being

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The state or quality of having existence. See Synonyms at existence.
2. n. Something, such as an object, an idea, or a symbol, that exists, is thought to exist, or is represented as existing.
3. n. The totality of all things that exist.
4. n. A person: "The artist after all is a solitary being” ( Virginia Woolf).
5. n. All the qualities constituting one that exists; the essence.
6. n. One's basic or essential nature; personality.
7. conj. Chiefly Southern U.S., Upper Southern U.S., & New England Because; since. Often used with as or that.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Existence in its most comprehensive sense, as opposed to non-existence; existence, whether real or only in thought.
2. n. In metaphysics, subsistence in a state not necessarily amounting to actual existence; rudimentary existence. But the word is used in different senses by different philosophers. Hegel defines it as immediacy, that is, the abstract character of the present. In its most proper acceptation, it is the name given by philosophical reflection to that which is revealed in immediate consciousness independently of the distinction of subject and object. It may also be defined, but with less precision, as the abstract noun corresponding to the concrete class embracing every object. Being is also used in philosophy influenced by Aristotle to signify the rudiment or germ of existence, consisting in a nature, or principle of growth, before actual existence. It is also frequently used to mean actual existence, the complete preparation to produce effects on the senses and on other objects. Psychologically, being may be defined as the objectification of consciousness, though the distinction of subject from object logically presupposes being.
3. n. That which exists; anything that is: as, inanimate beings.
4. n. Life; conscious existence.
5. n. Lifetime; mortal existence.
6. n. That which has life; a living existence, in contradistinction to what is without life; a creature.
7. n. A living; livelihood; means of subsistence; home.

Wiktionary

1. v. present participle of be.
2. n. A living creature.
3. n. The state or fact of existence, consciousness, or life, or something in such a state.
4. n. philosophy That which has actuality (materially or in concept).
5. n. philosophy One's basic nature, or the qualities thereof; essence or personality.
6. conj. obsolete Given that; since.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. Existing.
2. n. Existence, as opposed to nonexistence; state or sphere of existence.
3. n. That which exists in any form, whether it be material or spiritual, actual or ideal; living existence, as distinguished from a thing without life.
4. n. obsolete Lifetime; mortal existence.
5. n. Prov. Eng. An abode; a cottage.
6. adv. Obs. or Colloq. Since; inasmuch as.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently
2. n. the state or fact of existing