What
Pronunciation
- AusE IPA: /wɔt/
- UK IPA: /ÊÉ’t/, /wÉ’t/
- Rhymes: -É’t
- US IPA: /wÊŒt/, /ÊÊŒt/
- US IPA: wʌ
- Homophones: Watt, watt, wot all only in British, Australian or New Zealand accents with the wine-whine merger
- Rhymes: -ÊŒt
Origin
From Middle English what, from Old English hwæt ("what"), from Proto-Germanic *hwat ("what"), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷód ("what"), neuter form of *kʷós ("who"). Cognate with Scots what ("what"), North Frisian wat ("what"), Saterland Frisian wat ("what"), West Frisian wat ("what"), Dutch wat ("what"), Low German wat ("what"), German was ("what"), Danish hvad ("what"), Swedish vad ("what"), Icelandic hvað ("what"), Latin quod ("what, which").
Full definition of what
Pronoun
what
- (interrogative) Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used interrogatively in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc.
- (UK, colloquial) An interrogative which asks "Don't you agree?"It's rather late, what?
- (relative, nonstandard) That; which.
- 1902, J. M. Barrie, The Admirable Crichton:That’s her; that’s the thing what has stole his heart from me.
- (relative) That which; those that; the thing that.
- 2013-06-21, Oliver Burkeman, The tao of tech, The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast …, or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing",...and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.
- he knows what he wants; what is tossed upward falls back down
Adverb
what
- In some manner or degree; in part; partly; usually followed by with.What with singing and joking, the time passed quickly.
- Such.What a pity.What a beautiful day!
- (obsolete) Why?
- unknown date ChaucerWhat should I tell the answer of the knight?
- unknown date John MiltonBut what do I stand reckoning upon advantages and gains lost by the misrule and turbulency of the prelates?
- (now rare) Used to introduce each of two coordinate phrases or concepts; both...and.
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book III:and so they rode fresshly with grete royalte, what by water and what by land, tyl that they came nyghe vnto london.
Synonyms
Interjection
- An expression of surprise or disbelief.
- 1605 Wm. Shakespeare, King LearWhat, have his daughters brought him to this pass?
- What! That’s amazing.
- (British, colloquial, dated) Is that not true?It’s a nice day, what? (sometimes repeated, e.g.: What-what?)
Determiner
- Which; which kind of.What shirt are you going to wear?What time is it?What kind of car is that?
- How much; how great (used in an exclamation).What talent he has!What a talent!