Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

do.

do. ({not transcribed}) , noun

An abbreviation of Ditto.

Do (dō) , noun

(Music) A syllable attached to the first tone of the major diatonic scale for the purpose of solmization, or solfeggio. It is the first of the seven syllables used by the Italians as manes of musical tones, and replaced, for the sake of euphony, the syllable Ut, applied to the note C. In England and America the same syllables are used by many as a scale pattern, while the tones in respect to absolute pitch are named from the first seven letters of the alphabet.

do (do) , v. t. o auxiliary

[Anglo-Saxon dōn; akin to Dutch doen, Old Saxon duan, Old High German tuon, German thun, Lithuanian deti, OSlav. dēti, OIr. dénim I do, Greek tiqe`nai to put, Sanskrit dhā, and to English suffix -dom, and prob. to Latin facere to do, English fact, and perh. to Latin -dere in some compounds, as addere to add, credere to trust. r65. Compare Deed, Deem, Doom, Fact, Creed, Theme.]

1.
To place; to put. [Obsolete] — Tale of a Usurer (about 1330)
What dost thou in this world? — Milton
2.
To cause; to make; -- with an infinitive. [Obsolete]
My lord Abbot of Westminster did do shewe to me late certain evidences. — W. Caxton
I shall... your cloister do make. — Piers Plowman
A fatal plague which many did to die. — Spenser
We do you to wit [i. e., We make you to know] of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia. — 2 Cor. viii. 1

We have lost the idiom shown by the citations (do used like the French faire or laisser), in which the verb in the infinitive apparently, but not really, has a passive signification, i. e., cause... to be made.

3.
To bring about; to produce, as an effect or result; to effect; to achieve.
The neglecting it may do much danger. — Shakespeare
He waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good not harm. — Shakespeare
4.
To perform, as an action; to execute; to transact to carry out in action; as, to do a good or a bad act; do our duty; to do what I can.
Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work. — Ex. xx. 9
We did not do these things. — Ld. Lytton
You can not do wrong without suffering wrong. — Emerson
5.
To bring to an end by action; to perform completely; to finish; to accomplish; -- a sense conveyed by the construction, which is that of the past participle done.
Ere summer half be done. — Shakespeare
I have done weeping.
6.
To make ready for an object, purpose, or use, as food by cooking; to cook completely or sufficiently; as, the meat is done on one side only.
7.
To put or bring into a form, state, or condition, especially in the phrases, to do death, to put to death; to slay; to do away (often do away with), to put away; to remove; to do on, to put on; to don; to do off, to take off, as dress; to doff; to do into, to put into the form of; to translate or transform into, as a text.
Done to death by slanderous tongues. — Shakespeare
The ground of the difficulty is done away. — Paley
Suspicions regarding his loyalty were entirely done away. — Thackeray
To do on our own harness, that we may not; but we must do on the armor of God. — Latimer
Then Jason rose and did on him a fair Blue woolen tunic. — W. Morris (Jason)
Though the former legal pollution be now done off, yet there is a spiritual contagion in idolatry as much to be shunned. — Milton
It [“Pilgrim's Progress”] has been done into verse: it has been done into modern English. — Macaulay
8.
To cheat; to gull; to overreach. [Colloquial]
He was not be done, at his time of life, by frivolous offers of a compromise that might have secured him seventy-five per cent. — De Quincey
9.
To see or inspect; to explore; as, to do all the points of interest. [Colloquial]
10.
(Stock Exchange) To cash or to advance money for, as a bill or note.
11.
To perform work upon, about, for, or at, by way of caring for, looking after, preparing, cleaning, keeping in order, or the like.
The sergeants seem to do themselves pretty well. — Harper's Mag
12.
To deal with for good and all; to finish up; to undo; to ruin; to do for. [Colloquial or Slang]
Sometimes they lie in wait in these dark streets, and fracture his skull,... or break his arm, or cut the sinew of his wrist; and that they call doing him. — Charles Reade
Rarely... did the wrongs of individuals to the knowledge of the public. — Macaulay
My brightest hopes giving dark fears a being. As the light does the shadow. — Longfellow
Collocations (9)
To do one's best or To do one's diligence , to exert one's self; to put forth one's best or most or most diligent efforts. We will... do our best to gain their assent. — Jowett (Thucyd.)
To do one's business , to ruin one. [Colloquial] — Wycherley
To do one shame , to cause one shame. [Obsolete]
To do over , (a) To make over; to perform a second time. (b) To cover; to spread; to smear. Boats... sewed together and done over with a kind of slimy stuff like rosin. — De Foe
To do to death , to put to death. [Obsolete]
To do up , (a) To put up; to raise. [Obsolete] — Chaucer (b) To pack together and envelop; to pack up. (c) To accomplish thoroughly. [Colloquial] (d) To starch and iron. A rich gown of velvet, and a ruff done up with the famous yellow starch. — Hawthorne
To do way , to put away; to lay aside. [Obsolete] — Chaucer
To do with , to dispose of; to make use of; to employ; -- usually preceded by what. Men are many times brought to that extremity, that were it not for God they would not know what to do with themselves. — Tillotson
To have to do with , to have concern, business or intercourse with; to deal with. When preceded by what, the notion is usually implied that the affair does not concern the person denoted by the subject of have. Philology has to do with language in its fullest sense. — Earle What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? — 2 Sam. xvi. 10

Do , intransitive verb

1.
To act or behave in any manner; to conduct one's self.
They fear not the Lord, neither do they after... the law and commandment. — 2 Kings xvii. 34
2.
To fare; to be, as regards health; as, they asked him how he did; how do you do to-day?
3.
To succeed; to avail; to answer the purpose; to serve; as, if no better plan can be found, he will make this do.
You would do well to prefer a bill against all kings and parliaments since the Conquest; and if that won't do; challenge the crown. — Collier
Some folks are happy and easy in mind when their victim is stabbed and done for. — Thackeray

Do , noun

1.
Deed; act; fear. [Obsolete] — Sir W. Scott
2.
Ado; bustle; stir; to do. [Rare]
A great deal of do, and a great deal of trouble. — Selden
3.
A cheat; a swindle. [Slang, English]