I. ən(d), (ˈ)an(d); usu ə n(d) after t, d, s, or z as in “hit and run”, often ə m after p or b as in “up and down”, sometimes ə ŋ after k or g as in “lock and key”; in rapid speech sometimes n ( as in one pronunciation, ˌbəd.ə(r)ˈnegz, of “butter and eggs” ) or sometimes m ( as in one pronunciation, bīmˈbī, of “by and by” ); sometimes (ˈ)aa(ə)n(d); sporadically (ˈ)en(d) conjunction
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English and, ond, end; akin to Old Frisian anda, enda and, Old High German anti, enti, unti, inti, Old Norse enn and, but, and perhaps to Oscan ant up to, Tocharian B entwe then, therefore, and perhaps to Old English in — more at in
1.
a. : along with or together with
he and his son were here
b. : added to or linked to
a thousand and one nights
I have a hundred and one things to do
cream and sugar with your coffee
c. : as well as
he took aspirin and bicarbonate of soda
d. : again then again
the dog barked and barked
e. : also at the same time
they walked and talked
f. : then
they drove five miles and stopped to eat
g. : in addition to being
secretary and treasurer
h. : but not less truly : yet
an entertaining and scholarly book
— symbol & ; used as a function word to (1) express the general relation of connection or addition, especially accompaniment, participation, combination, contiguity, continuance, simultaneity, sequence or (2) conjoin word with word
bread and butter
or phrase with phrase
over the river and through the woods
or clause with clause
said that he would be nominated and that he would be elected
or combinations thereof (as adjectival or adverbial elements of different types, adjective and substantive complements, or various constructions involving ellipsis)
dissatisfied and with still unanswered questions
he solved the problem carefully and without error
allegations heretofore unuttered and which force us to take action
he is a shrewd man and apt to take advantage of a bargain like this
he stopped speaking and then the awful shock — he slapped me
or (3) fill in expletively (as in initial position in a sentence or between completely disparate elements)
and it came to pass in those days
when that I was and a little tiny boy — Shakespeare
2. — used as a function word to express (1) repetition
they rode two and two
hundreds and hundreds
or (2) variation or difference
there are women and women
or (3) logical or semantic modification of one notion by another as when (a) two elements are joined so that the second logically qualifies the first
your fair and outward character
in poverty and distress
or (b) two adjectives are joined so that the first becomes equivalent to an adverb modifying the second
nice and warm
good and ready
or (c) one finite verb (as go, come, try, write ) is joined with another so that it becomes logically equal to an infinitive of purpose
go and call him
come and see me
try and stop me
write and tell me
or (d) two verbs are joined so that the first represents a position or state and the second represents an attendant action that may also be expressed by a participle
he sat and smoked
to sit and wait
or (4) a consequence or sequel
I said go and he went
one step further and he is a dead man
or (5) contrary action, incongruous outcome, or antithesis
he promised to come and didn't
he sailed for Florida and landed in Cuba
or (6) reference to either or both of two alternatives
choose between him and me
especially in legal language when also plainly intended to mean or
bequeathed to a person and her bodily issue
property taxable for state and county purposes
or (7) supplementary explanation or restriction often with climactic emphasis in an appended phrase
he and he alone could control it
living in one room and that room a cellar
or (8) at the point of junction or intersection
Main Street and First Avenue
3. obsolete : as if : if , though
they will set an house on fire, and it were but to roast their eggs — Francis Bacon
— see an II
4. — used in logic as a sentential or propositional connective that produces a compound proposition true only if both compounds are true
symbolically p.q is true if and only if neither p nor q is false
— see conjunction
•
- and how
- and interest
- and so forth
- and so on
II. conjunction
Etymology: Middle English, probably modification (influenced by and ) (I) of Old Norse an, enn, from Runic Norse than — more at than
obsolete : than I 1a
III. ˈand sometimes ˈaa(ə)nd, sporadically ˈend noun
( plural ands -n(d)z)
Etymology: and (I)
: an added particular or condition
I want to hear no ifs or ands about it
IV. abbreviation
andante