TOWARD


Meaning of TOWARD in English

I. ˈtō-ərd, ˈtȯ(-ə)rd adjective

Etymology: Middle English toward, from Old English tōweard facing, imminent, from tō, preposition, to + -weard -ward

Date: before 12th century

1. also to·wards ˈtō-ərdz, ˈtȯ(-ə)rdz

[Middle English towardes, from Old English tōweardes, preposition, toward, from tōweard, adjective]

a. : coming soon : imminent

b. : happening at the moment : afoot

2.

a. obsolete : quick to learn : apt

b. : propitious , favoring

a toward breeze

II. preposition

or to·wards ˈtō-ərd(z), ˈtȯ(-ə)rd(z), tə-ˈwȯrd(z), ˈtwȯrd(z), ˈtwōrd(z)

Date: before 12th century

1. : in the direction of

driving toward town

2.

a. : along a course leading to

a long stride toward disarmament

b. : in relation to

an attitude toward life

3.

a. : at a point in the direction of : near

a cottage somewhere up toward the lake

b. : in such a position as to be in the direction of

your back was toward me

4. : not long before

toward the end of the afternoon

5.

a. : in the way of help or assistance in

did all he could toward raising campaign funds

b. : for the partial payment of

proceeds go toward the establishment of a scholarship

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.