most

most
I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Old English mǣst; akin to Old High German meist most, Old English māra more — more at more Date: before 12th century 1. greatest in quantity, extent, or degree <
the most ability
>
2. the majority of <
most people
>
II. adverb Date: before 12th century 1. to the greatest or highest degree — often used with an adjective or adverb to form the superlative <
the most challenging job he ever had
>
2. to a very great degree <
was most persuasive
>
III. noun Date: 12th century the greatest amount <
it's the most I can do
>
IV. pronoun Usage: singular or plural in construction Date: 13th century the greatest number or part <
most become discouraged and quit
>
V. adverb Etymology: by shortening Date: circa 1584 almost <
we'll be crossing the river most any time now — Hamilton Basso
>
Usage: Although considered by some to be unacceptable in all cases, most is often used to mean “almost” in both spoken and, to a lesser extent, written English to modify the adjectives all, every, and any; the pronouns all, everyone, everything, everybody, anyone, anything, and anybody; and the adverbs everywhere, anywhere, and always. Other uses of this sense of most are dialectal.

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Most — Most …   Deutsch Wörterbuch

  • most — [ moust ] function word, quantifier *** Most is the superlative form of much and many and can be used in the following ways: as an adverb (before an adjective or another adverb): a most interesting lecture the question that is asked most often.… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • most — most·lings; most·ly; near·most; neath·most; north·east·ern·most; north·er·most; north·ern·most; north·most; out·er·most; out·most; over·most; pred·most; pri·most; rear·most; right·most; sea·most; south·east·ern·most; south·er·most;… …   English syllables

  • MOST — steht für vergorenen oder unvergorenen Fruchtsaft, siehe Most (Getränk) The Most, eine kanadische Musikgruppe Most (Tschechien) (deutsch Brüx), eine Stadt in der Tschechischen Republik Most, niedersorbische Name der Gemeinde Heinersbrück im… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Most — steht für Fruchtsaft Obstwein in Süddeutschland, der Schweiz und Teilen von Österreich Apfelwein in Wien und den österreichischen Weinanbaugebieten Traubensaft (siehe auch Most (Getränk)) The Most, eine kanadische Musikgruppe Most (Tschechien)… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • most — 1. For more and most used in the comparison of adjectives, see adjective 3–4. With adverbs, more and most are normally used when the adverb is formed with ly from an adjective, e.g. most richly, most happily: see er and est forms. The use of most …   Modern English usage

  • Most — (m[=o]st), a., superl. of {More}. [OE. most, mast, mest, AS. m[=ae]st; akin to D. meest, OS. m[=e]st, G. meist, Icel. mestr, Goth. maists; a superl. corresponding to E. more. [root]103. See {More}, a.] 1. Consisting of the greatest number or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • most — [mōst] adj. [ME < OE mast, used as superl. of micel, big (var. of mycel: see MUCH): akin to Goth maists: for IE base see MORE] 1. compar. of MORE 2. greatest in amount, quantity, or degree: used as the superlative of MUCH 3. greatest in number …   English World dictionary

  • Most — Most, adv. [AS. m[=ae]st. See {Most}, a.] In the greatest or highest degree. [1913 Webster] Those nearest to this king, and most his favorites, were courtiers and prelates. Milton. [1913 Webster] Note: Placed before an adjective or adverb, most… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Most — Héraldique …   Wikipédia en Français

  • most — mȏst m <G mȍsta, N mn mòstovi> DEFINICIJA 1. građevina ili objekt koji služi za prelaženje ljudi i tereta preko rijeke, morskog tjesnaca, provalije itd. [pontonski most; viseći most; željeznički most] 2. posebna naprava preko koje se silazi …   Hrvatski jezični portal

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