what

I. pronoun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hwæt, neuter of hwā who — more at who Date: before 12th century 1. a. (1) — used as an interrogative expressing inquiry about the identity, nature, or value of an object or matter <

what is this

> <

what is wealth without friends

> <

what does he earn

> <

what hath God wrought

> (2) — often used to ask for repetition of an utterance or part of an utterance not properly heard or understood <

you said what

> b. (1) archaic who 1 — used as an interrogative expressing inquiry about the identity of a person (2) — used as an interrogative expressing inquiry about the character, nature, occupation, position, or role of a person <

what do you think I am, a fool

> <

what is she, that all our swains commend her — Shakespeare

> c. — used as an exclamation expressing surprise or excitement and frequently introducing a question <

what, no breakfast

> d. — used in expressions directing attention to a statement that the speaker is about to make <

you know what

> e. (1) — used at the end of a question to express inquiry about additional possibilities <

is it raining, or snowing, or what

> (2) — used with or at the end of a question usually in expectation of agreement <

is this exciting, or what

> f. chiefly British — used at the end of an utterance as a form of tag question <

a clever play, what

> 2. chiefly dialect that IV,1, which 3, who 3 3. a. that which ; the one or ones that <

no income but what he gets from his writings

> — sometimes used in reference to a clause or phrase that is yet to come or is not yet complete <

gave also, what is more valuable, understanding

> b. the thing or things that <

what you need is a vacation

> <

what angered us was the tone of the article

> 4. a. whatever 1a <

say what you will

> b. obsolete whoever II. adverb Date: before 12th century 1. obsolete why 2. in what respect ; how <

what does he care

> 3. — used to introduce prepositional phrases in parallel construction or a prepositional phrase that expresses cause and usually has more than one object; used principally before phrases beginning with with <

what with unemployment increasing

> <

what with the war, what with the sweat, what with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am custom-shrunk — Shakespeare

> III. adjective Date: 13th century 1. a. — used as an interrogative expressing inquiry about the identity, nature, or value of a person, object, or matter <

what minerals do we export

> b. how remarkable or striking for good or bad qualities — used especially in exclamatory utterances and dependent clauses <

what mountains

> <

remember what fun we had

> <

what a suggestion

> <

what a charming girl

> 2. a. (1) whatever 1a (2) any <

ornament of what description soever

> b. the…that ; as much or as many…as <

rescued what survivors they found

>