through

through
through
There are two important uses which are still regarded as Americanisms but are beginning to make an impression on BrE:
1. As a preposition meaning ‘up to and including’, as in Monday through Friday. British speakers are aware of this use but still regard it as non-British, useful though it is:

• An eight-week summer program for disadvantaged children ages three through five —Dædalus, 1993.

2. As an adverb meaning ‘finished’, as in Are you through yet?. AmE might well say Are you through with the phone?, where BrE would prefer Have you finished with the phone? (Note that in BrE, in the context of telephones, Are you through yet? would normally be taken to mean ‘have you got a connection yet?’.) In AmE this use of through is often followed by a verbal noun: ‘

• I'm through eating, said my father, pushing his plate away —L. S. Schwartz, 1989.


Modern English usage. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • through — [ θru ] function word *** Through can be used in the following ways: as a preposition (followed by a noun): They were riding through a forest. as an adverb (without a following noun): There s a hole in the roof where the rain comes through. as an …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Through — Through, prep. [OE. thurgh, [thorn]urh, [thorn]uruh, [thorn]oruh, AS. [thorn]urh; akin to OS. thurh, thuru, OFries. thruch, D. door, OHG. durh, duruh, G. durch, Goth. [thorn]a[ i]rh; cf. Ir. tri, tre, W. trwy. [root]53. Cf. {Nostril}, {Thorough} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Through — Through, a. Going or extending through; going, extending, or serving from the beginning to the end; thorough; complete; as, a through line; a through ticket; a through train. Also, admitting of passage through; as, a through bridge. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Through — Through, adv. 1. From one end or side to the other; as, to pierce a thing through. [1913 Webster] 2. From beginning to end; as, to read a letter through. [1913 Webster] 3. To the end; to a conclusion; to the ultimate purpose; as, to carry a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • through — c.1300, metathesis of O.E. þurh, from W.Gmc. *thurkh (Cf. O.S. thuru, O.Fris. thruch, M.Du. dore, Du. door, O.H.G. thuruh, Ger. durch, Goth. þairh through ), from PIE root *tere through (Cf. Skt. tirah, Avestan …   Etymology dictionary

  • through — I adjective completed, concluded, decided, done, done with, ended, finished, set at rest, settled, terminated II (By means of) adverb by means of, by the hand of, by way of, using, using the help of III (From beginning to end) adverb …   Law dictionary

  • through — through1 W1S1 [θru:] prep, adv ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(door/passage etc)¦ 2¦(cutting/breaking)¦ 3¦(across an area)¦ 4¦(see through something)¦ 5¦(past a place)¦ 6¦(time)¦ 7¦(process/experience)¦ 8¦(competitions)¦ 9¦(because of something)¦ …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • through — /throoh/, prep. 1. in at one end, side, or surface and out at the other: to pass through a tunnel; We drove through Denver without stopping. Sun came through the window. 2. past; beyond: to go through a stop sign without stopping. 3. from one to… …   Universalium

  • through — I. preposition Etymology: Middle English thurh, thruh, through, from Old English thurh; akin to Old High German durh through, Latin trans across, beyond, Sanskrit tarati he crosses over Date: before 12th century 1. a. (1) used as a function word… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • through — 1. preposition /θɹuː,θɹu/ a) From one side of an opening to the other. I went through the window. b) Entering, then later exiting. I drove through the town at top speed without looking left or right …   Wiktionary

  • through — Synonyms and related words: SOL, all bets off, all off, all over, all through, all up, around, at about, at an end, because of, breadthwise, broad side foremost, broadside, broadways, broadwise, by, by dint of, by means of, by use of, by virtue… …   Moby Thesaurus

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