thing
/θɪŋ/ noun, verb
Forms things thinging thinged thang thin' thinge thynge ting
- noun That which is considered to exist as a separate entity, object, quality or concept.
- noun A word, symbol, sign, or other referent that can be used to refer to any entity.
- noun An individual object or distinct entity.
- noun Whatever can be owned.
- noun Corporeal object.
- noun (in the plural) Possessions or equipment; stuff; gear. “Hold on, let me just grab my things.”
- noun (somewhat dated, with the) The latest fad or fashion.
- noun (informal) A custom or practice. “Cheek kissing is a French thing; you get used to it after a while.”
- verb (rare) To express as a thing; to reify.
- noun (chiefly historical) A public assembly or judicial council in a Germanic country.
- noun (informal) Nickname or appellative for numerous "things", including fictional characters.
- noun (informal, slang, US) Nickname for the Volkswagen 181.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English thing, from Old English þing, from Proto-West Germanic *þing, from Proto-Germanic *þingą.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Ding (“thing”), West Frisian ting, ding (“thing”), Dutch ding (“thing”), German Low German Ding (“thing”), German Ding (“thing”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish ting (“thing”), Faroese ting (“parliament, assembly”), Icelandic þing (“congress, assembly”), Scots hing (“thing”).
The word originally meant "assembly", then came to mean a specific issue discussed at such an assembly, and ultimately came to mean most broadly "an object". Compare Latin rēs, also meaning "legal matter", and same transition from Latin causa (“legal matter”) to "thing" in Romance languages. Modern use to refer to a Germanic assembly is likely influenced by cognates (from the same Proto-Germanic root) like Old Norse þing (“thing”), Danish ting, Swedish ting, and Old High German ding with this meaning.
See thing.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Whatever exists, or is conceived to exist, as a separate entity, whether animate or inanimate; any separable or distinguishable object of thought.
- noun An inanimate object, in distinction from a living being; any lifeless material.
Etymology [AS. þing a thing, cause, assembly, judicial assembly; akin to þingan to negotiate, þingian to reconcile, conciliate, D. ding a thing, OS. thing thing, assembly, judicial assembly, G. ding a thing, formerly also, an assembly, court, Icel. þing a thing, assembly, court, Sw. & Dan. ting; perhaps originally used of the transaction of or before a popular assembly, or the time appointed for such an assembly; cf. G. dingen to bargain, hire, MHG. dingen to hold court, speak before a court, negotiate, Goth. þeihs time, perhaps akin to L. tempus time. Cf. Hustings, and Temporal of time.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “thing”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details