how

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. adv. In what manner or way; by what means: How does this machine work?
2. adv. In what state or condition: How is she today?
3. adv. To what extent, amount, or degree: How bad was it?
4. adv. For what reason or purpose; why: How is it that he left early?
5. adv. With what meaning: How should I take that remark?
6. adv. By what name: How is she called?
7. adv. By what measure; in what units: How do you sell this corn?
8. adv. What. Usually used in requesting that something be said again: How's that again?
9. adv. Used as an intensive: How we laughed!
10. conj. The manner or way in which: forgot how it was done.
11. conj. That.
12. conj. In whatever way or manner; however: Cook it how you please.
13. n. A manner or method of doing something: "The how of research is generated by the why of the world” ( Frederick Turner).
14. idiom. and how Informal Most certainly; you bet: She's a good dancer, and how!
15. idiom. how about What is your thought, feeling, or desire regarding: How about a cup of tea? How about that storm last night?
16. idiom. how about that Informal Used rhetorically to express surprise or wonder at or approval for something.
17. idiom. how come Informal How is it that; why: How come you're so late?
18. idiom. how so How is it so: You say the answer is wrong. How so?

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. A. interrogative. In what way? in what manner?
2. By what means?—as, how did he do it? how did you come?
3. To what degree or extent? in what proportion or amount? by what measure or quantity?—qualifying an adverb or adjective of degree or quantity: as, how large was it? how far did you go? how many tickets did you get?
4. In this use often exclamatory in form and affirmative in meaning.
5. Such sentences also take in modern speech the affirmative form: as, how much better you are looking! how little you have changed! how stupid he is!
6. In what state, condition, or plight?
7. So colloquially, in reference to one's health or affairs: as, how do you do? how have you been? how's your family? he asked how you all were; how is business?
8. At what price?—as, how do you sell your potatoes? how is wheat going now?
9. For what reason ? why?
10. To what effect? what? — with regard to a thing said or asked about, as when one asks an opinion or a repetition of a thing said and not understood: equivalent to the simple what?—as, how say you, gentlemen of the jury? How used alone, instead of what, is chiefly colloquial.
11. With this use of how is connected its interjectional use, marking surprise, or being a mere greeting or call.
12. In this use often with now: as, how now! what are you doing?
13. B. relative. In what way; in what manner; the way or manner in which …: introducing a relative clause and performing the office of a conjunctional adverb.
14. By what means; the means by which.
15. To what degree or extent; in what proportion or amount; by what measure or quantity: qualifying an adverb or adjective: as, I do not know how large it is; I asked him how far he had traveled.
16. In what state, condition, or plight.
17. At what price: as, he inquired how the stocks were selling.
18. For what reason; why.
19. That: with reference to the manner, and also to the result: in objective clauses, after say, tell, relate, report, etc.
20. Especially in combination: How that, that.
21. As how, that.
22. n. The manner of doing or becoming; way.
23. n. A low hill: obsolete or dialectal, but retained in some place-names: as, Silver How, near Grasmere; Fox How.
24. Hollow; deep or low.
25. n. Any hollow place.
26. n. The hold of a ship.
27. n. A glen; a dell; also, a plain.
28. To care.
29. n. Care; anxiety.
30. Careful.
31. n. A Scotch form of houve.
32. A syllable of salutation among various tribes of American Indians. ‘When friends or kindred have not met for about a month they say, on meeting, ‘Hau! kagéha,’ ho! younger brother, ‘Hau! negíha,’ ho! mother's brother, etc., calling each other by their respective kinship titles, if there be any, and then they shake hands. There are no other verbal salutations.’ (Dorsey, Omaha Sociology, 3d An. Rep. Bur. Ethn., 1881–2.)

Wiktionary

1. interj. a greeting, used in representations of Native American speech
2. n. dialectal An artificial barrow or tumulus.
3. n. dialectal A small hill in northern England. (Usage preserved mainly in place names.)
4. adv. To what degree.
5. adv. In what manner.
6. adv. Used as a modifier to indicate surprise, delight, or other strong feelings.
7. adj. In what state.
8. n. The means by which something is accomplished.
9. conj. In which way; in such way.
10. conj. That, the fact that, the way that.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. adv. In what manner or way; by what means or process.
2. adv. To what degree or extent, number or amount; in what proportion; by what measure or quality.
3. adv. For what reason; from what cause.
4. adv. In what state, condition, or plight.
5. adv. By what name, designation, or title.
6. adv. obsolete At what price; how dear.