On \On\ ([o^]n), prep. [OE. on, an, o, a, AS. on, an; akin to D.
aan, OS. & G. an, OHG. ana, Icel. [=a], Sw. [*a], Goth. ana,
Russ. na, L. an-, in anhelare to pant, Gr. 'ana`, Zend ana.
[root]195. Cf. A-, 1, Ana-, Anon.]
The general signification of on is situation, motion, or
condition with respect to contact or support beneath; as:
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1. At, or in contact with, the surface or upper part of a
thing, and supported by it; placed or lying in contact
with the surface; as, the book lies on the table, which
stands on the floor of a house on an island.
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I stood on the bridge at midnight. --Longfellow.
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2. To or against the surface of; -- used to indicate the
motion of a thing as coming or falling to the surface of
another; as, rain falls on the earth.
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Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken.
--Matt. xxi.
44.
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3. Denoting performance or action by contact with the
surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by
means of; with; as, to play on a violin or piano. Hence,
figuratively, to work on one's feelings; to make an
impression on the mind.
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4. At or near; adjacent to; -- indicating situation, place,
or position; as, on the one hand, on the other hand; the
fleet is on the American coast.
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5. In addition to; besides; -- indicating multiplication or
succession in a series; as, heaps on heaps; mischief on
mischief; loss on loss; thought on thought. --Shak.
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6. Indicating dependence or reliance; with confidence in; as,
to depend on a person for assistance; to rely on; hence,
indicating the ground or support of anything; as, he will
promise on certain conditions; to bet on a horse; based on
certain assumptions.
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7. At or in the time of; during; as, on Sunday we abstain
from labor. See At (synonym).
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8. At the time of; -- often conveying some notion of cause or
motive; as, on public occasions, the officers appear in
full dress or uniform; the shop is closed on Sundays.
Hence, in consequence of, or following; as, on the
ratification of the treaty, the armies were disbanded;
start on the count of three.
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9. Toward; for; -- indicating the object of some passion; as,
have pity or compassion on him.
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10. At the peril of, or for the safety of. "Hence, on thy
life." --Dryden.
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11. By virtue of; with the pledge of; -- denoting a pledge or
engagement, and put before the thing pledged; as, he
affirmed or promised on his word, or on his honor.
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12. To the account of; -- denoting imprecation or invocation,
or coming to, falling, or resting upon; as, on us be all
the blame; a curse on him.
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His blood be on us and on our children. --Matt.
xxvii. 25.
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13. In reference or relation to; as, on our part expect
punctuality; a satire on society.
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14. Of. [Obs.] "Be not jealous on me." --Shak.
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Or have we eaten on the insane root
That takes the reason prisoner? --Shak.
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Note: Instances of this usage are common in our older
writers, and are sometimes now heard in illiterate
speech.
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15. Occupied with; in the performance of; as, only three
officers are on duty; on a journey; on the job; on an
assignment; on a case; on the alert.
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16. In the service of; connected with; a member of; as, he is
on a newspaper; on a committee.
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Note: On and upon are in general interchangeable. In some
applications upon is more euphonious, and is therefore
to be preferred; but in most cases on is preferable.
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17. In reference to; about; concerning; as, to think on it;
to meditate on it.
[PJC]
On a bowline. (Naut.) Same as Closehauled.
On a wind, or On the wind (Naut.), sailing closehauled.
On a sudden. See under Sudden.
On board, On draught, On fire, etc. See under Board,
Draught, Fire, etc.
On it, On't, of it. [Obs. or Colloq.] --Shak.
On shore, on land; to the shore.
On the road, On the way, On the wing, etc. See under
Road, Way, etc.
On to, upon; on; to; -- sometimes written as one word,
onto, and usually called a colloquialism; but it may be
regarded in analogy with into.
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They have added the -en plural form on to an elder
plural. --Earle.
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We see the strength of the new movement in the new
class of ecclesiastics whom it forced on to the
stage. --J. R. Green.
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Road \Road\ (r[=o]), n. [AS. r[=a]d a riding, that on which one
rides or travels, a road, fr. r[imac]dan to ride. See Ride,
and cf. Raid.]
1. A journey, or stage of a journey. [Obs.]
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With easy roads he came to Leicester. --Shak.
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2. An inroad; an invasion; a raid. [Obs.] --Spenser.
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3. A place where one may ride; an open way or public passage
for vehicles, persons, and animals; a track for travel,
forming a means of communication between one city, town,
or place, and another.
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The most villainous house in all the London road.
--Shak.
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Note: The word is generally applied to highways, and as a
generic term it includes highway, street, and lane.
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4. [Possibly akin to Icel. rei[eth]i the rigging of a ship,
E. ready.] A place where ships may ride at anchor at some
distance from the shore; a roadstead; -- often in the
plural; as, Hampton Roads. --Shak.
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Now strike your saile, ye jolly mariners,
For we be come unto a quiet rode [road]. --Spenser.
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On the road, or Uponthe road, traveling or passing over a
road; coming or going; traveling; on the way.
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My hat and wig will soon be here,
They are upon the road. --Cowper.
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Road agent, a highwayman, especially on the stage routes of
the unsettled western parts of the United States; -- a
humorous euphemism. [Western U.S.]
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The highway robber -- road agent he is quaintly
called. --The century.
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Road book, a guidebook in respect to roads and distances.
road kill See roadkill in the vocabulary.
Road metal, the broken, stone used in macadamizing roads.
Road roller, a heavy roller, or combinations of rollers,
for making earth, macadam, or concrete roads smooth and
compact. -- often driven by steam.
Road runner (Zool.), the chaparral cock.
Road steamer, a locomotive engine adapted to running on
common roads.
To go on the road, to engage in the business of a
commercial traveler. [Colloq.]
To take the road, to begin or engage in traveling.
To take to the road, to engage in robbery upon the
highways.
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Syn: Way; highway; street; lane; pathway; route; passage;
course. See Way.
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