anon en · ADV · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /əˈnɑn/ (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
- ə-nŏn' (General-American)
- /əˈnɒn/ (UK)
Etymology
From Middle English anoon, anon, anan (literally “in one (moment)”), from on (“in”) + ān (“one”). See on and one.
Meanings
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(archaic, not-comparable) Straight away; at once.
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 13:20:The dead man answered thus: “What good gift shall God give us?”, The boards answered him anon: “Flesh to feed hell's worm upon.”
1866, Algernon Swinburne, After death, lines 47–50:Caliban: Thou dost me yet but little hurt; thou wilt anon, I know it by thy trembling: now Prosper works upon thee.
1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
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(not-comparable) Soon; in a little while.
With this man this is the hour of the white logic (of which more anon), when he knows that he may know only the laws of things—the meaning of things never.
1913 August, Jack London, John Barleycorn, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC, pages 12–13:[…]for as much as the same consisteth not in the extreames, but in a verie mediocritie of wealth and riches, as it shall better appeare anone.
1598, John Stow, A Suruay of London, →OL:
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(not-comparable) At another time; then; again.
Sometimes he trots, as if he told the steps, With gentle majesty and modest pride; Anon he rears upright, curvets and leaps, As who should say, lo! thus my strength is try'd...
1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC:Anon he would be telling you of a cold he acquired in a Chicago lake breeze and how old Escamila cured it in Buenos Ayres with a hot infusion of the chuchula weed.
1906 April, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “A Cosmopolite in a Café”, in The Four Million, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co, →OCLC, page 27:
Deriveds
ever and anon · still and anon
Translations (22)
fr tantôt (straight away, at once) · cs velmi brzy (soon, in a little while) · mk вчас (straight away, at once) · de bald (soon, in a little while) · pl niebawem (soon, in a little while) · sv omedelbart (straight away, at once) · pl wkrótce (soon, in a little while) · mk ве́днаш (straight away, at once) · fr tout de suite (straight away, at once) · de sofort (straight away, at once) · mk ско́ро (soon, in a little while) · frm tantost (straight away, at once) · pt em breve (soon, in a little while) · mk на́вчас (straight away, at once) · pl od razu (straight away, at once) · ru то́тчас (straight away, at once) · ru ско́ро (soon, in a little while) · cs záhy (soon, in a little while) · mk на́скоро (soon, in a little while) · cs za chvíli (soon, in a little while) · ru вско́ре (soon, in a little while) · sv snart (soon, in a little while)