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carry on

   Also found in: Financial, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
car·ry  (kr)
v. car·ried, car·ry·ing, car·ries
v.tr.
1. To hold or support while moving; bear: carried the baby in my arms; carrying a heavy backpack. See Synonyms at convey.
2.
a. To take from one place to another; transport: a train carrying freight; a courier carrying messages.
b. Chiefly Southern U.S. To escort or accompany.
3. To serve as a means for the conveyance of; transmit: pipes that carry waste water; a bridge that carries traffic between the two cities.
4.
a. To communicate; pass on: The news was carried by word of mouth to every settlement.
b. To express or contain: harsh words that carried a threat of violence.
5. To have (something) on the surface or skin; bear: carries scars from acne.
6. To hold or be capable of holding: The tank carries 16 gallons when full.
7.
a. To support (a weight or responsibility).
b. To support the weight or responsibility of: a beam that carries the floor; a student who carries a heavy course load.
8. To keep or have on one's person: stopped carrying credit cards.
9. To be pregnant with.
10.
a. To hold and move (the body or a part of it) in a particular way: carried her head proudly.
b. To behave or conduct (oneself) in a specified manner.
11. To extend or continue in space, time, or degree: carried the line to the edge of the page; carry a joke too far.
12.
a. To give impetus to; propel: The wind carried the ball over the fence.
b. To take further; advance: carry a cause.
13. To take or seize, especially by force; capture.
14.
a. To be successful in; win: lost the game but carried the match.
b. To gain victory, support, or acceptance for: The motion was carried in a close vote.
c. To win a majority of the votes in: Roosevelt carried all but two states in the 1936 presidential election.
d. To gain the sympathy of; win over: The amateurs' enthusiasm carried the audience.
15. To include or keep on a list: carried a dozen workers on the payroll.
16.
a. To have as an attribute or accompaniment: an appliance carrying a full-year guarantee.
b. To involve as a condition, consequence, or effect: The crime carried a five-year sentence.
17. To transfer from one place, as a column, page, or book, to another: carry a number in addition.
18. To keep in stock; offer for sale: a store that carries a full line of electronic equipment.
19. To keep in one's accounts as a debtor: carried the unemployed customer for 90 days.
20.
a. To maintain or support (one that is weaker or less competent, for example).
b. To compensate for (a weaker member or partner) by one's performance.
21. To place before the public; print or broadcast: The morning papers carried the story. The press conference was carried by all networks.
22. To produce as a crop.
23. To provide forage for (livestock): land that carries sheep.
24. To sing (a melody, for example) on key: carry a tune.
25. Nautical To be equipped with (a mast or sail).
26. Sports
a. To cover (a distance) or advance beyond (a point or object) in one golf stroke.
b. To control and advance (a ball or puck).
c. Basketball To palm (the ball) in violation of the rules.
v.intr.
1. To act as a bearer: teach a dog to fetch and carry.
2. To be transmitted or conveyed: a voice that carries well.
3. To admit of being transported: Unbalanced loads do not carry easily.
4. To hold the neck and head in a certain way. Used of a horse.
5. To be accepted or approved: The proposal carried by a wide margin.
n. pl. car·ries
1. The act or process of carrying.
2. A portage, as between two navigable bodies of water.
3.
a. The range of a gun or projectile.
b. The distance traveled by a hurled or struck ball.
c. Reach; projection: "a voice that had far more carry to it than at any time in the term thus far" Jimmy Breslin.
4. Football An act of rushing with the ball: a carry of two yards.
Phrasal Verbs:
carry away
To move or excite greatly: was carried away by desire.
carry forward
Accounting To transfer (an entry) to the next column, page, or book, or to another account.
carry off
1. To cause the death of: was carried off by a fever.
2. To handle successfully: carried off the difficult situation with aplomb.
carry on
1. To conduct; maintain: carry on a thriving business.
2. To engage in: carry on a love affair.
3. To continue without halting; persevere: carry on in the face of disaster.
4. To behave in an excited, improper, or silly manner.
carry out
1. To put into practice or effect: carry out a new policy.
2. To follow or obey: carry out instructions.
3. To bring to a conclusion; accomplish: carried out the mission successfully.
carry over
1. Accounting
a. To transfer (an account) to the next column, page, or book relating to the same account.
b. To retain (merchandise or other goods) for a subsequent, usually the next, season.
2. To deduct (an unused tax credit or a loss, for example) for taxable income of a subsequent period.
3. To persist to another time or situation: The confidence gained in remedial classes carried over into the children's regular school work.
carry through
1. To accomplish; complete: carry a project through despite difficulties.
2. To survive; persist: prejudices that have carried through over the centuries.
3. To enable to endure; sustain: a faith that carried them through the ordeal.
Idioms:
carry a/the torch
To feel a painful unreciprocated love: still carrying a torch for an old sweetheart.
carry the ball Informal
To assume the leading role; do most of the work.
carry the day
To be victorious; win.

[Middle English carien, from Old North French carier, from carre, cart; see car.]

carry on
Verb
1. to continue: we'll carry on exactly where we left off
2. to do, run, or take part in: the vast trade carried on in the city
3. Informal to cause a fuss: I don't want to carry on and make a big scene
Noun
carry-on
Informal, chiefly Brit a fuss
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb1.carry on - direct the course of; manage or control; "You cannot conduct business like this"
handle, manage, care, deal - be in charge of, act on, or dispose of; "I can deal with this crew of workers"; "This blender can't handle nuts"; "She managed her parents' affairs after they got too old"
racketeer - carry on illegal business activities involving crime
2.carry on - keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last; "preserve the peace in the family"; "continue the family tradition"; "Carry on the old traditions"
resume, re-start, restart - take up or begin anew; "We resumed the negotiations"
hang in, persevere, persist, hang on, hold on - be persistent, refuse to stop; "he persisted to call me every night"; "The child persisted and kept asking questions"
go forward, proceed, continue - move ahead; travel onward in time or space; "We proceeded towards Washington"; "She continued in the direction of the hills"; "We are moving ahead in time now"
perpetuate - cause to continue or prevail; "perpetuate a myth"
sustain, keep up, prolong - lengthen or extend in duration or space; "We sustained the diplomatic negotiations as long as possible"; "prolong the treatment of the patient"; "keep up the good work"
mummify - preserve while making lifeless; "mummified ideas and institutions should be gotten rid of"
hold, keep, maintain - keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., "keep clean"; "hold in place"; "She always held herself as a lady"; "The students keep me on my toes"
continue, go on, keep, go along, proceed - continue a certain state, condition, or activity; "Keep on working!"; "We continued to work into the night"; "Keep smiling"; "We went on working until well past midnight"
3.carry on - continue talking; "I know it's hard," he continued, "but there is no choice"; "carry on--pretend we are not in the room"
segue - proceed without interruption; in music or talk; "He segued into another discourse"
talk, speak - exchange thoughts; talk with; "We often talk business"; "Actions talk louder than words"
jog, ramble, ramble on - continue talking or writing in a desultory manner; "This novel rambles on and jogs"
4.carry oncarry on - misbehave badly; act in a silly or improper way; "The children acted up when they were not bored"
misbehave, misconduct, misdemean - behave badly; "The children misbehaved all morning"

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Through all these fatigues we at length came to Jubo, a kingdom of considerable extent, situated almost under the line, and tributary to the Portuguese, who carry on a trade here for ivory and other commodities.
With this added incentive I nearly drove Sola distracted by my importunities to hasten on my education and within a few more days I had mastered the Martian tongue sufficiently well to enable me to carry on a passable conversation and to fully understand practically all that I heard.
to buy Dorlcote Mill, and carry on the business, which was a good one, and might be increased by the addition of steam power; in which case Tulliver might be retained as manager.
 
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