what

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
>

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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