Tō'ward or Tō'wards1, prep.
(tō'ard), Tō'wards (tō'ardz), prep. [A-S. tōweard, tōweardes. See To and WARD, and cf. FORWARD.]
Sense 1. In the direction of.
He set his face toward the wilderness. Num. xxiv. 1.
Sense 2. With direction to, in a moral sense; with respect to; regarding.
His eye shall be evil toward his brother. Deut. xxviii. 54.
Herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men. Acts xxiv. 16.
Sense 3. With ideal tendency to.
This was the first alarm England received towards any trouble. Clarendon.
Sense 4. Nearly; about.
I am toward nine years older since I left you. Swift.
Tō'ward, or towards, is a compound of to and ward. The original form was towards, as appears from the Anglo-Saxon towardes, and a comparison of the cognate dialects. The s was dropped in our version of the Scriptures, making it toward; but the original form, towards, has always remained in general use. “We may easily observe every creature about us incessantly working toward the end for which it was designed.” Barrow. “For my part, I am totally at a loss to comprehend how particles streaming from a center should draw a body towards it.” Paley.
Tō'ward (tō'ard), Tō'wards (tō'ardz), adv. Near; at hand; in a state of preparation.