I. əv, before consonants also ə; ˈəv, ˈäv preposition
Etymology: Middle English, off, of, from Old English, adverb & preposition; akin to Old High German aba off, away, Latin ab from, away, Greek apo
Date: before 12th century
1. — used as a function word to indicate a point of reckoning
north of the lake
2.
a. — used as a function word to indicate origin or derivation
a man of noble birth
b. — used as a function word to indicate the cause, motive, or reason
died of flu
c. : by
plays of Shakespeare
d. : on the part of
very kind of you
e. : occurring in
a fish of the western Atlantic
3. — used as a function word to indicate the component material, parts, or elements or the contents
throne of gold
cup of water
4.
a. — used as a function word to indicate the whole that includes the part denoted by the preceding word
most of the army
b. — used as a function word to indicate a whole or quantity from which a part is removed or expended
gave of his time
5.
a. : relating to : about
stories of her travels
b. : in respect to
slow of speech
6.
a. — used as a function word to indicate belonging or a possessive relationship
king of England
b. — used as a function word to indicate relationship between a result determined by a function or operation and a basic entity (as an independent variable)
a function of x
the product of two numbers
7. — used as a function word to indicate something from which a person or thing is delivered
eased of her pain
or with respect to which someone or something is made destitute
robbed of all their belongings
8.
a. — used as a function word to indicate a particular example belonging to the class denoted by the preceding noun
the city of Rome
b. — used as a function word to indicate apposition
that fool of a husband
9.
a. — used as a function word to indicate the object of an action denoted or implied by the preceding noun
love of nature
b. — used as a function word to indicate the application of a verb
cheats him of a dollar
or of an adjective
fond of candy
10. — used as a function word to indicate a characteristic or distinctive quality or possession
a woman of courage
11.
a. — used as a function word to indicate the position in time of an action or occurrence
died of a Monday
b. : before
quarter of ten
12. archaic : on
a plague of all cowards — Shakespeare
II. əv, before consonants also ə verbal auxiliary
Etymology: by alteration
Date: circa 1800
nonstandard : have — used in place of the contraction 've often in representations of uneducated speech
I could of beat them easy — Ring Lardner