Idioms for what
Origin of what
before 900; Middle English; Old English
hwæt; cognate with German
was, Dutch
wat, Old Norse
hvat; akin to Gothic
hwa, Latin
quod, Greek
tí
usage note for what
25. See
doubt.
Words nearby what
Definition for what (2 of 2)
what's
[ hwuhts, hwots, wuhts, wots; unstressed hwuh ts, wuh ts ]
/ ʰwʌts, ʰwɒts, wʌts, wɒts; unstressed ʰwəts, wəts /
contraction of what is or what has: What's the matter? What's been done?
contraction of what does: What's she do for a living?
usage note for what's
See
contraction.
British Dictionary definitions for what
Word Origin for what
Old English
hwæt; related to Old Frisian
whet, Old High German
hwaz (German
was), Old Norse
hvatr
usage for what
The use of
are in sentences such as
what we need are more doctors is common, although many people think
is should be used:
what we need is more doctors
Idioms and Phrases with what
what