I. əˈgen also -ān or ( less often in stand than in substand speech ) -in adverb
Etymology: Middle English again, agen, ayen, from Old English ongēan, ongeagn, ongēn towards, against, back (akin to Old Saxon angegin, Old High German ingagan, ingegin ), from on + (assumed) gēan, geagn, gēn against, toward (whence Old English gēan-, geagn-, gēn- ); akin to Old High German gegin, gagan against, toward, Old Norse gegn against, direct, Old Frisian jēn against, toward
1.
a. : back ; specifically : in the opposite direction
let us turn again and go home — John Bunyan
b.
(1) : in return or in response : back
soft eyes looked love to eyes which spake again — Lord Byron
(2) : as a result or consequence
the wind blowing … till every timber of the old house creaked again — Charles Dickens
2. : another time : once more : anew
I shall not look upon his like again — Shakespeare
3. : as another point, fact, or instance:
a. : on the other hand
he might go and again he might not
b. : in the next place : further
again , these cases would not go to court — S.H.Hofstadter
4.
a. : in addition : besides
that's something else again
b. : by as much more
his house is as big again as mine
he has half again as much land as I do
II. preposition
Etymology: Middle English again, agen, ayen toward, opposite, against, from Old English ongēan, ongeagn, ongēn, from ongēan, ongeagn, ongēn, adverb
now dialect : against
sitting up with pillows behind her, leaning again them — Richard Llewellyn
III. conjunction
Etymology: Middle English again, agen, ayen, from again, agen, ayen, preposition
now dialect : by the time that : against
again I got there, he was gone