whose

whose
Who Who, pron. [Possess. {whose}; object. {Whom}.] [OE. who, wha, AS. hw[=a], interrogative pron., neut. hw[ae]t; akin to OFries. hwa, neut. hwet, OS. hw[=e], neut. hwat, D. wie, neut. wat, G. wer, neut. was, OHG. wer, hwer, neut. waz, hwaz, Icel. hvat, neut., Dan. hvo, neut. hvad, Sw. ho, hvem, neut. hvad, Goth. hwas, fem. hw[=o], neut. hwa, Lith. kas, Ir. & Gael. co, W. pwy, L. quod, neuter of qui, Gr. po`teros whether, Skr. kas. [root]182. Cf. {How}, {Quantity}, {Quorum}, {Quote}, {Ubiquity}, {What}, {When}, {Where}, {Whether}, {Which}, {Whither}, {Whom}, {Why}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Originally, an interrogative pronoun, later, a relative pronoun also; -- used always substantively, and either as singular or plural. See the Note under {What}, pron., 1. As interrogative pronouns, who and whom ask the question: What or which person or persons? Who and whom, as relative pronouns (in the sense of that), are properly used of persons (corresponding to which, as applied to things), but are sometimes, less properly and now rarely, used of animals, plants, etc. Who and whom, as compound relatives, are also used especially of persons, meaning the person that; the persons that; the one that; whosoever. ``Let who will be President.'' --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]

[He] should not tell whose children they were. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

There thou tell'st of kings, and who aspire; Who fall, who rise, who triumph, who do moan. --Daniel. [1913 Webster]

Adders who with cloven tongues Do hiss into madness. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Whom I could pity thus forlorn. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

How hard is our fate, who serve in the state. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

Who cheapens life, abates the fear of death. --Young. [1913 Webster]

The brace of large greyhounds, who were the companions of his sports. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]

2. One; any; one. [Obs., except in the archaic phrase, as who should say.] [1913 Webster]

As who should say, it were a very dangerous matter if a man in any point should be found wiser than his forefathers were. --Robynson (More's Utopia). [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • whose — [ huz ] function word *** Whose can be used in the following ways: as a determiner (introducing a direct or indirect question): Whose idea was it to come here? (introducing a relative clause): The winner was a Brazilian player, whose name I have… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • whose — 1. Despite a long established folk belief (which Fowler deplored) that whose, when used as a relative, should only mean of whom and not of which, usage over several centuries from the time of Shakespeare and Milton supports its use with reference …   Modern English usage

  • whose — W1S2 [hu:z] determiner, pron [: Old English; Origin: hwAs, from hwa; WHO] 1.) used to ask which person or people a particular thing belongs to ▪ Whose is this? ▪ Whose keys are on the kitchen counter? 2.) used to show the relationship between a… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • whose — [ho͞oz] pron. [ME whos, hwas < OE hwæs, gen. of hwa, WHO] that or those belonging to whom: used without a following noun [whose is this? whose will look best?] possessive pronominal adj. of, belonging to, made by, or done by whom or which… …   English World dictionary

  • Whose — (h[=oo]z), pron. [OE. whos, whas, AS. hw[ae]s, gen. of hw[=a]. See {Who}.] The possessive case of who or which. See {Who}, and {Which}. [1913 Webster] Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee. Gen. xxiv. 23. [1913 Webster] The question whose …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • whose|so|ev|er — «HOOZ soh EHV uhr», pronoun. Archaic. of any person whatsoever; whose …   Useful english dictionary

  • whose — gen. of WHO (Cf. who); from O.E. hwæs, gen. of hwa (see WHO (Cf. who)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • whose — ► POSSESSIVE DETERMINER & PRONOUN 1) belonging to or associated with which person. 2) (as possessive determiner ) of whom or which. ORIGIN Old English …   English terms dictionary

  • whose — [[t]huːz[/t]] ♦ (Usually pronounced [[t]hu͟ːz[/t]] for meanings 2 and 3.) 1) PRON REL You use whose at the beginning of a relative clause where you mention something that belongs to or is associated with the person or thing mentioned in the… …   English dictionary

  • whose */*/*/ — UK [huːz] / US [huz] determiner, pronoun Summary: Whose can be used in the following ways: as a determiner (introducing a direct or indirect question): Whose idea was it to come here? (introducing a relative clause): The winner was a Brazilian… …   English dictionary

  • whose*/*/*/ — [huːz] determiner, pronoun summary: Whose can be: ■ a determiner: Whose idea was it to come here? ■ a question pronoun: Whose is this jacket? ■ a relative pronoun: I asked whose it was. 1) used for showing that someone or something belongs to or… …   Dictionary for writing and speaking English

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