who

pron

1. (interrogative, nominative, plural, singular)What person or people; which person or people; asks for the identity of someone; used in a direct or indirect question.

   “You're getting married‽ Who to? (direct question)”

   “I don't know who it is. (indirect question)”

   “Who says they care? —They themselves do.”

   “Who is coming to your party? Who are your favourite singers?”

   “Ia[go]. Hee’s married. Caſ[ſio]. To who? […] Ia[go]. Marry to. ---- Come Captaine, will you goe? Oth[ello]. Ha, with who?”

2. (nominative, plural, relative, singular)Introduces a relative clause having a human antecedent.

   “That's the man who works at the newsagent. (defining)”

   “My sister, who works in the accounts department, just got promoted to manager. (non-defining)”

   “Chorban: I don't really think my scanning disturbs them, but the authorities might disagree. Chorban: I'd like to do it more openly, but it's not really worth getting arrested over. Shepard: I could help you out. I'm not worried about the authorities. Chorban: I don't even know who you are.”

   “Despite personal schisms and differences in spiritual experience, there is a very coherent theology of Snape shared between the wives. To examine this manifestation of religious fandom, I will first discuss the canon scepticism and anti-Rowling sentiment that helps to contextualise the wider belief in Snape as a character who extends beyond book and film.”

3. (nominative, plural, relative, singular)Introduces a relative clause having a human antecedent.

   “That's the man who I saw earlier.”

   “My brother, who you met the other day, is coming to stay for the weekend.”

4. (nominative, plural, singular)Whoever, he who, they who.

   “Who insults my mother insults me.”

   “Give it to who deserves it.”

   “Who steals my purse steals trash.”

5. (informal, nominative, plural, singular)Also used with names of collective nouns that are groups of people, especially singularly-named musical groups or sports teams.

   “Who are the Miami Heat?”

6. (alt-of, honorific)Honorific alternative letter-case form of who, sometimes used when referring to God or another important figure who is understood from context.

   “I make my pilgrimage to Thee O God, Who art the pilgrim's hope! Praised be the Virgin, sweet and pure! Be gracious to the pilgrimage.”

noun

1. A person under discussion; a question of which person.

   “A wham-bam caper flick, efficiently directed by Roger Donaldson, that fancifully revisits the mysterious whos and speculative hows of a 1971 London bank heist.”

det

1. (dialectal, interrogative)whose

   “Who phone just rang?”

name

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of World Health Organization.

   “Trump initiated the year-long withdrawal process from the WHO in 2020 but six months later his successor, President Joe Biden, reversed the decision.”

2. (slang)The television show Doctor Who.

   “After three event episodes in a row (the finale, Christmas special and season opener), “Tooth and Claw” is the first “regular” episode of Who we've had in a while.”

   “This is as wildly different to any episode of Who so far. It's fab.”