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Who (pronoun)
What person or people; which person or people; asks for the identity of someone. (used in a direct or indirect question)
“Who is that? (direct question)”
“I don’t know who it is. (indirect question)”
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Who (pronoun)
What is one’s position; asks whether someone deserves to say or do something.
“I don’t like what you did, but who am I to criticize you? I’ve done worse.”
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Who (pronoun)
The person or people that.
“It was a nice man who helped us.”
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Who (pronoun)
Whoever, he who, they who.
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Who (noun)
A person under discussion; a question of which person.
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What (pronoun)
Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used interrogatively in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc.
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What (pronoun)
That; which; who.
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What (pronoun)
That which; those that; the thing that.
“He knows what he wants.”
“What goes up must come down.”
“Keep up with what your friends are doing.”
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What (pronoun)
Whatever.
“I will do what I can to help you.”
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What (adverb)
In some manner or degree; in part; partly. See also what with
“What with singing and joking, the time passed quickly.”
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What (adverb)
Such.
“What a pity.”
“What a beautiful day!”
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What (adverb)
Why?
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What (adverb)
Used to introduce each of two coordinate phrases or concepts; both…and.
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What (adverb)
used to contradict an assumption
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What (interjection)
An expression of surprise or disbelief.
“What! That’s amazing.”
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What (interjection)
Response that enquires what the asker desires (usually said unhappily).
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What (interjection)
clipping of what do you say?
“It’s a nice day, what?”
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What (interjection)
What did you say? I beg your pardon?
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What (determiner)
Which; which kind of.
“What shirt are you going to wear?”
“What time is it?”
“What kind of car is that?”
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What (determiner)
How much; how great (used in an exclamation).
“What talent he has!”
“What a talent!”
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What (determiner)
Whatever
“Write down what things come into your mind.”
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What (noun)
Something; thing; stuff.
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What (noun)
The identity of a thing, as an answer to a question of what.
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What (noun)
Something that is addressed by what, as opposed to a person, addressed by who.
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Who (pronoun)
what or which person or people
“I wonder who that letter was from”
“who is that woman?”
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Who (pronoun)
used to introduce a clause giving further information about a person or people previously mentioned
“Joan Fontaine plays the mouse who married the playboy”
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Who (pronoun)
the person that; whoever
“who holds the sea, perforce doth hold the land”
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What (pronoun)
asking for information specifying something
“what is your name?”
“I’m not sure what you mean”
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What (pronoun)
asking for repetition of something not heard or confirmation of something not understood
“what? I can’t hear you”
“you did what?”
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What (pronoun)
the thing or things that (used in specifying something)
“what we need is a commitment”
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What (pronoun)
(referring to the whole of an amount) whatever
“I want to do what I can to make a difference”
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What (pronoun)
(in exclamations) emphasizing something surprising or remarkable
“what some people do for a crust!”
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What (determiner)
asking for information specifying something
“do you know what excuse he gave?”
“what time is it?”
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What (determiner)
(referring to the whole of an amount) whatever
“he had been robbed of what little money he had”
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What (determiner)
(in exclamations) how great or remarkable
“what a fool she was”
“what luck!”
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What (adverb)
to what extent?
“what does it matter?”
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What (adverb)
used to indicate an estimate or approximation
“see you, what, about four?”
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What (adverb)
used for emphasis or to invite agreement
“pretty poor show, what?”