all

all
all
1. all or all of.
All can be used before singular or plural nouns, and of is not needed except before pronouns standing alone (all human life / all the time / all children / all tickets / all of them / all you people). The construction with of is comparatively recent (first recorded c.1800) and is probably due to association with none of, some of, little of, much of, etc.

• (He will have to be all of these things —Anita Brookner, 1986

• All of the company's profits had been used to salary him —B. Ripley, 1987

• At each stop, all of us visitors were greeted by a hail of celebratory statistics —New Yorker, 1989).

There is also a common idiomatic use with quantities

• (It must have been all of fifteen minutes of…dull, homesick silence —Mark Twain, 1883

• Even I, all of eight years old, couldn't stand another second of his shrieking —Me Three Magazine, AmE 1944).

2. When all is the subject of the verb to be followed by a plural complement, the linking verb is expressed in the singular:

• All I saw was fields —Nigel Williams, 1985

• In some sense, all we have is the scores —incomplete and corrupted as they often are —New Yorker, 1989.

3. See also all right, all that, all together, all told, already; for all but see but 7.

Modern English usage. 2014.

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  • All — All, adv. 1. Wholly; completely; altogether; entirely; quite; very; as, all bedewed; my friend is all for amusement. And cheeks all pale. Byron. [1913 Webster] Note: In the ancient phrases, all too dear, all too much, all so long, etc., this word …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • All — All, n. The whole number, quantity, or amount; the entire thing; everything included or concerned; the aggregate; the whole; totality; everything or every person; as, our all is at stake. [1913 Webster] Death, as the Psalmist saith, is certain to …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • All to — All All, adv. 1. Wholly; completely; altogether; entirely; quite; very; as, all bedewed; my friend is all for amusement. And cheeks all pale. Byron. [1913 Webster] Note: In the ancient phrases, all too dear, all too much, all so long, etc., this… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • All-to — All All, adv. 1. Wholly; completely; altogether; entirely; quite; very; as, all bedewed; my friend is all for amusement. And cheeks all pale. Byron. [1913 Webster] Note: In the ancient phrases, all too dear, all too much, all so long, etc., this… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • All — All, a. [OE. al, pl. alle, AS. eal, pl. ealle, Northumbrian alle, akin to D. & OHG. al, Ger. all, Icel. allr. Dan. al, Sw. all, Goth. alls; and perh. to Ir. and Gael. uile, W. oll.] 1. The whole quantity, extent, duration, amount, quality, or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • All — All, conj. [Orig. all, adv., wholly: used with though or if, which being dropped before the subjunctive left all as if in the sense although.] Although; albeit. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] All they were wondrous loth. Spenser. [1913 Webster] || …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • all in — {adj. phr.}, {informal} Very tired; exhausted. * /The players were all in after their first afternoon of practice./ Syn.: PLAYED OUT, WORN OUT …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • all in — {adj. phr.}, {informal} Very tired; exhausted. * /The players were all in after their first afternoon of practice./ Syn.: PLAYED OUT, WORN OUT …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • all — I. adjective Etymology: Middle English all, al, from Old English eall; akin to Old High German all all Date: before 12th century 1. a. the whole amount, quantity, or extent of < needed all the courage they had > < sat up all night > b. as much as …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • all — See: AFTER ALL, AND ALL, AT ALL, BEAT ALL or BEAT THE DUTCH, FOR ALL, FOR ALL ONE IS WORTH, FOR ALL ONE KNOWS, FOR ALL THE WORLD, FOR GOOD also FOR GOOD AND ALL, FROM THE BOTTOM OF ONE S HEART or WITH ALL ONE S HEART, HAVE ALL ONE S BUTTONS or… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • all — See: AFTER ALL, AND ALL, AT ALL, BEAT ALL or BEAT THE DUTCH, FOR ALL, FOR ALL ONE IS WORTH, FOR ALL ONE KNOWS, FOR ALL THE WORLD, FOR GOOD also FOR GOOD AND ALL, FROM THE BOTTOM OF ONE S HEART or WITH ALL ONE S HEART, HAVE ALL ONE S BUTTONS or… …   Dictionary of American idioms

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