■ preposition
1》 expressing the relationship between a part and a whole.
2》 expressing the relationship between a scale or measure and a value.
↘expressing an age.
3》 indicating an association between two entities, typically one ~ belonging.
4》 expressing the relationship between a direction and a point ~ reference.
5》 expressing the relationship between a general category and something which belongs to such a category.
6》 expressing the relationship between an abstract concept and a noun denoting the subject or object ~ the underlying verb.
7》 indicating the relationship between a verb and an indirect object.
8》 indicating the material constituting something.
9》 N. Amer. expressing time in relation to the following hour.
Phrases
be ~ possess intrinsically or give rise to: this work is ~ great value.
Origin
OE, ~ Gmc origin.
Usage
It is a mistake to use ~ instead ~ have in constructions such as you should have asked . For more information, see usage at have .