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push (v.)

early 14c., from Old French poulser (Modern French pousser), from Latin pulsare "to beat, strike, push," frequentative of pellere (past participle pulsus) "to push, drive, beat" (from PIE root *pel- (5) "to thrust, strike, drive"). Meaning "promote" is from 1714; meaning "approach a certain age" is from 1937. For palatization of -s-, OED compares brush (n.1); quash. Related: Pushed; pushing. To push up daisies "be dead and buried" is from World War I, but variants with the same meaning date back to 1842.

"Pushing up the daisies now," said a soldier of his dead comrade. [The American Florist, vol. xlviii, March 31, 1917]

To push (someone) around is from 1923. To push (one's) luck is from 1754. To push the envelope in figurative sense is late 1980s.

push (n.)

1560s, from push (v.). Phrase push comes to shove is from 1936.

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Definitions of push from WordNet
1
push (v.)
move with force;
He pushed the table into a corner
Synonyms: force
push (v.)
press, drive, or impel (someone) to action or completion of an action;
He pushed her to finish her doctorate
Synonyms: bear on
push (v.)
make publicity for; try to sell (a product);
The salesman is aggressively pushing the new computer model
Synonyms: advertise / advertize / promote
push (v.)
strive and make an effort to reach a goal;
We have to push a little to make the deadline!
Synonyms: tug / labor / labour / drive
push (v.)
press against forcefully without moving;
she pushed against the wall with all her strength
push (v.)
approach a certain age or speed;
She is pushing fifty
Synonyms: crowd
push (v.)
exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for;
The liberal party pushed for reforms
The Dean is pushing for his favorite candidate
Synonyms: crusade / fight / press / campaign / agitate
push (v.)
sell or promote the sale of (illegal goods such as drugs);
The guy hanging around the school is pushing drugs
push (v.)
move strenuously and with effort;
The crowd pushed forward
push (v.)
make strenuous pushing movements during birth to expel the baby;
`Now push hard,' said the doctor to the woman
Synonyms: press
2
push (n.)
the act of applying force in order to move something away;
he gave the door a hard push
the pushing is good exercise
Synonyms: pushing
push (n.)
the force used in pushing;
the push of the water on the walls of the tank
Synonyms: thrust
push (n.)
enterprising or ambitious drive;
Synonyms: energy / get-up-and-go
push (n.)
an electrical switch operated by pressing;
the elevator was operated by push buttons
the push beside the bed operated a buzzer at the desk
Synonyms: push button / button
push (n.)
an effort to advance;
the army made a push toward the sea
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near push

purveyance

purveyor

purview

pus

Pusey

push

push-button

pusher

pushmi-pullyu

push-off

pushover

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