determiner , pronoun , adverb
■ determiner / səm; NAmE ; strong form sʌm/
1.
used with uncountable nouns or plural countable nouns to mean 'an amount of' or 'a number of', when the amount or number is not given :
There's still some wine in the bottle.
Have some more vegetables.
HELP NOTE : In negative sentences and questions any is usually used instead of 'some':
I don't want any more vegetables.
Is there any wine left?
However, some is used in questions that expect a positive reply:
Would you like some milk in your coffee?
Didn't you borrow some books of mine?
2.
/sʌm/ used to refer to certain members of a group or certain types of a thing, but not all of them :
Some people find this more difficult than others.
I like some modern music (= but not all of it) .
3.
/sʌm/ a large number or amount of sth :
It was with some surprise that I heard the news.
We've known each other for some years now.
We're going to be working together for some time (= a long time) .
4.
/sʌm/ a small amount or number of sth :
There is some hope that things will improve.
5.
used with singular nouns to refer to a person, place, thing or time that is not known or not identified :
There must be some mistake.
He's in some kind of trouble.
She won a competition in some newspaper or other .
I'll see you again some time, I'm sure.
6.
/sʌm/ ( informal , sometimes ironic ) used to express a positive or negative opinion about sb/sth :
That was some party!
Some expert you are! You know even less than me.
■ pronoun /sʌm/ some (of sb/sth)
1.
used to refer to an amount of sth or a number of people or things when the amount or number is not given :
Some disapprove of the idea.
You'll find some in the drawer.
Here are some of our suggestions.
HELP NOTE : In negative sentences and questions any is usually used instead of 'some':
I don't want any.
Do you have any of the larger ones?
However, some is used in questions that expect a positive reply:
Would you like some?
Weren't you looking for some of those?
2.
a part of the whole number or amount being considered :
All these students are good, but some work harder than others.
Some of the music was weird.
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IDIOMS
- ... and then some
■ adverb /sʌm/
1.
used before numbers to mean 'approximately' :
Some thirty people attended the funeral.
2.
( NAmE , informal ) to some degree :
He needs feeding up some.
'Are you finding the work any easier?' 'Some.'
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English sum , of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek hamōs somehow and Sanskrit sama any, every.