I.
Etymology: Middle English whos (gen. of who (I) , what ) (I), alteration (influenced by who ) (I) of whas, whes, from Old English hwæs, gen. of hwā who, hwæt what — more at who , what
obsolete
possessive of 1 who and what I
II. (|)hüz sometimes _üz adjective
Etymology: Middle English whos, gen. of who (I) , what (I)
1. : of what person or persons:
a. : of or belonging to what person or persons as possessor or possessors : due to what person or persons : inherent in what person or persons : associated or connected with what person or persons
whose gorgeous vesture heaps the ground — Robert Browning
inquire whose son the stripling is — 1 Sam 17:56 (Revised Standard Version)
— compare who I 1
b. : of or relating to what person or persons as author or authors, doer or doers, giver or givers, or agent or agents : effected by what person or persons : experienced by what person or persons as subject
whose plays are greater than Shakespeare's
so many people have helped me that I don't know whose help has been most valuable
— compare who I 1
c. : of or relating to what person or persons as object of an action : experienced by what person or persons as object
in whose honor was the monument erected
asking whose promotion would be in the best interests of the company
— compare who I 1
2.
a. : of whom:
(1) : of or belonging to whom as possessor or possessors : due to whom : inherent in whom : associated or connected with whom
a man whose shoes do not fit
an organization whose members … exercise influence in every continent — Denis Healey
a chicken whose head has been cut off — Nancy Mitford
— used as a possessive adjective corresponding in meaning to the relative pronoun who ; compare who I 3
(2) : of or relating to whom as author or authors, doer or doers, giver or givers, or agent or agents : effected by whom : experienced by whom as subject
the law courts, whose decisions were important — F.L.Mott
— used as a possessive adjective corresponding in meaning to the relative pronoun who ; compare who I 3
(3) : of or relating to whom as object of an action : experienced by whom as object
that maid whose sudden sight hath thralled my wounded eye — Shakespeare
these puissant legions, whose exile hath emptied heaven — John Milton
— used as a possessive adjective corresponding in meaning to the relative pronoun who ; compare who I 3
b. : of which:
(1) : of or belonging to which as possessor or possessors : inherent in which : associated or connected with which
inventor of simple clothes whose elegance derives from her hand-finished detail — Lois Long
a sentence whose grammatical subject is a demonstrative pronoun — R.E.Gahringer
— used as a possessive adjective corresponding in meaning to the relative pronoun which ; compare which II 3
(2) : of or relating to which as agent or agents : effected by which : resulting from which
the current thought … to whose influences he was subject — L.P.Smith
a simple legal monopoly whose reward to the inventor would be primarily in royalties — Robert Reuben
— used as a possessive adjective corresponding in meaning to the relative pronoun which ; compare which II 3
(3) : of or relating to which as object of an action : undergone by which as object
the first poem whose publication he ever sanctioned — J.W.Krutch
logical techniques whose extravagant use is known to give rise to … paradoxes — C.G.Hempel
— used as a possessive adjective corresponding in meaning to the relative pronoun which ; compare which II 3
3.
a. : of any person or persons that : of whomever
whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be showed before the whole congregation — Prov 26:26 (Authorized Version)
ask whose advice you please
— compare who I 2a
b. archaic : the particular person or persons of whom : he, she, or those of whom
“Happy,” I said, “ whose home is here” — R.W.Emerson
— compare who I 2b(1)
III. pronoun, singular or plural in construction
Etymology: Middle English whos, gen. of who (I) , what (I)
: whose one or whose ones — used without a following noun as a pronoun equivalent in meaning to the adjective whose
whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided — Lk 12:20 (Authorized Version)
tell me whose it was — Shakespeare
God, whose I am, and whom I serve — Acts 27:23 (Authorized Version)