and

[ and; unstressed uhnd, uhn, or, especially after a homorganic consonant, n ]

/ ænd; unstressed ənd, ən, or, especially after a homorganic consonant, n /

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conjunction

(used to connect grammatically coordinate words, phrases, or clauses) along or together with; as well as; in addition to; besides; also; moreover: pens and pencils.

added to; plus: 2 and 2 are 4.

then: He read for an hour and went to bed.

also, at the same time: to sleep and dream.

then again; repeatedly: He coughed and coughed.

(used to imply different qualities in things having the same name): There are bargains and bargains, so watch out.

(used to introduce a sentence, implying continuation) also; then: And then it happened.

Informal. to (used between two finite verbs): Try and do it. Call and see if she's home yet.

(used to introduce a consequence or conditional result): He felt sick and decided to lie down for a while. Say one more word about it and I'll scream.

but; on the contrary: He tried to run five miles and couldn't. They said they were about to leave and then stayed for two more hours.

(used to connect alternatives): He felt that he was being forced to choose between his career and his family.

(used to introduce a comment on the preceding clause): They don't like each other—and with good reason.

Archaic. if: and you please.Compare an².

noun

an added condition, stipulation, detail, or particular: He accepted the job, no ands or buts about it.

conjunction (def. 5b).

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about and

and so forth, and the like; and others; et cetera: We discussed traveling, sightseeing, and so forth.

and so on, and more things or others of a similar kind; and the like: It was a summer filled with parties, picnics, and so on.

Origin of and

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English and, ond; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German ant, Old Frisian, Gothic and, Icelandic and-; akin to German und, Dutch en, Sanskrit anti

usage note for and

Both and and but, and to a lesser extent or and so, are common as transitional words at the beginnings of sentences in all types of speech and writing: General Jackson thought the attack would come after darkness. And he was right. Any objection to this practice probably stems from the overuse of such sentences by inexperienced writers. When one of these words begins a sentence or an independent clause within a sentence, it is not followed by a comma unless the comma is one of a pair setting off a parenthetical element that follows: John is popular, and he seems to be well adjusted. But, appearances to the contrary, he is often depressed. See also and/or, et cetera, try.

Other definitions for and (2 of 2)

AND

[ and ]

/ ænd /

noun Computers.

a Boolean operator that returns a positive result when both operands are positive.

Origin of AND

First recorded in 1945–50

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use and in a sentence

As an example of good science-and-society policymaking, the history of fluoride may be more of a cautionary tale.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
As this list shows, punishments typically run to a short-ish jail sentence and/or a moderately hefty fine.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yes, Byrd—dead four-and-a-half years now—was a Kleagle in the Ku Klux Klan.
Steve Scalise and the Right’s Ridiculous Racial Blame Game|Michael Tomasky|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Later that night, that same black-and-red banner would be seen again—in the column of marchers chanting for dead cops.
The Monsters Who Screamed for Dead Cops|Jacob Siegel|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The kids are out of school, Mom is out of get-up-and-go, Dad is out of work.
Congress’ Gift That Keeps on Giving|P. J. O’Rourke|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She also practises etching, pen-and-ink drawing, as well as crayon and water-color sketching.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
No law of that country must exceed in words the number of letters in their alphabet, which consists only in two-and-twenty.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
Mr. Spurrell came down to see a horse, and we shall be very glad to have the benefit of his opinion by-and-by.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894|Various
They were eaten too quickly, in long gulps of four-and-twenty hours at a time.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
He walked over to the table and mixed two tumblers of whiskey-and-soda, wondering why he had not thought of it before.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for and (1 of 3)

and

/ (ænd, unstressed ənd, ən) /

conjunction (coordinating)

along with; in addition toboys and girls

as a consequencehe fell down and cut his knee

afterwardswe pay the man and go through that door

(preceded by good or nice) (intensifier)the sauce is good and thick

plustwo and two equals four

used to join identical words or phrases to give emphasis or indicate repetition or continuitybetter and better; we ran and ran; it rained and rained

used to join two identical words or phrases to express a contrast between instances of what is namedthere are jobs and jobs

informal used in place of to in infinitives after verbs such as try, go, and cometry and see it my way

an obsolete word for if and it please you Informal spellings: an, an', 'n

noun

(usually plural) an additional matter or problemifs, ands, or buts

Word Origin for and

Old English and; related to Old Frisian anda, Old Saxon ande, Old High German anti, Sanskrit atha

usage for and

The use of and instead of to after try and wait is typical of spoken language, but should be avoided in any writing which is not informal: We must try to prevent (not try and prevent) this happening

British Dictionary definitions for and (2 of 3)

AND

abbreviation for

Andorra (international car registration)

British Dictionary definitions for and (3 of 3)

-and

-end

suffix forming nouns

indicating a person or thing that is to be dealt with in a specified wayanalysand; dividend; multiplicand

Word Origin for -and

from Latin gerundives ending in -andus, -endus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012