to
UK /təʊ/ · US /toʊ/ particle, conjunction, preposition, adverb, verb, proper noun
Forms TOs TO's TOing TO'ing TOd TOed TO'd TO'ed ter t' T.O.
- particle A particle used for marking the following verb as an infinitive. “I want to leave.”
- particle As above, with the verb implied. “"Did you visit the museum?" "I wanted to, but it was closed."”
- particle Used to indicate an obligation on the part of, or a directive given to, the subject. “You are to go to the store and buy a bottle of milk.”
- conjunction (expressing purpose) In order to. “I went to the shops to buy some bread.”
- preposition In the direction of; towards. “She looked to the heavens.”
- preposition Indicating destination or final position: In the direction of, so as to arrive at or reach. “We are walking to the shop.”
- preposition Used to indicate the target or recipient of an action. “I gave the book to him.”
- preposition So as to contact, press against, impact, etc. “I fixed the notice to the wall.”
- preposition So as to become or reach: indicating a terminal state resulting from an action. “His face was beaten to a pulp.”
- preposition So as to bring about or elicit (an effect or outcome). “He made several bad-taste jokes to groans from the audience.”
- preposition Used after an adjective to indicate its application. “similar to ..., relevant to ..., pertinent to ..., I was nice to him, he was cruel to her, I am used to walking.”
- preposition Indicating a degree or level reached. “It was to a large extent true.”
- adverb (regional, UK, US) Toward a closed, touching, or engaging position. “Please push the door to.”
- adverb (nautical) Into the wind.
- particle (mild intensifier, colloquial, chiefly North India) A filler word common amongst urban Indians. “I am to so bored right now.”
- verb to organize a tournament, to be a TO “TOing”
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English to, from Old English tō, from Proto-Germanic *tō ~ *ta, from Proto-Indo-European *de ~ *do (“to”). Cognate with Scots tae, to (“to”), North Frisian to, tö, tu (“to”), Saterland Frisian tou (“to”), Low German to (“to”), Dutch toe, te (“to”), German zu (“to”), West Frisian ta (“to”). Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian ndaj (“towards”), Irish do (“to, for”), Breton da (“to, for”), Welsh i (“to, for”), Russian до (do, “to”). Doublet of too.
Borrowed from Hindi तो (to).
Borrowed from Cantonese 杜 (dou6), 陶 (tou4), 塗／涂 (tou4), 屠 (tou4), etc.
Webster’s 1913
- preposition The preposition to primarily indicates approach and arrival, motion made in the direction of a place or thing and attaining it, access; and also, motion or tendency without arrival; movement toward; --opposed to Ant: from. "To Canterbury they wend." Chaucer.
- preposition Hence, it indicates motion, course, or tendency toward a time, a state or condition, an aim, or anything capable of being regarded as a limit to a tendency, movement, or action; as, he is going to a trade; he is rising to wealth and honor.
Etymology [AS. to; akin to OS. & OFries. to, D. toe, G. zu, OHG. zuo, zua, zo, Russ. do, Ir. & Gael. do, OL. -do, -du, as in endo, indu, in, Gr. Too, Tatoo a beat of drums.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “to”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details