Category:Of

Of, prep. Etym: [as. of of, from, off; akin to d. & os. af, g. ab Off, ohg. aba from, away, icel., Dan., Sw., & goth. af, l. ab, gr. Apa. Cf.Off, a- (2), ab-, after, epi-.]

Defn: in a general sense, from, or out from; proceeding from; Belonging to; relating to; concerning; -- used in a variety of Applications; as:

1. Denoting that from which anything proceeds; indicating origin, Source, descent, and the like; as, he is of a race of kings; he is of Noble blood. That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the son Of god. Luke i. 35. I have received of the lord that which also i delivered unto you. 1 Cor. xi. 23.

2. Denoting possession or ownership, or the relation of subject to Attribute; as, the apartment of the consul: the power of the king; a Man of courage; the gate of heaven. "poor of spirit." Macaulay.

3. Denoting the material of which anything is composed, or that which It contains; as, a throne of gold; a sword of steel; a wreath of Mist; a cup of water.

4. Denoting part of an aggregate or whole; belonging to a number or Quantity mentioned; out of; from amongst; as, of this little he had Some to spare; some of the mines were unproductive; most of the Company. It is of the lord's mercies that we are not consumed. Lam. iii. 22. It is a duty to communicate of those blessings we have received. Franklin.

5. Denoting that by which a person or thing is actuated or impelled; Also, the source of a purpose or action; as, they went of their own Will; no body can move of itself; he did it of necessity. For it was of the lord to harden their hearts. Josh. xi. 20.

6. Denoting reference to a thing; about; concerning; relating to; as, To boast of one's achievements. Knew you of this fair work shak.

7. Denoting nearness or distance, either in space or time; from; as, Within a league of the town; within an hour of the appointed time.

8. Denoting identity or equivalence; -- used with a name or Appellation, and equivalent to the relation of apposition; as, the Continent of america; the city of rome; the island of cuba.

9. Denoting the agent, or person by whom, or thing by which, anything Is, or is done; by. And told to her of [by] some. Chaucer. He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. Luke iv. 15. [jesus] being forty days tempted of the devil. Luke iv. 1, 2.

Note: the use of the word in this sense, as applied to persons, is Nearly obsolete.

10. Denoting relation to place or time; belonging to, or connected With; as, men of athens; the people of the middle ages; in the days Of herod.

11. Denoting passage from one state to another; from. [obs.] "o Miserable of happy." Milton.

12. During; in the course of. Not be seen to wink of all the day. Shak. My custom always of the afternoon. Shak.

Note: of may be used in a subjective or an objective sense. "the love Of god" may mean, our love for god, or god's love for us.

Note: from is the primary sense of this preposition; a sense retained In off, the same word differently written for distinction. But this Radical sense disappears in most of its application; as, a man of Genius; a man of rare endowments; a fossil of a red color, or of an Hexagonal figure; he lost all hope of relief; an affair of the Cabinet; he is a man of decayed fortune; what is the price of corn in These and similar phrases, of denotes property or possession, or a Relation of some sort involving connection. These applications, However all proceeded from the same primary sense. That which Proceeds from, or is produced by, a person or thing, either has had, Or still has, a close connection with the same; and hence the word Was applied to cases of mere connection, not involving at all the Idea of separation. Of consequence, of importance, value, or Influence. -- of late, recently; in time not long past. -- of old, formerly; in time long past. -- of one's self, by one's self; without help or prompting; Spontaneously. Why, knows not montague, that of itself england is safe, if true Within itself shak.