through

Meanings

1. 1
   adv

   throughout the entire extent

   got soaked through in the rain

2. 2
   adv

   over the whole distance

   this bus goes through to New York

3. 3
   adv

   in diameter

   this cylinder measures 15 inches through

4. 4
   adv

   from beginning to end

   read this book through

5. 5
   adv

   to completion

   think this through very carefully!

6. 6
   prep

   From one side or end of (something) to the other.

   I drove through Lausanne on my way from Geneva to Zurich.

7. 7
   prep

   Via or by way of.

   The hot water enters through this pipe.

8. 8
   prep

   Throughout or across the extent of.

   There are errors all through this report.

Etymology

From Middle English thrugh, thruch, thruh, metathetic variants of thurgh, thurh, from Old English þurh, from Proto-Germanic *þurhw (“through”), from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥h₂kʷe, suffixed zero-grade from *terh₂- (“to pass through”) + *-kʷe (“and”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian döör (“through”), Saterland Frisian truch (“through”), West Frisian troch (“through”), Dutch door (“through”), German durch (“through”), Luxembourgish duerch (“through”), West Flemish deur (“through”), Yiddish דורך (durkh, “through”), Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 (þairh, “through”), Latin trans (“across, over, through”), Albania…