perform

English Online Dictionary. What means perform‎? What does perform mean?

English

Alternative forms

• performe (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English performen, parfournen (“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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pəˈfɔːm/, [pʰəˈfɔːm], enPR: pər-fôrmʹ
• (General American) IPA^(key): /pɚˈfɔɹm/, enPR: pər-fôrmʹ
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)m
• Hyphenation: per‧form

Verb

perform (third-person singular simple present performs, present participle performing, simple past and past participle performed)

1. (transitive) To do (something); to execute.
2. (intransitive) To exhibit an expected pattern of behavior; to function; to work.
   1. (sexology, uncommon) Of a man, to be able to initiate or fulfill an act of sexual intercourse.
3. (law) To act in a way set forth in a contract.
   1. (transitive) To act in accordance with (a contract); to fulfill one’s terms of (a contract).

   2. (intransitive) To fulfill contractually agreed-to terms.

4. (transitive, intransitive) To do (something) in front of an audience, such as acting or music, often in order to entertain.
5. (by extension, transitive) To behave theatrically so as to give the impression of (a quality, character trait, etc.); to feign.
6. (social sciences) Of a social actor, to behave in certain ways.
   1. (transitive) To behave in accordance with, and thereby in turn shape, (a social notion or role).
   2. (intransitive) To behave in ways that carry meaning in social contexts.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• “perform”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “perform”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “perform”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• preform

Swahili

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English perform.

Verb

-perform (infinitive kuperform)

1. (Sheng) to perform

Conjugation