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Meaning of WHOLE

Pronunciation:  howl

WordNet Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. [n]  an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity; "how big is that part compared to the whole?"; "the team is a unit"
  2. [n]  all of something including all its component elements or parts; "Europe as a whole"; "the whole of American literature"
  3. [adv]  to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent; "he was wholly convinced"; "entirely satisfied with the meal"; "it was completely different from what we expected"; "was completely at fault"; "a totally new situation"; "the directions were all wrong"; "It was not altogether her fault"; "an altogether new approach"; (`whole' is often used informally for `wholly' as in"a whole new idea")
  4. [adj]  including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete; "gave his whole attention"; "a whole wardrobe for the tropics"; "the whole hog"; "a whole week"; "the baby cried the whole trip home"; "a whole loaf of bread"
  5. [adj]  (of siblings) having the same parents; "whole brothers and sisters"
  6. [adj]  exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health; "hale and hearty"; "whole in mind and body"; "a whole person again"
 
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 Synonyms: all, altogether, completely, entire, entirely, full, full-length, full-page, hale, healthy, intact, integral, livelong, total, totally, undivided, unit, whole thing, wholly
 
 Antonyms: fractional, half, part, partially, partly
 
 See Also: aggregate, artefact, artifact, complete, complex, composite, compound, concept, conception, construct, division, item, object, part, part, physical object, portion, section, section, segment, sum, total, totality, unit

 

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. \Whole\, a. [OE. hole, hol, hal, hool, AS. h[=a]l well,
    sound, healthy; akin to OFries. & OS. h?l, D. heel, G. heil,
    Icel. heill, Sw. hel whole, Dan. heel, Goth. hails well,
    sound, OIr. c?l augury. Cf. {Hale}, {Hail} to greet, {Heal}
    to cure, {Health}, {Holy}.]
    1. Containing the total amount, number, etc.; comprising all
       the parts; free from deficiency; all; total; entire; as,
       the whole earth; the whole solar system; the whole army;
       the whole nation. ``On their whole host I flew unarmed.''
       --Milton.
             The whole race of mankind.            --Shak.
    2. Complete; entire; not defective or imperfect; not broken
       or fractured; unimpaired; uninjured; integral; as, a whole
       orange; the egg is whole; the vessel is whole.
             My life is yet whole in me.           --2 Sam. i. 9.
    3. Possessing, or being in a state of, heath and soundness;
       healthy; sound; well.
             [She] findeth there her friends hole and sound.
                                                   --Chaucer.
             They that be whole need not a physician. --Matt. ix.
                                                   12.
             When Sir Lancelot's deadly hurt was whole.
                                                   --Tennyson.
    {Whole blood}. (Law of Descent) See under {Blood}, n., 2.
    {Whole note} (Mus.), the note which represents a note of
       longest duration in common use; a semibreve.
    {Whole number} (Math.), a number which is not a fraction or
       mixed number; an integer.
    {Whole snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the common snipe, as distinguished
       from the smaller jacksnipe. [Prov. Eng.]
    Syn: All; total; complete; entire; integral; undivided;
         uninjured; unimpaired; unbroken; healthy.
    Usage: {Whole}, {Total}, {Entire}, {Complete}. When we use
           the word whole, we refer to a thing as made up of
           parts, none of which are wanting; as, a whole week; a
           whole year; the whole creation. When we use the word
           total, we have reference to all as taken together, and
           forming a single totality; as, the total amount; the
           total income. When we speak of a thing as entire, we
           have no reference to parts at all, but regard the
           thing as an integer, i. e., continuous or unbroken;
           as, an entire year; entire prosperity. When we speak
           of a thing as complete, there is reference to some
           progress which results in a filling out to some end or
           object, or a perfected state with no deficiency; as,
           complete success; a complete victory.
                 All the whole army stood agazed on him. --Shak.
                 One entire and perfect chrysolite. --Shak.
                 Lest total darkness should by night regain Her
                 old possession, and extinguish life. --Milton.
                 So absolute she seems, And in herself complete.
                                                   --Milton.
    
  2. \Whole\, n.
    1. The entire thing; the entire assemblage of parts;
       totality; all of a thing, without defect or exception; a
       thing complete in itself.
             ``This not the whole of life to live, Nor all of
             death to die.                         --J.
                                                   Montgomery.
    2. A regular combination of parts; a system.
             Parts answering parts shall slide into a whole.
                                                   --Pope.
    {Committee of the whole}. See under {Committee}.
    {Upon the whole}, considering all things; taking everything
       into account; in view of all the circumstances or
       conditions.
    Syn: Totality; total; amount; aggregate; gross.
    
 

 

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