how
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Etymology 1
Middle English how, hou, hu, hwu, Old English hū, from the same root as hwæt (“‘who, what’”); akin to Old Saxon hww, Dutch hoe, compare German wie (“‘how’”). See who and compare why.
[edit] Adverb
how (not comparable)
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Positive |
Superlative |
- To what degree.
- How often do you practice?
- In what state.
- How are you?
- How was your vacation?
- In what manner.
- How do you solve this puzzle?
- How else can we get this finished?
- Used as a modifier to indicate surprise, delight, or other strong feelings.
- How very interesting!
- How wonderful it was to receive your invitation.
[edit] Usage notes
- See else
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
to what degree
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in what state
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in what manner
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used as a modifier to indicate surprise, delight, or other strong feelings
- 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
- 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
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
how (plural hows)
- The means by which something is accomplished.
- I am not interested in the why, but in the how.
- 1924, Joseph Rickaby, Studies on God and His Creatures, p. 102:
- It is an a posteriori argument, evincing the fact, but not the how.
[edit] Conjunction
how
- In which way.
- I remember how to solve this puzzle.
[edit] Translations
in which way
[edit] Etymology 2
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
how (plural hows)
- (dialectal) An artificial barrow or tumulus.
- (dialectal) A small hill in northern England. (Usage preserved mainly in place names.)
[edit] References
- how in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- “how” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
[edit] Anagrams
[edit] Alabama
[edit] Adverb
how
