what Hear it!

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what definition

what (hwut, hwät, wut, wät)

pronoun

Etymology: ME hwat < OE hwæt, neut. of hwa, who < IE interrogative base *kwo-, *kwe- > where, who, L qui, who what, Lith kàs, what, who

noun

the true or basic quality of something to uncover the what and why of their relationship

adjective

  1. which or which kind of: used interrogatively or relatively in asking for or specifying the nature, identity, etc. of a person or thing what man told you that? he knows what role she played
  2. as much, or as many, as take what time (or men) you need
  3. how great, surprising, magnificent, disappointing, etc.: in exclamations what a man! what nonsense!

adverb

  1. in what respect? to what degree? how? what does it matter?
  2. how greatly, surprisingly, etc.: in exclamations what tragic news!
  3. Obsolete why?

conjunction

Brit., Dialectal so far as; as much as we warned them what we could

interjection

used to express surprise, anger, confusion, etc. what! no dinner?
what Idioms

and what not

and other things of all sorts

what about

what is your wish, opinion, or information concerning what about going to a movie?

what for

  1. for what purpose? why?
  2. Slang punishment; esp., a whipping he gave his son what for!

what have you

Informal anything else of a similar sort selling games, toys, or what have you

what if

  1. what would happen if
  2. what difference would it make if

what it takes

☆
Informal whatever is necessary for success or popularity, as wealth, beauty, or intelligence

what's what

Informal the true state of affairs

what the heck (or hell, devil, etc.)

  1. an exclamatory remark of surprise
  2. what: used emphatically

what though

what difference does it make that

what with

  1. because of what with the snow and ice, we'll be late
  2. in view of; taking into account what with the usual rush-hour traffic, I suspect you'll be late

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms what idiom

what Synonyms

what

pron.

  1. An indication of a question

    which? what sort? what kind? what thing? what means?

  2. Something indefinite

    that which, whatever, something, anything, everything, whichever, anything at all.

and what not*

etc., and so forth, etcetera, and other things too numerous to mention, and more; see also anything, everything.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

what quotes

Now what?

-Saroyan,William

The Red Cow was very respectable, shealways behaved like a perfect lady and she knew What was What. To her a thing was either black or whiteöthere was no question of it being grey or perhaps pink. People were good or they were badöthere was nothing in between. Dandelions were either sweet or souröthere were never any moderately nice ones.

-Travers, P(amela) L(yndon)

I've been in Who's Who and I know what's what, but it's the first time I ever made the dictionary.

-West, Mae

what quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"what." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/what>

APA Style

what. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/what

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