from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Of \Of\ ([o^]v), prep. [AS. of of, from, off; akin to D. & OS.
af, G. ab off, OHG. aba from, away, Icel., Dan., Sw., & Goth.
af, L. ab, Gr. ?, Skr. apa. Cf. {Off}, {A-} (2), {Ab-},
{After}, {Epi-}.]
In a general sense, from, or out from; proceeding from;
belonging to; relating to; concerning; -- used in a variety
of applications; as:
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1. Denoting that from which anything proceeds; indicating
origin, source, descent, and the like; as, he is of a race
of kings; he is of noble blood.
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That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be
called the Son of God. --Luke i. 35.
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I have received of the Lord that which also I
delivered unto you. --1 Cor. xi.
23.
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2. Denoting possession or ownership, or the relation of
subject to attribute; as, the apartment of the consul: the
power of the king; a man of courage; the gate of heaven.
"Poor of spirit." --Macaulay.
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3. Denoting the material of which anything is composed, or
that which it contains; as, a throne of gold; a sword of
steel; a wreath of mist; a cup of water.
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4. Denoting part of an aggregate or whole; belonging to a
number or quantity mentioned; out of; from amongst; as, of
this little he had some to spare; some of the mines were
unproductive; most of the company.
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It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not
consumed. --Lam. iii.
22.
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It is a duty to communicate of those blessings we
have received. --Franklin.
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5. Denoting that by which a person or thing is actuated or
impelled; also, the source of a purpose or action; due to;
as, they went of their own will; no body can move of
itself; he did it of necessity.
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For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts.
--Josh. xi.
20.
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6. Denoting reference to a thing; about; concerning; relating
to; as, to boast of one's achievements; they talked of
many things.
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Knew you of this fair work? --Shak.
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7. Denoting nearness or distance, either in space or time;
from; as, within a league of the town; within an hour of
the appointed time.
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8. Denoting identity or equivalence; -- used with a name or
appellation, and equivalent to the relation of apposition;
as, the continent of America; the city of Rome; the Island
of Cuba.
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9. Denoting the agent, or person by whom, or thing by which,
anything is, or is done; by.
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And told to her of [by] some. --Chaucer.
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He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of
all. --Luke iv. 15.
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[Jesus] being forty days tempted of the devil.
--Luke iv. 1,
2.
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Note: The use of the word in this sense, as applied to
persons, is nearly obsolete.
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10. Denoting relation to place or time; belonging to, or
connected with; as, men of Athens; the people of the
Middle Ages; in the days of Herod.
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11. Denoting passage from one state to another; from. [Obs.]
"O miserable of happy." --Milton.
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12. During; in the course of.
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Not be seen to wink of all the day. --Shak.
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My custom always of the afternoon. --Shak.
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Note: Of may be used in a subjective or an objective sense.
"The love of God" may mean, our love for God, or God's
love for us.
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Note: From is the primary sense of this preposition; a sense
retained in off, the same word differently written for
distinction. But this radical sense disappears in most
of its application; as, a man of genius; a man of rare
endowments; a fossil of a red color, or of an hexagonal
figure; he lost all hope of relief; an affair of the
cabinet; he is a man of decayed fortune; what is the
price of corn? In these and similar phrases, of denotes
property or possession, or a relation of some sort
involving connection. These applications, however all
proceeded from the same primary sense. That which
proceeds from, or is produced by, a person or thing,
either has had, or still has, a close connection with
the same; and hence the word was applied to cases of
mere connection, not involving at all the idea of
separation.
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{Of consequence}, of importance, value, or influence.
{Of late}, recently; in time not long past.
{Of old}, formerly; in time long past.
{Of one's self}, by one's self; without help or prompting;
spontaneously.
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Why, knows not Montague, that of itself
England is safe, if true within itself? --Shak.
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