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get to know 1. (transitive) To become acquainted with (someone or something); to meet someone. 2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see get,‎ know.

The example phrase is used in a lot of a dictionaries to describe the entry word.

What is the meaning? Does that mean it excludes a figurative usage and idiomatic usage? If so, does this mean the word is only used with a literal meaning?

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    As an idiom "if only" conveys a connotation of regret, but it's not the case in "If only one label line is visible, use the Arrow key to display the second line".
    – Graffito
    Commented Jun 21, 2023 at 10:34
  • It could mean "This is what the word means when it isn't being used figuratively" - but I would have a better idea if you provided an example.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Jun 21, 2023 at 13:20

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It means the expression "get to know" is usually a figurative or an idiomatic expression (definition 1), but it can also be used in the normal sense of "get" and the normal sense of "know" (definition 2).

I'm not sure why a dictionary would bother including this info, since that's true for almost any figurative or idiomatic expression.

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