Adjacent Words

How definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

HOW, adv. In what manner. I know not how to answer.
How can a man be born when he is old?
How can these things be? John 3.
1. To what degree or extent. How long shall we suffer these indignities? How much better is wisdom than gold!
O how love I thy law! How sweet are thy words to my taste. Psalms 119.
2. For what reason; from what cause.
How now, my love, why is your cheek so pale?
3. By what means. How can this effect by produced?
4. In what state.
How, and with what reproach shall I return!
5. It is used in a sense marking proportion; as how much less; how much more.
Behold, he putteth no trust in his servants--how much less in them that dwell in houses of clay-- Job 4.
By how much they would diminish the present extent of the sea, so much they would impair the fertility and fountains and rivers of the earth.
6. It is much used in exclamation.
How are the mighty fallen! 1 Samuel 1.
7. In some popular phrases, how is superfluous or inelegant.
Thick clouds put us in some hope of land; knowing how that part of the South Sea was utterly unknown.

Merriam Webster's

I. adverb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English h?; akin to Old High German hwuo how, Old English hw? who — more at who Date: before 12th century 1. a. in what manner or way b. for what reason ; why c. with what meaning ; to what effect d. by what name or title 2. to what degree or extent 3. in what state or condition <how are you> 4. at what price <how a score of ewes now — Shakespeare> II. conjunction Date: before 12th century 1. a. the way or manner in which <remember how they fought>; also the state or condition in which b. that <told them how he had a situation — Charles Dickens> 2. however, as <a reader can shift his attention how he likes — William Empson> III. noun Date: 1533 1. a question about manner or method 2. manner, method

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. adv., conj., & n. --interrog. adv. 1 by what means, in what way (how do you do it?; tell me how you do it; how could you behave so disgracefully?; but how to bridge the gap?). 2 in what condition, esp. of health (how is the patient?; how do things stand?). 3 a to what extent (how far is it?; how would you like to take my place?; how we laughed!). b to what extent good or well, what ... like (how was the film?; how did they play?). --rel. adv. in whatever way, as (do it how you can). --conj. colloq. that (told us how he'd been in India). --n. the way a thing is done (the how and why of it). Phrases and idioms: and how! sl. very much so (chiefly used ironically or intensively). here's how! I drink to your good health. how about 1 would you like (how about a game of chess?). 2 what is to be done about. 3 what is the news about. how are you? 1 what is your state of health? 2 = how do you do? how come? see COME. how do? an informal greeting on being introduced to a stranger. how do you do? a formal greeting. how-do-you-do (or how-d'ye-do) n. (pl. -dos) an awkward situation. how many what number. how much 1 what amount (how much do I owe you?; did not know how much to take). 2 what price (how much is it?). 3 (as interrog.) joc. what? ('She is a hedonist.' 'A how much?'). how now? archaic what is the meaning of this? how so? how can you show that that is so? how's that? 1 what is your opinion or explanation of that? 2 Cricket (said to an umpire) is the batsman out or not? Etymology: OE hu f. WG 2. int. a greeting used by N. American Indians. Etymology: perh. f. Sioux háo, Omaha hau

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

How How, adv. [OE. how, hou, hu, hwu, AS. h?, from the same root as hw[=a], hw[ae]t, who, what, pron. interrog.; akin to OS. hw[=o]w, D. hoe, cf. G. wie how, Goth. hw[=e] wherewith, hwaiwa how. [root]182. See Who, and cf. Why.] 1. In what manner or way; by what means or process. How can a man be born when he is old? --John iii. 4. 2. To what degree or extent, number or amount; in what proportion; by what measure or quality. O, how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. --Ps. cxix. 97. By how much they would diminish the present extent of the sea, so much they would impair the fertility, and fountains, and rivers of the earth. --Bentley. 3. For what reason; from what cause. How now, my love! why is your cheek so pale? --Shak. 4. In what state, condition, or plight. How, and with what reproach, shall I return? --Dryden. 5. By what name, designation, or title. How art thou called? --Shak. 6. At what price; how dear. [Obs.] How a score of ewes now? --Shak. Note: How is used in each sense, interrogatively, interjectionally, and relatively; it is also often employed to emphasize an interrogation or exclamation. ``How are the mighty fallen!'' --2 Sam. i. 27. Sometimes, also, it is used as a noun; -- as, the how, the when, the wherefore. --Shelley. Let me beg you -- don't say ``How?'' for ``What?'' --Holmes.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. You use how to ask about the way in which something happens or is done. How do I make payments into my account?... How do you manage to keep the place so tidy?... How are you going to plan for the future? QUEST • How is also a conjunction. I don't want to know how he died... I didn't know how to tell you. CONJ 2. You use how after certain adjectives and verbs to introduce a statement or fact, often something that you remember or expect other people to know about. It's amazing how people collect so much stuff over the years... It's important to become acutely aware of how your eating ties in with your stress level. CONJ 3. You use how to ask questions about the quantity or degree of something. How much money are we talking about?... How many full-time staff have we got?... How long will you be staying?... How old is your son now?... How fast were you driving?... He was asked how serious the situation had become. QUEST: QUEST much/many, QUEST adj/adv 4. You use how when you are asking someone whether something was successful or enjoyable. How was your trip down to Orlando?... I wonder how Sam got on with him. QUEST 5. You use how to ask about someone's health or to find out someone's news. Hi! How are you doing?... How's Rosie?... How's the job?... QUEST 6. 'How do you do' is a polite way of greeting someone when you meet them for the first time. CONVENTION [formulae] 7. You use how to emphasize the degree to which something is true. I didn't realize how heavy that shopping was going to be... Franklin told them all how happy he was to be in Britain again. ADV: ADV adj/adv [emphasis] 8. You use how in exclamations to emphasize an adjective, adverb, or statement. How strange that something so simple as a walk on the beach could suddenly mean so much... ADV: ADV adj/adv/cl [emphasis] 9. You use how in expressions such as 'How can you...' and 'How could you...' to indicate that you disapprove of what someone has done or that you find it hard to believe. How can you drink so much beer, Luke?... How could he be so indiscreet? QUEST: QUEST can/could [disapproval] 10. You use how in expressions such as 'how about...' or 'how would you like...' when you are making an offer or a suggestion. How about a cup of coffee?... You want Jeannie to make the appointment for you? How about the end of next week?... QUEST 11. If you ask someone 'How about you?' you are asking them what they think or want. Well, I enjoyed that. How about you two?... CONVENTION 12. You use how about to introduce a new subject which you think is relevant to the conversation you have been having. Are your products and services competitive? How about marketing? PHRASE: PHR n 13. You ask 'How come?' or 'How so?' when you are surprised by something and are asking why it happened or was said. (INFORMAL) 'They don't say a single word to each other.'—'How come?'... PHRASE: oft PHR cl

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Represents various Hebrew and Greek words, interrogative, interjectional and relative. Its different uses refer to

(1) the manner or way, e.g. Ge 44:34, "How shall I go up to my father?" ('ekh); Mt 6:28, "how they grow" (pos); 1Co 15:35, "How are the dead raised?";

(2) degree, extent, frequently, "how great" (Da 4:3, mah; Mr 5:19, hosos, "how much"); "how many" (Mt 27:13, posos); "how much" (Ac 9:13, hosos); "how much more" (Mt 7:11, posos; 1Sa 14:30, 'aph ki); "how oft" (Ps 78:40, kammah; Mt 18:21, posakis); "how long" (Job 7:19, kammah; Mt 17:17, heos pote), etc.;

(3) the reason, wherefore, etc. (Mt 18:12; Lu 12:49, tis);

(4) means--by what means? (Joh 3:4,9, pos);

(5) cause (Joh 12:34; Ac 2:8; 4:21, pos);

(6) condition, in what state, etc. (Lu 23:55, hos; Ac 15:36, pos; Eph 6:21, tis); "how" is sometimes used to emphasize a statement or exclamation (2Sa 1:19,25,27, "How are the mighty fallen!"); "how" is also used for "that" (Ge 30:29, 'eth 'asher, frequently "how that"; Ex 9:29, ki most frequently, in the New Testament, hoti, Mt 12:5; 16:12,21; Ac 7:25; Ro 7:1, etc., in the King James Version).

The Revised Version (British and American) has "wherefore" for "how" (Ge 38:29, margin "how"); has "what" (Jud 13:12; 1Ki 12:6; Job 13; 1Co 14:26), omits (2Co 13:5); has "how that" (1Sa 2:22); "that" (1Ch 18:9; Lu 1:58; Ga 4:13; Jas 2:22; Re 2:2); has "that even" for "how that" (Heb 12:17);" What is this?" for "How is it that?" (Lu 16:2); omits" How is it ?" (Mr 2:16, different text); has "Do ye not yet," for "How is it that?" (Mr 8:21); "Have ye not yet" (Mr 4:40, different text); "what" for "how much" (Lu 19:15, different text); omits "how that" (Lu 7:22); "then how" (Jas 2:24); has "cannot" for "How can he" (1 Joh 4:20); omits "How hast thou" (Job 26:3), "how is" (Jer 51:41); has "how" for "the fashion which" (Ge 6:15), for "and" (Ex 18:1), for "what" (Jud 18:24; 1Sa 4:16; 1Co 7:16), for "why" (Job 19:28; 31:1; Jer 2:33; Ga 2:14), for "when" (Job 37:15), for "for" (Ps 42:4), for "but God" (Pr 21:12), for "whereunto" (Mr 4:30); for "by what means" (Lu 8:36; Joh 9:21), for "how greatly" (Php 1:8); "how that" for "because" (Eze 6:9; 1Th 1:5), for "and how" (Ac 20:20); "know how to" for "can" (Mt 16:3); "how" for "by whom" (Am 7:2,5).

"How" in compounds gives us Howbeit (how be it). It is the translation of 'ulam, "but," "truly," "yet" (Jud 18:29); of 'akh, "certainly," "only" (1Sa 8:9); of 'ephes, "moreover," etc. (2Sa 12:14); of ken, "so," "thus" (2Ch 32:31); of rak, "only," "surely" "nevertheless" (1Ki 11:13); of alla, "but," etc. (Joh 7:27; Ac 7:48; 1Co 8:7, etc.); of de, "but," etc. (Joh 6:23); of mentoi (Joh 7:13 the King James Version); many other instances.

For "howbeit," the Revised Version (British and American) has frequently "but" (2Ki 12:13, etc.), "and" (2Ch 21:20; Mr 5:19), "surely" (ERV) (Job 30:24), "now" (Joh 11:13), "yet" (2Co 11:21), "nay, did" (Heb 3:16); omits (Mt 17:21, different text); it has "howbeit" for "but" (2Ki 12:3; Lu 19:27; Joh 5:34, etc.), for "also" (Le 23:27,39), for "nevertheless" (Nu 13:28; 1Ki 22:43; Mr 14:36; Lu 13:33 the English Revised Version; Lu 18:8; 2Ti 2:19), for "notwithstanding" (Jos 22:19; Lu 10:20 the English Revised Version, "nevertheless" the American Standard Revised Version; (Php 4:14), for "nay" (Ro 7:7).

Howsoever (in what manner soever, although, however) is the translation of kol 'asher, "all that which," etc. (Ze 3:7, "howsoever I punished them," the Revised Version (British and American) "according to all that I have appointed concerning her," margin "howsoever I have punished her"; the English Revised Version omits "have"); of raq, "only," "surely," "nevertheless" (Jud 19:20); of yehi-mah, "let be what" (2Sa 18:22,23, the Revised Version (British and American) "but come what may"); in 2Sa 24:3 "how" and "soever" are separated (kahem), "how many soever they may be," literally, "as they and as they."

W. L. Walker

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

ad. 1. In what manner, in what way, by what mode, by what means. 2. To what extent, to what degree. 3. For what cause, for what reason. 4. In what state, in what condition, in what plight.