once
Part of speech: adv
conj
Morphological type: derivation
Topics: mathematics
sciences
temporal-location
time
Etymology: From Middle English ones, from Old English ānes, a remodelling (after ān (“one”)) of ǣnes, itself an extension of ǣne (“once”) with the genitive suffix -es. Equivalent to one + -s. Cognate with Saterland Frisian enst, insen (“once”), West Frisian iens (“once”), Dutch eens (“once”), German Low German eens, ins (“once”), German einst (“once”). More at one (including regarding the development of the pronunciation) and -s.
Base: one
Affixes: -s
Inflected forms:
Senses:
gloss: One and only one time.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: I have only once eaten pizza.
gloss: Formerly; during some period in the past.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: He was once the most handsome man around.
I once had a motorbicycle.
Once I didn't drive a big car, but now I own an all-terrain 4WD.
Wang notes that flowers have rooted and grow in the area once covered with ice.
Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill. Ikey the blacksmith had forged us a spearhead after a sketch from a picture of a Greek warrior; and a rake-handle served as a shaft.
The hovel stood in the centre of what had once been a vegetable garden, but was now a patch of rank weeds. Surrounding this, almost like a zareba, was an irregular ring of gorse and brambles, an unclaimed vestige of the original common.
Now we are liberal with our innermost secrets, spraying them into the public ether with a generosity our forebears could not have imagined. Where we once sent love letters in a sealed envelope, or stuck photographs of our children in a family album, now such private material is despatched to servers and clouds operated by people we don't know and will never meet.
gloss: At any time; ever.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
obsolete
examples: If the facts once became known, we'd be in trouble.
Once bring in the police and what is inevitably bound to follow? There will be calls and interrogations and cross-questionings […]
gloss: One day, someday.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
obsolete
examples: The wisdom of God thought fit to acquaint David with that court which we shall once govern.
gloss: Multiplied by one: indicating that a number is multiplied by one.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: Once three is three.
gloss: As soon as; when; after.
pos: conj
examples: Near-synonym: immediately
We'll get a move on once we find the damn car keys!
Once you have obtained the elven bow, return to the troll bridge and trade it for the sleeping potion.
Once he is married, he will be able to claim the inheritance.
Not only were Jupp Heynckes' team pacey in attack but they were relentless in their pursuit of the ball once they had lost it, and as the game wore on they merely increased their dominance as City wilted in the Allianz Arena.
In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensive purposes was prohibited, yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted killings, all objections were swept out of the way.
Synonyms: once
oncet
yance
wunst
Antonyms: four times
often
thrice
twice
Related words: at once
for once
for once and for all
measure twice and cut once
not even once
once again
once more
once and again
once and away
once and for all
once for all
once in a blue moon
once in a purple moon
once in a way
once in a while
once more into the breach
once or twice
once over
once-over
once removed
once upon a time
once you go black
write once
you only go around once
you only go around once in life
you only live once
frequency
Derived words: Christmas comes but once a year
don't spend it all at once
fool me once
for this once
once a man, twice a boy
once a man, twice a child
once a woman, twice a child
Once Brewed
once-in-a-generation
once-in-a-lifetime
onceness
once-off
once on a time
once-over-lightly
oncer
Oncer
Translations: