what
/wɒt
/pronoun
1 [interrogative pronoun] Asking for information specifying something: what is your name? I’m not sure what you mean...
- You could be run over by the car of bad luck tomorrow, and what will it all have been for?
- If we did it in a normal car it would have been easier to do but what's the fun in that?
- If he was a fool, what were those his folly whipped into orgies of vicious mockery?
1.1Asking for repetition of something not heard or confirmation of something not understood: what? I can’t hear you you did what?
2 [relative pronoun] The thing or things that (used in specifying something): what we need is a commitment...
- No one expects us to win, so we just have to go out and give it our all, have a go at them and with a bit of luck who knows what we might achieve.
- Of course, you need to build on your luck and that's what we aim to do against Coventry this weekend.
- She would have wanted us all to be happy and to have fun so that is what we will do.
2.1(Referring to the whole of an amount) whatever: I want to do what I can to make a difference...
- She should be able to have fun and do what she wants and not have people antagonising her.
- The coherent arrangement of the pictures allows one to seek out what one wishes to view.
3(In exclamations) emphasizing something surprising or remarkable: what some people do for a crust!
determiner
1 [interrogative determiner] Asking for information specifying something: what time is it? do you know what excuse he gave?...
- She only cycles at walking pace, so what excuse has she for not obeying the law and dismounting?
- So what excuse does the council have for not allowing food waste in the green bins, it all rots down?
- Send us an email explaining what you feel you can bring to the station and what genre of music you play.
2 [relative determiner] (Referring to the whole of an amount) whatever: he had been robbed of what little money he had...
- Much of the debate centred on what money and powers the Government would give assemblies.
- This is just a small amount of what cruelty actually happens, and this is only in Britain as well.
- Stop ruining what little enjoyment some of us poor souls can manage to eke out of the average tedious day.
3(In exclamations) how great or remarkable: [as determiner]: what luck! [as predeterminer]: what a fool she was...
- He remarks what a lovely and expensive machine it is and that he will take care of it for you.
- I should have known better than to comment on what a lovely morning it was this morning.
- Only a simple plaque at the graveyard entrance hints at what a remarkable man he was.
interrogative adverb
1To what extent? what does it matter?
2Used to indicate an estimate or approximation: see you, what, about four?
3 informal, dated Used for emphasis or to invite agreement: pretty poor show, what?
Phrases
and (or or) what have you
and what not
what about ——?
what-d'you-call-it (or what's-its-name)
what for?
what if ——?
what is more
what next
what of ——?
what of it?
what's-his (or -its) -name
what say ——?
what's what
what with
what's with ——?
Origin
Old English hwæt, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wat and German was, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin quod.