anything

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. pro. Any object, occurrence, or matter whatever.
2. adv. To any degree or extent; at all: They aren't anything like last year's team.
3. n. Something or someone of importance: "You had to be something to start with, and Jeremy never was anything” ( Anne Tyler).
4. idiom. anything but By no means; not at all: I was anything but happy about going.
5. idiom. anything goes Anything is permissible or likely to be tolerated.
6. idiom. like anything To an exceeding degree: We worked like anything to meet the deadline.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. A thing, indefinitely; something or other, no matter what: opposed to nothing: as, have you anything to eat? I do not see anything; give me anything.
2. [From its indeterminate signification, anything is often used colloquially in comparisons, as emphatically comprehensive of whatever simile may suggest itself or be appropriate, especially in the comparative phrases as… as anything, like anything, equivalent to ‘exceedingly,’ ‘greatly.’
3. Any whit; in any degree; to any extent; at all. If anything, if in any degree; if at all; if there is any difference: as, if anything, he is a little better to-day.

Wiktionary

1. adv. In any way, any extent or any degree.
2. pro. Any object, act, state, event, or fact whatever; thing of any kind; something or other; aught.
3. pro. with “as” or “like” Expressing an indefinite comparison.
4. n. Someone or something of importance.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Any object, act, state, event, or fact whatever; thing of any kind; something or other; aught.
2. n. Colloq. or Lowx Expressing an indefinite comparison; -- with as or like.
3. adv. In any measure; anywise; at all.