The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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want |
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PRONUNCIATION: |
wnt, wônt |
VERB: |
Inflected forms: want·ed, want·ing, wants
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TRANSITIVE VERB: |
1a. To desire greatly; wish for: They want to leave. She wants a glass of water. See synonyms at desire. b. To desire (someone to do something): I want you to clean your room. 2a. To request the presence or assistance of: You are wanted by your office. b. To seek with intent to capture: The fugitive is wanted by the police. 3. To have an inclination toward; like: Say what you want, but be tactful. 4. Informal To be obliged (to do something): You want to be careful on the ice. 5. To be without; lack. See synonyms at lack. 6. To be in need of; require: “‘Your hair wants cutting,’ said the Hatter” (Lewis Carroll). |
INTRANSITIVE VERB: |
1. To have need: wants for nothing. 2. To be destitute or needy. 3. To be disposed; wish: Call me daily if you want. |
NOUN: |
1. The condition or quality of lacking something usual or necessary: stayed home for want of anything better to do. 2. Pressing need; destitution: lives in want. 3. Something desired: a person of few wants and needs. 4. A defect of character; a fault. |
PHRASAL VERBS: |
want in Slang 1. To desire greatly to enter: The dog wants in. 2. To wish to join a project, business, or other undertaking. want out Slang 1. To desire greatly to leave: The cat wants out. 2. To wish to leave a project, a business, or other undertaking. |
ETYMOLOGY: |
Middle English wanten, to be lacking, from Old Norse vanta. See eu- in Appendix I. |
OTHER FORMS: |
wanter —NOUN
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USAGE NOTE: |
When want meaning “desire” is followed immediately by an infinitive construction, it does not take for: I want you to go (not want for you to go). When want and the infinitive are separated by a word or phrase, however, for is used: What I want is for you to go. I want very much for you to go. Want in its meaning of “have need, lack” normally takes for: They'll not want for anything now that they've inherited his estate. See Usage Note at wish. |
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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