from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
On \On\ ([o^]n), prep. [OE. on, an, o, a, AS. on, an; akin to D.
aan, OS. & G. an, OHG. ana, Icel. [=a], Sw. [*a], Goth. ana,
Russ. na, L. an-, in anhelare to pant, Gr. 'ana`, Zend ana.
[root]195. Cf. {A-}, 1, {Ana-}, {Anon}.]
The general signification of on is situation, motion, or
condition with respect to contact or support beneath; as:
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1. At, or in contact with, the surface or upper part of a
thing, and supported by it; placed or lying in contact
with the surface; as, the book lies on the table, which
stands on the floor of a house on an island.
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I stood on the bridge at midnight. --Longfellow.
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2. To or against the surface of; -- used to indicate the
motion of a thing as coming or falling to the surface of
another; as, rain falls on the earth.
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Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken.
--Matt. xxi.
44.
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3. Denoting performance or action by contact with the
surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by
means of; with; as, to play on a violin or piano. Hence,
figuratively, to work on one's feelings; to make an
impression on the mind.
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4. At or near; adjacent to; -- indicating situation, place,
or position; as, on the one hand, on the other hand; the
fleet is on the American coast.
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5. In addition to; besides; -- indicating multiplication or
succession in a series; as, heaps on heaps; mischief on
mischief; loss on loss; thought on thought. --Shak.
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6. Indicating dependence or reliance; with confidence in; as,
to depend on a person for assistance; to rely on; hence,
indicating the ground or support of anything; as, he will
promise on certain conditions; to bet on a horse; based on
certain assumptions.
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7. At or in the time of; during; as, on Sunday we abstain
from labor. See {At} (synonym).
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8. At the time of; -- often conveying some notion of cause or
motive; as, on public occasions, the officers appear in
full dress or uniform; the shop is closed on Sundays.
Hence, in consequence of, or following; as, on the
ratification of the treaty, the armies were disbanded;
start on the count of three.
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9. Toward; for; -- indicating the object of some passion; as,
have pity or compassion on him.
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10. At the peril of, or for the safety of. "Hence, on thy
life." --Dryden.
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11. By virtue of; with the pledge of; -- denoting a pledge or
engagement, and put before the thing pledged; as, he
affirmed or promised on his word, or on his honor.
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12. To the account of; -- denoting imprecation or invocation,
or coming to, falling, or resting upon; as, on us be all
the blame; a curse on him.
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His blood be on us and on our children. --Matt.
xxvii. 25.
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13. In reference or relation to; as, on our part expect
punctuality; a satire on society.
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14. Of. [Obs.] "Be not jealous on me." --Shak.
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Or have we eaten on the insane root
That takes the reason prisoner? --Shak.
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Note: Instances of this usage are common in our older
writers, and are sometimes now heard in illiterate
speech.
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15. Occupied with; in the performance of; as, only three
officers are on duty; on a journey; on the job; on an
assignment; on a case; on the alert.
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16. In the service of; connected with; a member of; as, he is
on a newspaper; on a committee.
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Note: On and upon are in general interchangeable. In some
applications upon is more euphonious, and is therefore
to be preferred; but in most cases on is preferable.
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17. In reference to; about; concerning; as, to think on it;
to meditate on it.
[PJC]
{On a bowline}. (Naut.) Same as {Closehauled}.
{On a wind}, or {On the wind} (Naut.), sailing closehauled.
{On a sudden}. See under {Sudden}.
{On board}, {On draught}, {On fire}, etc. See under {Board},
{Draught}, {Fire}, etc.
{On it}, {On't}, of it. [Obs. or Colloq.] --Shak.
{On shore}, on land; to the shore.
{On the road}, {On the way}, {On the wing}, etc. See under
{Road}, {Way}, etc.
{On to}, upon; on; to; -- sometimes written as one word,
onto, and usually called a colloquialism; but it may be
regarded in analogy with into.
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They have added the -en plural form on to an elder
plural. --Earle.
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We see the strength of the new movement in the new
class of ecclesiastics whom it forced on to the
stage. --J. R. Green.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Way \Way\, n. [OE. wey, way, AS. weg; akin to OS., D., OHG., &
G. weg, Icel. vegr, Sw. v[aum]g, Dan. vei, Goth. wigs, L.
via, and AS. wegan to move, L. vehere to carry, Skr. vah.
[root]136. Cf. {Convex}, {Inveigh}, {Vehicle}, {Vex}, {Via},
{Voyage}, {Wag}, {Wagon}, {Wee}, {Weigh}.]
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1. That by, upon, or along, which one passes or processes;
opportunity or room to pass; place of passing; passage;
road, street, track, or path of any kind; as, they built a
way to the mine. "To find the way to heaven." --Shak.
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I shall him seek by way and eke by street.
--Chaucer.
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The way seems difficult, and steep to scale.
--Milton.
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The season and ways were very improper for his
majesty's forces to march so great a distance.
--Evelyn.
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2. Length of space; distance; interval; as, a great way; a
long way.
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And whenever the way seemed long,
Or his heart began to fail. --Longfellow.
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3. A moving; passage; procession; journey.
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I prythee, now, lead the way. --Shak.
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4. Course or direction of motion or process; tendency of
action; advance.
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If that way be your walk, you have not far.
--Milton.
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And let eternal justice take the way. --Dryden.
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5. The means by which anything is reached, or anything is
accomplished; scheme; device; plan.
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My best way is to creep under his gaberdine. --Shak.
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By noble ways we conquest will prepare. --Dryden.
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What impious ways my wishes took! --Prior.
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6. Manner; method; mode; fashion; style; as, the way of
expressing one's ideas.
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7. Regular course; habitual method of life or action; plan of
conduct; mode of dealing. "Having lost the way of
nobleness." --Sir. P. Sidney.
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Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths
are peace. --Prov. iii.
17.
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When men lived in a grander way. --Longfellow.
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8. Sphere or scope of observation. --Jer. Taylor.
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The public ministers that fell in my way. --Sir W.
Temple.
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9. Determined course; resolved mode of action or conduct; as,
to have one's way.
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10. (Naut.)
(a) Progress; as, a ship has way.
(b) pl. The timbers on which a ship is launched.
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11. pl. (Mach.) The longitudinal guides, or guiding surfaces,
on the bed of a planer, lathe, or the like, along which a
table or carriage moves.
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12. (Law) Right of way. See below.
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{By the way}, in passing; apropos; aside; apart from, though
connected with, the main object or subject of discourse.
{By way of}, for the purpose of; as being; in character of.
{Covert way}. (Fort.) See {Covered way}, under {Covered}.
{In the family way}. See under {Family}.
{In the way}, so as to meet, fall in with, obstruct, hinder,
etc.
{In the way with}, traveling or going with; meeting or being
with; in the presence of.
{Milky way}. (Astron.) See {Galaxy}, 1.
{No way}, {No ways}. See {Noway}, {Noways}, in the
Vocabulary.
{On the way}, traveling or going; hence, in process;
advancing toward completion; as, on the way to this
country; on the way to success.
{Out of the way}. See under {Out}.
{Right of way} (Law), a right of private passage over
another's ground. It may arise either by grant or
prescription. It may be attached to a house, entry, gate,
well, or city lot, as well as to a country farm. --Kent.
{To be under way}, or {To have way} (Naut.), to be in motion,
as when a ship begins to move.
{To give way}. See under {Give}.
{To go one's way}, or {To come one's way}, to go or come; to
depart or come along. --Shak.
{To go one's way} to proceed in a manner favorable to one; --
of events.
{To come one's way} to come into one's possession (of
objects) or to become available, as an opportunity; as,
good things will come your way.
{To go the way of all the earth} or
{to go the way of all flesh} to die.
{To make one's way}, to advance in life by one's personal
efforts.
{To make way}. See under {Make}, v. t.
{Ways and means}.
(a) Methods; resources; facilities.
(b) (Legislation) Means for raising money; resources for
revenue.
{Way leave}, permission to cross, or a right of way across,
land; also, rent paid for such right. [Eng]
{Way of the cross} (Eccl.), the course taken in visiting in
rotation the stations of the cross. See {Station}, n., 7
(c) .
{Way of the rounds} (Fort.), a space left for the passage of
the rounds between a rampart and the wall of a fortified
town.
{Way pane}, a pane for cartage in irrigated land. See {Pane},
n., 4. [Prov. Eng.]
{Way passenger}, a passenger taken up, or set down, at some
intermediate place between the principal stations on a
line of travel.
{Ways of God}, his providential government, or his works.
{Way station}, an intermediate station between principal
stations on a line of travel, especially on a railroad.
{Way train}, a train which stops at the intermediate, or way,
stations; an accommodation train.
{Way warden}, the surveyor of a road.
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Syn: Street; highway; road.
Usage: {Way}, {Street}, {Highway}, {Road}. Way is generic,
denoting any line for passage or conveyance; a highway
is literally one raised for the sake of dryness and
convenience in traveling; a road is, strictly, a way
for horses and carriages; a street is, etymologically,
a paved way, as early made in towns and cities; and,
hence, the word is distinctively applied to roads or
highways in compact settlements.
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All keep the broad highway, and take delight
With many rather for to go astray. --Spenser.
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There is but one road by which to climb up.
--Addison.
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When night
Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons
Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.
--Milton.
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