PERTAIN DEFINITIONS - 10 definitions found
pertain v 1: be relevant to; "There were lots of questions referring to her talk"; "My remark pertained to your earlier comments" [syn: refer, pertain, relate, concern, come to, bear on, touch, touch on, have-to doe with] 2: be a part or attribute of [syn: pertain, appertain] pertain early 14c., from O.Fr. pertenir, from L. pertinere "to reach, stretch, relate," from per- "through" + tenere "to hold." Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) pertain intransitive verb Etymology: Middle English perteinen, from Anglo-French partenir, purteiner, from Latin pertinēre to reach to, belong, from per- through + tenēre to hold — more at thin Date: 14th century 1. a. (1) to belong as a part, member, accessory, or product (2) to belong as an attribute, feature, or function <the destruction and havoc pertaining to war> (3) to belong as a duty or right <responsibilities that pertain to fatherhood> b. to be appropriate to something <the criteria…will be different from those that pertain elsewhere — J. B. Conant> 2. to have reference <books pertaining to birds> Oxford English Reference Dictionary
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner\'s English Dictionary pertain (pertains, pertaining, pertained) If one thing pertains to another, it relates, belongs, or applies to it. (FORMAL) ...matters pertaining to naval district defense. VERB: V to n English Explanatory Dictionary pertain pə:ˈteɪn v.intr. 1 (foll. by to) a relate or have reference to. b belong to as a part or appendage or accessory. 2 (usu. foll. by to) be appropriate to. [ME f. OF partenir f. L pertinere (as PER-, tenere hold)] Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Pertain \Per*tain"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pertained; p. pr. & vb. n. Pertaining.] [OE. partenen, OF. partenir, fr. L. pertinere to stretch out, reach, pertain; per + tenere to hold, keep. See Per-, and Tenable, and cf. Appertain, Pertinent.] 1. To belong; to have connection with, or dependence on, something, as an appurtenance, attribute, etc.; to appertain; as, saltness pertains to the ocean; flowers pertain to plant life. Men hate those who affect that honor by ambition which pertaineth not to them. --Hayward. 2. To have relation or reference to something. These words pertain unto us at this time as they pertained to them at their time. --Latimer. English Explanatory Dictionary (Synonyms) pertain pə:ˈteɪn v. Often, pertain to. concern, refer to, regard, have reference or relation (to), apply (to), relate (to), include, cover, affect, appertain (to), be appropriate (to), be fitting (for), befit, bear on, have bearing (on): The sign, 'Keep Off the Grass', does not pertain to the people who mow the lawn, Morris. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 21 Moby Thesaurus words for "pertain": affect, appertain, appertain to, apply, apply to, associate, bear, bear on, befit, combine, concern, connect, cover, include, join, pertain to, refer to, regard, relate, relate to, vest |
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