Who

2 definitions found

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

  Who \Who\, pron. [Possess. {whose}; object. {Whom}.] [OE. who,
     wha, AS. hw[=a], interrogative pron., neut. hw[ae]t; akin to
     OFries. hwa, neut. hwet, OS. hw[=e], neut. hwat, D. wie,
     neut. wat, G. wer, neut. was, OHG. wer, hwer, neut. waz,
     hwaz, Icel. hvat, neut., Dan. hvo, neut. hvad, Sw. ho, hvem,
     neut. hvad, Goth. hwas, fem. hw[=o], neut. hwa, Lith. kas,


     Ir. & Gael. co, W. pwy, L. quod, neuter of qui, Gr. po`teros
     whether, Skr. kas. [root]182. Cf. {How}, {Quantity},
     {Quorum}, {Quote}, {Ubiquity}, {What}, {When}, {Where},
     {Whether}, {Which}, {Whither}, {Whom}, {Why}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. Originally, an interrogative pronoun, later, a relative
        pronoun also; -- used always substantively, and either as
        singular or plural. See the Note under {What}, pron., 1.
        As interrogative pronouns, who and whom ask the question:
        What or which person or persons? Who and whom, as relative
        pronouns (in the sense of that), are properly used of
        persons (corresponding to which, as applied to things),
        but are sometimes, less properly and now rarely, used of
        animals, plants, etc. Who and whom, as compound relatives,
        are also used especially of persons, meaning the person
        that; the persons that; the one that; whosoever. "Let who
        will be President." --Macaulay.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              [He] should not tell whose children they were.
                                                    --Chaucer.
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              There thou tell'st of kings, and who aspire;
              Who fall, who rise, who triumph, who do moan.
                                                    --Daniel.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Adders who with cloven tongues
              Do hiss into madness.                 --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Whom I could pity thus forlorn.       --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              How hard is our fate, who serve in the state.
                                                    --Addison.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Who cheapens life, abates the fear of death.
                                                    --Young.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The brace of large greyhounds, who were the
              companions of his sports.             --Sir W.
                                                    Scott.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. One; any; one. [Obs., except in the archaic phrase, as who
        should say.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              As who should say, it were a very dangerous matter
              if a man in any point should be found wiser than his
              forefathers were.                     --Robynson
                                                    (More's
                                                    Utopia).
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  WHO
       n : a United Nations agency to coordinate international health
           activities and to help governments improve health
           services [syn: {World Health Organization}]