Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

what

Pronunciation: /wɒt/

Translate what | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of what

pronoun

  • 1 [interrogative pronoun] asking for information specifying something:what is your name? I’m not sure what you mean
  • asking for repetition of something not heard or confirmation of something not understood:what? I can’t hear you you did what?
  • 2 [relative pronoun] the thing or things that (used in specifying something):what we need is a commitment
  • (referring to the whole of an amount) whatever:I want to do what I can to make a difference
  • 3(in exclamations) emphasizing something surprising or remarkable:what some people do for a crust!

determiner

  • 1 [interrogative determiner] asking for information specifying something:what time is it? do you know what excuse he gave?
  • 2 [relative determiner] (referring to the whole of an amount) whatever:he had been robbed of what little money he had
  • 3(in exclamations) how great or remarkable: [as determiner]:what luck! [as predeterminer]:what a fool she was

adverb

  • 1to what extent?:what does it matter?
  • 2used to indicate an estimate or approximation:see you, what, about four?
  • 3 informal, dated used for emphasis or to invite agreement:pretty poor show, what?

Phrases

and (or or) what have you

informal and/or anything else similar:all these home-made sweets and cakes and what have you

and what not

informal and other similar things.

what about ——?

  • 1used when asking for information or an opinion on something:what about the practical angle?
  • 2used to make a suggestion:what about a walk?

what-d'you-call-it (or what's-its-name)

informal used as a substitute for a name not recalled.

what for?

informal for what reason?.

what if ——?

  • 1what would result if ——?:what if nobody shows up?
  • 2what does it matter if ——?:what if our house is a mess? I’m clean

what is more

and as an additional point; moreover.

what next

see next.

what of ——?

what is the news concerning ——?.

what of it?

why should that be considered significant?.

what's-his (or -its) -name

another term for what-d'you-call-it .

what say —— ?

used to make a suggestion:what say we call a tea break?

what's what

informal what is useful or important:I’ll teach her what’s what

what with

because of (used typically to introduce several causes of something):what with the drought and the neglect, the garden is in a sad condition

Origin:

Old English hwæt, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wat and German was, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin quod

what in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of what in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite

Word of the day

merrythought

/ /
noun
the wishbone of a bird …