who

who

pronoun \ˈhü, ü\

Definition of WHO

1

: what or which person or persons —used as an interrogative <who was elected?> <find out who they are> —used by speakers on all educational levels and by many reputable writers, though disapproved by some grammarians, as the object of a verb or a following preposition <who did I see but a Spanish lady — Padraic Colum> <do not know who the message is from — G. K. Chesterton>

2

: the person or persons that : whoever

3

—used as a function word to introduce a relative clause ; used especially in reference to persons <my father, who was a lawyer> but also in reference to groups <a generation who had known nothing but war — R. B. West> or to animals <dogs who…fawn all over tramps — Nigel Balchin> or to inanimate objects especially with the implication that the reference is really to a person <earlier sources who maintain a Davidic ancestry — F. M. Cross> ; used by speakers on all educational levels and by many reputable writers, though disapproved by some grammarians, as the object of a verb or a following preposition <a character who we are meant to pity — Times Literary Supplement>

See Usage Discussion at whom, that

— as who

archaic : as one that : as if someone

— as who should say

archaic : so to speak

— who is who or who's who or who was who

: the identity of or the noteworthy facts about each of a number of persons

Origin of WHO

Middle English, from Old English hwā; akin to Old High German hwer, interrog. pron., who, Latin quis, Greek tis, Latin qui, relative pron., who

First Known Use: before 12th century

Rhymes with WHO

blue, boo, brew, chew, clew, clue, coo, coup, crew, cue, dew, do, doux, due, ewe, few, flu, flue, fou, glue, gnu, goo, hew, hue, Jew, Koo, lieu, loo, mew, moo, moue, mu, new, nu, ooh, pew, phew, pooh, q, queue, roux, rue, screw, shoe, shoo, shrew, Sioux, skew, slew, slough, slue, smew, sou, sous, spew, sprue, stew, strew, sue, Sue, thew, through, to, too, true, two, u, view, whew, woo, xu, yew, you, zoo