Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
FIX
I. verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin fixus, past participle of figere to fasten; akin to Lithuanian dygti to sprout, break through
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1. to make firm, stable, or stationary, to give a permanent or final form to: as, to change into a stable compound or available form , to kill, harden, and preserve for microscopic study, to make the image of (a photographic film) permanent by removing unused salts, affix , attach ,
2. to hold or direct steadily , to capture the attention of ,
3. to set or place definitely ; establish , to make an accurate determination of ; discover , assign , to set in order ; adjust , to get ready ; prepare ,
6. repair , mend , restore , cure , spay , castrate ,
7. to get even with, to influence the actions, outcome, or effect of by improper or illegal methods , intransitive verb to become firm, stable, or fixed, to get set ; be on the verge , to direct one's attention or efforts ; focus , see: fasten fixable adjective
II. noun
Date: 1809
a position of difficulty or embarrassment ; predicament ,
2. the position (as of a ship) determined by bearings, observations, or radio, an accurate determination or understanding especially by observation or analysis, an act or instance of improper or illegal fixing , a supply or dose of something strongly desired or craved , fixation , something that fixes or restores ; solution