setup

[ set-uhp ]

noun

1. organization; arrangement.
2. an act or instance of setting up or getting ready:

   The setup of the lights and camera took most of the morning.

3. the carriage of the body; bearing.
4. a camera position, as for a particular shot.
5. everything required for an alcoholic drink except the liquor, as a glass, ice, and soda water, as served to patrons who provide their own liquor.
6. Informal.
   1. an undertaking or contest deliberately made easy.
   2. a match or game arranged with an opponent who can be defeated without risk or effort.
   3. an opponent easy to defeat.
7. Sports.
   1. a shot or play that results in a puck, shuttlecock, ball, or balls being so positioned as to provide a player with an easy opportunity for a winning shot:

      a playmaker who excels in setups.

   2. the position of such a puck, ball, etc.:

      a setup close to and to the left of the goalkeeper.

   3. the puck, ball, etc., itself:

      The wing banged the setup into the goal.

8. an arrangement of all the tools, parts, apparatus, etc., necessary for any of various specific jobs or purposes.
9. the equipment or items necessary for a particular activity or period; kit:

   Each student gets a weekly setup of clean blankets, sheets, and towels.

10. a plan or projected course of action.
11. a prearranged situation or circumstance, usually created to fool or trap someone; trick; scheme.

Usage Note

See login.

Word History and Origins

Origin of setup¹

First recorded in 1600–10; noun use of verb phrase set up

Example Sentences

At the moment, the setup is lacking sharpness and Duran’s late goals have been papering over cracks.

From BBC

That’s not satire despite it being an obvious setup line for a series of punchlines.

From Salon

The team employed a 24-hour setup of seven cameras recording a herd of Swedish Holstein and Swedish Red cows.

From Science Daily

Once, in between setups during a long overnight shoot, she noticed on the camera monitor that the extras were exhausted.

From Los Angeles Times

In their dedication to authenticity, Fehlbaum and his production team sourced period-accurate equipment from old television stations and collectors, much of it still working, to re-create the analog control-room setup as faithfully as possible.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• composition
• foundation
• set-up
• structure
• system