of 
from source or cause. Finally It transforms the Idea of 
derivation or origin through several Intermediate gnda- 
tlons of meaning Into that of possessing or being possessed 
by pertaining to or being connected with, In ulmost any 
relation of thought. Its partitive, possessive, and attribu- 
tive uses are those which oecur most frequently in modern 
Knglish, especially when it connect* two nouns, Oencr- 
ally speaking, it expresses the same relations which are 
expressed In Greek, Latin, Merman, Anglo-Saxon, and other 
languages by the genitive case, including many uses be- 
sides those of the English possessive. 
If. From; off; from off; out of; away or away 
from : expressing departure from or out of a 
position or location: the older English of off, 
now differentiated from of. 
His swerd fel of his hond to grunde. 
Ne mist i- he hit holde thulke stuude. 
King Horn (E. E. T. S.\ p. 72. 
To be him trewe * holde the while he at lande were. 
Bob. of Gloucester, 1. 418. 
Menestaus, the mighty malstur of Athene*, 
Preslt Polldamas <t put hym of horse. 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.\ 1. 10688. 
He toke It of her hand full curtesly. 
OtnerydafE. E. T. S.\ I. 694. 
He and his sqnyer rode forth till thel com to Cameloth 
on the day of the assumpclon, and a-llght down of his 
horse. Merlin (E. E. T. 8.\ 111. 619. 
2. In distance or direction from ; away from ; 
measuring from: noting relative position in 
space or time : as, the current carried the brig 
just clear of the island ; Switzerland is north 
of Italy ; within an hour of his death ; upward 
of a year. 
No woman shall come within a mile of my court. 
Shale., L L. ].., i. 1. 120. 
Twas within a mile of Edinburgh town, 
In the rosy time of the year. D'Urfey, Song. 
3. From, by intervention, severance, removal, 
or riddance, as by restraining, debarring, de- 
priving, divesting, defrauding, delivering, ac- 
quitting, or healing : as, to rob a man of his 
money ; to cure one of a, fever ; to break one of 
a habit. 
Of al wickidnes he me defende ! 
Hymns to Virgin, etc. (E. E. T. 8.), p. 98. 
I will heal thee of thy wounds, salth the Lord. 
Jer. zxz. 17. 
You'd have done as much, sir, 
To curb her of her humour. 
Middleton, Chaste Maid, T. -'. 
If I can rid your town of rats, 
Will you give me a thousand guilders? 
Browning, Pled Piper of Hamelin. 
4. From, (a) Noting origin, source, author, or that from 
which something issues, proceeds, is derived, or comes to 
be or to pass. 
Hu he was of Spaygne a kinges sone. 
King Horn (E. E. T. S.X p. 72. 
But grace of thi graue grew ; 
Thou roos up quik coumfort to us. 
Hymns to Virgin, etc. (E. E. T. S.), p. 13. 
Two serpentes, where-of eche of hem hadde two heedes, 
foule and hidouse, and of eche oj hem com a grete flawme 
of fire. Merlin <E. E. T. S.\ 111. 632. 
That Cytee was destroyed by hem of Qrece, and lytylle 
apperethe there of, be cause it so longe sithe it was de- 
stroyed. MamicMle, Travels, p. 15. 
Of God and kynde [nature] procedyth alle feaulte. 
Political Poems, etc. (ed. Furnivall), p. 45. 
It [the noise of the feasting] was right high and clere, 
and plosaunt to heren, and it semed to be of moche peple. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.), H. 810. 
Their chiefe ruler Is called Powhatan, and taketh his 
name of his prlncipall place of dwelling called Powhatan. 
Copt. John Smith, Works, I. 142. 
Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 
Mat vli. 16. 
That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be 
called the Son of God. Luke i. 85. 
0/whom now shall we learn to live like men? 
From whom draw out our actions just and worthy? 
Fletcher, Valentlnlan, iv. 4. 
Of good still good proceeds, 
Direct, or by occasion. Milton, P. L, ix. 973. 
Yon can have of him no more than his word. 
Lamb, Imperfect Sympathies. 
There was no motion in the dumb, dead air, 
Not any song of bird or sound of rill. 
TV/I/II/XO/J, Dream of Fair Women. 
(&) Noting substance ot material : as, a crown of gold ; a 
rod of iron. 
Valance of Venice gold in needlework. 
Shalt., T. of the S., ii. 1. 856. 
When I recollect of what various materials our late am- 
bassadors have been composed, I can only say "ex quovis 
ligno fit Mercurius." Walpole, Letters, II. 46. 
Three silent pinnacles of aged snow 
Stood sunset-nush'd. Tennyson, Lotos-Eaters. 
(c) Noting cause, reason, motive, or occasion. 
Whan the childeren were alle come to logrcs, the Citee 
made of hem grete ioye whan thei hem knewe. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.), ii. 201. 
Some do it, say they, of a simplicity; some do it of a 
pride ; and some of other causes. 
Latimer, Sermon bef. Edw. VI., 1550. 
4087 
It Is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. 
Lam. ill. 22. 
Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever. Mark L 30. 
Their chiefe God they worship Is the [will. Him they 
call Okee, and serue him more of feare then loue. 
Capt. John Smith, Works, I. 138. 
David resolved to buy it [the threshing-floor of Araunah], 
because it must, of necessity, be aliened from common 
uses, to which it could never return any more. 
Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835), I. 155. 
Thyrsis of his own will went away. 
M. Arnold, Thyrsis. 
(d) With verbs of sense, noting the presence of some qual- 
ity, characteristic, or condition : as, the flelds smell o/new- 
mown hay ; the sauce tastes of wine. 
You savour too much of your youth. 
Shale., Hen. V., i. 2. 260. 
Why do you smell of amber-grlse? 
/;. Jonson, Fortunate Isles. 
Strange was the sight and smacking of the time. 
Tennyson, Princess, Prol. 
5. From among : a partitive use. (a) Noting the 
whole of which a part Is taken : as, to give of one's sub- 
stance ; to partake of wine. 
And sets him that Tholomer has taken of hi* londas. 
Joseph of Arimathie (E. E. T. S.\ p. 14. 
And the foolish [virgins) said unto the wise. Give us of 
your oil ; for our lamps are gone out. Mat xxv. 8. 
Make no more coll, but buy of this oil. 
B. Jonton, Volpone, II. 1. 
She was far better informed, better read, a deeper thinker 
than Miss Ainley. but of administrative energy, of execu- 
tive activity, she had none. Charlotte Bronte, Shirley, xlv. 
(b) Out of: noting subtraction, separation, or selection 
from an aggregate ; also, having reference to the whole of 
an aggregate taken distrlbutlvely : as, one of many ; flve 
of them were captured ; of all days in the year the most 
unlucky ; there were ten of us. 
Thus, of eleuen, senen of the chiefest were drowned. 
Quoted in Capt. John Smith's Works, I. 103. 
6t. From being (something else); instead of : 
noting change or passage from one state to an- 
other. 
They became through nurture and good advisement, of 
wild, sober ; of cruel, gentle ; of fools, wise ; and of beasts, 
men. Sir T. Wilson (Arber's Eng. Garner, I. 466). 
As well Poets as Poesle are despised, and the name be- 
come "/ honourable infamous, subject to scorue and de- 
rision. Puttenham, Arte of Eng. Poesle, 1. 8. 
Offer up two tears apiece thereon, 
That it may change the name, as yon must change, 
And of a stone be called Weeping-cross. 
B. Jonson, Cynthia's Revels, v. 3. 
Trust me, madam, 
Of a vlld fellow I hold him a true subject. 
Middleton, More Dissemblers besides Women, 111. 2. 
7. From : noting an initial point of time. 
I took him nf a child up at my door, 
And christened him. 
B. Jonson, Every Man In his Rumour, U. 1. 
8. On; in; in the course of: noting time: as, 
of an evening; of a holiday; o/old; o/late. 
Why, sometimes of a morning I have a dozen people 
call on me at breakfast-time, whose faces I never saw be- 
fore, nor ever desire to see again. 
Sheridan, The Critic, i. 1. 
I've known a clog-dancer . . . to earn as much as 10s. 
of a night at the various concert rooms. 
Mayhew, London Labour and London Poor, III. 158. 
Peter used to go around (^Sundays, and during the week 
by night, preaching from cabin to cabin the gospel of his 
heavenly Master. The Century, XXXV. 948. 
9. During; throughout; for: noting a period 
of time. [Archaic.] 
Sir, I moste go, and of longe tyme ye shull not se me 
a-geyn. Merlin (E. E. T. .\ i. 61. 
To sleep but three hours in the night, 
And not be seen to wink of all the day. 
SAo*., L. L. L., I. 1. 48. 
I ventnr'd to go to White-hall, where of many yeares I 
had not ben. Evelyn, Diary, Feb. 11, 1656. 
It had not rain'd, as is said, of three years before In that 
Country. Milton, Hist. Eng., iv. 
Vain was thy dream of many a year. 
Browning, Boy and the Angel. 
10. In: noting position, condition, or state. 
Hee gooth downe by the dyche that deepe was of gronnde. 
Alisaunder ofMacedoine (E. E. T. S.\ 1. 1074. 
Antonye and Poule despised alle richesse, 
Lyuyd In desert of wilfulle pouert 
Political Poems, etc. (ed. Furnivall), p. 28. 
It is of me, whyls I here lyfe. 
Or more or lesse like day to synne. 
Political Poems, etc. (ed. Furnivall), p. 104. 
. 11. On; in; at: noting an object of thought. 
Of my labour the! lauhe. Piers Plowman (C), xvi. 200. 
They beleeue, as doe the Virginians, o/n ian> diulne pow- 
ers, yet of one aboue all the rest 
Capt. John Smith, Works, II. 237. 
12. Concerning; in regard to; relating to; 
about : as, short of money ; in fear of their 
lives; barren of results; swift of foot; inno- 
cent o/the crime; regardless o/his health; ig- 
of 
norant of mathematics ; what o/thatf to talk 
i if |n-aee; I know not what to think o/him; 
beware of the dog ! 
Alias, why pleynen folk so In commune 
Of piirvefaunce of Ood, or of Fortune? 
Chaucer, Knight's Tale, L 394. 
Putte It to the fler of flawme rljt strong, and the reed 
watlr schal ascende. 
Boole of Quinte Essence (ed. Fiinilvall), p. 13. 
And whan the tother party badde dlsconnflted this 
batalle, thel encresed moche of peple, and wexed right 
stronge. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), L 92. 
Menelay the mighty was of nieane shap, 
Noght so large nf his lymes as his lefe brother. 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.), 1. 3750. 
I beshrew his fooles head, quoth the king; why had he 
not sued vnto vs and made vs priute o/hls want? 
Puttenham, Arte of Eng. Poesle, p. 288. 
I thought It was whimsically said of a gentleman that 
If Varilas had wit, it would be the best wit in the world. 
Steele, Spectator, No. 100. 
Here Hector rages like the force of Ore, 
Vaunts of his gods, and calls high Jove his sire. 
Pope, Iliad, xlli. 82. 
Lord Bahnerino said that one of his reasons for pleading 
not guilty was that so many ladies might not be disap- 
pointed of their show. Walpole, Letters, II. 41. 
Sure, sir, this is not very reasonable, to summon my af- 
fections for a lady I know nothing of! 
Sheridan, The Rivals, ii. 1. 
Would be but another mode of speaking of commercial 
ruin, of abandoned wharves, of vacated houses, of dimin- 
ished and dispersing population, of bankrupt merchants, 
of mechanics without employment, and laborers with. 
Daniel Webster, Speech at New York, March 10, 1831. 
Harriet was all youthful freshness, . . . light of foot, and 
graceful In her movements. E. Dowden, Shelley, 1. 142. 
13. Belonging to; pertaining to; possessed 
by: as, the prerogative o/the king; the thick- 
ness o/the wall; the blue o/the sky. 
The brain of this foolish-compounded clay, man. 
Shale., 2 Hen. IV., L 2. 8. 
The voices of the mountains and the pines 
Repeat thy song. 
Longfellow, tr. of Dante's Illvina Commedia, v. 
14. Belonging to as a part or an appurtenance : 
as, the leg of a chair; the top of a, mountain; 
the hilt o} a sword. 
On the tip of his subduing tongue 
All kinds of arguments and questions deep. 
Shalt., Lover's Complaint, 1. 120. 
Forest and meadow and hill, and the steel-blue rim o/the 
ocean. Longfellow, Courtship of Miles Standlsh, L 
15. Belonging to or associated with as regards 
locality : as, tne Tower of London ; the Pope 
of Rome ; Drummond of Hawthornden ; Mr. 
Jones of Boston. 16. Having or possessing 
as a quality, characteristic attribute, or func- 
tion: as, a man of ability; a woman of tact; 
news of importance ; a wall of unusual thick- 
ness; a sky o/blue. 
Don Pedro Venegas . . . was a man mature in years, 
and of an active, ambitious spirit. 
Irving, Alhambra, p. 168. 
17. Connected with in some personal relation 
of charge or trust: as, the Queen of England; 
the president of the United States ; the secre- 
tary of a society; the driver o/an engine. 18. 
Among; included or comprised in. Compare 
def. 5 (6). 
There be of us, as be of all other nations, 
Villains and knaves. 
Fletcher (and another), False One, ii. 3. 
Mr. Wingfield was chosen President, and an Oration 
made, why Captaine Smith was not admitted of the Conn- 
cell as the rest. 
Quoted In Capt. John Smith's Works, I. 151. 
It Is a great ease to have one In oar own shape a species 
below us, and who, without being listed in our service, is 
by nature o/our retinue. Steele, Taller, No. 208. 
Let a musician be admitted of the party. Covrper. 
Shakespeare was of us, Milton was for us, 
Burns, Shelley, were with us. 
Browning, Lost Leader. 
19. Connected with ; concerned in; employed 
for. 
He fore to that folke with a fell chere, 
With a company dene, kyde men of arrays. 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.), L 12796. 
I should tell yon too, that Lord Bath's being of the en- 
terprise contributed hugely to poison the success of It 
Walpole, Letters, II. 7. 
If below the milky steep 
Some ship of battle slowly creep. 
Tennyson, To Rev. F. D. Maurice. 
20. Constituting; which is, or is called: as, 
the city of New York; the continent of Europe; 
by the name of John. 
I am going a long way, . . . 
To the island-valley of A vilion. 
Tennyson, Passing of Arthur. 
21. On; upon. [Now archaic.] 
If of message forthe thon be sente, 
Take hede to the same. Gene eare dlligente. 
Babeet Book (E. E. T. S.), p. 348. 
