throw
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A man throws a coconut on a beach in Ivory Coast (1)
English
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: thrō, IPA(key): /θɹəʊ/,
Audio (Southern England): (file) - (General American) enPR: thrō, IPA(key): /θɹoʊ/,
Audio (General American): (file) Audio (General Australian): (file) - Homophone: throe
- Rhymes: -əʊ
Etymology 1
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 warp as the word for hurling and was displaced by warp as the word for twisting.
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.
- Synonyms: bung, cast, fling, hurl; see also Thesaurus:throw
- throw a shoe; throw a javelin; the horse threw its rider
- 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
- 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.
- (transitive) To eject or cause to fall off.
- c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :
- There the snake throws her enamelled skin.
- (transitive) To move to another position or condition; to displace.
- 1918, W B Maxwell, chapter XVII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
- 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.
- (transitive, ceramics) To make (a pot) by shaping clay as it turns on a wheel.
- 2009 January 19, Linda Franz, Basic Pottery Making: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started, Stackpole Books, →ISBN:
- 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.
- (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.
- If the file is read-only, the method throws an invalid-operation exception.
- (sports, video games) To intentionally lose a game.
- Synonym: take a dive
- The tennis player was accused of taking bribes to throw the match.
- 2012 August 1, Peter Walker, Haroon Siddique, Eight Olympic badminton players disqualified for 'throwing games', Guardian Unlimited:
- 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.
- (sports, transitive) (of a game where one’s role is throwing something) To perform in a specified way in (a match).
- The pitcher threw a perfect game.
- (transitive, informal) To confuse or mislead.
- The deliberate red herring threw me at first.
- 1999, Jan Blackstone-Ford, The Custody Solutions Sourcebook, page 196:
- “Jann, why does he hate me so much?” That question threw me. I was expecting a lunatic yelling profanities.
- (transitive, figuratively) To send hastily or desperately.
- Their sergeant threw the troops into pitched battle.
- 2010 December 28, Marc Vesty, “Stoke 0-2 Fulham”, in BBC:
- 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.
- (transitive) To imprison.
- The magistrate ordered the suspect to be thrown into jail.
- 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. , volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC:
- The plot of Felix was quickly discovered, and De Lacey and Agatha were thrown into prison.
- 1993, Margaret McKee, Fred Chisenhall, Beale black & blue: life and music on black America’s main street, page 30:
- 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.
- (transitive) To organize an event, especially a party.
- She was known for throwing the craziest parties in college.
- 1986 March 1, “Bash Planned”, in Evening News:
- 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”.
- 1979 July, Working Mother, page 72:
- 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 […]
- (transitive, intransitive) To roll (a die or dice).
- 1844, Snorri Sturluson, translated by Samuel Laing, Heimskringla:
- 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.
- (transitive) To cause a certain number on the die or dice to be shown after rolling it.
- 1844, Snorri Sturluson, translated by Samuel Laing, Heimskringla:
- 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.
- (transitive, bridge) To discard.
- 1990 January 4, “Sharp coup overcomes trump split”, in The Washington Times:
- 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.
- (martial arts) To lift or unbalance one’s opponent and then bring him back down to the ground, especially into a position behind the thrower.
- 1922, E R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros, London: Jonathan Cape, page 25:
- So they stood up, and wrastled another while in silence. Soon the King made trial once again of the fall whereby he had sought to throw him in the first bout, twisting suddenly his right side against Goldry, and catching with his leg Goldry’s leg, and therewith leaning against him with main force.
- (transitive) To change (one’s voice) in order to give the illusion that the voice is that of someone else, or coming from a different place.
- 2005 April 13, Leon Neyfakh, “BOOKENDS: Will the Real Jonathan Safran Foer Please Stand Up”, in Harvard Crimson:
- “Then, when I throw my voice, when I speak as someone who’s quite different from me, it starts to feel very authentic.”
- (transitive) To show sudden emotion, especially anger.
- 1991, Janet L. Davies, Ellen Hastings Janosik, Mental health and psychiatric nursing: a caring approach:
- 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 […]
- 1996 August 19, “Entertaining Mrs Stone”, in New York Magazine, volume 29, number 32:
- 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.
- (transitive) To project or send forth.
- 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, chapter I, in The House Behind the Cedars:
- 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.
- 2007 June 11, Claude Salhani, “Analysis: Irony of Bush's European tour”, in UPI:
- 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.
- To put on hastily; to spread carelessly.
- 1726, Alexander, transl. Pope, “Book III”, in The Odyssey, translation of original by Homer, line 596; republished in The Complete Poetical Works of Alexander Pope, Boston, New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1902, page 543:
- O’er his fair limbs a flowery vest he threw.
- 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.
- 1829, Stephen Glover, Thomas Noble, The History of the County of Derby:
- A person named Crocket endeavoured to throw silk at Derby in the year 1702 ; but his machinery was imperfect
- (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).
- 1860, Fredrika Bremer (trans. Mary Howitt), Life in the Old World, v. 1, p. 164:
- across the rapid smaragdus-green waters, pouring onward into the country, are thrown three bridges
- 1860, Fredrika Bremer (trans. Mary Howitt), Life in the Old World, v. 1, p. 164:
- (obsolete, Scotland, Northern England) To twist or turn.
- a thrown nail
- (American football) Synonym of pass
- (transitive, of a punch or boxing combination) To deliver.
- (transitive, veterinary medicine) Of animals: to give birth to (young).
- 1916, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, volume 49:
- At the end of the normal gestation period the cow threw two calf mummies as large as cats.
- 2008, Monte Dwyer, Red In The Centre: The Australian Bush Through Urban Eyes, Monyer Pty Ltd, page 200:
- They can kid twice a year if things are right, and they often throw twins and triplets.
Conjugation
Conjugation of throw
| infinitive | (to) throw | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| present tense | past tense | ||
| 1st-person singular | throw | threw | |
| 2nd-person singular | throw, throwest† | threw, threwst† | |
| 3rd-person singular | throws, throweth† | threw | |
| plural | throw | ||
| subjunctive | throw | threw | |
| imperative | throw | — | |
| participles | throwing | thrown, thrun* | |
Derived terms
- bethrow
- forthrow
- like throwing a hot dog down a hallway
- offthrow
- outthrow
- overthrow
- people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
- throw a bone to
- throw about
- throw a fit
- throw a kiss
- throw a mickey
- throw a monkey wrench in the works
- throw a monkey wrench into the works
- throw an ant into a sty
- throw an eye
- throw a party
- throw a sickie
- throw aside
- throw a spanner in the works
- throw a spanner in the works
- throw a spanner into the works
- throw a sprat to catch a mackerel
- throw a tantrum
- throw away the key
- throw away, throw-away
- throw a wet blanket on
- throw a wobbly
- throw a wrench in
- throw a wrench in the gears
- throw a wrench in the works
- throw a wrench in the works
- throw a wrench into the works
- throw back
- throwback
- throw BBs
- throw by
- throw caution to the wind
- throw chunks
- throw cold water on
- throw-crook
- throw dirt
- throw dirt on
- throw down
- throw down one's tools
- throw down the gauntlet
- throw dust in someone's eyes
- throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick
- throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick
- throw for a loop
- throw gasoline on the fire
- throw gas on the fire
- throw good money after bad
- throw hands
- throw in
- throw in at the deep end
- throwing
- throw in one's hand
- throw in one's lot with
- throw in the bark
- throw in the cards
- throw in the sponge
- throw in the towel
- throw into a cocked hat
- throw in with
- throw it back
- throw light on
- throw money around
- throw nickels around like manhole covers
- throw off
- throw off balance
- throw off on
- throw off the trail
- throw on
- throw one's cap over the windmill
- throw oneself at
- throw oneself behind
- throw oneself into
- throw oneself on
- throw oneself on someone's mercy not have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of
- throw oneself upon
- throw one's hat in the ring
- throw one's hat into the ring
- throw one's hat over the fence
- throw one's hat over the wall
- throw one's hat over the windmill
- throw one's hotdog down someone's hallway
- throw one's luck in with
- throw one's name in the hat
- throw one's rattle out of the cot
- throw one's rattle out of the pram
- throw one's toys out of the cot
- throw one's toys out of the pram
- throw one's voice
- throw one's weight around
- throw one's weight behind
- throw open
- throw out
- throw out
- throw pearls before swine
- throw shapes
- throw someone a curveball
- throw stones
- throw tantrums
- throw the baby out with the bathwater
- throw the book at
- throw the bull
- throw the bull around
- throw the handkerchief
- throw the hatchet
- throw them bows
- throw the rulebook at
- throw things at the wall and see what sticks
- throw together
- throw to the dogs
- throw to the lions
- throw to the wind
- throw to the winds
- throw to the wolves
- throw true
- throw under a bus
- throw under the bus
- throw under the bus
- throw up
- throw up one's hands
- throw up one's hands
- throw up the sponge
- throw up the sponge
- throw wobblies
- trust someone as far as one could throw them
- upthrow
Translations
to cause an object to move rapidly through the air
|
to eject or cause to fall off
|
to move to another position
to make by shaping clay as it turns on a wheel
in cricket, to deliver the ball illegally by straightening the bowling arm during delivery
computing: to send an error to an exception-handling mechanism
sports: to intentionally lose a game
to cause a certain number on the die or dice
of voice: to change in order to give the illusion that the voice is that of someone else
to install a bridge
|
American football: to pass — see pass
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
References
Noun
throw (plural throws)
- The act of throwing something.
- With an accurate throw, he lassoed the cow.
- What a great throw by the quarterback!
- The gambler staked everything on one throw of the dice.
- 2006, Hans-Wolfgang Loidl, Trends in Functional Programming, volume 5, page 62:
- If the expression is a throw, we unwind the stack seeking a handler expression.
- (martial arts) A move in which one lifts or unbalances one’s opponent and then brings him down to the ground.
- One’s ability to throw.
- He’s always had a pretty decent throw.
- (Can we verify(+) this sense?) The distance travelled by something thrown.
- 1922, E R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros, London: Jonathan Cape, page 104:
- Only on the north-east may aught save a winged thing come at the castle, across a smooth grass-grown saddle less than a stone’s throw in width.
- (Can we verify(+) this sense?) The flight of a thrown object.
- A distance travelled in general; displacement.
- the throw of the piston
- 1947, James Jerome Gibson, Motion Picture Testing and Research, number 7, page 49:
- 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.
- A piece of fabric used to cover a bed, sofa or other soft furnishing.
- Synonym: throwover
- (informal) A single instance, occurrence, venture, or chance.
- Football tickets are expensive at fifty bucks a throw.
- (historical) A hand-operated lathe, especially a small lathe used by clockmakers.
Derived terms
Translations
flight of a thrown object
|
act of throwing something
a distance travelled
piece of fabric used to cover a bed, sofa or other soft furnishing
References
- Krueger, Dennis (December 1982). "Why On Earth Do They Call It Throwing?" Studio Potter Vol. 11, Number 1.
Etymology 2
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.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
- Downe himselfe he layd
Vpon the grassie ground, to sleepe a throw;
The cold earth was his couch, the hard steele his pillow.
Synonyms
Etymology 3
See throe.
Noun
throw (plural throws)
- Obsolete spelling of throe.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 41, page 146:
- O man haue mind of that laſt bitter throw;
For as the tree does fall, ſo lyes it euer low.
- 1597, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], “Of Cotton Grasse”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. , London: Edm Bollifant, for Bonham and Iohn Norton, →OCLC, book I, page 27:
- Cordus ſaith, that Iuncus bombicinus ſodden in wine, and ſo taken, helpeth the throwes and gripings of the bellie, that women haue in their childing.
- c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 97, column 1:
- 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, with other incident throwes
That Natures fragile Veſſell doth ſuſtaine
In lifes vncertaine voyage, I will ſome kindnes do them, […]
- 1693, Thomas Yalden, “The Curse of Babylon. Paraphras’d from the Thirteenth Chapter of Isaia. A Pindaric Ode.”, in Examen Poeticum: Being the Third Part of Miscellany Poems. , London: R. E. for Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC, stanza 5, pages 314–315:
- I'll viſit their Diſtreſs with Plagues and Miſeries,
The throws that VVomens Labours wait,
Convulſive Pangs, and bloody Sweat,
Their Beauty ſhall conſume, and vital Spirits ſeize.
- 1719, [Daniel Defoe], The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe; , London: W Taylor , →OCLC, page 203:
- 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; […]
- a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Autumn”, in The Seasons, London: A Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, , published 1768, →OCLC, page 161, lines 1322–1323:
- Seiz'd by the general joy, his heart diſtends
With gentle throws; […]
- 1742, [Edward Young], “Night the First. On Life, Death, and Immortality. ”, in The Complaint: Or, Night-Thoughts on Life, Death, & Immortality, London: [Samuel Richardson] for A Millar , and R Dodsley , published 1750, →OCLC, page 14:
- 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.
- 1806 October, J. H. K., “Hints on the Manner in which Christian Parents should Improve the Death of Children”, in The Evangelical Magazine, volume XIV, London: for Williams and Smith, , →OCLC, page 441:
- 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.
- 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 8, column 1:
- 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.