Definition of What

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Definition of What

What

As an interrogative pronoun, used in asking questions regarding either persons or things; as, what is this? what did you say? what poem is this? what child is lost?

As an exclamatory word: -- (a) Used absolutely or independently; -- often with a question following.

Used adjectively, meaning how remarkable, or how great; as, what folly! what eloquence! what courage!

Sometimes prefixed to adjectives in an adverbial sense, as nearly equivalent to how; as, what happy boys!

As a relative pronoun

Used substantively with the antecedent suppressed, equivalent to that which, or those [persons] who, or those [things] which; -- called a compound relative.

Used adjectively, equivalent to the . . . which; the sort or kind of . . . which; rarely, the . . . on, or at, which.

Used adverbially in a sense corresponding to the adjectival use; as, he picked what good fruit he saw.

Whatever; whatsoever; what thing soever; -- used indefinitely.

Used adverbially, in part; partly; somewhat; -- with a following preposition, especially, with, and commonly with repetition.

Something; thing; stuff.

Why? For what purpose? On what account?

Related Definitions:

Absolutely, Account, Adjectival, Adjectively, Adverbial, Adverbially, An, And, Antecedent, As, Asking, At, Called, Child, Commonly, Compound, Corresponding, Courage, Did, Either, Eloquence, Equivalent, Especially, Exclamatory, Following, Folly, For, Fruit, Good, Great, Happy, He, How, In, Indefinitely, Independently, Interrogative, Is, Kind, Lost, Meaning, Nearly, Of, Often, On, Or, Part, Partly, Picked, Poem, Prefixed, Preposition, Pronoun, Purpose, Question, Rarely, Regarding, Relative, Remarkable, Repetition, Saw, Say, Sense, Soever, Something, Sometimes, Somewhat, Sort, Stuff, Substantively, Suppressed, That, The, Thing, This, Those, To, Use, Used, What, Whatever, Whatsoever, Which, Who, Why, With, Word, You

What Translations

what in Afrikaans is wat
what in Danish is hvad
what in Dutch is hetgeen, dat, wat
what in French is hein, quoi
what in German is was, was, wie, welche
what in Hungarian is mi, amely, ami, amit, amelyet, mennyi, amit, az
what in Italian is che, che cosa
what in Latin is qui quae que quod, quisnam; quidnam
what in Portuguese is que
what in Swedish is vilken, vad

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