English Dictionary: all in all | by the DICT Development Group |
2 results for all in all | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
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From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
All \All\, n. The whole number, quantity, or amount; the entire thing; everything included or concerned; the aggregate; the whole; totality; everything or every person; as, our all is at stake. Death, as the Psalmist saith, is certain to all. --Shak. All that thou seest is mine. --Gen. xxxi. 43. Note: All is used with of, like a partitive; as, all of a thing, all of us. {After all}, after considering everything to the contrary; nevertheless. {All in all}, a phrase which signifies all things to a person, or everything desired; (also adverbially) wholly; altogether. Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee, Forever. --Milton. Trust me not at all, or all in all. --Tennyson. {All in the wind} (Naut.), a phrase denoting that the sails are parallel with the course of the wind, so as to shake. {All told}, all counted; in all. {And all}, and the rest; and everything connected. [bd]Bring our crown and all.[b8] --Shak. {At all}. (a) In every respect; wholly; thoroughly. [Obs.] [bd]She is a shrew at al(l).[b8] --Chaucer. (b) A phrase much used by way of enforcement or emphasis, usually in negative or interrogative sentences, and signifying in any way or respect; in the least degree or to the least extent; in the least; under any circumstances; as, he has no ambition at all; has he any property at all? [bd]Nothing at all.[b8] --Shak. [bd]If thy father at all miss me.[b8] --1 Sam. xx. 6. {Over all}, everywhere. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Note: All is much used in composition to enlarge the meaning, or add force to a word. In some instances, it is completely incorporated into words, and its final consonant is dropped, as in almighty, already, always: but, in most instances, it is an adverb prefixed to adjectives or participles, but usually with a hyphen, as, all-bountiful, all-glorious, allimportant, all-surrounding, etc. In others it is an adjective; as, allpower, all-giver. Anciently many words, as, alabout, alaground, etc., were compounded with all, which are now written separately. |