate throw, he lassoed the cow.

The gambler staked everything on one throw of the dice.

If the expression is a throw, we unwind the stack seeking a handler expression.

He's got a girl's throw.

He's always had a pretty decent throw.

the throw of the piston

The visibility of the screen image is affected by the length of throw of the projector, the type of projector, the intensity of the projector lamp, and the type of the screen.

Synonym: throwover

Football tickets are expensive at fifty bucks a throw.

Etimology


From Middle English, from Old English þrāh, þrāg (“space of time, period, while”). Of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Gothic 𐌸𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (þragjan, “to run”).

noun


throw (plural throws)

(obsolete) A moment, time, occasion.

(obsolete) A period of time; a while.

Examples


Downe himselfe he layd / Vpon the grassie ground, to sleepe a throw; / The cold earth was his couch, the hard steele his pillow.

Related words


synonyms

stound

Etimology


See throe.

noun


throw (plural throws)

Obsolete spelling of throe

Examples


O man haue mind of that laſt bitter throvv; / For as the tree does fall, ſo lyes it euer lovv.

[Valerius] Cordus ſaith, that Iuncus bombicinus ſodden in vvine, and ſo taken, helpeth the throvves and gripings of the bellie, that vvomen haue in their childing.

Commend me to them, / And tell them, that to eaſe them of their greefes, / Their feares of Hoſtile ſtrokes, their Aches loſſes, / Their pangs of Loue, vvith other incident throvves / That Natures fragile Veſſell doth ſuſtaine / In lifes vncertaine voyage, I vvill ſome kindnes do them, […]

I'll viſit their Diſtreſs vvith Plagues and Miſeries, / The throvvs that VVomens Labours vvait, / Convulſive Pangs, and bloody Svveat, / Their Beauty ſhall conſume, and vital Spirits ſeize.

I had then ſuch Convulſions in my Stomach, for want of ſome Suſtenance, that I cannot deſcribe; with ſuch frequent Throws and Pangs of Appetite, that nothing but the Tortures of Death can imitate; […]

Seiz'd by the general joy, his heart diſtends / With gentle throws; […]

In this Shape, or in that, has Fate entail'd / The Mother's Throws on all of Woman born, / Not more the Children, than ſure Heirs of Pain.

[W]e never know the full force of parental affection till our children are about to be taken from us. It is then that we discover how strongly they have entwined themselves round our hearts; when we behold the fixed eye, the pale lips, the convulsive throws of death distorting the countenance; or when with aching and throbbing hearts we deposit those who are a part of ourselves in the cold and silent grave.

verb


throw (third-person singular simple present throws, present participle throwing, simple past threw, past participle thrown)

Obsolete spelling of throe

Examples


Pre-thee ſay on, / The ſetting of thine eye, and cheeke proclaime / A matter from thee; and a birth, indeed, / Which throwes thee much to yeeld.

Data provided by Wiktionary