Main Entry: should

Pronunciation: \shəd, ˈshu̇d\

Function: verbal auxiliary

Etymology: Middle English sholde, from Old English sceolde owed, was obliged to, ought to

Date: before 12th century

past of shall

1 —used in auxiliary function to express condition <if he should leave his father, his father would die — Gen 44:22(Revised Standard Version)>
2 —used in auxiliary function to express obligation, propriety, or expediency <'tis commanded I should do so — Shakespeare> <this is as it should be — H. L. Savage> <you should brush your teeth after each meal>
3 —used in auxiliary function to express futurity from a point of view in the past <realized that she should have to do most of her farm work before sunrise — Ellen Glasgow>
4 —used in auxiliary function to express what is probable or expected <with an early start, they should be here by noon>
5 —used in auxiliary function to express a request in a polite manner or to soften direct statement <I should suggest that a guide…is the first essential — L. D. Reddick>