On in Scrabble Dictionary

Valid words made from On

You can make 2 words from 'on' in our Scrabble US and Canada dictionary.

• 2 letters words from 'on'

2 letters words from 'on'

NO 2

ON 2

Definitions and meaning of on

on

Pronunciation

• (British Isles, Eastern New England) enPR: ŏn, IPA^(key): /ɒn/
• (Northern US, cot–caught merger) enPR: än, IPA^(key): /ɑn/
• (Southern American English) Midland American English IPA^(key): /ɔn/
• Rhymes: -ɒn
• Homophone: awn (in accents with the cot-caught merger)

Etymology 1

From Middle English on, from Old English on, an (“on, upon, onto, in, into”), from Proto-Germanic *ana (“on, at”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-. Cognate with North Frisian a (“on, in”), Saterland Frisian an (“on, at”), West Frisian oan (“on, at”), Dutch aan (“on, at, to”), Low German an (“on, at”), German an (“to, at, on”), Swedish å (“on, at, in”), Faroese á (“on, onto, in, at”), Icelandic á (“on, in”), Gothic 𐌰𐌽𐌰 (ana), Ancient Greek ἀνά (aná, “up, upon”), Albanian në (“in”); and from Old Norse upp á: Danish på, Swedish på, Norwegian på, see upon.

Adjective

on (not comparable)

1. In the state of being active, functioning or operating.

   Antonym: off

   All the lights are on, so they must be home.

2. Performing according to schedule; taking place.

   That TV programme that you wanted to watch is on now.

3. Fitted; covering; being worn.

   Your feet will soon warm up once your socks are on.

   I was trying to drink out of the bottle while the top was still on!

4. (chiefly Britain, informal, usually negative) Acceptable, appropriate.
   • 1998 May 22, "Phoenix Gamma", If I was owned Nintendo..., alt.games.video.nintendo-64:

     This kind of over-packaging of goods is completely not on.

   • 2003 August 12, "DAB sounds worse than FM", Gerg Dyke's Speech at Radio Festival, alt.radio.digital:

     so Simon Nelson saying on Feedback "we'd prefer it if everybody listened to digital radio via DAB" is completely not on at all.

5. (informal) Destined, normally in the context of a challenge being accepted; involved, doomed.

6. (baseball, informal) Having reached a base as a runner and being positioned there, awaiting further action from a subsequent batter.
7. (cricket) Within the half of the field on the same side as the batsman's legs; the left side for a right-handed batsman.

   Synonym: leg; Antonym: off

   The captain moved two fielders to the on side.

   Ponsonby-Smythe hit a thumping on drive.

8. (euphemistic) Menstruating.

Synonyms

• (baseball: positioned at a base): on base (not informal)

Translations

See on/translations § Adjective.

Adverb

on (not comparable)

For idiomatic meanings of phrasal verbs, such as carry on, hang on, have on, try on, etc., please see the individual entries.

1. To an operating state.

2. So as to cover or be fitted.

   The lid wasn't screwed on properly.

   Put on your hat and gloves.

3. Along, forwards (continuing an action).
4. In continuation, at length.

5. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (cricket) In, or towards the half of the field on the same side as the batsman's legs; the left side for a right-handed batsman; leg. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
6. (obsolete in the US) Later.

7. Of betting odds, denoting a better-than-even chance. See also odds-on.

   Antonym: against

   That horse is twenty-to-one on, so you need to stake twenty pounds just to win one pound.

Antonyms

• (active, functioning, operating): off
• (to an operating state): off
• (later): after, afterward/afterwards, later, subsequently, thence

Translations

See on/translations § Adverb.

Preposition

on

1. Positioned at the upper surface of, touching from above.

   The parrot was sitting on Jim's shoulder.

   • 1845, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Bridge

     I stood on the bridge at midnight.

2. Positioned at or resting against the outer surface of; attached to.

   He had a scar on the side of his face.

   There is a dirty smudge on this window.

3. Denoting performance or action by contact with the surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by means of; with.

4. At or in (a certain region or location).

   The lighthouse that you can see is on the mainland.

   The suspect is thought to still be on the campus.

5. Near; adjacent to; alongside.

6. Supported by (the specified part of itself).

7. So as to impart force to.

   tug on the rope; push hard on the door

8. So as to impact; against.

   I stubbed my toe on an old tree stump.

9. Covering.

10. Inside (a vehicle) for the purpose of travelling.

    on a bus, on a train, on a plane

11. At the date of.

12. Some time during the day of.

13. At a given time after the start of something; at.
14. Dealing with the subject of; about; concerning.
15. (informal) In the possession of.

16. Because of, or due to.

17. Upon; at the time of (and often because of).

18. Paid for by.

19. Indicating a means or medium.

20. Indicating the target of, or thing affected by, an event or action.

    They planned an attack on London.

    The soldiers mutinied and turned their guns on their officers.

21. Toward; for; indicating the object of an emotion.

22. Indicating a means of subsistence.

23. Away or occupied with (e.g. a scheduled activity).

25. Regularly taking (a drug).

27. Under the influence of (a drug).

28. (mathematics) Having identical domain and codomain.

29. (mathematics) Having ${\displaystyle V^{n}}$ as domain and V as codomain, for some set V and integer n.

30. (mathematics) Generated by.

31. In addition to; besides; indicating multiplication or succession in a series.

32. (obsolete, regional) of
33. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) Indicating dependence or reliance; with confidence in.

34. (obsolete) At the peril of, or for the safety of.
    • 1700, John Dryden, Iliad

      Hence, on thy life.

35. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) In the service of; connected with; of the number of.

36. By virtue of; with the pledge of.

37. To the account or detriment of; denoting imprecation or invocation, or coming to, falling, or resting upon.
38. (especially when numbers of combatants or competitors are specified) Against; in opposition to.

    The fight was three on one, and he never stood a chance.

Synonyms

• (dealing with the subject of): about, apropos, as for; See also Thesaurus:about
• (because of): by dint of, due to; See also Thesaurus:because of

Derived terms

Related terms

• depend (on)
• put on airs
• phrases starting with "on the"

Translations

See on/translations § Preposition.

Verb

on (third-person singular simple present ons, present participle oning, simple past and past participle oned)

1. (transitive, Singapore, Philippines) to switch on

   Synonym: turn on

Etymology 2

From Old Norse ón, án (“without”), from Proto-Germanic *ēnu, *ēno, *ino (“without”), from Proto-Indo-European *anew, *enew (“without”). Cognate with North Frisian on (“without”), Middle Dutch an, on (“without”), Middle Low German āne (“without”), German ohne (“without”), Gothic 𐌹𐌽𐌿 (inu, “without, except”), Ancient Greek ἄνευ (áneu, “without”).

Alternative forms

• ohn

Preposition

on

1. (Britain dialectal, Scotland) Without.

Usage notes

• Usually followed by a present participle, as being, having, etc.

Etymology 3

From Japanese 音読み (on'yomi, literally “sound reading”).

Noun

on

1. In the Japanese language, a pronunciation, or reading, of a kanji character that was originally based on the character's pronunciation in Chinese, contrasted with kun.

Related terms

• kun

References

• on at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• N.O., NO, No, No., no, no.

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Azerbaijani

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *ōn (“ten”). Cognate with Old Turkic [Term?] (/on/, “ten”).

Numeral

on

1. ten

References

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Basque

Etymology

From Proto-Basque *boń.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /on/

Adjective

on (comparative hobe, superlative onen or hoberen, excessive onegi)

1. good
2. useful, convenient

Declension

Further reading

• on in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia, euskaltzaindia.eus
• on in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia, euskaltzaindia.eus

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Catalan

Alternative forms

• ahont, hon, hont (archaic)

Etymology

From Old Occitan [Term?] (compare Occitan ont), from Latin unde (compare French dont).

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈon/

Adverb

on

1. where

Further reading

• “on” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “on” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “on” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “on” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

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Central Franconian

Alternative forms

• un (widely in free variation)
• en (some western dialects)

Etymology

The native form in most dialects was Old High German indi, whence the variant en. In parts of the Eifel, this indi regularly becomes on (compare Luxembourgish an). In southern and eastern dialects, on the other hand, on may have been inherited from the Old High German variant unde (unti). From these two groups of dialects, the form will have spread, without doubt under influence of German und.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /on/

Conjunction

on

1. and

   Salz on Päfer

   salt and pepper

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Classical Nahuatl

Pronoun

on, ōn

1. (demonstrative) that; those

Related terms

• in

References

• Michel Launey; Christopher Mackay (2011) An Introduction to Classical Nahuatl, Amazon Kindle: Cambridge University Press, pages Loc 1408

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Cornish

Alternative forms

• ôn

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *ognos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʷnós (“lamb”).

Pronunciation

• (Revived Middle Cornish) IPA^(key): [ɔːn]
• (Revived Late Cornish) IPA^(key): [oːn]

Noun

on m (plural en)

1. lamb

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Crimean Tatar

Numeral

on

1. ten

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Czech

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *onъ, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eno-

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /on/
• Rhymes: -on

Pronoun

on m

1. he (third person personal singular)

Declension

Related terms

• ona, ono
• oni, ony

See also

• já
• ty
• my
• vy

Further reading

• on in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
• on in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

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Dutch

Adverb

on

1. rarely used as shorthand for oneven (odd), the prefix on- means not (corresponds to English un-)

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Estonian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈon/

Verb

on

1. third-person singular present indicative of olema
2. third-person plural present indicative of olema

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Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈon/, [ˈo̞n]
• Rhymes: -on
• Syllabification: on

Verb

on

1. third-person singular indicative present of olla

Anagrams

• no

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French

Alternative forms

• l'on (formal)

Etymology

From Old French hom, om (nominative form), from Latin homō (“human being”) (compare homme from the Old French oblique form home, from the Latin accusative form hominem). Its pronominal use is of Germanic origin. Compare Old English man (“one, they, people”), reduced form of Old English mann (“person”); Catalan hom; German man (“one, they, people”); Dutch men (“one, they, people”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ̃/
• Homophone: ont

Pronoun

on ?

1. (indefinite) one, people, you, someone (an unspecified individual)

   Synonyms: quelqu'un (in some contexts), l'on (formal)

   • 2003, Natasha St. Pier, L’instant d’après (album), Quand on cherche l’amour (song)

     Quand on cherche l'amour...

     When one searches for love...

2. (personal, informal) we

   Synonym: nous (in some contexts)

Usage notes

• In informal French, on has almost completely replaced the pronoun nous (“we”) to indicate the first person plural.
• The variant l'on is used in more formal or literary contexts.

Related terms

Descendants

• → Esperanto: oni
• → Ido: on
• → Interlingue: on

Further reading

• “on” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• NO, nô

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German Low German

Conjunction

on

1. (in several dialects, including Low Prussian) Alternative form of un (and)

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Ido

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /on/, /ɔn/

Pronoun

on

1. Apocopic form of onu; one, someone, they (indefinite personal pronoun)

See also

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Ingrian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /on/

Verb

on

1. third-person singular indicative present active of olla

References

• Vitalij Chernyavskij (2005) Ižoran keel (Ittseopastaja)‎^[4]

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Interlingua

Pronoun

on

1. one (indefinite personal pronoun)

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Japanese

Romanization

on

1. Rōmaji transcription of おん

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Karelian

Verb

on

1. (there) is

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Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English on, from Proto-Germanic *ana (“on, at”).

Preposition

on

1. on, in

Adverb

on

1. on

Alternative forms

• (preposition): one, onne, hon, ane; an (before initial h or vowel); æn (early)
• (adverb): one, onne, an

Descendants

• English: on
• Scots: an, on

References

• “on, prep.” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “on, adv.(1).” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Numeral

on

1. Alternative form of oon

Pronoun

on

1. Alternative form of oon

Adverb

on

1. Alternative form of oon

Determiner

on

1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of a (indefinite article)

Etymology 3

Verb

on

1. (Early Middle English) first/third-person singular present of unnen

Etymology 4

Noun

on (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of wone (“course”)

Etymology 5

Noun

on (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of oven

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Northern Sami

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (Kautokeino) IPA^(key): /ˈoːn/

Adverb

ōn

1. again

Further reading

• Koponen, Eino; Ruppel, Klaas; Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002-2008) Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[5], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

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Old English

Alternative forms

• an

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ana

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /on/

Preposition

on (West Saxon)

1. on, in, at, among [+dative or instrumental]

Adverb

on (West Saxon)

1. (with verbs of taking or depriving) from

Descendants

• Middle English: an, on, one, onne, hon, ane
  • English: on
  • Scots: an, on

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Old French

Alternative forms

• hon

Etymology

See hom, om.

Pronoun

on

1. one (gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun)

Descendants

• French: on

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Old Irish

Pronoun

on

1. Alternative spelling of ón

Article

on

1. Alternative spelling of ón

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Polish

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *onъ, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eno-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔn/

Pronoun

on (plural: masculine personal oni, all others one)

1. he (for animate nouns), it (for inanimate nouns)

Declension

Related terms

• ona, ono
• oni, one

Pronoun

on m

1. (obsolete) this (demonstrative)

Declension

See also

• ja
• ty
• my
• wy
• Appendix:Polish pronouns

Further reading

• on in Polish dictionaries at PWN

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Romansch

Alternative forms

• (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Surmiran) onn
• (Puter) an

Etymology

From Latin annus.

Noun

on m (plural ons)

1. (Sutsilvan, Vallader) year

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *onъ, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eno-

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ôːn/

Pronoun

ȏn (Cyrillic spelling о̑н)

1. he

Declension

See also

• njezin
• njegov

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Slovak

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *onъ, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eno-; inflected forms from Proto-Slavic *jь, from Proto-Indo-European *éy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔn/

Pronoun

on

1. he (third-person personal masculine singular pronoun)

Declension

Further reading

• on in Slovak dictionaries at korpus.sk

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Slovene

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *onъ, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eno-

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ́n/

Pronoun

ȍn

1. he

Inflection

Forms between parentheses indicate clitic forms; the main forms are used for emphasis.

See also

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Southeastern Tepehuan

Etymology

From Proto-Uto-Aztecan *ona.

Noun

on

1. salt

References

• R. de Willett, Elizabeth, et al. (2016) Diccionario tepehuano de Santa María Ocotán, Durango (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 48)‎^[6] (in Spanish), electronic edition, Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 140

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Swedish

Noun

on

1. indefinite plural of o

Anagrams

• NO, no.

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Turkish

Etymology

From Old Turkic 𐰆𐰣‎ (un¹ /on/, “ten”), from Proto-Turkic *ōn (“ten”).

Numeral

on

1. ten

Declension

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Turkmen

Etymology

From Old Turkic 𐰆𐰣‎ (un¹ /on/, “ten”), from Proto-Turkic *ōn (“ten”).

Numeral

on

1. ten

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Venetian

Article

on m sg

1. a, an

Usage notes

• Variant of un

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Volapük

Etymology

Borrowed from French on.

Pronoun

on

1. it
2. (obsolete, indefinite personal pronoun) one

Declension

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Walloon

Alternative forms

• onk

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Numeral

on

1. one

Source: wiktionary.org

• to go on.
  (source: Collins Scrabble Dictionary)

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