of

of
I. preposition Etymology: Middle English, off, of, from Old English, adverb & preposition; akin to Old High German aba off, away, Latin ab from, away, Greek apo Date: before 12th century 1. — used as a function word to indicate a point of reckoning <
north of the lake
>
2. a. — used as a function word to indicate origin or derivation <
a man of noble birth
>
b. — used as a function word to indicate the cause, motive, or reason <
died of flu
>
c. by <
plays of Shakespeare
>
d. on the part of <
very kind of you
>
e. occurring in <
a fish of the western Atlantic
>
3. — used as a function word to indicate the component material, parts, or elements or the contents <
throne of gold
>
<
cup of water
>
4. a. — used as a function word to indicate the whole that includes the part denoted by the preceding word <
most of the army
>
b. — used as a function word to indicate a whole or quantity from which a part is removed or expended <
gave of his time
>
5. a. relating to ; about <
stories of her travels
>
b. in respect to <
slow of speech
>
6. a. — used as a function word to indicate belonging or a possessive relationship <
king of England
>
b. — used as a function word to indicate relationship between a result determined by a function or operation and a basic entity (as an independent variable) <
a function of x
>
<
the product of two numbers
>
7. — used as a function word to indicate something from which a person or thing is delivered <
eased of her pain
>
or with respect to which someone or something is made destitute <
robbed of all their belongings
>
8. a. — used as a function word to indicate a particular example belonging to the class denoted by the preceding noun <
the city of Rome
>
b. — used as a function word to indicate apposition <
that fool of a husband
>
9. a. — used as a function word to indicate the object of an action denoted or implied by the preceding noun <
love of nature
>
b. — used as a function word to indicate the application of a verb <
cheats him of a dollar
>
or of an adjective <
fond of candy
>
10. — used as a function word to indicate a characteristic or distinctive quality or possession <
a woman of courage
>
11. a. — used as a function word to indicate the position in time of an action or occurrence <
died of a Monday
>
b. before <
quarter of ten
>
12. archaic on <
a plague of all cowards — Shakespeare
>
II. verbal auxiliary Etymology: by alteration Date: circa 1800 nonstandard have — used in place of the contraction 've often in representations of uneducated speech <
I could of beat them easy — Ring Lardner
>

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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