follow

Follow is defined as to pursue or come after in sequence or direction.

(verb)

  1. An example of to follow is a policeman chasing after a potential criminal.
  2. An example of to follow is a child to enter her school room right after her best friend.

To follow is defined as to add someone to the list of people whose posts you see on Twitter.

(verb)

An example of to follow is to click on the “follow” button by someone’s name on Twitter.

YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2013 by LoveToKnow Corp.

See follow in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

  1. to come or go after
  2. to go after in order to catch; chase; pursue
  3. to go along: follow the right road
  4. to come or occur after in time, in a series, etc.
  5. to provide with something that comes after: to follow praise with blame
  6. to take the place of in rank, position, etc.: Monroe followed Madison as president
  7. to take up; engage in: to follow a trade
  8. to come or happen as a result of: disease often follows malnutrition
  9. to take as a model; act in accordance with; imitate
  10. to accept the authority of; obey: to follow rules
  11. to support or advocate the ideas, opinions, etc. of
  12. to watch or listen to closely; observe: to follow a conversation intently
  13. to be interested in or attentive to current developments in: to follow local politics
  14. to understand the continuity or logic of: do you follow me?

Origin: ME folwen < OE folgian, akin to Ger folgen & (?) Welsh olafiad, follower

intransitive verb

  1. to come, go, or happen after or next after some thing or person in place, sequence, or time
  2. to occur as a natural or logical consequence; result

noun

  1. the act of following
  2. Billiards a shot that imparts a forward spin to the cue ball so that it continues rolling in the same direction after striking the object ball

See follow in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb fol·lowed, fol·low·ing, fol·lows
verb, transitive
  1. To come or go after; proceed behind: Follow the usher to your seat.
  2. a. To go after in or as if in pursuit: “The wrong she had done followed her and haunted her dream” (Katherine Anne Porter).
    b. To keep under surveillance: followed the suspect around town.
  3. a. To move along the course of; take: We followed a path to the shore.
    b. To go in the direction of; be guided by: followed the sun westward across the plains; followed the signs to the zoo.
  4. To accept the guidance, command, or leadership of: follow a spiritual master; rebels who refused to follow their commander.
  5. To adhere to; practice: followed family traditions.
  6. To take as a model or precedent; imitate: followed my example and resigned.
  7. a. To act in agreement or compliance with; obey: follow the rules; follow one's instincts.
    b. To keep to or stick to: followed the recipe; follow a diet.
  8. To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at.
  9. To come after in order, time, or position: Night follows day.
  10. To bring something about at a later time than or as a consequence of: She followed her lecture with a question-and-answer period. The band followed its hit record with a tour.
  11. To occur or be evident as a consequence of: Your conclusion does not follow your premise.
  12. a. To watch or observe closely: followed the bird through binoculars.
    b. To be attentive to; pay close heed to: too sleepy to follow the sermon.
    c. To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of: follow the stock market; followed the local teams.
  13. To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand: Do you follow my argument?
verb, intransitive
  1. To come, move, or take place after another person or thing in order or time.
  2. To occur or be evident as a consequence; result: If you ignore your diet, trouble will follow.
  3. To grasp the meaning or reasoning of something; understand.
noun
  1. The act or an instance of following.
  2. Games A billiards shot in which the cue ball is struck above center so that it follows the path of the object ball after impact.
Phrasal Verbs: follow along To move or proceed in unison or in accord with an example: followed along with the song. follow through Sports To carry a stroke to natural completion after hitting or releasing a ball or other object. To carry an act, project, or intention to completion; pursue fully: followed through on her promise to reorganize the department. follow up To carry to completion; follow through on: followed up their recommendations with concrete proposals. To increase the effectiveness or enhance the success of by further action: followed up her interview with an e-mail.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English folowen

Origin: , from Old English folgian

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Usage Note: As follows (not as follow) is the established form of the idiom regardless of whether the noun that precedes it is singular or plural: The regulations are as follows.

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