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  1. ain't love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. Nonstandard Contraction of am not.
  2. Nonstandard Used also as a contraction for are not, is not, has not, and have not.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. A vulgar contraction of the negative phrases am not and are not: often used for is not, and also, with a variant hain't, for have not and has not.

Wiktionary

  1. are not, aren’t; is not, isn’t; am not.
  2. dialectal, informal have not, haven’t; has not, hasn’t.
  3. dialectal, informal do not, don’t; does not, doesn’t; did not, didn’t.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. A contraction for are not and am not; also used for is not. [Colloq. or illiterate speech]. See an't.

Etymologies

  1. 1. From the earlier form an’t, a contraction of am not, are not, and is not. The shift from IPA: /ænt/ to IPA: /eɪnt/ parallels a similar change in some dialects with can’t. In other dialects the pronunciation shifted to IPA: /ɑːnt/, and the spelling aren’t, when used to mean “am not”, is due to the fact that both words are pronounced IPA: /ɑːnt/ in some non-rhotic dialects. Historically, ain’t was present in many dialects of the English language, but not in the southeastern England dialect that became the standard, where it is only found in the construction aren’t I?. (Wiktionary)

Examples

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same context (12)

Words that are found in similar contexts

  1. ner
  2. widout
  1. chillun
  2. keer
  1. ail
  2. wasnt
  1. prob'ly
  2. wud
  1. shoud
  2. wearin'
  1. horthe
  2. eath

reverse dictionary (6)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. hain't
  1. aren't
  1. an't
  1. Domino
  1. 'tain't
  1. Waller

tags (1)

Free-form, user-generated categorization

  1. proscribed

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tagging (1)

Words tagged ‘ain't’

  1. I Ain't Got Nobody

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Lists

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Comments

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  • ruzuzu See comments on aren't I. Dec 29, 2010

  • singlestar Despite the many convincing arguments for ain't as a contraction for 'I am not', I find myself cringing at the thought of it becoming a universally accepted part of the English language. Perhaps that is because it evokes images of illiterate hillbillies and other uneducated classes of society. Unfortunately, it is those very people who drive the change in language. Misuse of words and slang become commonplace and eventually wind up in the dictionary, thus language evolves. I guess I have to live with it but liking it is, to quote another of my pet peeves "a whole nother thing"! May 20, 2009

  • tbtabby "I didn't spell 'ain't,' I spelled 'aquaintanceship!'" Apr 7, 2009

  • dontcry The word "Moby" also appears in Moby Dick... May 26, 2008

  • somescram The word "ain't" appears in Herman Melville's "Moby Dick." I'd say that's about all the support the English languages needs for its official inclusion in the language. May 26, 2008

  • somescram The word "ain't" appears in Herman Melville's "Moby Dick." I'd say that's about all the support the English languages needs for its official inclusion in the language. May 26, 2008

  • abraxaszugzwang Don't say ain't or your mother will faint, your father will fall in a bucket of paint, your sister will cry, your brother will die, and the dog will call the FBI. Feb 18, 2007

  • sonofgroucho Then there's "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone". Jan 29, 2007

  • stpeter Ain't is a contraction for "am not". Another form is "amn't" but that's hard to pronounce, no? It was further shortened to "a'n't" or "ain't". We're accepting of "we aren't" in the first person plural, "they aren't" in the third person plural, "he isn't" and "she isn't" and "it isn't" in the third person singular, and "you aren't" in the second person singular and plural. So why the resistance to "I ain't" in the first person singular? Granted, the extension of "ain't" to the second person singular (cf. the song "Is You or Is You Ain't My Baby" by Billy Austin and Louis Jordan) and to the third person singular (cf. "It Ain't Me Babe" by Bob Dylan) is problematic, albeit fun. But as far as I can see, "I ain't" is fair game. Jan 14, 2007

  • seanahan What is wrong with this word? It has been part of Standard English since at least the time of Twain, and will continue to be so. It is not acceptable written English, but then many things people say aren't. Jan 8, 2007

  • aftenthurston I don't know who thought that it would be a good idea to officially make that a word, but they should be tarred and feathered for it! Jan 8, 2007

  • stpeter Poor ain't. So universally reviled by Latin-loving prescriptivist grammar Nazis. Yet so wonderfully Anglo-Saxon. Dec 9, 2006

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‘ain't’ has been looked up 2592 times, loved by 1 person, added to 26 lists, commented on 12 times, and is not a valid Scrabble word.