·noun Something; thing; stuff.
II. What (·pron, ·adj, ·adv) As a relative pronoun.
III. What (interrogative ·adv) Why? For what purpose? On what account?.
IV. What (·pron, ·adj, ·adv) Whatever; whatsoever; what thing soever;
— used indefinitely.
V. What (·pron, ·adj, ·adv) As an exclamatory word:
— (a) Used absolutely or independently;
— often with a question following.
VI. What (·pron, ·adj, ·adv) Used adverbially in a sense corresponding to the adjectival use; as, he picked what good fruit he saw.
VII. What (·pron, ·adj, ·adv) Used adjectively, meaning how remarkable, or how great; as, what folly! what eloquence! what courage!.
VIII. What (·pron, ·adj, ·adv) Sometimes prefixed to adjectives in an adverbial sense, as nearly equivalent to how; as, what happy boys!.
IX. What (·pron, ·adj, ·adv) Used adjectively, equivalent to the ... which; the sort or kind of ... which; rarely, the ... on, or at, which.
X. What (·pron, ·adj, ·adv) Used adverbially, in part; partly; somewhat;
— with a following preposition, especially, with, and commonly with repetition.
XI. What (·pron, ·adj, ·adv) Used substantively with the antecedent suppressed, equivalent to that which, or those [persons] who, or those [things] which;
— called a compound relative.
XII. What (·pron, ·adj, ·adv) As an interrogative pronoun, used in asking questions regarding either persons or things; as, what is this? what did you say? what poem is this? what child is lost?.