of

I. preposition Etymology: Middle English, off, of, from Old English, adverb & preposition; akin to Old High German aba off, away, Latin ab from, away, Greek apo Date: before 12th century 1. — used as a function word to indicate a point of reckoning <

north of the lake

> 2. a. — used as a function word to indicate origin or derivation <

a man of noble birth

> b. — used as a function word to indicate the cause, motive, or reason <

died of flu

> c. by <

plays of Shakespeare

> d. on the part of <

very kind of you

> e. occurring in <

a fish of the western Atlantic

> 3. — used as a function word to indicate the component material, parts, or elements or the contents <

throne of gold

> <

cup of water

> 4. a. — used as a function word to indicate the whole that includes the part denoted by the preceding word <

most of the army

> b. — used as a function word to indicate a whole or quantity from which a part is removed or expended <

gave of his time

> 5. a. relating to ; about <

stories of her travels

> b. in respect to <

slow of speech

> 6. a. — used as a function word to indicate belonging or a possessive relationship <

king of England

> b. — used as a function word to indicate relationship between a result determined by a function or operation and a basic entity (as an independent variable) <

a function of x

> <

the product of two numbers

> 7. — used as a function word to indicate something from which a person or thing is delivered <

eased of her pain

> or with respect to which someone or something is made destitute <

robbed of all their belongings

> 8. a. — used as a function word to indicate a particular example belonging to the class denoted by the preceding noun <

the city of Rome

> b. — used as a function word to indicate apposition <

that fool of a husband

> 9. a. — used as a function word to indicate the object of an action denoted or implied by the preceding noun <

love of nature

> b. — used as a function word to indicate the application of a verb <

cheats him of a dollar

> or of an adjective <

fond of candy

> 10. — used as a function word to indicate a characteristic or distinctive quality or possession <

a woman of courage

> 11. a. — used as a function word to indicate the position in time of an action or occurrence <

died of a Monday

> b. before <

quarter of ten

> 12. archaic on <

a plague of all cowards — Shakespeare

> II. verbal auxiliary Etymology: by alteration Date: circa 1800 nonstandard have — used in place of the contraction 've often in representations of uneducated speech <

I could of beat them easy — Ring Lardner

>