how
1- in what way or manner; by what means?: How did the accident happen?
- to what extent, degree, etc.?: How damaged is the car?
- in what state or condition?: How are you?
- for what reason; why?: How can you talk such nonsense?
- to what effect; with what meaning?: How is one to interpret his action?
- what?: How do you mean? If they don't have vanilla, how about chocolate?
- (used as an intensifier): How seldom I go there!
- by what title or name?: How does one address the president?
- at what price: How are the new cars going, cheaper than last year's models?
- by what amount or in what measure or quantity?: How do you sell these tomatoes?
- in what form or shape?: How does the demon appear in the first act of the opera? How does the medication come?
- the manner or way in which: He couldn't figure out how to solve the problem.
- about the manner, condition, or way in which: I don't care how you leave your desk when you go. Be careful how you act.
- in whatever manner or way; however: You can travel how you please.
- Informal. that: He told us how he was honest and could be trusted.
- a question concerning the way or manner in which something is done, achieved, etc.: a child's unending whys and hows.
- a way or manner of doing something: to consider all the hows and wherefores.
- a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter H.
- and how! Informal. certainly! you bet!: Am I happy? And how!
- Here's how, Informal. (used as a toast).
- how come? Informal. how is it that? why?: How come you never visit us anymore?
- how so? how does it happen to be so? why?: You haven't any desire to go? How so?
Origin of how
1how
3- howe.
howe
or how
- a hole.
- the hold of a ship.
- a hollow; dell.
Origin of howe
Examples from the Web for hows
Contemporary Examples of hows
As lead counsel, Cuccinelli fielded questions about the legal whys and hows of the suit.
Historical Examples of hows
Its united qualities.might and wonder about it which will not admit of our whys and hows.
Modern Painters Volume I (of V)John Ruskin
Hows'ever, he hadn't much time to puzzle about this, for lo and behold!
Major VigoureuxA. T. Quiller-Couch
Hows'ever, you've had luck to get ashore—'tis better be lucky than rich, they say.
Merry-Garden and Other StoriesSir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
"It's all you knows about it," thinks I; hows'ever, I said there wasn't a doubt on it.
When the band had arrived at the house the Indians dismounted, and after a series of "Hows?"
The Ranche on the OxhideHenry Inman
howe
- Scot and Northern English dialect a depression in the earth's surface, such as a basin or valley
Word Origin for howe
Howe
- Elias. 1819–67, US inventor of the sewing machine (1846)
- Gordon, known as Gordie . born 1928, US ice-hockey player, who scored1071 goals in a professional career lasting 32 years.
- Howe of Aberavon, Baron, title of (Richard Edward) Geoffrey Howe . born 1926, British Conservative politician; Chancellor of the Exchequer (1979–83); foreign secretary (1983–89); deputy prime minister (1989–90)
- Richard, 4th Viscount Howe. 1726–99, British admiral: served (1776–78) in the War of American Independence and commanded the Channel fleet against France, winning the Battle of the Glorious First of June (1794)
- his brother, William, 5th Viscount Howe. 1729–1814, British general; commander in chief (1776–78) of British forces in the War of American Independence
how
1- in what way? in what manner? by what means?: how did it happen? Also used in indirect questions: tell me how he did it
- to what extent?how tall is he?
- how good? how well? what…like?how did she sing?; how was the holiday?
- how about? used to suggest somethinghow about asking her?; how about a cup of tea?
- how are you? what is your state of health?
- how come? informal what is the reason (that)?how come you told him?
- how's that for…?
- is this satisfactory as regards…?how's that for size?
- an exclamation used to draw attention to a quality, deed, etchow is that for endurance?
- how's that?
- what is your opinion?
- cricket(an appeal to the umpire) is the batsman out?Also written: howzat (haʊˈzæt)
- how now? or how so? archaic what is the meaning of this?
- Also: as how not standard thathe told me as how the shop was closed
- in whatever waydo it how you wish
- used in exclamations to emphasize extenthow happy I was!
- and how! (intensifier) very much so!
- here's how! (as a toast) good health!
- the way a thing is donethe how of it
Word Origin for how
how
2- a greeting supposed to be or have been used by American Indians and often used humorously
Word Origin for how
Word Origin and History for hows
how
Old English hu, from West Germanic *hwo- (cf. Old Saxon hwo, Old Frisian, Middle Dutch hu. Dutch hoe, German wie, Gothic hvaiwa "how"), from common PIE interrogative pronomial stem *kwo- (see who). How come? for "why?" is recorded from 1848. And how! emphatic, first recorded 1865. The formulation was common in book and article titles by then, e.g. The National Debt, and How to Pay It), but Pennsylvania writer Bayard Taylor, in whom it is first recorded, seems to regard it as a German or German-American expression.
how
Native American greeting, Siouxan (cf. Dakota hao, Omaha hau); first recorded 1817 in English, but noted early 17c. by French missionary Jean de Brebeuf among Hurons as an expression of approval (1636).
Idioms and Phrases with hows
how
In addition to the idioms beginning with how
- how about
- how about that?
- how are you?
- how come?
- how does that grab you?
- how do you do?
- how goes it
- howling success
- how so?
- how the land lies
- how the wind blows
also see:
- and how