What Definition
wŏt, wŭt, hwŏt, hwŭt; wət, hwət when unstressed
pronoun
Which thing or which particular one of many.
What are you having for dinner? What did she say?
American Heritage
The nature, class, name, purpose, etc. of a thing.
What is that object? what is your address?
Webster's New World
An explanation or repetition of something previously said.
You told them what?
Webster's New World
Which kind, character, or designation.
What are these objects?
American Heritage
Such an explanation or repetition.
“Sh. Quiet!” “What?”
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
- and-more
- and other things too numerous to mention
- etcetera
- and-so-forth
- /etc
- that which
- anything
- something
- whichever
- whatever
- everything
- anything at all
- which? what sort? what kind? what thing? what means?
adjective
Which or which kind of.
What man told you that? he knows what role she played.
Webster's New World
As much, or as many, as.
Take what time (or men) you need.
Webster's New World
Whatever.
They soon repaired what damage had been done.
American Heritage
How great, surprising, magnificent, disappointing, etc.
What a man! what nonsense!
Webster's New World
adverb
How much; in what respect; how.
What does it matter?
American Heritage
In what respect? to what degree? how?
What does it matter?
Webster's New World
How greatly, surprisingly, etc.
What tragic news!
Webster's New World
Why?
Webster's New World
In some manner or degree; in part; partly; usually followed by with.
What with singing and joking, the time passed quickly.
Wiktionary
conjuntion
That.
I don't know but what I'll go.
American Heritage
So far as; as much as.
We warned them what we could.
Webster's New World
interjection
Used to express surprise, anger, confusion, etc.
What! no dinner?
Webster's New World
Used as a tag question, often to solicit agreement.
American Heritage
(UK, colloquial, dated) Is that not true?
It's a nice day, what? (sometimes repeated, e.g.: What-what?)
Wiktionary
noun
The true or basic quality of something.
To uncover the what and why of their relationship.
Webster's New World
determiner
Which; which kind of.
What shirt are you going to wear?
What time is it?
What kind of car is that?
Wiktionary
How much; how great (used in an exclamation).
What talent he has!
What a talent!
Wiktionary
Other Word Forms of What
Noun
Singular:
whatPlural:
whatsIdioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to What
- or what
- what for
- what have you
- what if
- what it takes
- what's what
- what with
- and what not
- what about
- what for
- what have you
- what if
- what it takes
- what's what
- what the hell (or heck, devil, etc.)
- what though
- what with
Origin of What
-
From Middle English what, from Old English hwæt (“what"), from Proto-Germanic *hwat (“what"), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷód (“what"), neuter form of *kʷós (“who"). Cognate with Scots what (“what"), North Frisian wat (“what"), Saterland Frisian wat (“what"), West Frisian wat (“what"), Dutch wat (“what"), Low German wat (“what"), German was (“what"), Danish hvad (“what"), Swedish vad (“what"), Icelandic hvað (“what"), Latin quod (“what, which").
From Wiktionary
-
Middle English from Old English hwæt kwo- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Related Articles
Find Similar Words
Find similar words to what using the buttons below.