Definition of "what"

what

/ʍʌt/

determiner
1. (interrogative) Which, especially which of an open-ended set of possibilities.
2. (relative) Which; the ... that.
3. (relative) Any ... that; all ... that; whatever.
4. Emphasises that something is noteworthy or remarkable in quality or degree, in either a good or bad way; may be used in combination with certain other determiners, especially 'a', less often 'some'.
  1. Used to form exclamations indicating that something is remarkably good or bad.
    Quotations
    “Oh Granny, what big eyes you have,” said Little Red Riding Hood.
    Little Red Riding Hood, traditional folk tale
pronoun
1. (interrogative) Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc.
  Quotations
  The gym is across from … what? — The gym is across from the lounge. — Across from the lounge. Right. Thanks! Audio (US)(file)
  2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
2. (fused relative) That which; those that; the thing(s) that.
3. (fused relative) Anything that; all that; whatever.
4. (relative, nonstandard) That; which; who.
  Quotations
  That’s her; that’s the thing what has stole his heart from me.
  1902, J. M. Barrie, The Admirable Crichton
  For, it is a name what strikes fear in the heart of anyone what hears it.
  2017, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
adverb
not comparable
1. (interrogative) In what way; to what extent.
2. Used before a prepositional phrase to emphasise that something is taken into consideration as a cause or reason; usually used in combination with 'with' (see what with), and much less commonly with other prepositions.
  Quotations
  In short; what by the indiscretion of people here, what by the rebound which came often back from London, what by the private interests and ambitious views of persons in the French court, and what by other causes unnecessary to be examined now, the most private transactions came to light [...]
  1787, Henry St. John, Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, Letters on the Study and Use of History: A Letter to Sir William Windham, page 83
  The Chinese of all ranks, and in every place, received my books gladly, and listened with patience to what I had to say about the true God.—So that what from opportunities of attending to the object of my Mission among the Chinese—what from seasons of religious instruction to Dutch and English—what from intercourse with gentlemen of education and knowledge of the world—what from occasions of stating clearly the object of Missions, and of endeavouring to remove prejudices against them—and what from the view of a highly cultivated country, happy under an enlightened and liberal government, I have much reason to be satisfied with this journey [...]
  1815, Rev. Mr. Milne, letter reprinted in The Evangelical Magazine and Missionary Chronicle, Volume 23, page 82.
interjection
1. An expression of surprise or disbelief.
  Quotations
  What, have his daughters brought him to this pass?
  c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)
2. What do you want? An abrupt, usually unfriendly enquiry as to what a person desires.
3. (Britain, colloquial, dated) Clipping of what do you say? Used as a type of tag question to emphasise a statement and invite agreement, often rhetorically.
  Quotations
  “That’s riled them,” said my compaion. “Good work, what?”
  1918, Denis Garstin, The Shilling Soldiers‎, London: Hodder and Stoughton, page 83
  Chuffy: WHAT? No, no, no, no, no. My casa is your casa, what?
  1991 May 12, “Kidnapped!”, in Jeeves and Wooster, Series 2, Episode 5
4. What did you say? I beg your pardon?
5. Indicating a guess or approximation, or a pause to try to recall information.
noun
countable and uncountable, plural whats
1. (obsolete, uncountable) Something; thing; stuff.
  Quotations
  They prayd him sit, and gave him for to feed / Such homely what as serves the simple clowne, / That doth despise the dainties of the towne […]
  1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, stanza 7
2. (countable) The identity of a thing, as an answer to a question of what.
  Quotations
  The emphasis on the interplay between the hows and whats of interpretive practice is paramount.
  2005, Norman K. Denzin, Yvonna S. Lincoln, The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research, page 493
3. (countable) Something that is addressed by what, as opposed to a person, addressed by who.
  Quotations
  Regina: What are you? / Rumplestiltskin: What? What? What? My, my, what a rude question! I am not a what.
  2012, "We Are Both", season 2, episode 2 of Once Upon a Time
particle
1. (Manglish, Singlish) Emphasizes the truth of an assertion made to contradict an evidently false assumption held by the listener.
  Quotations
  Most things come from Europe what.
  1978, L. C. Cheong, Youth in the Army, page 142
  […] they can't be the same what?
  2007, yansimon52, soc.culture.singapore (Usenet)

Definition of "what"

what

determiner

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pronoun

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adverb

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interjection

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noun

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particle

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