Word: throw Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English throwen, thrawen, from Old English þrāwan (“to turn, twist”), from Proto-West Germanic *þrāan, from Proto-Germanic *þrēaną (“to twist, turn”), from Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- (“to rub, rub by twisting, twist, turn”). Cognate with Scots thraw (“to twist, turn, throw”), West Frisian triuwe (“to push”), Dutch draaien (“to turn”), Low German draien, dreien (“to turn (in a lathe)”), German drehen (“to turn”). Displaced warp as the word for hurling and was displaced by warp as the word for twisting. The use in computing comes from the fact, that in programming languages a statement reporting an error interrupts normal processing and sends an error object up the function calling stack until a handling statement intercepts it. Thus an “object” is “thrown” and “flies” until it is “catched”. Pronunciation: /θɹəʊ/, [θɾ̪̊əʊ], /θɹoʊ/, [θɾ̪̊oʊ] 1. To hurl; to release (an object) with some force from one’s hands, an apparatus, etc. so that it moves rapidly through the air. Labels: transitive Example: throw a shoe; throw a javelin Example: When this conversation was repeated in detail within the hearing of the young woman in question, and undoubtedly for his benefit, Mr. Trevor threw shame to the winds and scandalized the Misses Brewster then and there by proclaiming his father to have been a country storekeeper. 2. To eject or cause to fall off. Labels: transitive Example: the horse threw its rider Example: There the snake throws her enamelled skin. 3. To move to another position or condition; to displace. Labels: transitive Example: throw the switch Example: This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer. 4. To make (a pot) by shaping clay as it turns on a wheel. Labels: transitive Example: Through practice, you’ll learn how to add the right amount of water as you throw a pot, and your fingers will feel when the pot has reached the proper thickness. 5. To deliver (the ball) illegally by straightening the bowling arm during delivery. Labels: transitive 6. To send (an error) to an exception-handling mechanism in order to interrupt normal processing. Labels: transitive Example: If the file is read-only, the method throws an invalid-operation exception. 7. To intentionally lose a game. Example: The tennis player was accused of taking bribes to throw the match. Example: Four pairs of women's doubles badminton players, including the Chinese top seeds, have been ejected from the Olympic tournament for trying to throw matches in an effort to secure a more favourable quarter-final draw. 8. (of a game where one’s role is throwing something) To perform in a specified way in (a match). Labels: transitive Example: The pitcher threw a perfect game. 9. To confuse or mislead. Labels: informal, transitive Example: The deliberate red herring threw me at first. Example: “Jann, why does he hate me so much?” That question threw me. I was expecting a lunatic yelling profanities. 10. To send hastily or desperately. Labels: figuratively, transitive Example: Their sergeant threw the troops into pitched battle. Example: Stoke threw men forward in numbers as they attempted to find a way back into the game, and Mark Schwarzer was forced into a low save from Huth's close-range effort. 11. To imprison. Labels: transitive Example: The magistrate ordered the suspect to be thrown into jail. Example: The plot of Felix was quickly discovered, and De Lacey and Agatha were thrown into prison. 12. To organize an event, especially a party. Labels: transitive Example: She was known for throwing the craziest parties in college. Example: And now, Clevelanders hoping to bring the Rock Roll Hall of Fame to their city are throwing a bash to commemorate the 34th birthday of disc Jockey Alan Freed’s “Moondog Coronation Ball”. 13. To roll (a die or dice). Labels: ambitransitive Example: The kings came to the agreement between themselves that they would cast lots by the dice to determine who should have this property, and that he who threw the highest should have the district. The Swedish king threw two sixes, and said King Olaf need scarcely throw. 14. To cause a certain number on the die or dice to be shown after rolling it. Labels: transitive Example: The kings came to the agreement between themselves that they would cast lots by the dice to determine who should have this property, and that he who threw the highest should have the district. The Swedish king threw two sixes, and said King Olaf need scarcely throw. 15. To discard. Labels: transitive Example: Declarer threw his queen of spades on the high diamond. He then won the last three tricks with his ace, queen and nine of hearts behind East’s jack third. 16. To lift or unbalance one’s opponent and then bring him back down to the ground, especially into a position behind the thrower. Example: So they stood up, and wrastled another while in silence. Soon the King made trial once again of the fall whereby he had sought to throw him in the first bout, twisting suddenly his right side against Goldry, and catching with his leg Goldry’s leg, and therewith leaning against him with main force. 17. To change (one’s voice) in order to give the illusion that the voice is that of someone else, or coming from a different place. Labels: transitive Example: “Then, when I throw my voice, when I speak as someone who’s quite different from me, it starts to feel very authentic.” 18. To show sudden emotion, especially anger. Labels: transitive Example: Bill runs into the kitchen and tells Dad that Erik is throwing a tantrum. He tells Bill to go back and watch his program and to ignore his brother. Fifteen minutes later, Erik is still screaming[…] Example: In 1975, pregnant with the second of her three children, she threw a hissy fit to get on a trip to Boston for elected officials. 19. To project or send forth. Labels: transitive Example: Warwick left the undertaker's shop and retraced his steps until he had passed the lawyer’s office, toward which he threw an affectionate glance. Example: In other European cities the president visited this week, people waited for his motorcade to pass to throw insults at him, requiring the police to intervene with batons, water cannons and tear gas. 20. To make a shape or gesture with the hands. Labels: transitive Example: I threw scissors but she threw rock and beat me. Example: The teens were throwing gang signs. 21. To put on hastily; to spread carelessly. Example: O’er his fair limbs a flowery vest he threw. 22. To prepare (a cocktail) by pouring liquid between shakers from a height. Labels: transitive Example: The barman taught me how to throw a cocktail. 23. To twist two or more filaments of (silk, etc.) so as to form one thread; to twist together, as singles, in a direction contrary to the twist of the singles themselves; sometimes applied to the whole class of operations by which silk is prepared for the weaver. Example: A person named Crocket endeavoured to throw silk at Derby in the year 1702 ; but his machinery was imperfect 24. To select (a pitcher); to assign a pitcher to a given role (such as starter or reliever). Labels: slang, usually Example: I have a minor quibble with Gleason’s decision to throw Lefty Williams in Game Eight with the Series in the balance. 25. To install (a bridge). Labels: transitive Example: […] across the rapid smaragdus-green waters, pouring onward into the country, are thrown three bridges […] 26. To twist or turn. Labels: Northern-England, Scotland, obsolete Example: a thrown nail 27. Synonym of pass. 28. To deliver. Labels: transitive Example: […] not only did I not want to throw a punch at him, I wanted to give him a solid silver token of thanks […] 29. Of animals: to give birth to (young). Labels: transitive Example: At the end of the normal gestation period the cow threw two calf mummies as large as cats. Example: They can kid twice a year if things are right, and they often throw twins and triplets.