THAT

I. pronoun (plural those) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English thæt, neuter demonstrative pronoun & definite article; akin to Old High German daz, neuter demonstrative pronoun & definite article, Greek to, Latin istud, neuter demonstrative pronoun Date: before 12th century 1. the person, thing, or idea indicated, mentioned, or understood from the situation , the time, action, or event specified , the kind or thing specified as follows , one or a group of the indicated kind , 2. the one farther away or less immediately under observation or discussion , the former one, 3. a. — used as a function word after and to indicate emphatic repetition of the idea expressed by a previous word or phrase b. — used as a function word immediately before or after a word group consisting of a verbal auxiliary or a form of the verb be preceded by there or a personal pronoun subject to indicate emphatic repetition of the idea expressed by a previous verb or predicate noun or predicate adjective 4. the one ; the thing ; the kind ; something , anything , some persons , II. conjunction Date: before 12th century 1. a. (1) — used as a function word to introduce a noun clause ~ is usually the subject or object of a verb or a predicate nominative (2) — used as a function word to introduce a subordinate clause ~ is anticipated by the expletive it occurring as subject of the verb (3) — used as a function word to introduce a subordinate clause ~ is joined as complement to a noun or adjective (4) — used as a function word to introduce a subordinate clause modifying an adverb or adverbial expression b. — used as a function word to introduce an exclamatory clause expressing a strong emotion especially of surprise, sorrow, or indignation 2. a. (1) — used as a function word to introduce a subordinate clause expressing purpose or desired result (2) — used as a function word to introduce a subordinate clause expressing a reason or cause (3) — used as a function word to introduce a subordinate clause expressing consequence, result, or effect b. — used as a function word to introduce an exclamatory clause expressing a wish 3. — used as a function word after a subordinating conjunction without modifying its meaning III. adjective (plural those) Date: 12th century 1. being the person, thing, or idea specified, mentioned, or understood, being the one specified, so great a ; such , the farther away or less immediately under observation or discussion , IV. pronoun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English thæt, neuter relative pronoun, from thæt, neuter demonstrative pronoun Date: before 12th century 1. — used as a function word to introduce a restrictive relative clause and to serve as a substitute within ~ clause for the substantive modified by the clause 2. at which ; in which ; on which ; by which ; with which ; to which , according to what ; to the extent of what, 3. ~ which, the person who, Usage: That, which, who: In current usage ~ refers to persons or things, which chiefly to things and rarely to subhuman entities, who chiefly to persons and sometimes to animals. The notion ~ ~ should not be used to refer to persons is without foundation; such use is entirely standard. Because ~ has no genitive form or construction, of which or whose must be substituted for it in contexts ~ call for the genitive. Usage: That, which: Although some handbooks say otherwise, ~ and which are both regularly used to introduce restrictive clauses in edited prose. Which is also used to introduce nonrestrictive clauses. That was formerly used to introduce nonrestrictive clauses; such use is virtually nonexistent in present-day edited prose, though it may occasionally be found in poetry. V. adverb Date: 13th century to such an extent , very , extremely