-SOME Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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View synonyms for -some

-some

1
  1. a native English suffix formerly used in the formation of adjectives:

    quarrelsome; burdensome.



-some

2
  1. a collective suffix used with numerals:

    twosome; threesome.

-some

3
  1. a combining form meaning “body,” used in the formation of compound words:

    chromosome.

some

4

[ suhm; unstressed suhm ]

adjective

  1. being an undetermined or unspecified one:

    Some person may object.

  2. (used with plural nouns) certain:

    Some days I stay home.

  3. of a certain unspecified number, amount, degree, etc.:

    to some extent.

  4. unspecified but considerable in number, amount, degree, etc.:

    We talked for some time. He was here some weeks.

  5. Informal. of impressive or remarkable quality, consequence, extent, etc.:

    That was some storm.

pronoun

  1. certain persons, individuals, instances, etc., not specified:

    Some think he is dead.

  2. an unspecified number, amount, etc., as distinguished from the rest or in addition:

    He paid a thousand dollars and then some.

adverb

  1. (used with numerals and with words expressing degree, extent, etc.) approximately; about:

    Some 300 were present.

  2. Informal. to some degree or extent; somewhat:

    I like baseball some. She is feeling some better today.

  3. Informal. to a great degree or extent; considerably:

    That's going some.

-some

1

suffix forming nouns

  1. indicating a group of a specified number of members

    threesome



-some

2

suffix forming adjectives

  1. characterized by; tending to

    tiresome

    awesome

-some

3

/ -səʊm /

combining form

  1. a body

    chromosome

some

4

/ sʌm; səm /

determiner

    1. (a) certain unknown or unspecified

      some lunatic drove into my car

      some people never learn

    2. ( as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural )

      some can teach and others can't

    1. an unknown or unspecified quantity or amount of

      there's some rice on the table

      he owns some horses

    2. ( as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural )

      we'll buy some

    1. a considerable number or amount of

      he lived some years afterwards

    2. a little

      show him some respect

  1. informal.
    usually stressed an impressive or remarkable

    that was some game!

  2. a certain amount (more) (in the phrases some more and (informal) and then some )
  3. about; approximately

    he owes me some thirty pounds

adverb

  1. not_standard.
    to a certain degree or extent

    I guess I like him some

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Confusables Note

As pronouns, both some and any may be used in affirmative or negative questions: Will you ( won't you ) have some? Do you ( don't you ) have any? But some is used in affirmative statements and answers: You may have some. Yes, I'd like some. And in negative statements and answers, any is the usual choice: I don't care for any. No, I can't take any.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of -some1

Middle English; Old English -sum; akin to Gothic -sama, German -sam; same

Origin of -some2

Middle English -sum, Old English sum; special use of some (pronoun)

Origin of -some3

< Greek sôma body; soma 1

Origin of -some4

First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective and pronoun); Old English sum originally, “someone”; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle High German sum, Old Norse sumr, Gothic sums

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Word History and Origins

Origin of -some1

Old English sum, special use of some (determiner)

Origin of -some2

Old English -sum; related to Gothic -sama, German -sam

Origin of -some3

from Greek sōma body

Origin of -some4

Old English sum; related to Old Norse sumr, Gothic sums, Old High German sum some, Sanskrit samá any, Greek hamē somehow

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Example Sentences

At 17, she attended the Durango Songwriters Expo, a summit where 30 music industry professionals mentor 200 some-odd attendees.

Sixty-some years later, people are still plunking themselves down in the ever-popular Eames chairs.

My neurotic Jewish mother calls me every year in August to remind me that I need to get a flu shot before they some-how run out.

Thirty-some years later, the takeover is still a trauma of very high and personal order.

Could that blame-some-other-guy strategy succeed at a time of genuine economic distress?

He was like a fly condemned to spend his life in the irk-some society of the spider.

He also thanked him for his good service, and told him to choose some-one of his possessions, for he would get whatever he wanted.

We had in our box the hand-some ambassador and late tutor of the Mahararana of Oodeypore.

They were twenty small red demons rather like Billy, and the same number of tiny skeletons, all with waggle-some hands and feet.

Wed all be subjected to a force of twenty-some gravities for a period of several seconds.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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