I. ˈȯl adjective
Etymology: Middle English all, al, from Old English eall; akin to Old High German all all
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : the whole amount, quantity, or extent of
needed all the courage they had
sat up all night
b. : as much as possible
spoke in all seriousness
2. : every member or individual component of
all men will go
all five children were present
3. : the whole number or sum of
all the angles of a triangle are equal to two right angles
4. : every
all manner of hardship
5. : any whatever
beyond all doubt
6. : nothing but : only :
a. : completely taken up with, given to, or absorbed by
became all attention
b. : having or seeming to have (some physical feature) in conspicuous excess or prominence
all legs
c. : paying full attention with
all ears
7. dialect : used up : entirely consumed — used especially of food and drink
8. : being more than one person or thing
who all is coming
Synonyms: see whole
•
- all the
II. adverb
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : wholly , quite
sat all alone
— often used as an intensive
all out of proportion
all over the yard
it wasn't all that funny
b. : selected as the best (as at a sport) within an area or organization — used in combination
all -league halfback
2. obsolete : only , exclusively
3. archaic : just
4. : so much
all the better for it
5. : for each side : apiece
the score is two all
III. pronoun, singular or plural in construction
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : the whole number, quantity, or amount : totality
all that I have
all of us
all of the books
b. — used in such phrases as for all I know, for all I care, and for all the good it does to indicate a lack of knowledge, interest, or effectiveness
2. : everybody , everything
gave equal attention to all
that is all
•
- all in all
- and all
IV. noun
Date: 1593
: the whole of one's possessions, resources, or energy
gave his all for the cause