To Have, to get. 'have' and 'get' in English Grammar

Get

We use the verb have with things we possess and the verb get meaning "to receive something". However, there are many phrases called collocations which combine words with have or get to make common expressions.

Note: By 'collocations' in linguistics we mean a co-occurrence of lexical items, as perform with operation or commit with crime.

'Have' and 'get' are two of the most versatile verbs in the English language semantically. Along with 'set' they are said to have about 20,000 or even more definitions in the OED. In the Dictionary. Com unabridged for instance, which is far from being very detailed.

Examples of the many different usages of the verb 'HAVE'

  1. to possess; own; hold for use; contain:
    He has property. The work has an index
  2. to hold, possess, or accept in some relation, as of kindred or relative position:
    He wanted to marry her, but she wouldn't have him.
  3. to get, receive, or take:
    to have a part in a play; to have news.
  4. to experience, undergo, or endure, as joy or pain:
    Have a good time. He had a heart attack last year.
  5. to hold in mind, sight, etc.:
    to have doubts
  6. to cause to, as by command or invitation:
    Have him come here at five
  7. to be related to or be in a certain relation to:
    She has three cousins. He has a kind boss
  8. to show or exhibit in action or words:
    She had the crust to refuse my invitation.
  9. to be identified or distinguished by; possess the characteristic of:
    He has a mole on his left cheek. This wood has a silky texture.
  10. to engage in or carry on:
    to have a talk; to have a fight.
  11. to partake of; eat or drink:
    He had cake and coffee for dessert
  12. to permit or allow:
    I will not have any talking during the concert.
  13. to assert, maintain, or represent as being:
    Rumour has it that she's going to be married
  14. to beget or give birth to: to have a baby. to assert, maintain, or represent as being:
    Rumour has it that she's going to be married
  15. to hold an advantage over:
    He has you there.
  16. to outwit, deceive, or cheat:
    We realized we'd been had by an expert con artist.
  17. to control or possess through bribery; bribe
  18. to gain possession of:
    There is none to be had at that price.
  19. to hold or put in a certain position or situation:
    The problem had me stumped. They had him where they wanted him.
  20. to exercise, display, or make use of:
    Have pity on him
  21. to invite or cause to be present as a companion or guest:
    We had Evelyn and Everett over for dinner. He has his bodyguard with him at all times.
  22. to engage in sexual intercourse with.
  23. to be in possession of money or wealth:
    There are some who have and some who have not
    (as an intransitive verb).

Multi-purpose word

'Get', similarly, may have the following meanings defined by the same dictionary:

  1. to receive or come to have possession, use, or enjoyment of: to get a birthday present; to get a pension.
  2. to cause to be in one's possession or succeed in having available for one's use or enjoyment; obtain; acquire: to get a good price after bargaining; to get oil by drilling; to get information.
  3. to go after, take hold of, and bring (something) for one's own or for another's purposes; fetch: Would you get the milk from the refrigerator for me?
  4. to cause or cause to become, to do, to move, etc., as specified; effect: to get one's hair cut; to get a person drunk; to get a fire to burn; to get a dog out of a room.
  5. to communicate or establish communication with over a distance; reach: You can always get me by telephone.
  6. to hear or hear clearly: I didn't get your last name.
  7. to acquire a mental grasp or command of; learn: to get a lesson.
  8. to capture; seize: Get him before he escapes!
  9. to receive as a punishment or sentence: to get a spanking; to get 20 years in jail.
  10. to prevail on; influence or persuade: We'll get him to go with us.
  11. to prepare; make ready: to get dinner.
  12. (esp. of animals) to beget.
  13. Informal. to affect emotionally: Her pleas got me.
  14. to hit, strike, or wound: The bullet got him in the leg.
  15. Informal. to kill.
  16. Informal. to take vengeance on: I'll get you yet!
  17. to catch or be afflicted with; come down with or suffer from: He got malaria while living in the tropics. She gets butterflies before every performance.
  18. Informal. To irritate. Their silly remarks get me.
  19. Informal. to understand; comprehend: I don't get the joke. This report may be crystal-clear to a scientist, but I don't get it. As intransitive verb (without object):
  20. to come to a specified place; arrive; reach: to get home late.
  21. to succeed, become enabled, or be permitted: You get to meet a lot of interesting people.
  22. to become or to cause oneself to become as specified; reach a certain condition: to get angry; to get sick.
  23. to bear, endure, or survive (usually fol. by through or over): Can he get through another bad winter