Once
/wʌn(t)s/ adv, conj, noun, slang
adv, conj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Obsolete form of ounce. alt-of, obsolete
- 2 A fan of the Korean girl band Twice. slang
Adverb
- 1 One and only one time. not-comparable
"I have only once eaten pizza."
- 2 Formerly; during some period in the past. not-comparable
"He was once the most handsome man around."
- 3 At any time; ever. not-comparable, obsolete
"The wisdom of God thought fit to acquaint David with that court which we shall once govern."
- 4 One day, someday. not-comparable, obsolete
- 5 Multiplied by one: indicating that a number is multiplied by one. not-comparable
"Once three is three."
Adverb
- 1 on one occasion wordnet
- 2 at a previous time wordnet
- 3 as soon as wordnet
Conjunction
- 1 As soon as; when; after.
"Near-synonym: immediately"
Example
More examples"I once wanted to be an astrophysicist."
Etymology
From Middle English ones, from Old English ānes, a remodelling (after ān (“one”)) of ǣnes, itself an extension of ǣne (“once”) with the genitive suffix -es. Compare Old Saxon ēnes (“once”), Old High German eines, einēst (“once”), modern German einst (“once”). More at one (including regarding the development of the pronunciation) and -s.