/ wɒt; NAmE wɑːt; wʌt/ pronoun , determiner
1.
used in questions to ask for particular information about sb/sth :
What is your name?
What (= what job) does he do?
What time is it?
What kind of music do you like?
—compare which
2.
the thing or things that; whatever :
What you need is a good meal.
Nobody knows what will happen next.
I spent what little time I had with my family.
3.
used to say that you think that sth is especially good, bad, etc. :
What awful weather!
What a beautiful house!
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IDIOMS
- and what not | and what have you
- get / give sb what for
- or what
- what?
- what about ... ?
- what-d'you-call-him / -her / -it / -them | what's-his / -her / -its / -their-name
- what for?
- what if ... ?
- what of it?
- what's what
- what's with sb?
- what's with sth?
- what with sth
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English hwæt , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wat and German was , from an Indo-European root shared by Latin quod .