fix a limit

  • 31determine — [14] The central meaning of determine is ‘fix a limit to’, as in ‘determine the scope of an enquiry’. It comes via Old French determiner from Latin dētermināre, a compound verb formed from the prefix dē ‘off’ and termināre ‘limit’ (source of… …

    Word origins

  • 32draw — (dr[add]), v. t. [imp. {Drew} (dr[udd]); p. p. {Drawn} (dr[add]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Drawing}.] [OE. dra[yogh]en, drahen, draien, drawen, AS. dragan; akin to Icel. & Sw. draga, Dan. drage to draw, carry, and prob. to OS. dragan to bear, carry, D.… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 33Drawing — draw draw (dr[add]), v. t. [imp. {Drew} (dr[udd]); p. p. {Drawn} (dr[add]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Drawing}.] [OE. dra[yogh]en, drahen, draien, drawen, AS. dragan; akin to Icel. & Sw. draga, Dan. drage to draw, carry, and prob. to OS. dragan to bear,… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 34Drawn — draw draw (dr[add]), v. t. [imp. {Drew} (dr[udd]); p. p. {Drawn} (dr[add]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Drawing}.] [OE. dra[yogh]en, drahen, draien, drawen, AS. dragan; akin to Icel. & Sw. draga, Dan. drage to draw, carry, and prob. to OS. dragan to bear,… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 35Drew — draw draw (dr[add]), v. t. [imp. {Drew} (dr[udd]); p. p. {Drawn} (dr[add]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Drawing}.] [OE. dra[yogh]en, drahen, draien, drawen, AS. dragan; akin to Icel. & Sw. draga, Dan. drage to draw, carry, and prob. to OS. dragan to bear,… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 36To draw a bow — draw draw (dr[add]), v. t. [imp. {Drew} (dr[udd]); p. p. {Drawn} (dr[add]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Drawing}.] [OE. dra[yogh]en, drahen, draien, drawen, AS. dragan; akin to Icel. & Sw. draga, Dan. drage to draw, carry, and prob. to OS. dragan to bear,… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 37To draw a cover — draw draw (dr[add]), v. t. [imp. {Drew} (dr[udd]); p. p. {Drawn} (dr[add]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Drawing}.] [OE. dra[yogh]en, drahen, draien, drawen, AS. dragan; akin to Icel. & Sw. draga, Dan. drage to draw, carry, and prob. to OS. dragan to bear,… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 38To draw a curtain — draw draw (dr[add]), v. t. [imp. {Drew} (dr[udd]); p. p. {Drawn} (dr[add]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Drawing}.] [OE. dra[yogh]en, drahen, draien, drawen, AS. dragan; akin to Icel. & Sw. draga, Dan. drage to draw, carry, and prob. to OS. dragan to bear,… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 39To draw a line — draw draw (dr[add]), v. t. [imp. {Drew} (dr[udd]); p. p. {Drawn} (dr[add]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Drawing}.] [OE. dra[yogh]en, drahen, draien, drawen, AS. dragan; akin to Icel. & Sw. draga, Dan. drage to draw, carry, and prob. to OS. dragan to bear,… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 40To draw back — draw draw (dr[add]), v. t. [imp. {Drew} (dr[udd]); p. p. {Drawn} (dr[add]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Drawing}.] [OE. dra[yogh]en, drahen, draien, drawen, AS. dragan; akin to Icel. & Sw. draga, Dan. drage to draw, carry, and prob. to OS. dragan to bear,… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English