on

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Working, active, or switched to operate.

   All the lights are on, so they must be home.

2. 2
   adv

   Continuing without stopping.

   The band's spirit lives on in the music they made.

3. 3
   adv

   Forward in space or time.

   We drove on for another hour before stopping.

4. 4
   adj

   Happening or scheduled to take place.

   The picnic is on, rain or shine.

5. 5
   adj

   Being worn or in place on the body.

   Your feet will soon warm up once your socks are on.

Common collocations

• put on Verb + preposition/particle
• try on Verb + preposition/particle
• agree on Verb + preposition/particle
• decide on Verb + preposition/particle
• sit on Verb + preposition/particle
• sit in on Verb + preposition/particle

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…

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