Dictionary

through en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /θɻʉ/ (Northern-Ireland)
• /θɾuː/ (Wales)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /θɹʉː/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• thro͞o
• /θɹu/ (Canada, General-American)
• (US) audio
• /θɾʉ/ (Scotland)
• /θɹuː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /θɹʉw/ (British, Southern, Standard)

Etymology

From Middle English thrugh, thruch, thruh, metathetic variants of thurgh, thurh, from Old English þurh, from Proto-Germanic *þurhw (“through”), from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥h₂kʷe, suffixed zero-grade from *terh₂- (“to pass through”) + *-kʷe (“and”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian döör (“through”), Saterland Frisian truch (“through”), West Frisian troch (“through”), Dutch door (“through”), German durch (“through”), Luxembourgish duerch (“through”), West Flemish deur (“through”), Yiddish דורך (durkh, “through”), Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 (þairh, “through”), Latin trans (“across, over, through”), Albanian tërthor (“through, around”), Welsh tra (“through”). See also thorough.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Passing from one side of something to the other.
   • Interstate highways form a nationwide system of through roads.
   • It is possible to use a through bolt so that the bolt will be loaded axially, but usually axial loads are only components of the total load on the bolt. 1994, Don A. Halperin, G. Thomas Bible, Principles of Timber Design for Architects and Builders, page 137:
2. (US, not-comparable) Finished; complete.
   • They were through with laying the subroof by noon.
   • Early in the Talmudic period the service was divided between two officers. One was invited to recite the Shema including the benedictions connected with it […] After he was through, another man was invited to stand up before the pulpit facing the direction of Jerusalem to recite the prayer proper, i.e., the Amida. 1929, Abraham Zevi Idelsohn, Jewish Music: Its Historical Development, page 108:
3. (not-comparable) Along the course of a task etc.; used in expressions of progress towards the end.
   • It's a big job but we're halfway through.
4. (not-comparable) Without a future; done for.
   • You chumps are tougher than you look. But I'm not through yet! Everyone! GET 'EM!!! 2004, Intelligent Systems, translated by Nintendo of America, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Nintendo, GameCube, level/area: Shhwonk Fortress:
   • After being implicated in the scandal, he was through as an executive in financial services.
5. (not-comparable) No longer interested; wearied or turned off by experience.
   • She was through with him.
   • “I'm through with all pawn-games,” I laughed. “Come, let us have a game of lansquenet. Either I will take a farewell fall out of you or you will have your sevenfold revenge”. 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter I, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
   • We’re through being cool. We’re through being cool. Eliminate the ninnies and the twits. 1981 September 16, Devo, “Through Being Cool”, in New Traditionalists:
   • I'm worth a million in prizes / Yeah, I'm through with sleeping on the sidewalk / No more beating my brains / No more beating my brains / With the liquor and drugs / With the liquor and drugs 1977, Iggy Pop, Lust For Life:
6. (not-comparable) Proceeding from origin to destination without the need to change transport vehicle.
   • Also the 10.45 a.m. from Paddington by the same route is called "Through Train via Severn Tunnel," but in later years, when made up of corridor stock, it is called "Through Corridor Express via Severn Tunnel." The frequent use of "through" on the South Wales section of G.W.R. began when the Severn Tunnel route was used for through trains between Paddington and South Wales in the summer of 1887 in order to draw continual attention to the improved facilities. 1940 November, “Notes and News: The First Corridor Train”, in Railway Magazine, page 618:
   • The through flight through Memphis was the fastest.
   • When is the next through train to London?
7. (not-comparable) Connected (to someone) by telephone.
   • You're through to the doctor now.
8. (not-comparable) In possession of the ball beyond the last line of defence but not necessarily the goalkeeper; through on goal.
   • With the Swifts calling for offside the striker was through and only a great save from McIlravey prevented the opener. 2015, Steve Grossi, SWFL1: Missed Chances See Swifts Relinquish Top Spot:
9. (Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, in Canada, not-comparable, rare) (usually followed by "to") Able to progress (to the next stage or a higher level) following success in an exam, sports match, etc.
   • Manchester United are through to the FA Cup Final for the thirteenth time.

Forms

Deriveds

through draft · through stone · no through street · through-draught · through ball · floor-through · through train · throughline · through bridge · through-gut · through station · throughway · through variable · look right through · through valley · through-ticket · through traffic · through road · through-draft · through draught · through line · through street

through en · ADP · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /θɻʉ/ (Northern-Ireland)
• /θɾuː/ (Wales)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /θɹʉː/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• thro͞o
• /θɹu/ (Canada, General-American)
• (US) audio
• /θɾʉ/ (Scotland)
• /θɹuː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /θɹʉw/ (British, Southern, Standard)

Etymology

From Middle English thrugh, thruch, thruh, metathetic variants of thurgh, thurh, from Old English þurh, from Proto-Germanic *þurhw (“through”), from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥h₂kʷe, suffixed zero-grade from *terh₂- (“to pass through”) + *-kʷe (“and”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian döör (“through”), Saterland Frisian truch (“through”), West Frisian troch (“through”), Dutch door (“through”), German durch (“through”), Luxembourgish duerch (“through”), West Flemish deur (“through”), Yiddish דורך (durkh, “through”), Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 (þairh, “through”), Latin trans (“across, over, through”), Albanian tërthor (“through, around”), Welsh tra (“through”). See also thorough.

Meanings

1. From one side or end of (something) to the other. ▸ So as to enter (something), pass within or across, and then leave.
   • The bullet went right through his leg.
   • I drove through Lausanne on my way from Geneva to Zurich.
   • A “moving platform” scheme[…]is more technologically ambitious than maglev trains even though it relies on conventional rails. Local trains would use side-by-side rails to roll alongside intercity trains and allow passengers to switch trains by stepping through docking bays. 2013 June 1, “Ideas coming down the track”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 13 (Technology Quarterly):
2. From one side or end of (something) to the other. ▸ So as to progress within (something) or towards the end or limit of (something).
   • The virus broke out in the capital city and is now spreading quickly through the country.
   • They forced a path through the jungle.
   • I'm working through this box set of the TV series 'Downton Abbey'.
3. From one side or end of (something) to the other. ▸ From one side of (an opening) to the other.
   • Look through the window.
   • Go straight ahead and through that door.
4. From one side or end of (something) to the other. ▸ To or beyond the other side of (an obstacle); past.
   • I hope to start in the autumn, but I've got to get through the interview first.
   • The finance bill did not get through Congress.
   • Risk is everywhere.[…]For each one there is a frighteningly precise measurement of just how likely it is to jump from the shadows and get you. “The Norm Chronicles”[…]aims to help data-phobes find their way through this blizzard of risks. 2013 June 22, “Snakes and ladders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 76:
   • You can't see through a brick wall!
   • The going will be easier once we're through the bog.
   • We're through the worst part.
5. (in phrases such as 'go through', qualifier:'get through' etc.) From one side or end of (something) to the other. ▸ Indicating that something has been consumed or used up.
   • The company went through its £100m startup investment in six months.
   • Have you got through all those chocolates already?!
6. From one side or end of (something) to the other. ▸ Along the course of; used in expressions of progress towards the end of something.
   • We're halfway through the year.
7. From one side or end of (something) to the other. ▸ Throughout the duration of.
   • I never want to sit through another meeting like that again.
   • He worked through the night.
8. Via or by way of. ▸ By way of (a physical passage).
   • The hot water enters through this pipe.
9. Via or by way of. ▸ By way of (an intermediary, agent, medium, etc.).
   • I met her through a friend of mine.
   • Inf America alone, people spent $170 billion on “direct marketing”—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, only 3% bought anything as a result. If the bumf arrived electronically, the take-up rate was 0.1%. And for online adverts the “conversion” into sales was a minuscule 0.01%. 2013 May 25, “No hiding place”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8837, page 74:
   • This matter was dealt with through our London office.
   • I received this anonymous letter through the post.
10. Throughout or across the extent of.
    • There are errors all through this report.
    • Work the eggs and sugar through the mixture.
11. Amidst or surrounded by (while moving).
    • I spent all day wading through paperwork.
    • Athelstan Arundel walked home all the way, foaming and raging. […] He walked the whole way, walking through crowds, and under the noses of dray-horses, carriage-horses, and cart-horses, without taking the least notice of them. 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 16:
    • The arrow flew through the air.
    • I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal'lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for. It twisted and turned, and, the first thing I knew, made a sudden bend around a bunch of bayberry scrub and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
    • Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear. 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 1:
    • We slogged through the mud for hours before turning back and giving up.
12. (Canada, US) To (or up to) and including, with all intermediate values; to... inclusive; until the end of.
    • It includes patent requests in machine learning through 2016, the last year for which details are available. 2019 February 3, “UN Study: China, US, Japan Lead World AI Development”, in Voice of America, archived from the original on 07 Feb 2019:
    • from 1945 through 1991;  the numbers 1 through 9;  your membership is active through March 15, 2013
    • The plural is "oyesses", but "oyes" vied with "oyez" through about the first half of the nineteenth century.
13. By means of.
    • This team believes in winning through intimidation.
    • He's got to where he is today through sheer hard work and determination.
    • But the home side were ahead in the eighth minute through 18-year-old Oxlade-Chamberlain. 2011 September 28, Tom Rostance, “Arsenal 2-1 Olympiakos”, in BBC Sport:
    • Since the launch early last year of […] two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations. University brands built in some cases over centuries have been forced to contemplate the possibility that information technology will rapidly make their existing business model obsolete. 2013 July 20, “The attack of the MOOCs”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
14. In consequence of; as a result of.
    • Our minds and hearts are corrupted with the Adamic virus at birth, and through a lifetime of sin and tragedy, our hearts and thoughts get more evil and more corrupted as we experience life's tragedies. 2012, Dimitri Yanuli, You Might Be Right, but You Ain't Right with the Word of God:
    • The project failed through lack of investment.

Forms

Deriveds

put through the mangle · follow-through · through-shine · go through the attitudes · click-through · slip through the cracks · throughgang · talk through one's nose · blow a hole through · lock through · through the hawsehole · get it through one's skull · throughly · flythrough · move through the gears · no through road · like a hot knife through butter · through the roof · go through the motions · let-through · pay through the nose · run through the garden · therethrough · put through hoops · the way to a man's heart is through his stomach · feedthrough · the forest through the trees · drive a truck through something · clear through · throughness · slip through the net · fall through the cracks · through-stitch · luck through · throughlane · throughstone · run barefoot through · look through rose-colored glasses · cut-through · sung-through · tiptoe through a minefield · playthrough · stagger-through · put through the wringer · get through one's thick skull · cook through · drill through · through and through · pass-through · ski-through · through the mill · fly-through · go through · throughcare · like shit through a goose · put someone through their paces · click-through rate · through the gate · get through · rot through · talk through one's hat · throughflow · put through · camel through the eye of a needle · throughout · go through hoops · reach-through · lie through one's teeth · long march through the institutions · flip through · coming through · look as if one has been dragged through a hedge backwards · shoot through like a Bondi tram · pass through the hands · play-through · security-through-obscurity · drive a coach and six through · see-through · let through · through thick and thin · through with · walk through · writethrough · drag through the mud · passer-through · through the looking glass · rise through the ranks · wherethrough · go through hell · through-gird · thumb through · through-composed · hear through the grapevine · look through · the trees through the forest · step-through · through the looking-glass · look through one's fingers · breakthrough · go through fire and water · go through the trouble · drag through the dirt · puzzle through · paythrough · put one through one's paces · blow through · like a knife through butter · throughfall · drive-through penalty · drive a stake through its heart · push-through · read-through · sell-through · drive-through · through-and-through · pass through the pikes · through the wazoo · go through the gears · bleed-through · put through the hoops · fall-through · hear-through · muddle through · throughbore · K through 12 · shot through with · burn through · pass through · through the wrong end of the telescope · through the ceiling · go through the mill · come through · print-through · feed-through · show-through · put through its paces · through-hole technology · cheek it through · gut through · break through · over the river and through the woods · security through obscurity · peace through strength · like grease through a goose · it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God · bring through · leap through hoops · slip through someone's fingers · button through · through the floor · get through one's head · straight-through · throughput · fart through silk · through the sunroof · put through the mill · all-through school · look through rose-tinted glasses · drive a coach and horses through · flowthrough · jump through hoops · wave through · feed through · rust through · run-through · walkthrough · clickthrough · walk-through · pull-through · through oneself · talk through one's ass

Translations (229)

mr द्वारे (from one side of an opening to the other) · be це́раз (from one side of an opening to the other) · ru че́рез (surrounded by (while moving)) · nl door (surrounded by (while moving)) · fi kautta (entering, then later exiting) · pl przez (from one side of an opening to the other) · ar عَبْر (entering, then later exiting) · fy troch (by means of) · vec nte (surrounded by (while moving)) · fy troch (entering, then later exiting) · ru по (surrounded by (while moving)) · vec inte (surrounded by (while moving)) · ru благодаря́ (by means of) · bg чрез (from one side of an opening to the other) · et kaudu (by means of) · kmr di ... re (entering, then later exiting) · pl przez (surrounded by (while moving)) · gd tro (from one side of an opening to the other) · no ved at (by means of) · vi xuyên qua (from one side of an opening to the other) · hu keresztül (surrounded by (while moving)) · ar خِلَالَ (from one side of an opening to the other) · mk низ (from one side of an opening to the other) · io tra (from one side of an opening to the other) · hu át (from one side of an opening to the other) · ca per (from one side of an opening to the other) · ru сквозь (entering, then later exiting) · da gennem (from one side of an opening to the other) · kmr tê re (entering, then later exiting) · nb gjennom (from one side of an opening to the other) · ga trí (from one side of an opening to the other) · ar فِي (surrounded by (while moving)) · es mediante (by means of) · dsb pśez (entering, then later exiting) · kmr bi riya (by means of) · km កាត់ (from one side of an opening to the other) · cmn 以 (by means of) · fr à travers (entering, then later exiting) · ru че́рез (from one side of an opening to the other) · bg из (surrounded by (while moving)) · grc διά (from one side of an opening to the other) · es al través de (by means of) · da igennem (entering, then later exiting) · id lewat (from one side of an opening to the other) · sv igenom (entering, then later exiting) · gd tro (surrounded by (while moving)) · mk по пат на (by means of) · ba аша (entering, then later exiting) · tr yardımıyla (by means of) · fi läpi (surrounded by (while moving)) · hu keresztül (entering, then later exiting) · vec par (from one side of an opening to the other) · km តាម (from one side of an opening to the other) · et läbi (from one side of an opening to the other) · uk пе́рез (from one side of an opening to the other) · fi läpi (from one side of an opening to the other) · eo tra (surrounded by (while moving)) · fy troch (surrounded by (while moving)) · pt pelo (from one side of an opening to the other) · vec te (surrounded by (while moving)) · te ద్వారా (by means of) · ca mitjançant (by means of) · de durch (by means of) · da igennem (surrounded by (while moving)) · es por medio de (by means of) · ru при по́мощи (by means of) · io tra (by means of) · ja ...を通って (surrounded by (while moving)) · bg през (from one side of an opening to the other) · iqu acajinacúraji (from one side of an opening to the other) · ja ...を通り抜けて (from one side of an opening to the other) · ar عَبْرَ (from one side of an opening to the other) · sga tri (from one side of an opening to the other) · ja ...を通り抜けて (surrounded by (while moving)) · nl door (from one side of an opening to the other) · arz في (surrounded by (while moving)) · de durch (entering, then later exiting) · hu keresztül (from one side of an opening to the other) · ba аша (by means of) · cs skrz (entering, then later exiting) · kmr tê re (from one side of an opening to the other) · fr dans (surrounded by (while moving)) · da gennem (entering, then later exiting) · sv genom (by means of) · pt pela (from one side of an opening to the other) · az vasitəsilə (by means of) · bg през (entering, then later exiting) · ar بِوَاسِطَة (by means of) · dsb pśez (by means of) · sv genom (entering, then later exiting) · tr aracılığıyla (by means of) · km តាមចន្លោះ (from one side of an opening to the other) · es por (from one side of an opening to the other) · cu прѣзъ (from one side of an opening to the other) · pl przez (by means of) · it per (surrounded by (while moving)) · ru сквозь (from one side of an opening to the other) · ru сквозь (surrounded by (while moving)) · fa از طریق (by means of) · la per (surrounded by (while moving)) · nl door (entering, then later exiting) · xal ивт (from one side of an opening to the other) · te గుండా (from one side of an opening to the other) · eo tra (entering, then later exiting) · orv чересъ (from one side of an opening to the other) · fr à travers (from one side of an opening to the other) · mk низ (surrounded by (while moving)) · orv прѣзъ (from one side of an opening to the other) · gd tro (entering, then later exiting) · dsb pśez (from one side of an opening to the other) · id melalui (from one side of an opening to the other) · es a través de (entering, then later exiting) · ro prin (entering, then later exiting) · ja ...を通って (from one side of an opening to the other) · et läbi (entering, then later exiting) · zdj ha (by means of) · ca per (surrounded by (while moving)) · io per (by means of) · nn gjennom (from one side of an opening to the other) · pl poprzez (by means of) · vec par (entering, then later exiting) · ba аша (from one side of an opening to the other) · sl skozi (from one side of an opening to the other) · es por (surrounded by (while moving)) · nl door (by means of) · ro prin (by means of) · la per (from one side of an opening to the other) · fr par (from one side of an opening to the other) · pt através (from one side of an opening to the other) · de durch (surrounded by (while moving)) · it grazie a (by means of) · sh kroz (from one side of an opening to the other) · sv igenom (by means of) · pa ਦੁਆਰਾ (from one side of an opening to the other) · kmr di ... re (surrounded by (while moving)) · pt pelo (entering, then later exiting) · pt por entre (surrounded by (while moving)) · sk skrz (from one side of an opening to the other) · ko 을 통하여 (from one side of an opening to the other) · fr par (by means of) · nb igjennom (entering, then later exiting) · et läbi (by means of) · da på grund af (by means of) · sv igenom (surrounded by (while moving)) · et läbi (surrounded by (while moving)) · hsb přez (from one side of an opening to the other) · liv leb (from one side of an opening to the other) · mi mā (from one side of an opening to the other) · got 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 (from one side of an opening to the other) · sv genom (surrounded by (while moving)) · cs skrz (from one side of an opening to the other) · fi kautta (by means of) · vi qua (from one side of an opening to the other) · fi läpi (by means of) · pt através de (entering, then later exiting) · fi läpi (entering, then later exiting) · got 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 (entering, then later exiting) · ur ذریعے (by means of) · sh кроз (from one side of an opening to the other) · arz فـ (surrounded by (while moving)) · eo tra (from one side of an opening to the other) · ja ...を通り抜けて (entering, then later exiting) · pt através de (surrounded by (while moving)) · eo per (by means of) · cs skrz (surrounded by (while moving)) · es a través de (by means of) · tr boyunca (from one side of an opening to the other) · uk че́рез (from one side of an opening to the other) · eo laŭ (by means of) · ms melalui (from one side of an opening to the other) · lv caur (from one side of an opening to the other) · ru че́рез (entering, then later exiting) · cu чрѣсъ (from one side of an opening to the other) · cmn 透過 /透过 (by means of) · nb gjennom (entering, then later exiting) · da gennem (surrounded by (while moving)) · fy troch (from one side of an opening to the other) · pl przez (entering, then later exiting) · pt por (from one side of an opening to the other) · mk низ (entering, then later exiting) · kix chāh (from one side of an opening to the other) · ang þurh (from one side of an opening to the other) · eo en (surrounded by (while moving)) · cmn 通過 /通过 (from one side of an opening to the other) · da igennem (from one side of an opening to the other) · ro prin (from one side of an opening to the other) · gd trìd (by means of) · ru и́з-за (by means of) · sco throu (from one side of an opening to the other) · es al través de (from one side of an opening to the other) · bg чрез (by means of) · kmr di ... re (from one side of an opening to the other) · hu át (surrounded by (while moving)) · es a través de (from one side of an opening to the other) · bn ভিতর দিএ (from one side of an opening to the other) · dsb pśez (surrounded by (while moving)) · kmr tê re (surrounded by (while moving)) · sv genom (from one side of an opening to the other) · de durch (from one side of an opening to the other) · cs skrz (by means of) · no gjennom at (by means of) · az hesabına (by means of) · yi אַדורך (from one side of an opening to the other) · es por intermedio de (by means of) · it attraverso (from one side of an opening to the other) · pt por (by means of) · fi kautta (surrounded by (while moving)) · ko 통해 (from one side of an opening to the other) · cy trwy (from one side of an opening to the other) · pt pela (entering, then later exiting) · ru за счёт (by means of) · uk крізь (from one side of an opening to the other) · es al través de (entering, then later exiting) · kmr bi (by means of) · be праз (from one side of an opening to the other) · mk со помош на (by means of) · es por mediación de (by means of) · hy միջով (from one side of an opening to the other) · hu át (entering, then later exiting) · is gegn (from one side of an opening to the other) · rup prit (from one side of an opening to the other) · hu végig (entering, then later exiting) · fi kautta (from one side of an opening to the other) · th ผ่าน (from one side of an opening to the other) · sv igenom (from one side of an opening to the other) · ja ...を通って (entering, then later exiting) · cy drwy (from one side of an opening to the other) · be пе́раз (from one side of an opening to the other) · el μέσω (by means of)

through en · ADV · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /θɻʉ/ (Northern-Ireland)
• /θɾuː/ (Wales)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /θɹʉː/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• thro͞o
• /θɹu/ (Canada, General-American)
• (US) audio
• /θɾʉ/ (Scotland)
• /θɹuː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /θɹʉw/ (British, Southern, Standard)

Etymology

From Middle English thrugh, thruch, thruh, metathetic variants of thurgh, thurh, from Old English þurh, from Proto-Germanic *þurhw (“through”), from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥h₂kʷe, suffixed zero-grade from *terh₂- (“to pass through”) + *-kʷe (“and”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian döör (“through”), Saterland Frisian truch (“through”), West Frisian troch (“through”), Dutch door (“through”), German durch (“through”), Luxembourgish duerch (“through”), West Flemish deur (“through”), Yiddish דורך (durkh, “through”), Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 (þairh, “through”), Latin trans (“across, over, through”), Albanian tërthor (“through, around”), Welsh tra (“through”). See also thorough.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) From one side of something to the other. ▸ By way of the interior.
   • I didn't like the look of the place, so I drove through without stopping.
   • The arrow went straight through.
2. (not-comparable) From one side of something to the other. ▸ By way of an opening.
   • I opened the window and climbed through.
3. (not-comparable) From one side of something to the other. ▸ So as to overcome an obstacle and pass beyond it; past.
   • The road is blocked by an overturned truck, and cars can't pass through.
   • The American army broke through at Saint-Lô.
4. (not-comparable) So as to pass a stage in a process and proceed to the next stage or level.
   • She progressed through to the final round of the competition.
   • The bill will be tabled tomorrow, but I doubt that it will be voted through.
5. (not-comparable) From beginning to end, or from the present position to the end.
   • He said he would see it through.
   • She read the letter through.
   • The baby cried the whole night through.
   • Others went to bed for the night; he worked straight through.
6. (not-comparable) Throughout something; all the way across or into something.
   • Leave the yarn in the dye overnight so the color soaks through.
7. (not-comparable) So as to connect with or reach.
   • I had difficulty reaching the commander, but eventually my call was routed through.

Forms

Translations (6)

bg през (from one side to the other) · bg but see пре- (from one side to the other) · it attraverso (from one side to the other) · pt através (from one side to the other) · gd troimhe (from one side to the other) · nl doorheen (from one side to the other)

through en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /θɹʌf/
• /θɹuː/

Etymology

From Middle English thrugh, þrouȝ, throgh, from Old English þrūh (“trough, conduit, pipe; box, chest; coffin, tomb”), from Proto-Germanic *þrūhs (“hollowed-out wood”), from Proto-Indo-European *terh₃u- (“to rub, turn, drill, bore”). Not directly related with German Truhe (“chest”), which belongs to the root of English trough. However, these two Germanic roots seem to have influenced each other early on.

Meanings

1. (obsolete) A coffin, sarcophagus or tomb of stone; a large slab of stone laid on a tomb, or in a dry-stone wall from one side to the other; a perpend.

Forms