Yet

Pronunciation

• RP & US: IPA: /jÉ›t/
• Rhymes: -É›t

From Middle English yeten, from Old English ġēotan ("to flow, pour"), from Proto-Germanic *geutaną ("to flow, pour"), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰew-, *ǵʰōw- ("to pour"). Cognate with Scots yat ("to yet"), West Frisian jitte ("to scatter, shed, pour"), Dutch gieten ("to pour, cast, mould"), German gießen ("to pour, cast, mould"), Swedish gjuta ("to pour, cast"). More at yote.

Alternative forms

• yit
• yete obsolete

Full definition of yet

Verb

1. (dialectal) To melt; found; cast, as metal.

Noun

1. (dialectal) A metal pan or boiler; yetling.

From Middle English yet, yit, from Old English ġīet, gȳta, from Proto-Germanic *iúta (compare West Frisian jit, Dutch ooit ‘ever’, German jetzt ‘now’), compound of (1) *ī́ui (adv.) ‘ever’ (see English aye), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂i̯éu-, accusative of *h₂éi̯us ‘long time’ and (2) the intensifying enclitic *-ta, from Proto-Indo-European *do.

Anatoly Liberman, An Analytic Dictionary of English Etymology: An Introduction, s.v. “yet” (Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 2008), xlvi.

Marlies Philippa et al., eds., Etymologisch Woordenboek van het Nederlands, A-Z, s.v. “ooit” (Amsterdam UP, 3 Dec. 2009):

More at aye and -th.

Adverb

1. (usually with negative) Thus far; up to the present; up to some specified time.
   He has never yet been late for an appointment;   I’m not yet wise enough to answer that;   Have you finished yet?
2. Continuously up to the current time; still.
   The workers went to the factory early and are striking yet.
• Addisonfacts they had heard while they were yet heathens
3. At some future time; eventually.
   The riddle will be solved yet.
• ShakespeareHe'll be hanged yet.
4. (after certain copulative verbs, followed by an infinitive) Not as of the time referenced.
   I've yet to see him. — I have not yet seen him.
   I had yet to go to a convention. — I had not yet gone to a convention.
   He seemed yet to be convinced. — He seemed not yet to have been convinced.
5. In addition.
• 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 10, It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.
• 2011, September 18, Ben Dirs, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 41-10 Georgia, After yet another missed penalty by Kvirikashvili from bang in front of the posts, England scored again, centre Tuilagi flying into the line and touching down under the bar.
6. There are two hours yet to go until our destination.
7. (degree) Even.
   K-2 is yet higher than this.
• Francis BaconMen may not too rashly believe the confessions of witches, nor yet the evidence against them.

Derived terms

• not yet

Conjunction

1. Nevertheless; however; but; despite that.
• 2013-05-25, No hiding place, In America alone, people spent $170 billion on “direct marketing”—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, only 3% bought anything as a result.
2. I thought I knew you, yet how wrong I was.

Derived terms

• as yet

Anagrams

• ety
• tey
• tye