Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Where?

\Where\, adv. [OE. wher, whar, AS. hw?r; akin to D. waar, OS. hw?r, OHG. hw[=a]r, w[=a]r, w[=a], G. wo, Icel. and Sw. hvar, Dan. hvor, Goth. hwar, and E. who; cf. Skr. karhi when. [root]182. See {Who}, and cf. {There}.] 1. At or in what place; hence, in what situation, position, or circumstances; -- used interrogatively. God called unto Adam, . . . Where art thou? --Gen. iii. 9. Note: See the Note under {What}, pron., 1. 2. At or in which place; at the place in which; hence, in the case or instance in which; -- used relatively. She visited that place where first she was so happy. --Sir P. Sidney. Where I thought the remnant of mine age Should have been cherished by her childlike duty. --Shak. Where one on his side fights, thousands will fly. --Shak. But where he rode one mile, the dwarf ran four. --Sir W. Scott. 3. To what or which place; hence, to what goal, result, or issue; whither; -- used interrogatively and relatively; as, where are you going? But where does this tend? --Goldsmith. Lodged in sunny cleft, Where the gold breezes come not. --Bryant. Note: Where is often used pronominally with or without a preposition, in elliptical sentences for a place in which, the place in which, or what place. The star . . . stood over where the young child was. --Matt. ii. 9. The Son of man hath not where to lay his head. --Matt. viii. 20. Within about twenty paces of where we were. --Goldsmith. Where did the minstrels come from? --Dickens. Note: Where is much used in composition with preposition, and then is equivalent to a pronoun. Cf. {Whereat}, {Whereby}, {Wherefore}, {Wherein}, etc. {Where away} (Naut.), in what direction; as, where away is the land? Syn: See {Whither}.
\Where\, conj. Whereas. And flight and die is death destroying death; Where fearing dying pays death servile breath. --Shak.
\Where\, n. Place; situation. [Obs. or Colloq.] Finding the nymph asleep in secret where. --Spenser.