want

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See also:Want,Wänt,wa'n't,andwan't

English

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EnglishWikipediahas an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology 1

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FromMiddle Englishwanten(“to lack”),fromOld Norsevanta(“to lack”),fromProto-Germanic*wanatōną(“to be wanting, lack”),from*wanô(“lack, deficiency”),fromProto-Indo-European*h₁weh₂-(“empty”).Cognate withMiddle High Germanwan(“not full, empty”),Middle Dutchwan(“empty, poor”),Old Englishwana(“want, lack, absence, deficiency”),Latinvanus(“empty”).Seewan,wan-.

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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want(third-person singular simple presentwants,present participlewanting,simple past and past participlewanted)

  1. (transitive)Towishfor ordesire(something); to feel aneedor desire for; tocrave,hanker,ordemand.[from 18th c.]
    What do youwantto eat?  Iwantyou to leave.  I neverwantedto go back to live with my mother.
    • 1918,W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell,chapter XIII, inThe Mirror and the Lamp,Indianapolis, Ind.:The Bobbs-Merrill Company,→OCLC:
      And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if youwantedto do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them. Soft heartedness caused more harm than good.
    • 2013July-August,Henry Petroski,“Geothermal Energy”,inAmerican Scientist,volume101,number 4:
      Energy has seldom been found where we need it when wewantit. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coa xing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.
    • 2016,VOA Learning English(public domain)
      Iwantto find a supermarket. — Oh, okay. The supermarket is at 1500 Irving Street. It is near the apartment. — Great!
      Audio(US):(file)
    1. (by extension)To make it easy or tempting to do something undesirable, or to make it hard or challenging to refrain from doing it.
      The game developers of Candy Crushwantyou to waste large, copious amounts of your money on in-game purchases to buy boosters and lives.
      Depressionwantsyou to feel like the world is dark and that you are not worthy of happiness. The first step to making your life better from this day forward is to stop believing these lies.
  2. (transitive,in particular)Towish,desire,ordemandtosee,have thepresenceof or do business with.
    Ma’am, you are exactly the professional wewantfor this job.
    Danish policewanthim for embezzlement.
    • 2010,Fred Vargas,The Chalk Circle Man,Vintage Canada,→ISBN,page75:
      But now it's different, if the policewanthim for murder.
  3. (intransitive)Todesire(to experiencedesire); to wish.
    You can leave if youwant.
    • 2019May 5, "The Last of the Starks",Game of Thronesseason 8 episode 4 (written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss):
      TYRION: You don't want it?
      BRAN: I don't reallywantanymore.
  4. (colloquial,usually second person,often future tense)To be advised to do something(compareshould,ought).
    You’llwantto repeat this three or four times to get the best result.
  5. (transitive,nowcolloquial)To lack and be in need of orrequire(something, such as a noun or verbal noun).[from 15th c.]
    • 1741,The Gentleman's and London Magazine: Or Monthly Chronologer, 1741-1794,page559:
      The lady, it is said, will inherit a fortune of three hundred pounds a year, with two cool thousands left by an uncle, on her arriving at the age of twenty-one, of which shewantsbut a few months.
    • 1839,Chambers's Journal,page123:
      Oh Jeanie, it will be hard, after every thing is ready for our happiness, if we should be sundered. Itwantsbut a few days o' Martinmas, and then I maun enter on my new service on Loch Rannoch, where a bonny shieling is ready...
    • 1847,The American Protestant,page27:
      In this we have just read an address to children in England, Ireland, and Scotland, in behalf of children whowantfood to keep them from starvation.
    • 1865November (indicated as1866),Lewis Carroll[pseudonym; Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], “A Mad Tea-Party”, inAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland,London:Macmillan and Co.,→OCLC,page96:
      “Your hairwantscutting,” said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.
    • 1922October 26,Virginia Woolf,chapter II, inJacob’s Room,Richmond, London:[…]Leonard& Virginia Woolf at theHogarth Press,→OCLC;republished London: The Hogarth Press,1960,→OCLC,page22:
      The mowing-machine alwayswantedoiling. Barnet turned it under Jacob's window, and it creaked—creaked, and rattled across the lawn and creaked again.
    That chairwantsfi xing.
  6. (transitive,nowrare)To have occasion for (something requisite or useful); to require or need.
  7. (intransitive,dated)To belackingordeficientorabsent.[from 13th c.]
    There was somethingwantingin the play.
    • 1625,[Samuel] Purchas,Purchas His Pilgrimes.[…],(please specify |part=1 to 5),London:[…]William Stansbyfor Henrie Fetherstone,[…],→OCLC,page404:
      They of the Citie fought valiantly with Engines, Darts, Arrows: and when Stoneswanted,they threw Silver, especially molten silver.
    • a.1701(date written), John Dryden, “Preface”, inThe Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden,[…],volumes(please specify |volume=I to IV),London:[…]J[acob]and R[ichard]Tonson,[…],published1760,→OCLC:
      The disposition, the manners, and the thoughts are all before it; where any of those arewantingor imperfect, so muchwantsor is imperfect in the imitation of human life.
    • 1711May,[Alexander Pope],An Essay on Criticism,London:[…]W[illiam]Lewis[…];and sold by W[illiam]Taylor[…],T[homas]Osborn[e][…],and J[ohn]Graves[…],→OCLC:
      For as in bodies, thus in souls, we find / Whatwantsin blood and spirits, swelled with wind.
  8. (intransitive,dated)To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack.
    The paupers desperatelywant.
  9. (transitive,archaic)Tolackand be without, to not have (something).[from 13th c.]
    • 1624,Democritus Junior [pseudonym;Robert Burton],The Anatomy of Melancholy:[…],2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire:[…]John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps,→OCLC,partition 2, section 3, member 7:
      he that hath skill to be a pilotwantsa ship; and he that could govern a commonwealth[…]wantsmeans to exercise his worth, hath not a poor office to manage.
    • 1711July 15 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison;Richard Steeleet al.], “WEDNESDAY, July 4, 1711”, inThe Spectator,number108;republished inAlexander Chalmers,editor,The Spectator; a New Edition,[…],volume II, New York, N.Y.:D[aniel] Appleton & Company,1853,→OCLC:
      I observed[…]that your whipwanteda lash to it.
      The spelling has been modernized.
    • 1726October 28, [Jonathan Swift],Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World.[…][Gulliver’s Travels],London:[…]Benj[amin]Motte,[…],→OCLC,(please specify |part=I to IV),page141:
      The least miserable among them appear to be those who turn to Dotage, and entirely lose their Memories; these meet with more Pity and Assistance, because theywantmany bad Qualities which abound in others.
    • 1765,James Merrick,Psalams:
      Not what we wish, but what wewant,/ Oh, let thy grace supply!
    • 1981,A. D. Hope,“His Coy Mistress to Mr. Marvell”,inA Book of Answers:
      Pray Mr Marvell, can it be / You think to have persuaded me? / Then let me say: youwantthe art / To woo, much less to win my heart.
    Shewantedanything she needed.
  10. (transitive,obsolete,by extension)Tolackand perhaps be able or willing todo without.
    • 1625,[Samuel] Purchas,Purchas His Pilgrimes.[…],(please specify |part=1 to 5),London:[…]William Stansbyfor Henrie Fetherstone,[…],→OCLC,page50:
      […]which the Kings of Assyria had left for the maintenance of this Temple sacrifices, after the ouerthrow thereof, was shared among the Chaldzans; which they by this attempt were like to lose, and therefore were willing towanthis presence.
    • 1789 Robert Burns: Epigram On Francis Grose The Antiquary
      The Devil got notice that Grose was a-dying
      So whip! at the summons, old Satan came flying;
      But when he approached where poor Francis lay moaning,
      And saw each bed-post with itsburthena-groaning,
      Astonish'd,confounded,cries Satan- "By God,
      I'llwanthim, ere I take such a damnable load! "
    • 1797,The European Magazine, and London Review,page226:
      For Law, Physick and Divinitie, need so the help of tongs and sciences, as thei can notwantthem, and yet thei require so a hole mans studie, as thei may parte with no tyme to other lerning,...
    • 1880Robert Louis Stevenson. Kidnapped
      "Are yesharp-set?"he asked, glancing at about the level of my knee." Ye can eat that dropparritch."
      I said I feared it was his own supper.
      "Oh," said he, "I can do finewantingit, I'll take the ale, though, for itslockensmy cough. "He drank the cup about half out, still keeping an eye upon me as he drank...
  11. Todesirearomanticor(especially)sexualrelationshipwith someone; tolustfor.
    Dang, girl! Your brother is gorgeous! Iwanthim so bad!
Usage notes
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Conjugation
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Conjugation ofwant
infinitive (to)want
present tense past tense
1st-personsingularwant wanted
2nd-personsingular want,wantest† wanted,wantedst†
3rd-personsingular wants,wanteth† wanted
plural want
subjunctive want wanted
imperative want —
participles wanting wanted
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Descendants
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  • Chinese Pidgin English:wantchee,Loan trị(Chinese spelling)
  • Sranan Tongo:wani
Translations
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Noun

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EnglishWikipediahas an article on:
Wikipedia

want(countableanduncountable,pluralwants)

  1. (countable)Adesire,wish,longing.
  2. (countable,often followed byof)Lack,absence,deficiency.
    She showed awantof caution in renting her house to complete strangers.
  4. (uncountable)Poverty.
  5. Something needed or desired; a thing of which the loss is felt.
    • 1785,William Paley,Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy:
      Habitual superfluities become actualwants.
  6. (UK,mining)A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before the subsequent deposition took place.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 2

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FromMiddle Englishwont(“mole”),[2]fromOld Englishwand,wond,fromProto-Germanic*wanduz.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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want(pluralwants)

  1. (dialectal)Amole(Talpa europea).
    • 1592,John Lyly,Midas;republished in Charles Wentworth Dilke, editor,Old English Plays: Being a Selection from the Early Dramatic Writers‎[3],volume 1, London: Whittingham and Rowland,1814:
      Lic.She hath the ears of awant./Pec.Doth she want ears?

References

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  1. ^Dictionary
  2. ^“wont(e,n.”,inMED Online,Ann Arbor, Mich.:University of Michigan,2007.

Anagrams

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Afrikaans

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Etymology

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FromDutchwant,fromMiddle Dutchwant,fromOld Dutchwanda,fromProto-Germanic*hwandê.

Pronunciation

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Conjunction

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want

  1. for,because

Dutch

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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FromMiddle Dutchwant,fromOld Dutchwanda,fromProto-Germanic*hwandê.Cognate withOld High Germanwanta,Middle High Germanwante.

Conjunction

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want

  1. for,because,as
    Hij had haast,wanthij dreigde de trein te missen.
    He was in a hurry,forhe was about to miss the train.
    Ze ging vroeg naar bed,wantze was erg moe.
    She went to bed early,becauseshe was very tired.
    Hij gaf haar bloemen,wanthij wilde haar laten glimlachen.
    He gave her flowers,ashe wanted to make her smile.
Synonyms
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Hyponyms
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Descendants
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See also
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Etymology 2

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FromMiddle Dutchwant,fromOld Dutch*want,fromFrankish*wantu,fromProto-Germanic*wantuz.

Noun

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wantf(pluralwanten,diminutivewantjen)

  1. amitten,type ofglovein which four fingers get only one section, besides the thumb
    Hypernym:handschoen
    Tijdens de winter droeg ze een paarwantenom haar handen warm te houden.
    During the winter, she wore a pair ofmittensto keep her hands warm.
    De kinderen verloren hunwantenin de sneeuw tijdens het spelen.
    The children lost theirmittensin the snow while playing.
    Hij breide een schattigwantjevoor zijn pasgeboren nichtje.
    He knitted an adorablemittenfor his newborn niece.
Derived terms
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Descendants
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Etymology 3

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FromMiddle Dutchwant,gewant,fromOld Dutch*giwant,fromProto-Germanic*gawandą,from the root ofwinden.

Noun

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wantn(pluralwanten,diminutivewantjen)

  1. a coarse type ofwoolenfabric;anything made from it
  2. therigging,ropes supporting masts and sails aboard a ship.shroud,sideways support for a mast
    Synonyms:touwwerk,wantwerk
  3. various types ofnetsandsnaresfor fishing, hunting or farming
  4. horsetackle
Derived terms
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- concerning rigging

Etymology 4

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See the etymology of the correspondinglemmaform.

Verb

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want

  1. inflection ofwannen:
    1. second/third-personsingularpresentindicative
    2. (archaic)pluralimperative

Middle Dutch

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Etymology 1

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fromOld Dutchwanda,fromProto-Germanic*hwandē.

Conjunction

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want

  1. because,for
Descendants
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Etymology 2

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FromOld Dutch*want,fromFrankish*wantu.

Noun

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wantm

  1. Aglove,mitten.
Inflection
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This noun needs aninflection-table template.

Descendants
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Further reading

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Old High German

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Etymology 1

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FromProto-Germanic*wanduz(“stick, rod; barrier made of sticks, fence”),whence alsoOld Norsevǫndr,Gothic𐍅𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍃(wandus).

Noun

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wantf

  1. awall
Descendants
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Etymology 2

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Verb

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want

  1. first/third-personsingularpastindicativeofwintan

Tocharian A

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Etymology

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FromProto-Tocharian*wyente,from Post-PIE*h₂weh₁ntos,fromProto-Indo-European*h₂wéh₁n̥ts,from*h₂weh₁-(“to blow”)(compareEnglishwind,Latinventus). CompareTocharian Byente.

Noun

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want

  1. wind

West Frisian

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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FromOld Frisianhwant,hwante,hwande,hwanda,fromProto-Germanic*hwandê.

Conjunction

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want

  1. because

Synonyms

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Yola

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Verb

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want

  1. Alternative form ofwaunt
    • 1867,“CASTEALE CUDDE'S LAMENTATION”, inSONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY,number 1, page102:
      Dhicka die fan ichwantto a mile.
      That day when Iwentto the mill.
    • 1867,“A YOLA ZONG”, inSONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY,number12,page88:
      Th' ballwanta cowlee, the gazb maate all rize;
      The ballo'er shotthe goal, the dust rose all about;

References

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  • Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor,A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland,London: J. Russell Smith, published1867,page102
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