perform
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: pər-fôrmʹ
ipa: /pəˈfɔːm/
ipa: [pʰəˈfɔːm]
ipa: /pɚˈfɔɹm/
note: nonstandard but widespread
enpr: prĭ-fôrmʹ
ipa: /pɹɪˈfɔːm/
ipa: /pɹɪˈfɔɹm/
rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)m
Forms: form: performs
form: performing
form: performed
form: performed
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: perform
form: perform
form: performed
form: perform
form: performest
form: performed
form: performedst
form: performs
form: performeth
form: performed
form: perform
form: performed
form: perform
form: performed
form: perform
form: -
form: performing
form: performed
form: performe
Etymology: From Middle English parformen, performen (“to perform”), from Anglo-Norman performer, parfourmer, alteration of Old French parfornir, parfurnir (“to complete, accomplish, perform”), from par- + fornir, furnir (“to accomplish, furnish”), from Frankish *frummjan (“to accomplish, furnish”), from Proto-Germanic *frumjaną, *framjaną (“to further, promote”), from Proto-Indo-European *promo- (“in front, forth”), *per- (“forward, out”). Cognate with Old High German frummen (“to do, execute, accomplish, provide”), Old Saxon frummian (“to perform, promote”), Old English fremman (“to perform, execute, carry out, accomplish”). See also frame, from. Modernly, rather than Proto-Germanic *frumjaną, associated with Latin formō, analyzable as per- + form.
Senses: examples: text: The scientists performed several experiments.
text: It took him only twenty minutes to perform the task.
text: Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin turbo, meaning vortex, and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work.
ref: 2013 July-August, Lee S. Langston, “The Adaptable Gas Turbine”, in American Scientist:
glosses: To do (something); to execute.
examples: text: The new employee performs well.
text: I could care less how she perform when she in the bed
ref: 2003, “P.I.M.P.”, in Get Rich or Die Tryin', performed by 50 Cent:
glosses: To exhibit an expected pattern of behavior; to function; to work.
topics: lifestyle
sexology
sexuality
glosses: To exhibit an expected pattern of behavior; to function; to work.
Of a man, to be able to initiate or fulfill an act of sexual intercourse.
examples: text: Failure to perform a contract on time may constitute a breach of contract.
topics: law
glosses: To act in a way set forth in a contract.
To act in accordance with (a contract); to fulfill one’s terms of (a contract).
examples: text: They entered into an agreement and now they are obliged to perform.
topics: law
glosses: To act in a way set forth in a contract.
To fulfill contractually agreed-to terms.
examples: text: She will perform in the play.
text: The magician performed badly—none of his tricks worked.
text: The string quartet performed three pieces by Haydn.
text: Perform a part thou hast not done before.
ref: c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
glosses: To do (something) in front of an audience, such as acting or music, often in order to entertain.
examples: text: The accused only performed remorse.
text: As things now stand, Brexit is a pointless gesture, a politics of headlines in which sovereignty is performed by bleating world-beating absurdities.
ref: 2021, David Edgerton, “The one good thing to come out of Brexit: a bonfire of national illusions”, in The Guardian:
glosses: To behave theatrically so as to give the impression of (a quality, character trait, etc.); to feign.
examples: text: perform masculinity
text: perform authority
text: Even before her seven decades as monarch began, she performed Britishness more intuitively than anyone ever had, or likely ever will again.
ref: 2022 September 9, Sophie Gilbert, “No One Performed Britishness Better Than Her Majesty”, in The Atlantic:
topics: human-sciences
sciences
social-science
social-sciences
glosses: Of a social actor, to behave in certain ways.
To behave in accordance with, and thereby in turn shape, (a social notion or role).
examples: text: Individuals in societies perform all the time.
topics: human-sciences
sciences
social-science
social-sciences
glosses: Of a social actor, to behave in certain ways.
To behave in ways that carry meaning in social contexts.
Derived terms: coperform
misperform
nonperforming
non-performing loan
outperform
overperform
performability
performable
performance
performant
performation
performative
performativity
performator
performatory
performent
performer
reperform
underperform
unperform
unperformed
Related terms: word: preform
raw_tags: of perform
word: preformance
raw_tags: of performance