The whole quantity of, with reference to substance, extent, duration, amount, or degree: with a noun in the singular, chiefly such nouns (proper names, names of substances, abstract nouns—any whole or any part regarded in itself as a whole) as from their meaning or particular use do not in such use admit of a plural: as, all Europe; all Homer; all flesh; all control; all history.The whole number of, with reference to individuals or particulars, taken collectively: with a noun in the plural: as, all men; all nations; all metals; all hopes; all sciences; all days.Every: chiefly with kind, sort, manner, and formerly with thing.Any; any whatever: after a preposition or verb implying negation or exclusion: as, beyond all controversy; out of all question; he was free from all thought of danger.Only; alone.When joined to nouns accompanied by a definitive (the definite article, a possessive or demonstrative pronoun, etc.), all precedes the latter whether with a singular or plural noun, or else follows the noun if it is plural; as, all my labor; all his goods; all this time; all these things; all the men agreed to this, or, the men all agreed to this. In the phrases all day, all night, all summer, all winter, all the year, all the time, etc., the noun is an adverbial accusative. In the first four the article is usually omitted.When joined to a personal or relative pronoun in the plural, all may precede, but now usually follows, the pronoun.The alternative construction is all of us, all of them, etc. (see II., 2); or the two constructions may stand together.The adjective all, with a singular or plural noun, is often separated from its subject, especially by the verb be (expressed, or in the present participle often omitted), and, being thus apparently a part of the predicate, assumes a transitional position, and may equally well be regarded as an adverb, meaning altogether, wholly: as, the house was all dark; he was all ears; the poor horse was all skin and bones; the papers were all in confusion; it was all a mistake; it is all gone.The whole quantity or amount; the whole; the aggregate; the total: in a singular sense.The whole number; every individual or particular, taken collectively; especially, all men or all people: in a plural sense.All, in either of the preceding uses, is often followed by a limiting phrase with of.Everything: as, is that all? that is all.Altogether; wholly.In every way; altogether; wholly.In any degree; in any degree whatever; in the least degree; for any reason; on any consideration: as, I was surprised at his coming at all.In any way; to any extent; of any kind or character: in negative, interrogative, or conditional clauses (compare I., 4): as, he was not at all disturbed; did you hear anything at all? if you hear anything at all, let me know; no offense at all.Notwithstanding; in spite of (the thing or fact mentioned): followed by an object noun or pronoun or an object clause with that, which is often omitted: as, for all that, the fact remains the same; you may do so for all (that) I care, or for all me. See for.In whole: as, in part or in all.etc., in certain games, means that all (or merely both) the players or sides have two, three, etc., points.n. A whole; an entirety; a totality of things or qualities. The All is used for the universe.n. One's whole interest, concern, or property: usually with a possessive pronoun: as, she has given her all.Wholly; entirely; completely; altogether; quite. In this use common with adverbs of degree, especially too: as, he arrived all too late.[From the frequent Middle English use of all in this sense before verbs with the prefix to- (see to-, to-break, to-cut, to-tear, etc.), that prefix, when no longer felt as such, came to be attached to the adverb, all to or alto being regarded as an adverbial phrase or word, and sometimes improperly used, in later English, with verbs having originally no claim to the prefix.Even; just: at first emphatic or intensive.With conjunctions if and though, in conditional and concessive clauses: If all, though all, or reversely, all if, all though, even if, even though. These forms are obsolete, except the last, which is now written as one word, although (which see).[When the verb in such clauses, according to a common subjunctive construction, was placed before the subject, the conjunction if or though might be omitted, leaving all as an apparent conjunction, in the sense of even if, although; especially in the formula al be, as al be it, al be it that, al be that (now albe, albeit, which see).With conjunction as: All as. Just when; when; as.As if.Only; exclusively.From end to end; in bookbinding, (sewed) in such a manner that the thread passes from end to end of each section, At full length.too close to the wind: said of a vessel so brought up into the wind that the sails shake.entirely; completely; quite.Used especially with drink (see carouse).Thoroughly; entirely: as, “Dombey and Son” is Dickens all over.Indisposed; generally ill; having an all-overish feeling.All past; entirely ceased: as, that is all over.to all that extent; so much: as, all the better; all the fitter; all the sooner. See the.[All, in composition, sometimes forms a true compound, as in almighty, already, always, algates, but usually stands, with or sometimes without a hyphen, in loose combination, retaining a syntactic relation, either as adjective, as in All-hallows, All-saints, allspice; as noun, either in genitive plural, as in all-father, or in accusative as direct object, as in all-giver, all-seer, all-heal, particularly with present participles having all as object (though originally in many cases all was adverbial), as in all-healing, all-seeing, all-pervading, etc.; or as adverb, either with a noun (in the transitional construction mentioned under all, a., I., at end), as in all-bone, all-mouth, all-rail, all-wool, or with almost any adjective that admits of rhetorical sweep, as in all-perfect, all-powerful, all-wise, all-glorious, all-important.]