Dictionary entry

All (3)

Webster's Dictionary 1913

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.

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. “Bring our crown and all.” Shak.At all. (a) In every respect; wholly; thoroughly. “She is a shrew at al(l).” 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? “Nothing at all.” Shak. “If thy father at all miss me.” 1 Sam. xx. 6. — Over all, everywhere. Chaucer.

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.