Which

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Which \Which\, pron. [OE. which, whilk, AS. hwilc, hwylc, hwelc,
     from the root of hw[=a] who + l[imac]c body; hence properly,
     of what sort or kind; akin to OS. hwilik which, OFries.
     hwelik, D. welk, G. welch, OHG. wel[imac]h, hwel[imac]h,
     Icel. hv[imac]l[imac]kr, Dan. & Sw. hvilken, Goth. hwileiks,
     hw?leiks; cf. L. qualis. ????. See {Who}, and {Like}, a., and


     cf. {Such}.]
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     1. Of what sort or kind; what; what a; who. [Obs.]
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              And which they weren and of what degree. --Chaucer.
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     2. A interrogative pronoun, used both substantively and
        adjectively, and in direct and indirect questions, to ask
        for, or refer to, an individual person or thing among
        several of a class; as, which man is it? which woman was
        it? which is the house? he asked which route he should
        take; which is best, to live or to die? See the Note under
        {What}, pron., 1.
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              Which of you convinceth me of sin?    --John viii.
                                                    46.
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     3. A relative pronoun, used esp. in referring to an
        antecedent noun or clause, but sometimes with reference to
        what is specified or implied in a sentence, or to a
        following noun or clause (generally involving a reference,
        however, to something which has preceded). It is used in
        all numbers and genders, and was formerly used of persons.
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              And when thou fail'st -- as God forbid the hour! 
              Must Edward fall, which peril heaven forfend!
                                                    --Shak.
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              God . . . rested on the seventh day from all his
              work which he had made.               --Gen. ii. 2.
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              Our Father, which art in heaven.      --Matt. vi. 9.
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              The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. --1
                                                    Cor. iii. 17.
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     4. A compound relative or indefinite pronoun, standing for
        any one which, whichever, that which, those which, the . .
        . which, and the like; as, take which you will.
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     Note: The which was formerly often used for which. The
           expressions which that, which as, were also sometimes
           used by way of emphasis.
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                 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the
                 which ye are called?               --James ii. 7.
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     Note: Which, referring to a series of preceding sentences, or
           members of a sentence, may have all joined to it
           adjectively. "All which, as a method of a proclamation,
           is very convenient." --Carlyle.
           [1913 Webster] Whichever