| Which | pron. [ OE. which, whilk, AS. hwilc, hwylc, hwelc, from the root of hwā who + līc body; hence properly, of what sort or kind; akin to OS. hwilik which, OFries. hwelik, D. welk, G. welch, OHG. welīh, hwelīh, Icel. hvīlīkr, Dan. & Sw. hvilken, Goth. hwileiks, hw&unr_;leiks; cf. L. qualis. &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_;. See Who, and Like, a., and cf. Such. ] [ 1913 Webster ] 1. Of what sort or kind; what; what a; who. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ] And which they weren and of what degree. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. A interrogative pronoun, used both substantively and adjectively, and in direct and indirect questions, to ask for, or refer to, an individual person or thing among several of a class; as, which man is it? which woman was it? which is the house? he asked which route he should take; which is best, to live or to die? See the Note under What, pron., 1. [ 1913 Webster ] Which of you convinceth me of sin? John viii. 46. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. A relative pronoun, used esp. in referring to an antecedent noun or clause, but sometimes with reference to what is specified or implied in a sentence, or to a following noun or clause (generally involving a reference, however, to something which has preceded). It is used in all numbers and genders, and was formerly used of persons. [ 1913 Webster ] And when thou fail'st -- as God forbid the hour! --
Must Edward fall, which peril heaven forfend! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] God . . . rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. Gen. ii. 2. [ 1913 Webster ] Our Father, which art in heaven. Matt. vi. 9. [ 1913 Webster ] The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1 Cor. iii. 17. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. A compound relative or indefinite pronoun, standing for any one which, whichever, that which, those which, the . . . which, and the like; as, take which you will. [ 1913 Webster ] ☞ The which was formerly often used for which. The expressions which that, which as, were also sometimes used by way of emphasis. [ 1913 Webster ] Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? James ii. 7. [ 1913 Webster ] ☞ Which, referring to a series of preceding sentences, or members of a sentence, may have all joined to it adjectively. “All which, as a method of a proclamation, is very convenient.” Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ] |
