What1, pron.
(hwŏt), pron. [A-S. hwæt, O. Sax. hwat, O. Fries. hwet, Icel., Sw., & Dan. hvad, D. & L. Ger. wat, O. H. Ger. hwaz, waz, N. H. Ger. was, Goth. hwa, allied to Lat. quid. See Who.]
Sense 1. An interrogative pronoun, employed in asking questions as to things, inanimate objects, or creatures other than man, corresponding thus to who, which is used for persons; as, what is this? what did you say? what poem is this?
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Ps. viii. 4.
What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him? Matt. viii. 27.
It is used both substantively and adjectively.
Sense 2. Hence, used as an exclamatory word, meaning how remarkable, or how great; as, what folly! what eloquence! what heroic courage!—sometimes prefixed to adjectives in an adverbial sense, as nearly equivalent to how; as, what happy children!—also used independently, and meaning generally, how strange a thing!
What a piece of work is man! Shak.
What partial judges are our love and hate! Dryden.
What! could ye not watch with me one hour? Matt. xxvi. 40.
Sense 3. A compound relative, equivalent, substantively, to that which; adjectively, to the . . . which; the sort or kind of . . . which; and, rarely, to the . . . on or at which; used also in a corresponding adverbial sense; as, we know what strong hands and what brave hearts they have. “To restrain what power either the devil or any earthly enemy hath to work us woe.” Milton. “What time the morn mysterious visions brings.” Pope.
See what natures accompany what colors. Bacon.
Sense 4. Whatever; whatsoever; what thing soever;—used indefinitely.
Whether it were the shortness of his foresight, the strength of his will, . . . or what it was. Bacon.
Sense 5. In part; partly;—with a following preposition, especially with, and with repetition.
The year before he had so used the matter that what by force, what by policy, he had taken from the Christians above thirty small castles. Knolles.
In such phrases as I tell you what, what anticipates the following statement, being elliptical for what I think, what it is, how it is, and the like. “I tell thee what, corporal, I could tear her.” Shak. Here what relates to the last clause, “I could tear her;” this is what I tell you.
What not is often used at the close of an enumeration of several particulars or articles, it being an abbreviated clause, the verb of which, being either the same as that of the principal clause or a general word, as say, mention, enumerate, and the like, is omitted. “Some dead puppy, or log, or what not.” C. Kingsley. “Battles, tournaments, hunts, and what not.” De Quincey. Hence, the words are often used in a general sense with the force of a substantive, equivalent to any thing you please, a miscellany, a variety, and the like. From this arises the name what-not, applied to an étagère, as being a piece of furniture intended for receiving miscellaneous articles of use or ornament.
What, ho! an exclamation of calling.—What if, what will it matter if; what will happen or be the result if.—What though, even granting that; allowing that; supposing it true that.