What is the Latin word for set?

The usual Latin words for “set” are locō, collocō, statuō; also cōnstituō, praefiniō, praescrībō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“set” in Latin

locōto put, place, set; to arrange, establish; to lease, hire out, lend collocōto place, put, set in order, assign, arrange; to put together, assemble; to settle statuōto put up (something); to stand (something) in an upright position; to establish, determine, fix (the form or character cōnstituōto place, put, locate, lay; to set up, establish, constitute, found; to build, erect, construct praefiniōto determine or fix beforehand; to prescribe; to limit (set bounds)praescrībōto write in front; to prefix; to order, appoint, direct, command or prescribe repōnōto put back; to put back, return a bone to its proper place, to reduce a dislocation; to restore circumdōto surround, enclose, encircle īnstruōto build in or into, insert; erect, construct; to arrange, organise or organize, plan; devise; to prepare (for), provide ōrnōto furnish, equip, outfit, prepare; to adorn, ornament, decorate; to honor, commend, praise

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

set v.

To put, place, rem in loco ponere: locare: collocare: statuere: constituere. To set on, imponere in: to set on the table, ponere, collocare aliquid in mensa: to set foot into a place, pedem inferre in aliquem locum: never to set foot in anybody’s house again, numquam postea limen alicujus superare, subire. You are not suffered to set fool in your province, prohibiti estis in provincia, vestra pedem ponere (Cic.): to set one’s foot upon anything, pedem imponere alicui rei: to set up a trophy, tropaeum ponere (Nep.), statuere (Cic.). To set a boundary or limit, terminum ponere (Tac.), pangere (Cic.). [Vid: also, PLACE.]

To appoint, constitute, statuere: constituere. [Vid: APPOINT.]

To prescribe, praefinire: praescribere.

To plant, Vid:

To replace (a limb), in sedem suam compellere or reponere; reponere; in suas sedes (or in suam sedem) excitare (Cels., 8, 10). To set a broken hip, coxam fractam collocare (Plin., Ep., 2, 1, 5). Not to set it well, parum apte collocare aliquid (e.g., coxam fractam, Plin., loc, cit.).

To inclose (in gold, etc.), circumdare; circumcludere aliquid aliqua re; marginare aliquid (to put in a frame). To set in gold, auro includere (e.g., smaragdos, Lucr.); aliquid a labris circumcludere auro or argento (to surround with gold or silver at the edge; e.g., cornu, Caes. B.G., 6, 28). To set a stone in a ring, funda claudere or includere gemmam.

To variegate by something placed or fixed in anything, instruere, exstruere aliquid aliqua re (to furnish copiously or sufficiently with): ornare, adornare aliquid aliqua re (furnish, adorn with anything): distinguere (to set with things which attract observation by their color and brilliancy). (The words are found in this connection and order.) distinguere et ornare.

PHR. To set bounds to, terminis circumscribere; terminos statuere alicui rei; terminos, modum, ponere alicui rei: to set fire to, succendere: to set one’s mind on anything, ad aliquid animum adjicere: to set to music, aptare: to set a net, rete ponere: to set a dog on anybody, instigare canem in aliquem: to set in order, disponere [Vid: ARRANGE]: to set a price on, pretium imponere alicui rei: to set sail [Vid :, SAIL]. To set to [Vid. APPLY, FIGHT].

In composition: to set about [Vid. BEGIN, UNDERTAKE]. To set against [Vid: OPPOSE]. To set aside [Vid. OMIT, REJECT, ABROGATE]. To set by [Vid. REGARD, ESTEEM]. To set down (= put down by a severe speech), verbis castigare [Vid. REGISTER, FIX, ESTABLISH, DEGRADE]. To set forth [Vid. PUBLISH, DISPLAY, REPRESENT, SHOW]. To set forward [Vid. ADVANCE, PROMOTE]. To set in [Vid. BEGIN, COME]. To set off [Vid. ADORN, COMMEND]. To set on [Vid. INCITE, ATTACK]. To set out [Vid. ADORN, DISPLAY]. To set up [Vid. ERECT, ESTABLISH, APPOINT, FIX]. To set upon [Vid. ATTACK, PUT]

set v.

Intransitively, (Of the heavenly bodies), occidere: obire: abire. The sun is near his setting, jam ad solis occasum est: the sun sets, sol occidit: nox appetit (night draws on).

set s.

Number of things suited to each other, ordo (or mostly by circumlocution; e.g., a set of horses, equorum jugum; equi juncti, jugales). A set of dishes, synthesis.

Preparation for an attack, saltus; impetus [Vid: ATTACK].

A layer, propago

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for set?: The usual Latin words for “set” are locō, collocō, statuō; also cōnstituō, praefiniō, praescrībō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.