2 definitions found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Such \Such\, a. [OE. such, sich, sech, sik, swich, swilch,
swulch, swilc, swulc, AS. swelc, swilc, swylc; akin to
OFries. selik, D. zulk, OS. sulic, OHG. sulih, solih, G.
solch, Icel. sl[=i]kr, OSw. salik, Sw. slik, Dan. slig, Goth.
swaleiks; originally meaning, so shaped. [root]192. See {So},
{Like}, a., and cf. {Which}.]
1. Of that kind; of the like kind; like; resembling; similar;
as, we never saw such a day; -- followed by that or as
introducing the word or proposition which defines the
similarity, or the standard of comparison; as, the books
are not such that I can recommend them, or, not such as I
can recommend; these apples are not such as those we saw
yesterday; give your children such precepts as tend to
make them better.
And in his time such a conqueror That greater was
there none under the sun. --Chaucer.
His misery was such that none of the bystanders
could refrain from weeping. --Macaulay.
Note: The indefinite article a or an never precedes such, but
is placed between it and the noun to which it refers;
as, such a man; such an honor. The indefinite adjective
some, several, one, few, many, all, etc., precede such;
as, one such book is enough; all such people ought to
be avoided; few such ideas were then held.
2. Having the particular quality or character specified.
That thou art happy, owe to God; That thou
continuest such, owe to thyself. --Milton.
3. The same that; -- with as; as, this was the state of the
kingdom at such time as the enemy landed. ``[It] hath such
senses as we have.'' --Shak.
4. Certain; -- representing the object as already
particularized in terms which are not mentioned.
In rushed one and tells him such a knight Is new
arrived. --Daniel.
To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and
continue there a year. --James iv.
13.
Note: Such is used pronominally. ``He was the father of such
as dwell in tents.'' --Gen. iv. 20. ``Such as I are
free in spirit when our limbs are chained.'' --Sir W.
Scott. Such is also used before adjectives joined to
substantives; as, the fleet encountered such a terrible
storm that it put back. ``Everything was managed with
so much care, and such excellent order was observed.''
--De Foe.
Temple sprung from a family which . . . long
after his death produced so many eminent men, and
formed such distinguished alliances, that, etc.
--Macaulay.
Such is used emphatically, without the correlative.
Now will he be mocking: I shall have such a life.
--Shak.
Such was formerly used with numerals in the sense of
times as much or as many; as, such ten, or ten times as
many.
{Such and such}, or {Such or such}, certain; some; -- used to
represent the object indefinitely, as already
particularized in one way or another, or as being of one
kind or another. ``In such and such a place shall be my
camp.'' --2 Kings vi. 8. ``Sovereign authority may enact a
law commanding such and such an action.'' --South.
{Such like} or {character}, of the like kind.
And many other such like things ye do. --Mark vii.
8.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
such
adj 1: of a kind specified or understood; "it's difficult to please
such people"; "on such a night as this"; "animals such
as lions and tigers" [syn: {such(a)}, {such as}]
2: of a degree or quality specified (by the `that' clause);
"their anxiety was such that they could not sleep" [syn: {such(p)},
{such that}]
3: of so extreme a degree or extent; "such weeping"; "so much
weeping"; "such a help"; "such grief"; "never dreamed of
such beauty" [syn: {such(a)}, {so much}]
adv : to so extreme a degree; "he is such a baby"; "Such rich
people!"