Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Whole?

\Whole\, a. [OE. hole, hol, hal, hool, AS. h[=a]l well, sound, healthy; akin to OFries. & OS. h?l, D. heel, G. heil, Icel. heill, Sw. hel whole, Dan. heel, Goth. hails well, sound, OIr. c?l augury. Cf. {Hale}, {Hail} to greet, {Heal} to cure, {Health}, {Holy}.] 1. Containing the total amount, number, etc.; comprising all the parts; free from deficiency; all; total; entire; as, the whole earth; the whole solar system; the whole army; the whole nation. ``On their whole host I flew unarmed.'' --Milton. The whole race of mankind. --Shak. 2. Complete; entire; not defective or imperfect; not broken or fractured; unimpaired; uninjured; integral; as, a whole orange; the egg is whole; the vessel is whole. My life is yet whole in me. --2 Sam. i. 9. 3. Possessing, or being in a state of, heath and soundness; healthy; sound; well. [She] findeth there her friends hole and sound. --Chaucer. They that be whole need not a physician. --Matt. ix. 12. When Sir Lancelot's deadly hurt was whole. --Tennyson. {Whole blood}. (Law of Descent) See under {Blood}, n., 2. {Whole note} (Mus.), the note which represents a note of longest duration in common use; a semibreve. {Whole number} (Math.), a number which is not a fraction or mixed number; an integer. {Whole snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the common snipe, as distinguished from the smaller jacksnipe. [Prov. Eng.] Syn: All; total; complete; entire; integral; undivided; uninjured; unimpaired; unbroken; healthy. Usage: {Whole}, {Total}, {Entire}, {Complete}. When we use the word whole, we refer to a thing as made up of parts, none of which are wanting; as, a whole week; a whole year; the whole creation. When we use the word total, we have reference to all as taken together, and forming a single totality; as, the total amount; the total income. When we speak of a thing as entire, we have no reference to parts at all, but regard the thing as an integer, i. e., continuous or unbroken; as, an entire year; entire prosperity. When we speak of a thing as complete, there is reference to some progress which results in a filling out to some end or object, or a perfected state with no deficiency; as, complete success; a complete victory. All the whole army stood agazed on him. --Shak. One entire and perfect chrysolite. --Shak. Lest total darkness should by night regain Her old possession, and extinguish life. --Milton. So absolute she seems, And in herself complete. --Milton.
\Whole\, n. 1. The entire thing; the entire assemblage of parts; totality; all of a thing, without defect or exception; a thing complete in itself. ``This not the whole of life to live, Nor all of death to die. --J. Montgomery. 2. A regular combination of parts; a system. Parts answering parts shall slide into a whole. --Pope. {Committee of the whole}. See under {Committee}. {Upon the whole}, considering all things; taking everything into account; in view of all the circumstances or conditions. Syn: Totality; total; amount; aggregate; gross.