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 ⚽ Нужна курсовая?
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 — through; through·ly; through·ith·er; …   English syllables

  • 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 — *by, with …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • through — ♦ (The preposition is pronounced [[t]θruː[/t]]. In other cases, through is pronounced [[t]θru͟ː[/t]]) 1) PREP To move through something such as a hole, opening, or pipe means to move directly from one side or end of it to the other. The theatre… …   English 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 — 1 /Tru:/ preposition 1 entering something such as a door, passage, tube, or hole at one end or side and leaving it at the other: They were suddenly plunged into darkness as the train went through the tunnel. | The ball went flying through the… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

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