Adjacent Words

Where definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WHERE, adv.
1. At which place or places.
She visited the place where first she was so happy--
In all places where I record my name, I will come to thee and I will bless thee. Exodus 20.
2. At or in what place.
Adam, where art thou? Genesis 3.
3. At the place in which.
Where I though the remnant of my age should have been cherishd by her child-like duty.
4. Whither; to what place, or from what place. Where are you going? Where are you from? [These uses of where are common, and the first cannot be condemned as vulgar.]
Any where, in any place. I sought the man, but could not find him any where.
[Note. Where seems to have been originally a noun, and was so used by Spenser. He shall find no where safe to him. In this sense, it is obsolete; yet it implies place, its original signification.]

Merriam Webster's

I. adverb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hw?r; akin to Old High German hw?r where, Old English hw? who — more at who Date: before 12th century 1. a. at, in, or to what place <where is the house> <where are we going> b. at, in, or to what situation, position, direction, circumstances, or respect <where does this plan lead> <where am I wrong> 2. archaic here, there <lo, where it comes again — Shakespeare> II. conjunction Date: 12th century 1. a. at, in, or to what place <knows where the house is> b. at, in, or to what situation, position, direction, circumstances, or respect <shows where the plan leads> c. the place or point at, in, or to which <couldn't see from where he was sitting> <kept that horse and gentled him to where I finally rode him — William Faulkner> 2. wherever <goes where she likes> 3. a. at, in, or to which place <the town where she lives> b. at or in which <has reached the size where traffic is a problem> <two fireplaces where you can bake bread in the ovens — Randall Jarrell> 4. a. at, in, or to the place at, in, or to which <stay where you are> <send him away where he'll forget> b. in a case, situation, or respect in which <outstanding where endurance is called for> 5. that <I've read where they do it that way in some Middle Eastern countries — Andy Rooney> III. noun Date: 15th century 1. place, location <the where and the how of the accident> 2. what place, source, or cause <I know where that comes from>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adv., conj., pron., & n. --interrog.adv. 1 in or to what place or position? (where is the milk?; where are you going?). 2 in what direction or respect? (where does the argument lead?; where does it concern us?). 3 in what book etc.?; from whom? (where did you read that?; where did you hear that?). 4 in what situation or condition? (where does that leave us?). --rel.adv. (prec. by place etc.) in or to which (places where they meet). --conj. 1 in or to the or any place, direction, or respect in which (go where you like; that is where you are wrong; delete where applicable). 2 and there (reached Crewe, where the car broke down). --pron. what place? (where do you come from?; where are you going to?). --n. place; scene of something (see WHEN n.). Etymology: OE hwær, hwar

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Where Where, n. Place; situation. [Obs. or Colloq.] Finding the nymph asleep in secret where. --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wher Wher, Where Where, pron. & conj. [See Whether.] Whether. [Sometimes written whe'r.] [Obs.] --Piers Plowman. Men must enquire (this is mine assent), Wher she be wise or sober or dronkelewe. --Chaucer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Where Where, adv. [OE. wher, whar, AS. hw?r; akin to D. waar, OS. hw?r, OHG. hw[=a]r, w[=a]r, w[=a], G. wo, Icel. and Sw. hvar, Dan. hvor, Goth. hwar, and E. who; cf. Skr. karhi when. [root]182. See Who, and cf. There.] 1. At or in what place; hence, in what situation, position, or circumstances; -- used interrogatively. God called unto Adam, . . . Where art thou? --Gen. iii. 9. Note: See the Note under What, pron., 1. 2. At or in which place; at the place in which; hence, in the case or instance in which; -- used relatively. She visited that place where first she was so happy. --Sir P. Sidney. Where I thought the remnant of mine age Should have been cherished by her childlike duty. --Shak. Where one on his side fights, thousands will fly. --Shak. But where he rode one mile, the dwarf ran four. --Sir W. Scott. 3. To what or which place; hence, to what goal, result, or issue; whither; -- used interrogatively and relatively; as, where are you going? But where does this tend? --Goldsmith. Lodged in sunny cleft, Where the gold breezes come not. --Bryant. Note: Where is often used pronominally with or without a preposition, in elliptical sentences for a place in which, the place in which, or what place. The star . . . stood over where the young child was. --Matt. ii. 9. The Son of man hath not where to lay his head. --Matt. viii. 20. Within about twenty paces of where we were. --Goldsmith. Where did the minstrels come from? --Dickens. Note: Where is much used in composition with preposition, and then is equivalent to a pronoun. Cf. Whereat, Whereby, Wherefore, Wherein, etc. Where away (Naut.), in what direction; as, where away is the land? Syn: See Whither.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Where Where, conj. Whereas. And flight and die is death destroying death; Where fearing dying pays death servile breath. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. You use where to ask questions about the place something is in, or is coming from or going to. Where did you meet him?... Where's Anna?... Where are we going?... 'You'll never believe where Julie and I are going.'—'Where?' QUEST 2. You use where after certain words, especially verbs and adjectives, to introduce a clause in which you mention the place in which something is situated or happens. He knew where Henry Carter had gone... If he's got something on his mind he knows where to find me... Ernest Brown lives about a dozen blocks from where the riots began. CONJ • Where is also a relative pronoun. ...available at the travel agency where you book your holiday... Wanchai boasts the Academy of Performing Arts, where everything from Chinese Opera to Shakespeare is performed. PRON 3. You use where to ask questions about a situation, a stage in something, or an aspect of something. If they get their way, where will it stop?... It's not so simple. They'll have to let the draft board know, and then where will we be? QUEST 4. You use where after certain words, especially verbs and adjectives, to introduce a clause in which you mention a situation, a stage in something, or an aspect of something. It's not hard to see where she got her feelings about herself... She had a feeling she already knew where this conversation was going to lead... I didn't know where to start. CONJ • Where is also a relative pronoun. ...that delicate situation where a friend's confidence can easily be betrayed... The government is at a stage where it is willing to talk to almost anyone. PRON 5. You use where to introduce a clause that contrasts with the other parts of the sentence. Sometimes a teacher will be listened to, where a parent might not. = whereas CONJ

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

ad. 1. At which place, in which place. 2. At what place, in what place. 3. Whither, to what, to which place (recent).