cause
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English cause, from Old French cause (“a cause, a thing”), from Latin causa (“reason, sake, cause”), in Medieval Latin also "a thing". Origin uncertain. See accuse, excuse. Displaced native Middle English sake (“cause, reason”) (from Old English sacu (“cause”)), Middle English andweorc, andwork (“matter, cause”) (from Old English andweorc (“matter, thing, cause”)).
Pronunciation[edit]
- (RP) enPR: kôz, IPA: /kɔːz/, X-SAMPA: /kO:z/
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Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɔːz
- Homophone: caws; cores (non-rhotic dialects)
Noun[edit]
cause (plural causes)
- The source or reason of an event or action
- 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 5, The Mirror and the Lamp:
- He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights, […], the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength—all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts.
- 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 5, The Mirror and the Lamp:
- A goal, aim or principle, especially one which transcends purely selfish ends.
- He is fighting for a just cause.
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Terms derived from cause (noun)
Translations[edit]
source or reason of an event or action
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goal, aim, principle
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
See also[edit]
Verb[edit]
cause (third-person singular simple present causes, present participle causing, simple past and past participle caused)
- To set off an event or action.
- 2013 June 1, “A better waterworks”, The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 5 (Technology Quarterly):
- An artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic […] real kidneys […] . But they are nothing like as efficient, and can cause bleeding, clotting and infection—not to mention inconvenience for patients, who typically need to be hooked up to one three times a week for hours at a time.
- The lightning caused thunder.
- 2013 June 1, “A better waterworks”, The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 5 (Technology Quarterly):
- To actively produce as a result, by means of force or authority.
- His dogged determination caused the fundraising to be successful.
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
to set off an event or action
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to produce as a result
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Statistics[edit]
External links[edit]
- cause in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- cause in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
Anagrams[edit]
French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from classical Latin causa. Compare chose.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
cause f (plural causes)
- cause
- case (a legal proceeding)
Derived terms[edit]
Verb[edit]
cause
- first-person singular present indicative of causer
- third-person singular present indicative of causer
- first-person singular present subjunctive of causer
- third-person singular present subjunctive of causer
- second-person singular imperative of causer
Anagrams[edit]
Italian[edit]
Noun[edit]
cause f
- Plural form of causa
Jèrriais[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Latin causa.
Noun[edit]
cause f (plural causes)
- (law) case
Middle English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Old French cause
Noun[edit]
cause (plural causes)
- cause
- 14th Century, Chaucer, General Prologue
- He knew the cause of everich maladye
- He knew the cause of every illness
- He knew the cause of everich maladye
- 14th Century, Chaucer, General Prologue
Portuguese[edit]
Verb[edit]
cause
- First-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of causar
- Third-person singular (ele, ela, also used with tu and você?) present subjunctive of causar
- Third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of causar
- Third-person singular (você) negative imperative of causar
Spanish[edit]
Verb[edit]
cause (infinitive causar)
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Medieval Latin
- English terms with homophones
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
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- 1000 English basic words
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- en:Philanthropy
- French terms derived from Latin
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- roa-jer:Law
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- Portuguese verb subjunctive forms
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- Portuguese verb singular forms
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- Portuguese verb third-person forms
- Portuguese verb imperative forms
- Portuguese verb affirmative forms
- Portuguese verb negative forms
- Spanish verb forms
- Spanish verb imperative forms
- Spanish verb singular forms
- Spanish verb second-person forms
- Spanish verb formal forms
- Spanish forms of verbs ending in -ar
- Spanish verb subjunctive forms
- Spanish verb first-person forms
- Spanish verb present forms
- Spanish verb third-person forms
