Word: on Part of Speech: prep Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-der. Proto-Germanic *an Proto-West Germanic *ana Old English on Middle English on English on From Middle English on, from Old English on, an (“on, upon, onto, in, into”), from Proto-West Germanic *ana, from Proto-Germanic *ana (“on, at”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- (“on, onto”). Cognates Cognate with Yola a, an, ana, on (“on”), Saterland Frisian an (“on; at”), West Frisian oan (“on; to, towards”), Cimbrian aan, å (“on, onto”), Dutch aan (“on; at”), Low German an (“on; at, to”), German an (“at, in; on”), Luxembourgish un (“on; at, to”), Yiddish אָן (on, “on, onward”), Danish, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish å (“on”), Elfdalian ą̊ (“on”), Faroese and Icelandic á (“in; on”), Gothic 𐌰𐌽𐌰 (ana, “at, on”); also Umbrian 𐌀𐌌- (am-), 𐌀𐌍- (an-, “up, upon”), Ancient Greek ἀνά (aná, “on, upon”) (whence Greek ανά (aná, “by, through, per”)), Albanian në (“in; on”), Latvian no (“from; out of; for; of; with”), Lithuanian nuo (“from, off; for, of”), Belarusian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, and Ukrainian на (na, “on”), Czech, Polish, Slovak, and Slovene na (“on”), Serbo-Croatian на, na (“on”), Old Armenian ան- (an-, “at, on, unto”); and from Old Norse upp á: Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Swedish på (“on”), Norwegian Nynorsk paa, på (“on”), see upon. Pronunciation: /ɒn/, /ɔn/, /ɑn/, [ɒːn ~ ɔːn], /än/ 1. Indicating position or location. Example: A vase of flowers stood on the table. Example: Please lie down on the couch. 2. Indicating position or location. Example: He had a scar on the side of his face. Example: There is a dirty smudge on this window. 3. Indicating position or location. Example: He wore old shoes on his feet. 4. Indicating position or location. Example: The lighthouse that you can see is on the mainland. Example: The suspect is thought to still be on the campus. 5. Indicating position or location. Example: We live on the edge of the city. Example: on the left, on the right, on the side, on the bottom 6. Indicating position or location. Example: The fleet is on the American coast. Example: Croton-on-Hudson, Rostov-on-Don, Southend-on-Sea 7. Indicating position or location. Example: on a bus, on a train, on a plane, on a ferry, on a yacht Example: on a bicycle, on a motorbike, on a horse, on a scooter 8. Indicating position or location. Example: A ship was sighted on the port quarter. Example: on the bow; on the starboard beam 9. Expressing figurative placement, burden, or attachment. Example: All of the responsibility is on him. Example: I put a bet on the winning horse. 10. Denoting physical contact or interaction with an object, such as impact or application of force. Example: tug on the rope; push hard on the door 11. Denoting physical contact or interaction with an object, such as impact or application of force. Example: I stubbed my toe on an old tree stump. Example: I caught my fingernail on the door handle. 12. Denoting physical contact or interaction with an object, such as impact or application of force. Example: to play on a violin or piano 13. Supported by (the specified part of itself). Example: A table can't stand on two legs. Example: After resting on his elbows, he stood on his toes, then walked on his heels. 14. At (a certain value or level). Labels: UK Example: The Tories are on twenty-five percent in this constituency. Example: The blue team are on six points and the red team on five. 15. At (a certain position within a sequence). Example: I'm on question four. 16. At or during the date or day of. Example: Born on the 4th of July. Example: On Sunday I'm busy. I'll see you on Monday. 17. At (a given time after the start of something). Labels: UK, especially Example: Smith scored again on twelve minutes, doubling Mudchester Rovers' lead. Example: The Spain striker had given Chelsea the lead on 29 minutes but was shown a straight red card 10 minutes later for a rash challenge on Mark Gower. 18. At (an instant or cusp). Example: on the stroke of midnight; on the "B" of "Bang!" Example: on the point of leaving; on the verge of giving up 19. Dealing with the subject of; about; concerning. Example: I was reading a book on history. Example: The city hosted the World Summit on the Information Society 20. Indicating a means or medium. Example: I saw it on television. Example: Can't you see I'm on the phone? 21. Indicating the target of, or thing affected by, an event or action. Example: They planned an attack on London. Example: The soldiers mutinied and turned their guns on their officers. 22. In the possession of. Labels: informal Example: I haven't got any money on me. 23. Because of; upon the basis of (something not yet confirmed as true). Example: to arrest someone on suspicion of bribery Example: to contact someone on a hunch 24. At the time of (and often because of). Example: On Jack's entry, William got up to leave. Example: On the addition of ammonia, a chemical reaction begins. 25. Arrived or coming into the presence of. Example: I need to get my planting done, as the season will soon be on us. Example: Before we knew it, the forest was on us, and the air grew colder and damper. 26. Paid for by. Example: The drinks are on me tonight, boys. Example: The meal is on the house. 27. Toward; for; indicating the object of an emotion. Example: Have pity or compassion on him. 28. Indicating the person experiencing an emotion, cold, thirst, hunger, etc. Labels: Ireland, especially Example: I had a terrible thirst on me. Example: '[…] the hunger is on me to carry my sword in distant places.' Mynyddog bowed his head. 29. Indicating a means of subsistence or sustenance. Example: They lived on ten dollars a week. Example: The dog survived three weeks on rainwater. 30. Engaged in or occupied with (an action or activity). Example: He's on his lunch break. Example: I'm on nights all this week. 31. Regularly taking (a drug). Example: You've been on these antidepressants far too long. 32. Under the influence of (a drug, or something that is causing drug-like effects). Example: He's acting crazy because he's on crack right now. 33. In addition to; besides; indicating multiplication or succession in a series. Example: heaps on heaps of food Example: mischief on mischief; loss on loss 34. Indicating dependence or reliance. Example: I depended on them for assistance. Example: He will promise on certain conditions. 35. Serving as a member of. Example: He is on the jury; I am on the committee. 36. By virtue of; with the pledge of. Example: He affirmed or promised on his word, or on his honour. 37. By virtue of; with the pledge of. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, informal 38. To the account or detriment of; denoting imprecation or invocation, or coming to, falling, or resting upon. Example: On us be all the blame. Example: A curse on him! 39. Against; in opposition to. Example: The fight was three on one, and he never stood a chance. 40. According to, from the standpoint of; (expressing what must follow, whether accepted or not, if a given premise or system is assumed true). Example: On naturalism, it is therefore difficult to find a ground for ultimate moral hope. 41. In a position of being able to pot (a given ball). Example: All the way around the table, off four cushions, and ... and he's on the black! 42. Having as identical domain and codomain. Example: a function on #92;mathbb#123;R#125; 43. Having Vⁿ as domain and V as codomain, for the specified set V and some integer n. Example: an operator on #92;mathbb#123;Z#125; 44. Generated by. Example: the free group on four letters 45. Divided by. Labels: Quebec Example: Twenty on three. 46. Of. Labels: dialectal, obsolete, regional Example: I never seen 'im, and that's the truth on it. Example: Be not jealous on me. 47. At the peril of, or for the safety of. Labels: obsolete Example: Hence on thy life: the captive maid is mine; / Whom not for price or pray'rs I will reſign: [...]