|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
want
want / wänt; wônt/ • v. 1. [tr.] have a desire to possess or do (something); wish for: I want an apple | we want to go to the beach | [tr.] she wanted me to go to her room | [intr.] I'll give you a lift into town if you want. ∎ wish to consult or speak to (someone): Tony wants me in the studio. ∎ (usu. be wanted) (of the police) desire to question or apprehend (a suspected criminal): he is wanted by the police in connection with an arms theft. ∎ desire (someone) sexually: I've wanted you since the first moment I saw you. ∎ inf., chiefly Brit. (of a thing) require to be attended to in a specified way: the wheel wants greasing. ∎ inf. ought, should, or need to do something: you don't want to believe everything you hear. ∎ [intr.] (want in/into/out/away) inf. desire to be in or out of a particular place or situation: if anyone wants out, there's the door. 2. [intr.] chiefly archaic lack or be short of something desirable or essential: you shall want for nothing while you are with me. ∎ [tr.] (chiefly used in expressions of time) be short of or lack (a specified amount or thing): it wanted twenty minutes to midnight it wants a few minutes of five o'clock. • n. 1. chiefly archaic a lack or deficiency of something: Victorian houses which are in want of repair it won't be through want of trying. ∎ the state of being poor and in need of essentials; poverty: freedom from want. 2. a desire for something: the expression of our wants and desires. PHRASES: for want of because of a lack of (something): for want of a better location we ate our picnic lunch in the cemetery. ORIGIN: Middle English: the noun from Old Norse vant, neuter of vanr ‘lacking’; the verb from Old Norse vanta ‘be lacking.’ The original notion of “lack” was early extended to “need,” and from this developed the sense ‘desire.’ |
|
|
Cite this article
"want." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "want." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-want.html "want." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-want.html |
|
want
want2 if you want a thing done well, do it yourself proverbial saying, mid 16th century; in 1975, Margaret Thatcher was quoted as modifying this to, ‘In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.’ (Compare if you would be well served, serve yourself.)
if you want something done, ask a busy person modern proverbial saying, late 20th century, implying that a busy person is most likely to have learned how to manage their time efficiently. (Compare the busiest men have the most leisure.) |
|
|
Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "want." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "want." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-want1.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "want." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-want1.html |
|
want
want condition or fact of being deficient XIII; lack of the necessaries of life XIV; requirement XVI. Earlier (XII) used as predicative adj. ‘lacking’, ‘wanting’ — ON. *want, vant, n. of vanr lacking, missing.
So want vb. is lacking; be without XII. — ON. *wanta, vanta impers. vb. |
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "want." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "want." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-want.html T. F. HOAD. "want." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-want.html |
|
want
want1 for want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the man was lost proverbial saying, early 17th century; late 15th century in French. The saying is often quoted allusively to imply that one apparently small circumstance can result in a large-scale disaster.
|
|
|
Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "want." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "want." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-want.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "want." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-want.html |
|
Want
WANTThe absence or deficiency of what is needed or desired. Want of jurisdiction, for example, is a lack of authority to exercise in a particular manner a power possessed by a tribunal or board. |
|
|
Cite this article
"Want." West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Want." West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3437704636.html "Want." West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3437704636.html |
|
want
want
•acquaint, ain't, attaint, complaint, constraint, distraint, faint, feint, paint, plaint, quaint, restraint, saint, taint
•spray-paint • greasepaint • warpaint
•asquint, bint, clint, dint, flint, glint, hint, imprint, lint, mint, misprint, print, quint, skint, splint, sprint, squint, stint, tint
•Septuagint • skinflint • catmint
•varmint • spearmint • calamint
•peppermint • enprint • screen print
•offprint • blueprint • newsprint
•footprint • thumbprint • fingerprint
•monotint • mezzotint • aquatint
•pint • Geraint
•Comte, conte, font, fount, pont, quant, Vermont, want
•Delfont • vicomte • Frémont
•piedmont • Beaumont • Hellespont
•passant • poste restante
•avaunt, daunt, flaunt, gaunt, haunt, jaunt, taunt, vaunt
|
|
|
Cite this article
"want." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "want." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-want.html "want." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-want.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
