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When
Definitions
- 1 At what time? At which time? Upon which occasion or circumstance? Used to introduce direct or indirect questions about time. interrogative, not-comparable
"When will they arrive?"
- 2 At what time? At which time? Upon which occasion or circumstance? Used to introduce direct or indirect questions about time.; Used after a noun or noun phrase in isolation to express impatience with an anticipated future event. Internet, humorous, interrogative, not-comparable, often
"The site's all bugged. Fix when?"
- 3 At an earlier time and under different, usually less favorable, circumstances. not-comparable
"He's mister high and mighty now, but I remember him when."
- 4 At which, on which, during which: often omitted or replaced with that. not-comparable, relative
"That was the day when the Twin Towers fell."
- 5 The time at, on or during which. not-comparable
"I recall when they were called the Greys."
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- 6 A circumstance or situation in which. informal, not-comparable
"Love is when you can't get enough of someone."
- 1 At (or as soon as) that time that; at the (or any and every) time that; if.
"Pavlov's dogs salivate when [i.e. at any and every time that] they hear a bell."
- 2 During the time that; at the time of the action of the following clause or participle phrase.
"They dream when [i.e. during the time that] they sleep."
- 3 At what time; at which time.
"I am here till Friday, when [i.e. at which time] I leave for Senegal."
- 4 Since; given the fact that; considering that.
"I don't see the point of putting up Christmas decorations when I am the only person who is going to see them."
- 5 Whereas; although; at the same time as; in spite of the fact that.
"You're picking at your scabs when you should be letting them heal."
- 1 That's enough: a command asking someone to stop adding something, especially an ingredient or portion of food or drink; used in, or as if in, literal response to 'Say when'. humorous, often
"HOCKEN: Say “when”, Frank. / DREBIN: Whe—"
- 2 Expressing impatience. obsolete
"Why when I ſay?[…]Off with my boots, you rogues: you villaines, when?[…]Out you rogue[…]"
- 1 The time at which something happens.
"A good article will cover the who, the what, the when, the where, the why and the how."
- 1 What time; which time. interrogative
"Since when do I need your permission?"
Etymology
From Middle English when(ne), whan(ne), from Old English hwonne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannē, from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“at what time, when”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (interrogative base). Cognate with Scots whan (“when”), Dutch wanneer (“when”), wan (“when”) and wen (“when, if”), Low German wannehr (“when”), wann (“when”) and wenn (“if, when”), German wann (“when”) and wenn (“when, if”), Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌽 (ƕan, “when, how”), Latin quandō (“when”). More at who. Interjection sense: a playful misunderstanding of "say when" (i.e. say something / speak up when you want me to stop) as "say [the word] when".
From Middle English when(ne), whan(ne), from Old English hwonne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannē, from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“at what time, when”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (interrogative base). Cognate with Scots whan (“when”), Dutch wanneer (“when”), wan (“when”) and wen (“when, if”), Low German wannehr (“when”), wann (“when”) and wenn (“if, when”), German wann (“when”) and wenn (“when, if”), Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌽 (ƕan, “when, how”), Latin quandō (“when”). More at who. Interjection sense: a playful misunderstanding of "say when" (i.e. say something / speak up when you want me to stop) as "say [the word] when".
From Middle English when(ne), whan(ne), from Old English hwonne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannē, from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“at what time, when”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (interrogative base). Cognate with Scots whan (“when”), Dutch wanneer (“when”), wan (“when”) and wen (“when, if”), Low German wannehr (“when”), wann (“when”) and wenn (“if, when”), German wann (“when”) and wenn (“when, if”), Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌽 (ƕan, “when, how”), Latin quandō (“when”). More at who. Interjection sense: a playful misunderstanding of "say when" (i.e. say something / speak up when you want me to stop) as "say [the word] when".
From Middle English when(ne), whan(ne), from Old English hwonne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannē, from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“at what time, when”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (interrogative base). Cognate with Scots whan (“when”), Dutch wanneer (“when”), wan (“when”) and wen (“when, if”), Low German wannehr (“when”), wann (“when”) and wenn (“if, when”), German wann (“when”) and wenn (“when, if”), Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌽 (ƕan, “when, how”), Latin quandō (“when”). More at who. Interjection sense: a playful misunderstanding of "say when" (i.e. say something / speak up when you want me to stop) as "say [the word] when".
From Middle English when(ne), whan(ne), from Old English hwonne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannē, from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“at what time, when”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (interrogative base). Cognate with Scots whan (“when”), Dutch wanneer (“when”), wan (“when”) and wen (“when, if”), Low German wannehr (“when”), wann (“when”) and wenn (“if, when”), German wann (“when”) and wenn (“when, if”), Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌽 (ƕan, “when, how”), Latin quandō (“when”). More at who. Interjection sense: a playful misunderstanding of "say when" (i.e. say something / speak up when you want me to stop) as "say [the word] when".
See also for "when"
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