1.
2.
1.
[syn: along, on]
2. indicates continuity or persistence or concentration;
- Example: "his spirit lives on"
- Example: "shall I read on?"
3. in a state required for something to function or be effective;
- Example: "turn the lights on"
- Example: "get a load on"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
On \On\ ([o^]n), prep. [OE. on, an, o, a, AS. on, an; akin to D.
aan, OS. & G. an, OHG. ana, Icel. [=a], Sw. [*a], Goth. ana,
Russ. na, L. an-, in anhelare to pant, Gr. 'ana`, Zend ana.
[root]195. Cf. A-, 1, Ana-, Anon.]
The general signification of on is situation, motion, or
condition with respect to contact or support beneath; as:
[1913 Webster]
1. At, or in contact with, the surface or upper part of a
thing, and supported by it; placed or lying in contact
with the surface; as, the book lies on the table, which
stands on the floor of a house on an island.
[1913 Webster]
I stood on the bridge at midnight. --Longfellow.
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2. To or against the surface of; -- used to indicate the
motion of a thing as coming or falling to the surface of
another; as, rain falls on the earth.
[1913 Webster]
Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken.
--Matt. xxi.
44.
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3. Denoting performance or action by contact with the
surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by
means of; with; as, to play on a violin or piano. Hence,
figuratively, to work on one's feelings; to make an
impression on the mind.
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4. At or near; adjacent to; -- indicating situation, place,
or position; as, on the one hand, on the other hand; the
fleet is on the American coast.
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5. In addition to; besides; -- indicating multiplication or
succession in a series; as, heaps on heaps; mischief on
mischief; loss on loss; thought on thought. --Shak.
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6. Indicating dependence or reliance; with confidence in; as,
to depend on a person for assistance; to rely on; hence,
indicating the ground or support of anything; as, he will
promise on certain conditions; to bet on a horse; based on
certain assumptions.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
7. At or in the time of; during; as, on Sunday we abstain
from labor. See At (synonym).
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8. At the time of; -- often conveying some notion of cause or
motive; as, on public occasions, the officers appear in
full dress or uniform; the shop is closed on Sundays.
Hence, in consequence of, or following; as, on the
ratification of the treaty, the armies were disbanded;
start on the count of three.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
9. Toward; for; -- indicating the object of some passion; as,
have pity or compassion on him.
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10. At the peril of, or for the safety of. "Hence, on thy
life." --Dryden.
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11. By virtue of; with the pledge of; -- denoting a pledge or
engagement, and put before the thing pledged; as, he
affirmed or promised on his word, or on his honor.
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12. To the account of; -- denoting imprecation or invocation,
or coming to, falling, or resting upon; as, on us be all
the blame; a curse on him.
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His blood be on us and on our children. --Matt.
xxvii. 25.
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13. In reference or relation to; as, on our part expect
punctuality; a satire on society.
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14. Of. [Obs.] "Be not jealous on me." --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Or have we eaten on the insane root
That takes the reason prisoner? --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Instances of this usage are common in our older
writers, and are sometimes now heard in illiterate
speech.
[1913 Webster]
15. Occupied with; in the performance of; as, only three
officers are on duty; on a journey; on the job; on an
assignment; on a case; on the alert.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
16. In the service of; connected with; a member of; as, he is
on a newspaper; on a committee.
[1913 Webster]
Note: On and upon are in general interchangeable. In some
applications upon is more euphonious, and is therefore
to be preferred; but in most cases on is preferable.
[1913 Webster]
17. In reference to; about; concerning; as, to think on it;
to meditate on it.
[PJC]
On a bowline. (Naut.) Same as Closehauled.
On a wind, or On the wind (Naut.), sailing closehauled.
On a sudden. See under Sudden.
On board, On draught, On fire, etc. See under Board,
Draught, Fire, etc.
On it, On't, of it. [Obs. or Colloq.] --Shak.
On shore, on land; to the shore.
On the road, On the way, On the wing, etc. See under
Road, Way, etc.
On to, upon; on; to; -- sometimes written as one word,
onto, and usually called a colloquialism; but it may be
regarded in analogy with into.
[1913 Webster]
They have added the -en plural form on to an elder
plural. --Earle.
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We see the strength of the new movement in the new
class of ecclesiastics whom it forced on to the
stage. --J. R. Green.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
On \On\, adv. [See On, prep.]
1. Forward, in progression; onward; -- usually with a verb of
motion; as, move on; go on; the beat goes on. "Time glides
on." --Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]
The path is smooth that leadeth on to danger.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. Forward, in succession; as, from father to son, from the
son to the grandson, and so on.
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3. In continuance; without interruption or ceasing; as, sleep
on, take your ease; say on; sing on.
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4. Adhering; not off; as in the phrase, "He is neither on nor
off," that is, he is not steady, he is irresolute.
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5. Attached to the body, as clothing or ornament, or for use.
"I have boots on." --B. Gonson.
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He put on righteousness as a breastplate. --Is. lix.
17.
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6. In progress; proceeding; ongoing; as, a game is on.
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Note: On is sometimes used as an exclamation, or a command to
move or proceed, some verb being understood; as, on,
comrades; that is, go on, move on.
[1913 Webster]
On and on, continuously; for a long time together. "Toiling
on and on and on." --Longfellow.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Rub \Rub\, v. i.
1. To move along the surface of a body with pressure; to
grate; as, a wheel rubs against the gatepost.
[1913 Webster]
2. To fret; to chafe; as, to rub upon a sore.
[1913 Webster]
3. To move or pass with difficulty; as, to rub through woods,
as huntsmen; to rub through the world.
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To rub along or on, to go on with difficulty; as, they
manage, with strict economy, to rub along. [Colloq.]
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
on
adv 1: with a forward motion; "we drove along admiring the
view"; "the horse trotted along at a steady pace"; "the
circus traveled on to the next city"; "move along";
"march on" [syn: along, on]
2: indicates continuity or persistence or concentration; "his
spirit lives on"; "shall I read on?"
3: in a state required for something to function or be
effective; "turn the lights on"; "get a load on"
adj 1: in operation or operational; "left the oven on"; "the
switch is in the on position" [ant: off]
2: (of events) planned or scheduled; "the picnic is on, rain or
shine"; "we have nothing on for Friday night" [ant:
cancelled, off]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
123 Moby Thesaurus words for "on":
about, above, accidental, accompanying, across, ado, afloat, afoot,
after which, against, ahead, along, among, anent, apropos of,
as for, as regards, as respects, as to, astraddle, astride, at,
atop, by, by dint of, by means of, by use of, by virtue of,
by way of, circumstantial, concerning, current, doing, en route to,
eventuating, for, forth, forward, forwards, from, going on,
happening, headed for, hereby, hereinafter, herewith, horseback,
in, in connection with, in contact with, in hand, in passage to,
in point of, in re, in reference to, in regard to, in relation to,
in relation with, in respect to, in the wind, in transit to,
in virtue of, incidental, near, next to, occasional, occurring, of,
on foot, on horseback, on route to, on top of, ongoing, onward,
onwards, opposite, over, over against, passing, per, pertaining to,
pertinent to, prevailing, prevalent, re, referring to, regarding,
relating to, relative to, respecting, resultant, speaking of,
straddle, straddle-legged, straddleback, taking place, thanks to,
thereby, therewith, through, to, touching, toward, towards,
under way, up, up against, upon, upon which, versus, vis-a-vis,
whereat, whereby, wherefore, whereon, whereto, whereunto,
whereupon, wherewith, wherewithal, with, with regard to,
with respect to
V.E.R.A. -- Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms (February 2016):
ON
Ordinary Node (Kazaa, P2P)
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:
On
light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship,
called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17),
stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of
Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the
LXX. Versions have "Heliopolis" ("city of the sun") instead of
On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The "city of destruction"
Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. "of Heres;" Heb. 'Ir-ha-heres,
which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., "city of the sun") may
be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will
come when that city which was known as the "city of the sun-god"
shall become the "city of destruction" of the sun-god, i.e.,
when idolatry shall cease, and the worship of the true God be
established.
In ancient times this city was full of obelisks dedicated to
the sun. Of these only one now remains standing. "Cleopatra's
Needle" was one of those which stood in this city in front of
the Temple of Tum, i.e., "the sun." It is now erected on the
Thames Embankment, London.
"It was at On that Joseph wooed and won the dark-skinned
Asenath, the daughter of the high priest of its great temple."
This was a noted university town, and here Moses gained his
acquaintance with "all the wisdom of the Egyptians."
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's):
On, pain; force; iniquity