all but : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: all but	by the DICT Development Group
2 results for all but
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Note: In the ancient phrases, all too dear, all too much, all so long, etc., this word retains its appropriate sense or becomes intensive. 2. Even; just. (Often a mere intensive adjunct.) [Obs. or Poet.] All as his straying flock he fed. --Spenser. A damsel lay deploring All on a rock reclined. --Gay. {All to}, [or] {All-to}. In such phrases as [bd]all to rent,[b8] [bd]all to break,[b8] [bd]all-to frozen,[b8] etc., which are of frequent occurrence in our old authors, the all and the to have commonly been regarded as forming a compound adverb, equivalent in meaning to entirely, completely, altogether. But the sense of entireness lies wholly in the word all (as it does in [bd]all forlorn,[b8] and similar expressions), and the to properly belongs to the following word, being a kind of intensive prefix (orig. meaning asunder and answering to the LG. ter-, HG. zer-). It is frequently to be met with in old books, used without the all. Thus Wyclif says, [bd]The vail of the temple was to rent:[b8] and of Judas, [bd]He was hanged and to-burst the middle:[b8] i. e., burst in two, or asunder. {All along}. See under {Along}. {All and some}, individually and collectively, one and all. [Obs.] [bd]Displeased all and some.[b8] --Fairfax. {All but}. (a) Scarcely; not even. [Obs.] --Shak. (b) Almost; nearly. [bd]The fine arts were all but proscribed.[b8] --Macaulay. {All hollow}, entirely, completely; as, to beat any one all hollow. [Low] {All one}, the same thing in effect; that is, wholly the same thing. {All over}, over the whole extent; thoroughly; wholly; as, she is her mother all over. [Colloq.] {All the better}, wholly the better; that is, better by the whole difference. {All the same}, nevertheless. [bd]There they [certain phenomena] remain rooted all the same, whether we recognize them or not.[b8] --J. C. Shairp. [bd]But Rugby is a very nice place all the same.[b8] --T. Arnold. -- See also under {All}, n.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
But \But\ (b[ucr]t), prep., adv. & conj. [OE. bute, buten, AS. b[umac]tan, without, on the outside, except, besides; pref. be- + [umac]tan outward, without, fr. [umac]t out. Primarily, b[umac]tan, as well as [umac]t, is an adverb. [root]198. See {By}, {Out}; cf. {About}.] 1. Except with; unless with; without. [Obs.] So insolent that he could not go but either spurning equals or trampling on his inferiors. --Fuller. Touch not the cat but a glove. --Motto of the Mackintoshes. 2. Except; besides; save. Who can it be, ye gods! but perjured Lycon? --E. Smith. Note: In this sense, but is often used with other particles; as, but for, without, had it not been for. [bd]Uncreated but for love divine.[b8] --Young. 3. Excepting or excluding the fact that; save that; were it not that; unless; -- elliptical, for but that. And but my noble Moor is true of mind . . . it were enough to put him to ill thinking. --Shak. 4. Otherwise than that; that not; -- commonly, after a negative, with that. It cannot be but nature hath some director, of infinite power, to guide her in all her ways. --Hooker. There is no question but the king of Spain will reform most of the abuses. --Addison. 5. Only; solely; merely. Observe but how their own principles combat one another. --Milton. If they kill us, we shall but die. --2 Kings vii. 4. A formidable man but to his friends. --Dryden. 6. On the contrary; on the other hand; only; yet; still; however; nevertheless; more; further; -- as connective of sentences or clauses of a sentence, in a sense more or less exceptive or adversative; as, the House of Representatives passed the bill, but the Senate dissented; our wants are many, but quite of another kind. Now abideth faith hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. --1 Cor. xiii. 13. When pride cometh, then cometh shame; but with the lowly is wisdom. --Prov. xi. 2. {All but}. See under {All}. {But and if}, but if; an attempt on the part of King James's translators of the Bible to express the conjunctive and adversative force of the Greek [?]. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; . . . the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him. --Luke xii. 45, 46. {But if}, unless. [Obs.] --Chaucer. But this I read, that but if remedy Thou her afford, full shortly I her dead shall see. --Spenser. Syn: {But}, {However}, {Still}. Usage: These conjunctions mark opposition in passing from one thought or topic to another. But marks the opposition with a medium degree of strength; as, this is not winter, but it is almost as cold; he requested my assistance, but I shall not aid him at present. However is weaker, and throws the opposition (as it were) into the background; as, this is not winter; it is, however, almost as cold; he required my assistance; at present, however, I shall not afford him aid. The plan, however, is still under consideration, and may yet be adopted. Still is stronger than but, and marks the opposition more emphatically; as, your arguments are weighty; still they do not convince me. See {Except}, {However}. Note: [bd]The chief error with but is to use it where and is enough; an error springing from the tendency to use strong words without sufficient occasion.[b8] --Bain.