[of] prep [ME, off, of, fr. OE, adv. & prep.; akin to OHG aba off, away, L ab from, away, Gk apo] (bef. 12c) 1--used as a function word to indicate a point of reckoning "north ~ the lake"
2. a--used as a function word to indicate origin or derivation "a man ~ noble birth" b--used as a function word to indicate the cause, motive, or reason "died ~ flu" c: by "plays ~ Shakespeare" d: on the part of "very kind ~ you" 3--used as a function word to indicate the component material, parts, or elements or the contents "throne ~ gold" "cup ~ water"
4. a--used as a function word to indicate the whole that includes the part denoted by the preceding word "most ~ the army" b--used as a function word to indicate a whole or quantity from which a part is removed or expended "gave ~ his time"
5. a: relating to: about "stories ~ her travels" b: in respect to "slow ~ speech"
6. a--used as a function word to indicate belonging or a possessive relationship "king ~ 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 ~ x" "the product ~ two numbers" 7--used as a function word to indicate something from which a person or thing is delivered "eased ~ her pain" or with respect to which someone or something is made destitute "robbed ~ 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 ~ Rome" b--used as a function word to indicate apposition "that fool ~ a husband"
9. a--used as a function word to indicate the object of an action denoted or implied by the preceding noun "love ~ nature" b--used as a function word to indicate the application of a verb "cheats him ~ a dollar" or of an adjective "fond ~ candy" 10--used as a function word to indicate a characteristic or distinctive quality or possession "a woman ~ courage" 11 a--used as a function word to indicate the position in time of an action or occurrence "died ~ a Monday" b: before "quarter ~ ten" 12 archaic: on "a plague ~ all cowards --Shak."
[2]of verbal auxiliary [by alter.] (1837) nonstand: have--used in place of the contraction 've often in representations of uneducated speech "I could ~ beat them easy --Ring Lardner"