set in

set in idiom
  1. Insert, put in, as in I still have to set in the sleeves and then the sweater will be done. [Late 1300s]
  2. Begin to happen or become apparent, as in Darkness was setting in as I left. [c. 1700]
  3. Move toward the shore, said of wind or water, as in The tide sets in very quickly here. [Early 1700s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.