settles

noun

A habitational surname from Old English.

A town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, previously in Craven district (OS grid ref SD816640).

An unincorporated community in Allen County, Kentucky, United States.

(archaic) A seat of any kind.

(now rare) A long bench with a high back and arms, often with chest or storage space underneath.

(obsolete) A place made lower than the rest; a wide step or platform lower than some other part. (Compare a depression.)

verb

To conclude or resolve (something):

(transitive) To determine (something which was exposed to doubt or question); to resolve conclusively; to set or fix (a time, an order of succession, etc).

(transitive) To conclude, to cause (a dispute) to finish.

(transitive) In particular, to terminate (a lawsuit), usually out of court, by agreement of all parties.

(transitive) To close, liquidate or balance (an account) by payment, sometimes of less than is owed or due.

(transitive, colloquial) To pay (a bill).

(intransitive) To adjust differences or accounts; to come to an agreement on matters in dispute.

(intransitive) To conclude a lawsuit by agreement of the parties rather than a decision of a court.

(transitive) To place or arrange in(to) a desired (especially: calm) state, or make final disposition of (something).

(transitive) To put into (proper) place; to make sit or lie properly.

(transitive) To cause to no longer be in a disturbed, confused or stormy; to quiet; to calm (nerves, waters, a boisterous or rebellious child, etc).

To kill.

(transitive) To bring or restore (ground, roads, etc) to a smooth, dry, or passable condition.

(intransitive) To become calm, quiet, or orderly; to stop being agitated.

(intransitive) To become firm, dry, and hard, like the ground after the effects of rain or frost have disappeared.

To establish or become established in a steady position:

(transitive) To place in(to) a fixed or permanent condition or position or on(to) a permanent basis; to make firm, steady, or stable; to establish or fix.

(transitive) In particular, to establish in life; to fix in business, in a home, etc.

(transitive, law) To formally, legally secure (an annuity, property, title, etc) on (a person).

(intransitive) To become married, or a householder.

(intransitive, with "in") To be established in a profession or in employment.

(intransitive, usually with "down", "in", "on" or another preposition) To become stationary or fixed; to come to rest.

(intransitive) To fix one's residence in a place; to establish a dwelling place, home, or colony. (Compare settle down.)

(transitive, in particular) To colonize (an area); to migrate to (a land, territory, site, etc).

(transitive) To move (people) to (a land or territory), so as to colonize it; to cause (people) to take residence in (a place).

To sink, or cause (something, or impurities within it) to sink down, especially so as to become clear or compact.

(transitive) To clear or purify (a liquid) of dregs and impurities by causing them to sink.

(transitive) To cause to sink down or to be deposited (dregs, sediment, etc).

(transitive) To render compact or solid; to cause to become packed down.

(intransitive) To sink to the bottom of a body of liquid, as dregs of a liquid, or the sediment of a reservoir.

(intransitive) To sink gradually to a lower level; to subside, for example the foundation of a house, etc.

(intransitive) To become compact due to sinking.

(intransitive) To become clear due to the sinking of sediment. (Used especially of liquid. Also used figuratively.)

(ambitransitive) Of an animal: to make or become pregnant.

(British, dialectal) To silence, especially by force.

(transitive, US, obsolete) In particular, to establish in pastoral office; to ordain or install as pastor or rector of a church, society, or parish.

(intransitive, obsolete) To make a jointure for a spouse.

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Words related to settles

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