| what | |
| 1. pron. (interrogative) Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: (used interrogatively in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc.) | |
| 2. pron. (relative, nonstandard) That; which; who. | |
| 3. pron. That which; those that; the thing that. | |
| He knows what he wants. | |
| What goes up must come down. | |
| Keep up with what your friends are doing. | |
| 4. pron. Whatever. | |
| I will do what I can to help you. | |
| 5. adv. (usually followed by "with") In some manner or degree; in part; partly. See also what with | |
| What with singing and joking, the time passed quickly. | |
| 6. adv. Such. | |
| What a pity. | |
| What a beautiful day! | |
| 7. adv. (obsolete) Why? | |
| 8. adv. (now rare) Used to introduce each of two coordinate phrases or concepts; both…and. | |
| 9. adv. (Singlish) (alt form, wat) (used to contradict an assumption) | |
| 10. interj. An expression of surprise or disbelief. | |
| What! That’s amazing. | |
| 11. interj. Response that enquires what the asker desires (usually said unhappily). | |
| 12. interj. (UK, colloquial, dated) (clipping of what do you say)? | |
| It’s a nice day, what? | |
| 13. interj. What did you say? I beg your pardon? | |
| 14. det. Which; which kind of. | |
| What shirt are you going to wear? | |
| What time is it? | |
| What kind of car is that? | |
| 15. det. How much; how great (used in an exclamation). | |
| What talent he has! | |
| What a talent! | |
| 16. det. (relative) Whatever | |
| Write down what things come into your mind. | |
| 17. n. (obsolete) Something; thing; stuff. | |
| 18. n. The identity of a thing, as an answer to a question of what. | |
| 19. n. Something that is addressed by , as opposed to a person, addressed by who. | |
