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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. conj. Together with or along with; in addition to; as well as. Used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that have the same grammatical function in a construction.
  2. conj. Added to; plus: Two and two makes four.
  3. conj. Used to indicate result: Give the boy a chance, and he might surprise you.
  4. conj. Informal To. Used between finite verbs, such as go, come, try, write, or see: try and find it; come and see. See Usage Note at try.
  5. conj. Archaic If: and it pleases you.
  6. idiom. forth And other unspecified things of the same class: bought groceries, went to the bank, picked up the dry cleaning, and so forth.
  7. idiom. forth Further in the same manner.
  8. idiom. and then some Informal With considerably more in addition: This project will take all our skill and then some.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. A. Coördinate use.
  2. Connective: A word connecting a word, phrase, clause, or sentence with that which precedes it: a colorless particle without an exact synonym in English, but expressed approximately by ‘with, along with, together with, besides, also, moreover,’ the elements connected being grammatically coördinate.
  3. When many words, phrases, clauses, or sentences are connected, the connective is now generally omitted before all except the last, unless retained for rhetorical effect. The connected elements are sometimes identical, expressing continuous repetition, either definitely, as, to walk two and two; or indefinitely, as, for ever and ever, to wait years and years.
  4. The repetition often implies a difference of quality under the same name; as, there are deacons and deacons (that is, according to the proverb, “There's odds in deacons”); there are novels and novels (that is, all sorts of novels). To make the connection distinctly inclusive, the term both precedes the first member: as, both in England and in France. For this, by a Latinism, and … and has been sometimes used in poetry (Latin and French et … el).
  5. Introductive: in continuation of a previous sentence expressed, implied, or understood.
  6. In this use, especially in continuation of the statement implied by assent to a previous question. The continuation may mark surprise, incredulity, indignation, etc.: as, And shall I see him again? And you dare thus address me?
  7. Adverbial: Also; even.
  8. Hence, but and, and also: common in the old ballads.
  9. B. Conditional use.
  10. If; supposing that: as, and you please
  11. Disadvantage ys, that now childern of gramer-scole conneth no more Frensch than can here lift [their left] heele, & that is harm for ham [them] & a [if they] scholle passe the se, & trauayle in strange londes.
  12. Often with added if (whence mod. dial. an if, nif, if). Hence, but and if, but if.
  13. A prefix in Middle English and Anglo-Saxon, represented in modern English by an- in answer, a- in along, and (mixed with original on-) by on- in onset, etc.

Wiktionary

  1. conj. Used to connect two homogeneous (similar) words or phrases.
  2. conj. Used at the end of a list to indicate the last item.
  3. conj. Used to join sentences or sentence fragments in chronological order.
  4. conj. Used to indicate causation.
  5. conj. To; used to connect two finite verbs.
  6. conj. Used to ask for elaboration.
  7. conj. Used to indicate addition.
  8. conj. If.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. conj. A particle which expresses the relation of connection or addition. It is used to conjoin a word with a word, a clause with a clause, or a sentence with a sentence.
  2. conj. In order to; -- used instead of the infinitival to, especially after try, come, go.
  3. conj. It is sometimes, in old songs, a mere expletive.
  4. conj. If; though. See An, conj.

Etymologies

  1. Middle English, from Old English; see en in Indo-European roots.

Examples

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Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘and’.

Comments

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  • PossibleUnderscore Wow. People have actually listed this. Oh well, I guess it has been WAY under-rated. Jul 17, 2009

  • chained_bear Don't forget gunpowder. Oct 22, 2008

  • yarb HA HA HA!! Oct 22, 2008

  • bilby Usage on barouche. Oct 22, 2008

  • mollusque And. Feb 5, 2008

  • asativum And? Feb 5, 2008

  • skipvia Leaving the commas out of that sentence would present an interesting challenge... Jan 31, 2008

  • sionnach Wouldn't the sentence "I want to put a hyphen between the words Fish and and and and and Chips in my 'Fish and Chips' sign" have been clearer if quotation marks had been placed before Fish, and between Fish and and, and and and and, and and and and, and and and and, and and and and, and and and Chips, as well as after Chips? Jan 31, 2008

  • reesetee I think it's just intimidated. Jan 27, 2008

  • asativum Hmph. Figures WeirdNet would be classist. Jan 26, 2008

  • john Yep--from the WordNet FAQ, section 1.1.1:

    "WordNet only contains "open-class words": nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Thus, excluded words include determiners, prepositions, pronouns, conjunctions, and particles." Jan 26, 2008

  • asativum Wow. WeirdNet doesn't even try to touch and. Jan 26, 2008

‘and’ has been looked up 3733 times, loved by 2 people, added to 55 lists, commented on 12 times, and has a Scrabble score of 4.