Etymology : Middle English, from Middle French installer, from Medieval Latin installare, from Latin in- + Medieval Latin stallum stall, from Old High German stal
Pronunciation :
Function : transitive verb
Date : 15th century
1. set up for use, put in (i.e. machinery); establish in an office or position; formally induct into office, inaugurate (also instal). install\in*stall"\ , v. t. [imp. & p. p. installed ; p. pr. & vb. n. installing.] [f. installer, ll. installare, fr. pref. in- in + ohg. stal a place, stall, g. stall, akin to e. stall: cf. it. installare. see:
stall.] [written also instal.].
2. to set in a seat; to give a place to; establish (one) in a place. she installed her guest hospitably by the fireside. w. scott.
3. to place in an office, rank, or order; to invest with any charge by the usual ceremonies; to instate; to induct; as, to install an ordained minister as pastor of a church; to install a college president. unworthily thou wast installed in that high degree.install v.
4. set up for use; "install the washer and dryer"; "we put in a new sink" [syn: instal, put in, set up].
5. put into an office or a position; "the new president was installed immediately after the election".
6. place; "her manager had set her up at the ritz" [syn: instal, set up, establish].
7. To set in a seat; to give a place to; establish in a place.
8. To place in an office, rank, or order; to invest with any charge by the usual ceremonies; to instate; to induct; as, to install an ordained minister as pastor of a church; to install a college president. set up for use; "install the washer and dryer"; "We put in a new sink" place; "Her manager had set her up at the Ritz" put into an office or a position; "the new president was installed immediately after the election".
9. 1. If you install a piece of equipment, you fit it or put it somewhere so that it is ready to be used. They had installed a new phone line in the apartment. + installation in·stal·la·tion Hundreds of lives could be saved if the installation of alarms was more widespread.
10. If someone is installed in a new job or important position, they are officially given the job or position, often in a special ceremony. A new Catholic bishop was installed in Galway yesterday Professor Sawyer was formally installed as President last Thursday The army has promised to install a new government within a week. + installation in·stal·la·tion He sent a letter inviting Naomi to attend his installation as chief of his tribe.
11. If you install yourself in a particular place, you settle there and make yourself comfortable. Before her husband's death she had installed herself in a modern villa.