where

where
/hwair, wair/, adv.
1. in or at what place?: Where is he? Where do you live?
2. in what position or circumstances?: Where do you stand on this question? Without money, where are you?
3. in what particular respect, way, etc.?: Where does this affect us?
4. to what place, point, or end? whither?: Where are you going?
5. from what source? whence?: Where did you get such a notion?
6. in or at what place, part, point, etc.: Find where he is. Find where the trouble is.
7. in or at the place, part, point, etc., in or at which: The book is where you left it.
8. in a position, case, etc., in which: Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.
9. in any place, position, case, etc., in which; wherever: Use the ointment where pain is felt.
10. to what or whatever place; to the place or any place to which: I will go where you go.
11. in or at which place; and there: They came to the town, where they lodged for the night.
12. where it's at, Slang. where the most exciting, prestigious, or profitable activity or circumstance is to be found.
13. what place?: Where did you come from?
14. the place in which; point at which: This is where the boat docks. That was where the phone rang.
n.
15. a place; that place in which something is located or occurs: the wheres and hows of job hunting.
[bef. 900; ME quher, wher, OE hwaer; c. D waar, OHG hwar; akin to ON hvar, Goth hwar]
Usage. WHERE ... AT (Where was he at?) and WHERE ... TO (Where is this leading to?) are often criticized as redundant because neither AT nor TO adds anything to the meaning of WHERE, and sentences like the preceding ones are perfectly clear and standard without the final AT or TO. This criticism does not apply to WHERE ... FROM, which is fully standard: Where does the money come from? The constructions WHERE ... AT and WHERE ... TO occur in the speech of educated people but are rare in formal speech and edited writing.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • where — [ wer, hwer ] function word *** Where can be used in the following ways: as a question adverb (introducing a direct or indirect question): Where are you going? I wonder where she lives. as a relative adverb (referring back to a noun and… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • where — W1S1 [weə US wer] adv, conj, pron [: Old English; Origin: hwAr] 1.) in or to which place ▪ Where are you going? ▪ Where do they live? ▪ Do you know where my glasses are? ▪ Where would you like to sit? where (...) to/from ▪ Where have you come… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 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}.] [1913 Webster] 1. At or in… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • where — [hwer, wer] adv. [ME wher < OE hwær, akin to Ger wo & to war in warum: for IE base see WHAT] 1. in or at what place? [where is the car?] 2. to or toward what place or point? [where did he go?] 3. in what situation or position [where will we be …   English World dictionary

  • where is at — where (someone) is at see ↑where, 1 • • • Main Entry: ↑at where (someone) is at informal : someone s true position, state, or nature I haven t quite figured out where she s at [=where she stands; what her opinions are] on that issue …   Useful english dictionary

  • where it's at — {adv. phr.}, {informal} That which is important; that which is at the forefront of on going social, personal, or scientific undertakings. * /Young, talented and black, that s where it s at./ * /We send sophisticated machines to Mars instead of… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • where it's at — {adv. phr.}, {informal} That which is important; that which is at the forefront of on going social, personal, or scientific undertakings. * /Young, talented and black, that s where it s at./ * /We send sophisticated machines to Mars instead of… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • where's — [hwerz, werz] contraction 1. where is 2. where has 3. Informal where does …   English World dictionary

  • Where — Where, conj. Whereas. [1913 Webster] And flight and die is death destroying death; Where fearing dying pays death servile breath. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Where — Where, n. Place; situation. [Obs. or Colloq.] [1913 Webster] Finding the nymph asleep in secret where. Spenser. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • where it's at — where important things are happening, where the action is    China that s where it s at today. Their society is changing; their economy is growing …   English idioms

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