All | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

All, a.

adjective

a. [A-S. eall, al, O. S. al, all, Goth. alls, Icel. allr, O. H. Ger. al, Sw., Dan., & H. Ger. all.] Every one, or the whole number of; the whole quantity, extent, duration, amount, quality, or degree of; as, all the wheat; all the land; all the year; all the strength.

All things work together for good to them that love God. Rom. viii. 28.

Prove all things: hold fast that which is good. 1 Thes. v. 21.

It always precedes the article the, and the definitive adjectives my, thy, his, our, your, their; as, all the cattle; all my labor; all thy goods; all his wealth; all our families; all your citizens; all their property.

☞ This word, not only in popular language, but in the Scriptures, often signifies, indefinitely, a large portion or number, or a great part. Thus, all the cattle in Egypt died, all Judea and all the region round about Jordan, all men held John as a prophet, are not to be understood in a literal sense, but as including a large part, or very great numbers.

All, adv.

adverb

adv. 1. Wholly; completely; altogether; entirely; quite; very; as, all along; all bedewed; all over; my friend is all for amusement.

And cheeks all pale. Byron.

In the ancient phrases, all too dear, all so long, this word retains its appropriate sense; as, “He thought them sixpence all too dear,” that is, he thought them too dear by the sum of sixpence.

Sense 2. Although; as. [Obs.] “All [i. e., although] they were wondrous loth.” Spenser.

Sense 3. At the moment; just. [Obs. or poet.]

All as his straying flock he fed. Spenser.

All to, or All-to. In such phrases as “all to rent,” “all-to frozen,” “all to break,” &c., which are of frequent occurrence in our old authors, the all and the to have commonly been regarded as forming a compound adverb, equivalent in meaning to entirely, completely, altogether. But the sense of entireness lies wholly in the word all (as it does in “all-forlorn,” and similar expressions), and the to properly belongs to the following word, being a kind of intensive prefix, answering to the German zu-. It is frequently to be met with in old books used without the all. Thus Wycliffe says, “The vail of the temple was to rent;” and of Judas, “He was hanged and to-burst the middle;” i. e., burst in two, or asunder.—All one, the same thing in effect; that is, wholly the same thing.—All the better, wholly the better; that is, better by the whole difference.—All along. See ALONG.—All and some, one and all. [Obs.] “Displeased all and some.” Fairfax.—All hollow, entirely, completely; as, to beat any one all hollow. [Colloq.]

All, n.

noun

n. The whole number, quantity, or amount; the entire thing; every thing included or concerned; the aggregate; the whole; the total; totality; as, our all is at stake. And Laban said, All that thou seest is mine. Gen. xxxi. 43. All in all, a phrase which signifies all things to a person, or every thing desired. Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee, Forever. Milton. — At all, a phrase much used by way of enforcement or emphasis, usually in negative or interrogative sentences, and signifying in the least degree or to the least extent; in the least, under any circumstances; as, he has no ambition at all; has he any property at all?—All in the wind (Naut.), a phrase denoting that the sails are parallel with the course of the wind, so as to shake. Mar. Dict. ☞ All is much used in composition to enlarge the meaning, or add force to a word. In some instances, it is completely incorporated into words, and its final consonant is dropped, as in almighty, already, always; but, in most instances, it is an adverb prefixed to other words, but separated by a hyphen, as, all-beautiful, all-glorious, all-important, all-surrounding, &c. Anciently many words were compounded with all which are now written separately; as, alabout, allaground, &c.