Adjacent Words

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

YOUR, a. Pronom. pron. yure. [G.]
1. Belonging to you; equally applicable to both numbers; as your father; your heart; your prince; your subjects.
2. It is used indefinitely.
Your medalist and your critic are much nearer related than the world imagine.
3. Yours is used as a substitute for a noun in the nominative or objective. This book is yours. I have no pen; give me yours. My sword and yours are kin.

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Old English ?ower; akin to Old English ?ow you — more at you Date: before 12th century 1. of or relating to you or yourself or yourselves especially as possessor or possessors <your bodies>, agent or agents <your contributions>, or object or objects of an action <your discharge> 2. of or relating to one or oneself <when you face the north, east is at your right> 3. — used with little or no meaning almost as an equivalent to the definite article the <your typical teenager>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

poss.pron. (attrib.) 1 of or belonging to you or yourself or yourselves (your house; your own business). 2 colloq. usu. derog. much talked of; well known (none so fallible as your self-styled expert). Etymology: OE eower genit. of ge YE(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

You You ([=u]), pron. [Possess. Your ([=u]r) or Yours ([=u]rz); dat. & obj. You.] [OE. you, eou, eow, dat. & acc., AS. e['o]w, used as dat. & acc. of ge, g[=e], ye; akin to OFries. iu, io, D. u, G. euch, OHG. iu, dat., iuwih, acc., Icel. y[eth]r, dat. & acc., Goth. izwis; of uncertain origin. [root]189. Cf. Your.] The pronoun of the second person, in the nominative, dative, and objective case, indicating the person or persons addressed. See the Note under Ye. Ye go to Canterbury; God you speed. --Chaucer. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. --Shak. In vain you tell your parting lover You wish fair winds may waft him over. --Prior. Note: Though you is properly a plural, it is in all ordinary discourse used also in addressing a single person, yet properly always with a plural verb. ``Are you he that hangs the verses on the trees, wherein Rosalind is so admired ?'' --Shak. You and your are sometimes used indefinitely, like we, they, one, to express persons not specified. ``The looks at a distance like a new-plowed land; but as you come near it, you see nothing but a long heap of heavy, disjointed clods.'' --Addison. ``Your medalist and critic are much nearer related than the world imagine.'' --Addison. ``It is always pleasant to be forced to do what you wish to do, but what, until pressed, you dare not attempt.'' --Hook. You is often used reflexively for yourself of yourselves. ``Your highness shall repose you at the tower.'' --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Your Your ([=u]r), pron. & a. [OE. your, [yogh]our, eowr, eower, AS. e['o]wer, originally used as the gen. of ge, g[=e], ye; akin to OFries. iuwer your, OS. iuwar, D. uw, OHG. iuw[=e]r, G. euer, Icel. y[eth]ar, Goth. izwara, izwar, and E. you. [root]189. See You.] The form of the possessive case of the personal pronoun you. Note: The possessive takes the form yours when the noun to which it refers is not expressed, but implied; as, this book is yours. ``An old fellow of yours.'' --Chaucer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Thou Thou, pron. [Sing.: nom. Thou; poss. Thyor Thine; obj. Thee. Pl.: nom. You; poss. Youror Yours; obj. You.] [OE. thou, [thorn]u, AS. [eth][=u], [eth]u; akin to OS. & OFries. thu, G., Dan. & Sw. du, Icel. [thorn][=u], Goth. [thorn]u, Russ. tui, Ir. & Gael. tu, W. ti, L. tu, Gr. sy`, Dor. ty`, Skr. tvam. [root]185. Cf. Thee, Thine, Te Deum.] The second personal pronoun, in the singular number, denoting the person addressed; thyself; the pronoun which is used in addressing persons in the solemn or poetical style. Art thou he that should come? --Matt. xi. 3. Note: ``In Old English, generally, thou is the language of a lord to a servant, of an equal to an equal, and expresses also companionship, love, permission, defiance, scorn, threatening: whilst ye is the language of a servant to a lord, and of compliment, and further expresses honor, submission, or entreaty.'' --Skeat. Note: Thou is now sometimes used by the Friends, or Quakers, in familiar discourse, though most of them corruptly say thee instead of thou.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: 'Your' is the second person possessive determiner. 'Your' can refer to one or more people. 1. A speaker or writer uses your to indicate that something belongs or relates to the person or people that they are talking or writing to. Emma, I trust your opinion a great deal... I left all of your messages on your desk... If you are unable to obtain the information you require, consult your telephone directory. DET 2. In spoken English and informal written English, your is sometimes used to indicate that something belongs to or relates to people in general. Pain-killers are very useful in small amounts to bring your temperature down... I then realized how possible it was to overcome your limitations. DET 3. In spoken English, a speaker sometimes uses your before an adjective such as 'typical' or 'normal' to indicate that the thing referred to is a typical example of its type. Stan Reilly is not really one of your typical Brighton Boys... DET