send S1 W1 /send/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle sent /sent/)
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: sendan ]
1 . BY POST ETC [transitive] to arrange for something to go or be taken to another place, especially by post:
Lyn sent some pictures of the wedding.
send somebody something
We sent Mom flowers for Mother’s Day.
We sent her a letter of apology.
send something to somebody/something
I’ll send a copy to you.
send something back/up/over etc
He ordered coffee to be sent up.
send something by post/sea/air etc
Monday is the last day to send cards by post to arrive by Christmas.
2 . RADIO/COMPUTER ETC [transitive] to make a message, electronic signal etc go somewhere, using radio equipment, computers etc
send somebody something
I sent her an email yesterday.
Radio signals were sent into deep space.
3 . PERSON TO PLACE
a) [transitive] to ask or tell someone to go somewhere, especially so that they can do something for you there:
The United Nations is sending troops.
send somebody to something
A police officer was sent to Ryan’s home.
send somebody back/away/over/home etc
Many of the refugees were sent back to Vietnam.
When Frank came, I told him I was ill and sent him away.
They sent me down to talk to Mr. Strachan.
Mr Ellison is here. Shall I send him in (=tell him to enter the room) ?
send somebody to do something
The U.S. offered to send ships to help in the rescue operation.
b) [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to arrange for someone to go to a place such as a school, prison, or hospital and spend some time there
send somebody to something
I can’t afford to send my kid to private school.
He was sent to prison for five years.
send somebody away/off
I was sent away to school at the age of six.
send somebody on something
New employees are sent on a training course.
4 . send (somebody) a message/signal if something that someone does or says sends a particular message, it has that meaning:
Advertising sends the message that you have to be thin to be successful.
5 . send your love/regards/best wishes etc spoken to ask someone to give your greetings, good wishes etc to someone else:
Mother sends her love.
6 . CAUSE TO MOVE [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to make something move from one place to another
send something through/to/over etc something
The blaze sent smoke over much of the city.
7 . send somebody/something flying/sprawling/reeling etc to make someone or something move quickly through the air or across something:
The explosion sent glass flying everywhere.
8 . AFFECT [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to make someone or something start to be in a particular state:
His lectures always send me to sleep.
send somebody/something into something
The tail broke apart, sending the plane into a dive.
9 . send word formal to tell someone something by sending them a letter or message
send word (to somebody) that/of something
They sent word to the king of their arrival.
10 . send shivers/chills up (and down) your spine to make you feel very frightened or excited:
The eerie howl of the siren sent chills up her spine.
11 . send somebody packing informal to tell someone who is not wanted that they must leave at once:
After his four years as governor, the voters sent him packing.
send away for something phrasal verb
to send a letter to a company or organization asking them to send something to you:
Send away for a free recipe booklet.
send down phrasal verb
1 . send something ↔ down to make something lose value:
The company’s bad figures sent its share price down.
2 . send somebody down British English informal to send someone to prison
send somebody down for
He was sent down for possession of cocaine.
3 . be sent down British English old-fashioned to be told to leave a university because of bad behaviour
send for somebody/something phrasal verb
1 . to ask or order that something be brought or sent to you, especially by writing a letter or by telephone:
Send for your free sample today!
2 . old-fashioned to ask or tell someone to come to you by sending them a message:
Charlie said he’d find a place to live and then send for me.
Get back into bed. I’ll send for the doctor.
I’ve sent for help.
send something/somebody ↔ in phrasal verb
1 . to send something, usually by post, to a place where it can be dealt with:
I sent in a few job applications last week.
2 . to send soldiers, police etc somewhere to deal with a difficult or dangerous situation:
British troops were sent in as part of the peace-keeping force.
send off phrasal verb
1 . send something ↔ off to send something somewhere by post:
I sent off the letter this morning.
2 . send off for something to send a letter to a company or organization asking them to post something to you:
I sent off for a copy of the photograph.
3 . send somebody ↔ off British English to order a sports player to leave the field because they have broken the rules:
One of Dundee’s players was sent off for punching another player.
send something ↔ on phrasal verb
1 . especially British English to send someone’s letters or possessions to their new address from their old address SYN forward :
My flatmate said she’d send on all my post.
2 . to send something that has been received to another place so that it can be dealt with
send something ↔ on to
The data is then sent on to the Census Bureau.
send out phrasal verb
1 . send something/somebody ↔ out to make a person or a group of people or things go from one place to various other places:
Information was sent out to interested students.
Search parties were sent out to look for survivors.
2 . send something ↔ out to broadcast or produce a signal, light, sound etc:
The ship is sending out an SOS signal.
3 . send out for something to ask a restaurant or food shop to deliver food to you at home or at work:
We sent out for sandwiches.
send something/somebody ↔ up phrasal verb
1 . to make something increase in value:
The oil shortage is bound to send prices up.
2 . British English informal to make someone or something seem silly by copying them in a funny way:
The film hilariously sends up Hollywood disaster movies.