Have Definition

hăv
haves
verb
To be in possession of.
Already had a car.
American Heritage
To possess as a characteristic, quality, or function.
Has a beard; had a great deal of energy.
American Heritage
To possess or contain as a part, characteristic, attribute, etc.
She has blue eyes; the week has seven days.
Webster's New World
To be affected by or afflicted with.
To have a cold.
Webster's New World
To possess an understanding of; know.
To have only a little Spanish.
Webster's New World
noun
haves
A person or nation with relatively much wealth or rich resources.
The haves and have-nots.
Webster's New World
One enjoying especially material wealth.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
  • wealthy person
  • rich person
idiom
have a mind to
  • To be inclined to (do something).
American Heritage
had better
  • To be wise or obliged to; should or must:

    He had better do what he is told. You had best bring a raincoat in this weather.

American Heritage
have done with
  • To stop; cease:

    Have done with your quibbling!

American Heritage
have had it
  • To have endured all that one can:

    I've had it with their delays.

  • To be in a state beyond remedy, repair, or salvage:

    That coat has had it.

American Heritage
have in mind
  • To remember or think of:

    She has your best interests in mind.

  • To intend or be inclined (to do something):

    I have in mind to sell the house.

American Heritage

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Have

Origin of Have

  • From Middle English haven, from Old English habban, hafian (“to have”), from Proto-Germanic *habjaną (“to have”), durative of Proto-Germanic *habjaną (“to lift, take up”), from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂p- (“to take, seize, catch”). Cognate with West Frisian hawwe (“to have”), Dutch hebben (“to have”), Low German hebben, hewwen (“to have”), German haben (“to have”), Danish have (“to have”), Swedish hava (“to have”), Icelandic hafa (“to have”), Latin capiō (“take”, verb), Russian хапать (khapat', “to seize”). More at heave.

    From Wiktionary

  • Since there is no common Indo-European root for a transitive possessive verb have (notice that Latin "habeo" is not related to English "have"), Proto-Indo-European probably lacked the have structure. Instead, the third person forms of be were used, with the possessor in dative case, cf. Latin mihi est / sunt, literally to me is / are.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English haven from Old English habban kap- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English haven from Old English habban kap- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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