NOW


Meaning of NOW in English

I. (|)nau̇ adverb

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English nū; akin to Old High German nū, nu now, Old Norse nū, Gothic nu, Latin nunc, Greek ny, nyn, Sanskrit nū, nu

1.

a. : at the present time : at this moment

he is busy now

is now abroad

is now writing a new play

he teaches now

b. : in the time immediately before the present : very lately : a moment ago

was here just now

we were thinking of you just now

c. : in the time immediately to follow : without delay : forthwith

steps to correct this weakness must be taken now

must write now or it will be too late

2. — used with the sense of present time weakened or lost to express command, request, or admonition

now hear this

now be a good boy and do as I tell you

now don't get me angry

3. — used with the sense of present time weakened or lost to introduce an important point or indicate a transition from one idea to another

now , this central cord is present in all the vertebrate animals we have so far mentioned — W.E.Swinton

now this point of view … seems to me absolutely unhistorical — Edmund Wilson

4. : sometimes

full of pathos and humor, now gay, now sad — H.H.Reichard

the foothills roll along on either side, now bare and now wooded — American Guide Series: Vermont

5. : under the present conditions : in view of the existing circumstances

after his quick victory over his last opponent, he is now favored to defeat the champion

since my plan has failed, we must now try his

6. : at the time under consideration : at the time referred to

the people now proceeded to give him almost every important honor within their gift — E.M.Coulter

now the ore is loaded in chutes from towering trestled docks — Meridel Le Sueur

7. : reckoning to the present time : by this time

spurned as the lowest form of wit for several centuries now — Esther K. Sheldon

a good many years ago now , when I was a soldier — John Connell

II. conjunction

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English nū, from nū, adverb

: seeing that at or by this time : in view of the fact that : since

now he is better, he can return to school

— often followed by that

now that I have seen her, I can understand your feeling for her

III. ˈnau̇ noun

( -s )

Etymology: Middle English, from now (I)

: the present time or moment : present

the now is that which limits and determines the before and after of time — W.A.Gerhard

about three times as large as any dining alcove of now — Sylvia T. Warner

IV. adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from now (I)

1. : of or relating to the present time : existing

was working for the now judge — Time

2. : currently fashionable : up-to-date

the now point of view

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.