I. (|)(h)wä]t, (|)(h)wə] also (|)(h)wȯ]; usu ]d.+V pronoun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hwæt, neuter of hwā who; akin to Old High German hwaz, neuter interr. pron., Old Norse hwat, Gothic hwa — more at who
1.
a.
(1) — used in direct or indirect questions as an interrogative pronoun expressing inquiry about the identity of an object or matter
what is this
what did you say
what are those things on the table
what happened after that
tell me what you are looking for
I wonder what his motives were
he knows what he should do
he knows what to do
he's looking for something, but I don't know what
the controversy … centers largely on … who advocated what — Christian Science Monitor
— often used by itself especially to ask for repetition of an utterance not properly heard or understood or to indicate that the speaker has heard someone addressing him and is ready to listen to whatever the one addressing him wishes to say; often used in connection with another word or words to ask for repetition of the particular part of an utterance that has not been properly heard or understood
found what
(2) : a person or thing of how much value or consequence — used in rhetorical questions
what is man, that thou art mindful of him — Ps 8:4 (Authorized Version)
what 's Hecuba to him, … that he should weep for her — Shakespeare
what is home without a mother — Septimus Winner
b.
(1) archaic : who I 1 — used predicatively in direct or indirect questions as an interrogative pronoun expressing inquiry about the identity of a person
is it but thought so? what are they that think it — Shakespeare
lo what is he … is it not Lancelot — Alfred Tennyson
(2) — used predicatively in direct or indirect questions as an interrogative pronoun expressing inquiry about the character, occupation, position, or role of a person
what do you think I am, a fool
ask him what he wants to be when he grows up
you are the villain and she is the heroine, but what is he
c. : how much
what do people generally tip — Richard Joseph
to know what of any great man survives — Irwin Edman
d.
(1) — used as an exclamation expressing surprise or excitement and frequently introducing a question
what , no breakfast
(2) chiefly dialect — used to call someone or to engage someone's attention in order to say something to him
what , Diggory? You are having a lonely walk — Thomas Hardy
— often followed by ho
what , ho! slave — Shakespeare
e. : one or ones of what sort — used predicatively
what is she, that all our swains commend her — Shakespeare
you know what he is about anything disagreeable — how he simply ignores its existence — Richard Bagot
you know not what temptation is — Robert Browning
f. : how noteworthy a thing — used interjectionally
what has God wrought — Num 23:23 (Revised Standard Version)
g. : something — used in a few more or less fixed expressions directing attention to a suggestion or statement that the speaker is about to make
I'll tell you what
tell you what
do you know what
know what
h. — used after or at the end of a question to express inquiry about the possibilities not included in the immediately preceding word or series of words
is it a freak, or what
is it a reptile, an amphibian, or what
is it raining, or snowing, or what
i. chiefly Britain — used especially at the end of an utterance as a tag that is essentially meaningless but has the appearance of inviting agreement or disagreement with the statement just made
a clever play, what
2. chiefly substandard — used as a function word to introduce a restrictive or nonrestrictive relative clause and to serve as a substitute within that clause for the substantive modified by that clause
the guy what says 'taint so — American Songbag
the newspaper placard, what had kicked itself loose from one corner — Richard Llewellyn
— compare that IV 1, which II 3, who I 3
3.
a. : that which : those which : those things that : those who or whom : the one or ones that
the wind was … blowing in a direction opposite to what would carry the sparks to the lumber — W.L.Moore †1927
any imposts or duties on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing its inspection laws — U.S. Constitution
attributed it to the folly of what he conceived to be irresponsible demagogues — Robert White
has no income but what he gets from his writings
have no children but what you see here
— sometimes used parenthetically or at the beginning of a sentence in reference to a clause or phrase that is yet to come or is not yet complete
but, what more amazed him, his wife had willingly accompanied their flight — John Dryden
the number of summonses jumped … at a rate of close to 200,000 a year. What' s more, the magistrates … give stiffened fines — G.S.Perry
he brought also, what is rarer than depth of moralism, an art finely rounded — Carl Van Doren
— compare which II 3
b. : as much as : as many as
the individual soul … must struggle alone, with what of courage it can command — Bertrand Russell
there are 34 candidates on the squad, nearly triple what reported for competition three years ago — Springfield (Massachusetts) Union
c. : the kind that : the same as
the speech was very much what everyone expected
a sleepy little town that is just what it was forty years ago
: equal to that which
countries whose economic strength is not what it was
4.
a. : whatever I 1a
come what may
say what you will
b. obsolete : whoever 1
what in the world he is that names me traitor, villain-like he lies — Shakespeare
•
- no matter what
- what about
- what an if
- what else
- what for
- what have you
- what if
- what it takes
- what of
- what's o'clock
- what's what
- what's with
- what though
II. adverb
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hwæt, from hwæt, neuter interr. pron.
1. obsolete : why
what should I stay — Shakespeare
2. : how : in what respect : how much
what does it matter
3.
a. : partly — used two or more times in the same sentence to introduce a pair or series of prepositional phrases in parallel construction
what with the war, what with the sweat, what with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am custom-shrunk — Shakespeare
what through banks, and what through policemen, the concern has dwindled to nothing — Thomas DeQuincey
b. — used to introduce a prepositional phrase that expresses cause and has more than one object
what for poisons, conspiracies, and assassinations … there was no going there by day — Laurence Sterne
— used principally before phrases beginning with with
what with the drought and a strike in the mine, life is hard — Time
III. adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from what (I)
1.
a.
(1) — used in direct or indirect questions as an interrogative adjective expressing inquiry about the identity or nature of a person, object, or matter
what minerals do we export
what news have you had from him
what arrangements have been made
declaring what officer shall then act as president — U.S. Constitution
the debate … as to who made what blunder — C.B.Randall b. 1891
(2) : how much
finally got it written — with what effort, and what joy, only the amateur writer knows — Elmer Davis
b.
(1) : how remarkable for good or bad qualities : how surprising : how great : how small — used especially in exclamatory utterances and in dependent clauses of like nature
what a county for marine wonders — R.M.Lockley
what a suggestion
with what relief this priggish load of nonsense falls from our shoulders — Sean O'Faolain
you can imagine what a struggle we had
what a chance
what fools these mortals be — Shakespeare
— usually followed by a or an when the following noun is a singular count noun
(2) — used especially in exclamatory utterances and in dependent clauses of like nature before a combination of a descriptive adjective and its noun and serving to intensify the meaning of the adjective
what a charming girl
remembering what great disappointment he had felt
what partial judges are our love and hate — John Dryden
— usually followed by a or an when the noun is a singular count noun
2.
a.
(1) : whatever II 1a
serve what master you like
invent what excuses you please
(2) : any
she wore not upon her person any female ornament of what kind soever — Sir Walter Scott
b. : the … that : such … as : as much … as : as many … as
the rescue ship came back with what survivors had been found
to restrain what power either the devil or any earthly enemy hath to work us woe — John Milton
what time we had left was spent on fruitless errands — Bruce Mason
•
- what countryman
- what price
- what time
- what way
IV. ˈ ̷ ̷ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from what (I)
1.
a. obsolete : stuff , matter , substance
such homely what as serves the simple clown — Edmund Spenser
b. : thing , object
2.
a. : the thing or things involved or meant or referred to : the indentity or nature of something
the what and how of jazz — P.V.R.Key
b. : all that may be known or stated about an individual thing : the complex of qualities that constitute the character of a thing — compare that VI 2
V. (|) ̷ ̷ conjunction
Etymology: what (I)
substandard — used especially after than as a function word introducing a clause
she can run better than what I can — W.S.Maugham