to en · ADP · etymology 1
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *doh₁ Proto-Germanic *tō Proto-West Germanic *tō Old English tō Middle English to English to From Middle English to, from Old English tō, from Proto-Germanic *tō ~ *ta, from Proto-Indo-European *de ~ *do (“to”). Cognate with Scots tae, to (“to”), North Frisian to, tö, tu (“to”), Saterland Frisian tou (“to”), Low German to (“to”), Dutch toe, te (“to”), German zu (“to”), West Frisian ta (“to”). Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian ndaj (“towards”), Irish do (“to, for”), Breton da (“to, for”), Welsh i (“to, for”), Russian до (do, “to”). Doublet of too.
Meanings
-
In the direction of; towards.
She looked to the heavens.
-
Indicating destination or final position: In the direction of, so as to arrive at or reach.
Driven by a perceived political need to adopt a hard-line stance, Mr. Cameron’s coalition government has imposed myriad new restrictions, the aim of which is to reduce net migration to Britain to below 100,000.
2013 September 28, Kenan Malik, “London Is Special, but Not That Special”, in New York Times, retrieved 28 Sep 2013:We are walking to the shop.
The convention roared as the president stepped to the podium.
The coconut fell to the ground.
The water came right to the top of this wall.
-
Used to indicate the target or recipient of an action.
I gave the book to him.
He devoted himself to education.
They drank to his health.
I spoke to him earlier.
-
So as to contact, press against, impact, etc.
I fixed the notice to the wall.
Put your shoulder to the door.
To clutch/clasp/hold/press one's hanky to one's mouth/nose/forehead.
-
So as to become or reach: indicating a terminal state resulting from an action.
Whisk the mixture to a smooth consistency.
His face was beaten to a pulp.
I sang my baby to sleep.
-
So as to bring about or elicit (an effect or outcome).
To everyone's great relief, the tuneless carol singers finally ceased their warbling.
I tried complaining, but it was to no effect.
He made several bad-taste jokes to groans from the audience.
-
Used after an adjective to indicate its application.
similar to ..., relevant to ..., pertinent to ..., I was nice to him, he was cruel to her, I am used to walking.
-
Indicating a degree or level reached.
We manufacture these parts to a very high tolerance.
My car does 25 miles to the gallon.
This gauge is accurate to a second.
I started out by wrapping the first thread around a ruler for 1 inch and found that it had 24 wraps to the inch.
2026, Tom Knisley, “Exploring S- and Z-Twist”, in Spin Off, volume L, number 1, page 42:It was to a large extent true.
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Used to describe what something consists of or contains.
The name has a nice ring to it.
Anyone could do this job; there's nothing to it.
There's a lot of sense to what he says.
There are 100 pence to the pound.
-
Denotes the end of a range.
It takes 2 to 4 weeks to process typical applications.
-
(obsolete) As a.
With God to friend (with God as a friend); with The Devil to fiend (with the Devil as a foe); lambs slaughtered to lake (lambs slaughtered as a sacrifice); took her to wife (took her as a wife); was sold to slave (was sold as a slave).
-
Used to indicate a ratio or comparison; compared to, as against.
In total, the Reds had 28 shots to their opponent's nine, and 15 corners to the Baggies' three.
2012 April 22, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0-1 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:ten to one = 10:1.
The hoſt of Xerxes, which by fame is ſaid To drinke the mightie Parthian Araris, Was but a handfull to that we will haue.
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene iii:one to one = 1:1
The odds on that horse are seven to two.
I have ten dollars to your four.
-
Used to indicate that the preceding term is to be raised to the power of the following value; indicates exponentiation.
Three to the power of two is nine.
Three squared or three to the second power is nine.
Three to the second is nine.
-
Preceding (the stated hour).
What's the time? – It's quarter to four in the afternoon (or 3:45 pm).
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(informal) Preceding (the stated hour). ▸ With implied hour.
It’s quarter to (3:45, or 4:45, or whatever time ending in 45 would make the most sense)
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According to.
Our holiday did not go to plan.
-
(Canada, Cornwall, Newfoundland, Wales, West-Midlands) At.
Where are you to?
Stay where you're to and I'll come find you, b'y.
"What's that to you?" said Trevool, rather sharply, "worn't I to a berrin? […]
1867, Cornish Tales, in prose and verse by various authors, page 33:
- Used more-or-less idiomatically with various verbs: keep to the left, agree to the proposal, attend to the matter, etc. See the individual entries.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | alternative | lexicographic | |
| ter | alternative | lexicographic | |
| t' | alternative | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
lean-to · to-come · thereto · to and fro · talking-to · whitherto · to-do · thitherto · tocome · hitherto · to hand · uptodate · hand-to-mouth · many-to-many · nice-to-have · to spare · whereto · today · telling-to · to a hair · to-draw · untoward · toward · onto · many-to-one · to a man · unto · one-to-many · to-be · one-to-one · how-to
Relateds
Translations (318)
sl h (in the direction of, and arriving at) · no til (used to indicate the indirect object) · es a (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fa بِه (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · fa به (in the direction of, and arriving at) · vo lü (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fi vaille (time: preceding) · io ad (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ba ...-ҡа (in the direction of, and arriving at) · nn til (used to indicate the indirect object) · ru в (in the direction of, and arriving at) · uk в (used to indicated exponentiation) · et enne (time: preceding) · it a (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · th ยัง (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ca a (used to indicate the indirect object) · bqi وه (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ta -இடம் (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · eo al (used to indicate the indirect object) · gl a (used to indicate the indirect object) · hu -nak (used to indicate the indirect object) · itk אַה (target or recipient of an action) · ga chun (time: preceding) · te -కి (used to indicate the indirect object) · id sampai (in the direction of, and arriving at) · got 𐌳𐌿 (in the direction of, and arriving at) · vec avanti (time: preceding) · la ad (used to indicate the indirect object) · sk do (in the direction of, and arriving at) · it in (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fr en (in the direction of, and arriving at) · mi ki (in the direction of, and arriving at) · nl tot (end of range) · ba ...-ға (used to indicate ratios) · id banding (used to indicate ratios) · ja ...へ (in the direction of, and arriving at) · la ad (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · ta -கு (to indicate result of action) · fr à (end of range) · de dem (target or recipient of an action) · gl á (used to indicated exponentiation) · ngh ǁʻâa (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ar لـ (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fr à (used to indicate the indirect object) · ba ...-гә (used to indicate ratios) · my ကို (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sk ku (in the direction of, and arriving at) · id ke (in the direction of, and arriving at) · it a (used to indicated exponentiation) · ar عَلَى (in the direction of, and arriving at) · el στην (used to indicated exponentiation) · ba ...-ға (end of range) · ba ...-кә (used to indicate ratios) · ca a (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · ro cu (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · ga chuig (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fy nei (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sv mot (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · fi -lle (target or recipient of an action) · id hingga (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sv till (used to indicate the indirect object) · pl do (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ru без (time: preceding) · cs do (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ta -இல் (in the direction of, and arriving at) · pt para (target or recipient of an action) · gd ri (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · mn -д (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sw mpaka (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ca a (used to indicate ratios) · haw i (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sco tae (in the direction of, and arriving at) · te -కు (used to indicate the indirect object) · sq në (in the direction of, and arriving at) · izh vaijaa (time: preceding) · wni -ni (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fi kanssa (target or recipient of an action) · hi से (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · tpi long (in the direction of, and arriving at) · es hacia (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ta -ஆக (time: preceding) · is til (in the direction of, and arriving at) · it per (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ba ...-гә (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fr à (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ltg pret (used to indicate ratios) · pt a (used to indicated exponentiation) · fr à (target or recipient of an action) · ta -கு (used to indicate ratios) · ia a (in the direction of, and arriving at) · nds tau (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fr à la (used to indicated exponentiation) · ga i (used to indicated exponentiation) · ja に (used to indicate ratios) · sv med (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · el σε (in the direction of, and arriving at) · vi kém (time: preceding) · ga in aghaidh (used to indicate ratios) · ar إِلَى (in the direction of, and arriving at) · la ad (end of range) · fi luo (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fi -än (end of range) · nn til (in the direction of, and arriving at) · es a (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · zh 差 (time: preceding) · mt lil (in the direction of, and arriving at) · pl do (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · de in (in the direction of, and arriving at) · km ដល់ (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sco tae (used to indicate ratios) · nb til (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fr au (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · ru на (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ar لِ (used to indicate the indirect object) · id sampai (end of range) · it ad (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fr contre (used to indicate ratios) · vi đến (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fr au (used to indicated exponentiation) · ru до (end of range) · ta -ஐ (used to indicate the indirect object) · cs k (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ja へ (used to indicate ratios) · vec a (in the direction of, and arriving at) · uk до (in the direction of, and arriving at) · gl a (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fi -en (end of range) · nl tot (used to indicated exponentiation) · sv i (time: preceding) · de den (target or recipient of an action) · fr envers (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · da til (in the direction of, and arriving at) · tyv -же (in the direction of, and arriving at) · he עַד (end of range) · ba ...-кә (end of range) · hi ... को (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sw kwenda (in the direction of, and arriving at) · zh 到 (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ga go dtí (time: preceding) · mn руу (in the direction of, and arriving at) · he ב־ (used to indicated exponentiation) · ltg da (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sl proti (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ka უკლია (time: preceding) · ba ...-ға (target or recipient of an action) · es a (used to indicate ratios) · dsb do (in the direction of, and arriving at) · pt a (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · tyv -че (in the direction of, and arriving at) · hy դեպի (in the direction of, and arriving at) · nl tegen (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · te -కు (used to indicate ratios) · pt com (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · ko ...에게 (in the direction of, and arriving at) · el παρά (time: preceding) · pt para (used to indicate the indirect object) · ms kepada (in the direction of, and arriving at) · pt a (end of range) · nl tegen (used to indicate ratios) · mt għal (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · el προς (used to indicate ratios) · ga ionsar (in the direction of, and arriving at) · te -కి (used to indicate ratios) · te -కి (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ca a (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ba ...-ҡа (target or recipient of an action) · fi päin (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ta -கு (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ba ...-ға (in the direction of, and arriving at) · nap a (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fa زی (in the direction of, and arriving at) · cs ku (used to indicate ratios) · he ל־ (in the direction of, and arriving at) · id kepada (in the direction of, and arriving at) · tr -ye (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ar لِ (used to indicate the indirect object) · ba ...-кә (target or recipient of an action) · ga go (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ba ...-ҡа (used to indicate ratios) · tr -ya (in the direction of, and arriving at) · de zu (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · fi tykö (in the direction of, and arriving at) · da til (used to indicate ratios) · fa به (used to indicate the indirect object) · itk אַה (in the direction of, and arriving at) · grc πρός (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ga chun (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sv till (end of range) · sk k (used to indicate ratios) · eo ĝis (end of range) · as -অলৈ (in the direction of, and arriving at) · es a (target or recipient of an action) · tly ور (in the direction of, and arriving at) · hi तक (time: preceding) · ta -ஆக (target or recipient of an action) · he אל (in the direction of, and arriving at) · kw dhe (in the direction of, and arriving at) · nds to (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ru к (in the direction of, and arriving at) · hu -nek (used to indicate the indirect object) · fr à (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · it a (time: preceding) · ta -இடம் (target or recipient of an action) · oc cap a (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sv till (in the direction of, and arriving at) · gd gu (used to indicate the indirect object) · es menos (time: preceding) · ga go dtí (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ur ... کو (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sk na (used to indicated exponentiation) · ta வரை (end of range) · ms ke (in the direction of, and arriving at) · de vor (time: preceding) · id kurang (time: preceding) · fr au (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fa به (time: preceding) · ga i (used to indicate ratios) · non til (in the direction of, and arriving at) · vec a (used to indicate the indirect object) · ta வரை (to indicate result of action) · nl met (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · ca cap a (in the direction of, and arriving at) · pt a (used to indicate ratios) · sv upphöjt till (used to indicated exponentiation) · gd gu (used to indicate ratios) · de hoch (used to indicated exponentiation) · sco tae (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · it a (used to indicate ratios) · mt lill- (in the direction of, and arriving at) · eo al (in the direction of, and arriving at) · uk до (used to indicate ratios) · fi -ksi (to indicate result of action) · he עַד (to indicate result of action) · fr de (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · lt į (in the direction of, and arriving at) · pl do potęgi (used to indicated exponentiation) · ba ...-кә (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fo til (in the direction of, and arriving at) · mnc ᡩᡝ (in the direction of, and arriving at) · it a (in the direction of, and arriving at) · pl do (used to indicate ratios) · ro la (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fr moins (time: preceding) · ko ...으로 (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ba ...-гә (end of range) · gml to (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ba ...-ҡа (end of range) · sl proti (used to indicate ratios) · sv till (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · nl aan (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · sw mpaka (end of range) · de zu (in the direction of, and arriving at) · uk в (in the direction of, and arriving at) · gd ri (used to indicate the indirect object) · ja ...に (used to indicate the indirect object) · sl k (in the direction of, and arriving at) · de zu (used to indicate ratios) · fa پیش (in the direction of, and arriving at) · it alla (used to indicated exponentiation) · ro spre (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sl v (in the direction of, and arriving at) · pt a (target or recipient of an action) · fi -lle (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · it per (used to indicate ratios) · vi cho (used to indicate the indirect object) · lv pret (used to indicate ratios) · nl voor (time: preceding) · mt lejn (in the direction of, and arriving at) · gml tho (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ms nisbah (used to indicate ratios) · es a (used to indicate the indirect object) · ru в (used to indicated exponentiation) · ru к (used to indicate ratios) · de der (target or recipient of an action) · pt a (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sk k (in the direction of, and arriving at) · tr -e (in the direction of, and arriving at) · fi potenssiin (used to indicated exponentiation) · pl za (time: preceding) · zh 比 (used to indicate ratios) · grc εἰς (in the direction of, and arriving at) · nb til (used to indicate the indirect object) · pt a (used to indicate the indirect object) · fi luokse (in the direction of, and arriving at) · io a (in the direction of, and arriving at) · cs ku (in the direction of, and arriving at) · tr -a (in the direction of, and arriving at) · el με (used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship) · es a (used to indicated exponentiation) · es para (time: preceding) · pt para (in the direction of, and arriving at) · te -కు (in the direction of, and arriving at) · cs ke (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sv till (used to indicate ratios) · ta -இருந்து (used to indicated exponentiation) · zdj pvo (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ro la (used to indicate ratios) · pt para (time: preceding) · sv åt (used to indicate the indirect object) · gd do (used to indicate the indirect object) · el προς (in the direction of, and arriving at) · vec a (time: preceding) · la et (used to indicate ratios) · ro către (in the direction of, and arriving at) · uk на (in the direction of, and arriving at) · vo ad (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sw hadi (in the direction of, and arriving at) · lv līdz (in the direction of, and arriving at) · nl aan (used to indicate the indirect object) · zh 給 /给 (used to indicate the indirect object) · fi suuntaan (in the direction of, and arriving at) · ba ...-гә (target or recipient of an action) · ga do (used to indicate the indirect object) · ja ...まで (in the direction of, and arriving at) · nl naar (in the direction of, and arriving at) · sco tae (used to indicate the indirect object) · gd gu (in the direction of, and arriving at) · nl aan (target or recipient of an action)