from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
And \And\, conj. [AS. and; akin to OS. endi, Icel. enda, OHG.
anti, enti, inti, unti, G. und, D. en, OD. ende. Cf, {An} if,
{Ante-}.]
1. A particle which expresses the relation of connection or
addition. It is used to conjoin a word with a word, a
clause with a clause, or a sentence with a sentence.
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Note: (a) It is sometimes used emphatically; as, "there are
women and women," that is, two very different sorts of
women. (b) By a rhetorical figure, notions, one of
which is modificatory of the other, are connected by
and; as, "the tediousness and process of my travel,"
that is, the tedious process, etc.; "thy fair and
outward character," that is, thy outwardly fair
character, --Schmidt's Shak. Lex.
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2. In order to; -- used instead of the infinitival to,
especially after try, come, go.
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At least to try and teach the erring soul. --Milton.
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3. It is sometimes, in old songs, a mere expletive.
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When that I was and a little tiny boy. --Shak.
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4. If; though. See {An}, conj. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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As they will set an house on fire, and it were but
to roast their eggs. --Bacon.
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{And so forth}, and others; and the rest; and similar things;
and other things or ingredients. The abbreviation, etc.
(et cetera), or &c., is usually read and so forth.
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