▪ I. have, v.
(hæv)
Forms and Inflexions: see below.
[A Common Teutonic vb.: OE. habban, hæfde, hæfed, = OFris. hebba, hêde, heved, hevd, OS. hebbian, haƀda, habda, -habd, -hadd (MDu., Du. hebben, hadde, gehad, MLG. hebben, (hân), hadde, gehat), OHG. habên, habêta, gihabêt (MHG. habên, hâte, gehabet, Ger. haben, hatte, gehabt), ON. hafa, hafða, haft (Sw. hafva, hafvde, haft, Da. have, havde, havt), Goth. haban, habaida, habaid-:—OTeut. stem *haƀê-. On account of its correspondence in form and sense with L. habē-re, generally referred to a hypothetical Aryan radical form *khabhê-. The OE., OFris., and OS. had in all parts of the present, exc. 2nd and 3rd sing. pres. Ind., the stem haƀj- (from haƀē-), reduced by gemination to habb- (hæbb-, hębb-), while these two persons and the past retained haƀ- (hav-, haf-); hence OE. habban, hæbbe, habbað, hæbbende, etc., beside hafast (hæfst), hafaþ (hæfþ), hæfde, hæfed. In ME. the habb- forms were gradually reduced by levelling to hav- (have(n, I have, they have(n, having); while the original haf- (= hav-) forms at length lost their f(v), before the following consonant (ha-st, ha-th, ha-s, ha-d). Even the later v, for OE. bb, was worn down in colloquial and dialect speech, so that OE. habban passed through ME. habben, haven, han, to later ha, ha', Sc. hae. These phonetic weakenings, due largely to the weakness and stresslessness of the word in many uses, both as principal verb and as auxiliary, have given rise to a very great number of historical forms for every inflected part, a number further increased by the graphic interchange of f, v, and u, and by the frequent dropping of initial h. The ne plus ultra of all these tendencies is seen in the reduction of OE. habban to a, or its entire elision, as in I would a been, occas. Sc. I wad been. In ordinary English, contracted forms are now only colloquial or metrical, in I've, thou'st, he's, we've, I'd, he'd, we'd. By coalescence with ne, this verb had also, in OE. and early ME., as in OFris., a negative form nabban, nave, which held in OE. the rank of an independent word (cf. will, nill, L. volo, nōlo); it is here included under the positive form.]
A. Inflexional Forms.
1. inf. a. simple inf., have (hæv, həv, əv). Forms: α1 habban, haban, 2–3 habben, -eon, 3–4 haven, 4–5 havyn, hawyn, han, (hanne). β1–2 habba, hæbbe, habe, 2–4 habbe (abbe), 3–4 hafe, haf, 3– (haue), have (4 hawe, 4–5 haff, 5–6 Sc. haif(f, hayf, 9 dial. hab). γ3–5 ha, 3–7 'a, a, 5– (now dial.) hay, 6– ha', 7– Sc. hae.
| α 971 Blickl. Hom. 107 Þonne maᵹon we..habban. c 1200 Ormin 647 Alle þa Þatt shulenn habbenn blisse. c 1220 Bestiary 196 Ðat tu milce mote hauen. c 1300 Havelok 78 He dede hem sone to hauen ricth. 13.. Seuyn Sag. (W.) 294 Let me of him han a sight. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. Prol. 109 To han þat power. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 225/1 Han, or havyn, habeo. |
| β c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. vi. 24 He scile habba. Ibid. xviii. 9 Ðon tuoe eᵹo hæbbe. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 221 Let ham habba agenne cire. Ibid. 241 Hi sculen habe þat brad. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 83 Ho ne scal..habbe nan oðer uuel. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 315 Þat myȝte abbe ys grace. a 1300 Sarmun xix. in E.E.P. (1862) 3 How hi hit mow hab and winne. a 1300 Cursor M. 8572 O riches sal þou haf god wan. 1340 Ayenb. 5 Þou ne sselt habbe uele godes. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 98 He..Grete payne sal have. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints, Petrus 25 He wald haf refyn. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) i. 4 Men wald..hafe putte þe appel. c 1470 Henry Wallace i. 52 How thai suld haif ane end. Ibid. 383 Fysche we wald hawe [rime gawe]. 1583 Hollyband Campo di Fior 379 Will you have your long cloke? 1828 Craven Dial., Hab, a corruption of have. |
| γ a 1300 Cursor M. 17343 Þar he o naman suld ha [v.r. haue] sight. a 1375 Joseph Arim. 351 Þou schalt ha vengaunce. 1434 Misyn Mending of Life viii. (1896) 120 Begynnyng þou may hay of oþer mens wordis. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lviii. 197, I wolde not a refused him. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. iii. iii. 231, I wold not ha your distemper. 1602 ― Ham. v. i. 26 Will you ha the truth on't? 1684 Bunyan Pilgr. ii. 27, I thought you would a come in. 1786 Burns Ep. Yng. Friend iv, A man may hae an honest heart. 1828 Craven Dial., Hay't, have it. |
b. dat. inf. (with to) to have (tʊ hæv); in OE. tó habbanne (hæbbenne), ME. to habben(n)e, habben, habbe, haven, have.
| 971 Blickl. Hom. 59 ælcon men..to hæbbenne. c 1100 O.E. Chron. an. 1085 He ahte to habbanne. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 79 Me brekeð þe nute for to habbene þene curnel. c 1205 Lay. 145 To habben to wife. a 1300 Leg. Rood (1871) 18 Riȝt is to habbe in munde. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 14 Socour forto haue. a 1350 Guy Warw. (A.) 168 Kniȝtes to hauen & holden of pris. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints, Matthew 62 To haf na mycht. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. cxvi, To heve a sone of his. 1560 Rolland Crt. Venus i. 122 As he thocht best to haid [= hae't]. 1562 Winȝet Cert. Tractates i. Wks. 1888 I. 5 To haif brocht the baronis. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. i. (1879) 75 Be sure neuer to haue good day with them. 1859 Trollope Bertrams (1867) 287 If you knew what it is to have an empty heart. |
2. ind. pres. a. 1st pers. sing. have. Forms: α1–3 hæbbe, (1 hebbe, hafu, hafo), 2–4 habbe, 3 (abbe, ab), haf, 3– (haue), have, (ha'); Sc. 4–5 haff, 6 haif; 8–9 colloq. 've, Sc. hae. βnorth. 4– has, hes.
| α Beowulf (Z.) 2523 Ic me on hafu bord ond byrnan. 832 Charter in O.E. Texts 447 Ic beboden hebbe. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. viii. 9 Ic hæbbe þeᵹnas under me. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 35 Swilche pine ic habbe. c 1205 Lay. 462 Ich abbe..seoue þusend kempen. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 205 Þe pyte, þat ychabbe of þe. a 1300 Fragm. in E.E.P. (1862) 21 Þoȝt ic ab to blinne. a 1300 Cursor M. 961 Haf I na frend. Ibid. 3294, I ha ben [Fairf., Trin. haue bene] sumdel in suinc. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints, Petrus 14 One haff I tane. 1382 Wyclif Luke xvi. 28, I haue fyue bretheren. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxx. 37 In it haif I in pulpet gon. 1526 Tindale John iv. 17, I have no husband. 1575 J. Still Gamm. Gurton iv. i. in Hazl. Dodsley III. 226 Alas, 'ch a lost my good nee'le. 1703 Rowe Fair Penit. v. i. 1852 The wrongs I ha' done thee. 1788 Burns Naebody, I hae a penny to spend. 1885 F. A. Guthrie Tinted Venus viii. 95 I've a good mind to take the tram. 1892 R. Kipling Barrack-room Ballads, Tomlinson 73 This I ha' heard. |
| β c 1340 Cursor M. 14135 (Fairf.) As I be-fore ȝou has talde. 1585 Jas. I. Ess. Poesie (Arb.) 13 Sen I with pen..hes servde you. Mod. Sc. To me that has seen him. |
b. 2nd pers. sing. hast (hæst, həst). Forms: α1 hafast, hæfst, 1–3 hafest, 2–6 (hauest), havest, 3 hafuest, hæfuest, hæuest, hafust, (afest, auest), hafst, 3– hast, (4 hest, 5–6 haste, 7– 'st). βnorth. 3–5 haues, 3– has, hes, 3–4 hauis, (3–5 as), 4 habbes, -ez, 5 hauys, hais, 5–6 hase, (6 hess).
| α Beowulf (Z.) 1850 Þu þin feorh hafast. a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 569 (Gr.) ᵹif þu his willan hæfst. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 25 Þenne hafest þu þes hundes laȝe. a 1225 Juliana 35 Þu hauest feorliche fan. c 1300 St. Margarete 144 Þu hast poer ouer mi bodi. 1340 Ayenb. 20 Þe ilke zenne þet þou hest ine þine herte. c 1460 Frere & Boye 79 in Ritson Anc. Pop. P. 38 Thou haste gyuen mete to me. 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. i. 81 Thou hast it..at the fingers ends. |
| β c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1760 Qui as ðu min godes stolen? a 1300 Cursor M. 2464, I sal ta me þat þou haues left. Ibid. 2976 Þou has anoþer mannes wijf. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 327 Þat þou boden habbes. c 1470 Henry Wallace i. 262 Der sone, this lang quhar has thow beyne? c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) iv. 400 Why haves thou not refreynyd? 1513 Bradshaw St. Werburge i. 3157 Why hase thou vs lefte? c 1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) xxxiii. 39 Thow hess þi horne ay in þair syde. 1790 Mrs. Wheeler Westmld. Dial. 32 What haesta ithe cart? |
c. 3rd pers. sing. has (hæz, həz, əz), orig. north.; arch. hath (hæθ). Forms: α1 hafaþ, hæfeþ, 1–3 hæfþ, hafeþ, (2 afeð), 2–3 hafð, haueð, habbeð, 2–5 haþ, 3 hafueð, hæfueð, hæueð, hauið, (aueþ, abbeþ, aþ), 4 heþ, 4–7 (8–9 arch.) hath, (5 avyth, hat, 7 haith). β1 hæfis, 3–5 haues, hafs, 4 habbes, -ez, habes, hauis, haffys, 4–5 hase, 5 hais(e, 6 hace, 3– has, (5– Sc. hes, 6– colloq. 's). γ6– dial. have.
| α a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 635 (Gr.) Þonne he his ᵹeweald hafað. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Mark iii. 30 He hæfð unclænne gast. 1154 O.E. Chron. an. 1154 [He] fair haued begunnon. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 237 Se gode man..godes lufe hað ȝefolȝed. Ibid. 239 His hlaford þe he ȝegremed afeð. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 47 Heo hafð mid hire þreo wurdliche mihte. Ibid. 99 He haueð alle blisse. c 1200 Ormin 3969 Þatt illke mann Þatt hafeþþ aȝȝ god wille. c 1205 Lay. 1331 Hit hafð þes wurse taken. c 1275 Ibid. 3369 Þat aueþ Amari. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 2 Wateres he haþ. 1340 Ayenb. 90 Huo þet mest heþ, mest is worþ. 1453 Paston Lett. No. 191 I. 260 Every man..auyth gretely to marveylle. 1583 Hollyband Campo di Fior 53 Varro hath an excellent schoole. 1648 Hamilton Papers. (Camden) 226 There haith happened a misfortune this morneing. 1832 Austin Jurispr. (1879) II. 849 In so far as meaning he hath. 1841 Lane Arab. Nts. I. 112 This it is which hath prevented my answering thee. |
| β c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. viii. 20 Sunu monnes ne hæfis huer heafud ᵹehlutes. a 1300 Cursor M. 15317 (Cott.) He þat has [Gött. hafs] his bodi clene. c 1300 Ibid. 19008 (Edin.) Þe giftis..giuin us hauis he als ȝie se here. c 1300 Havelok 1980 He haues a wunde in the side. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 995 A stonen statue þat salt sauor habbes. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 434 Tharoff haffys he nane. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 135 Man þat hafs his spirit in his nose. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 886 God haues puruayde for our best. c 1450 Golagros & Gaw. 794 He is makar of man, and alkyn myght haise. c 1450 Bk. Curtasye 138 in Babees Bk. (1868) 303 At borde to sitt he hase no myȝt. 1513 Bradshaw St. Werburge i. 1733 Eche kynge at other lysence taken hace [rime place]. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. i. iv. 15 No body but has his fault. 1605 ― Macb. i. iii, 79 The Earth hath bubbles, as the Water ha's. a 1605 Montgomerie Misc. Poems xxxv. 77 Quhais beutie hes me burt? 1882 Tennyson Promise of May iii. Wks. (1894) 799/1 Steer. Hes the cow cawved? Dora. No, Father. |
| γ 1547 Bale Sel. Wks. (1849) 236 Of monks have it gotten a purgatory..Of the universities have it caught all the subtilties. 1559 W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 1 The Race that every man..have to runne. Ibid. 55 A point..is that which have no partes. Mod. E. Anglian dial., Have he come? Yes, he have. |
d. pl. have; contracted 've. Forms: α1 habbað, hæbbað, (habað); 2–4 habbeð, (2 habeð, 2–4 abbeþ, 3 abbiþ), 3–4 haueþ, (abbeþ), 4 hebbeþ, 5–6 hath, -e. βnorth. 1 habbas, 3–4 habbes, (4 -ez), hauis, 3– has, (4 hase, haffis, hafs, as, 5 hafez, hays, 6 haves, 5– Sc. hes). γmidl. 2 hafen, habben, 3 hebben, 3–5 (hauen), haven, 3–6 haan, 3–7 (dial. -9) han, (4–7 an). δ3– (haue), have, (3–5 haff, haf, 3–6 hafe, 5 haffe, 6– Sc. hef), colloq. 9 've. ε3–6 (dial. -9) ha, 6–7 ha', (6 haie), 8– Sc. hae.
| α c 825 Vesp. Psalter cxiii. [cxv.] 5 Muð habbað and ne spreocað. a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 313 (Gr.) Þær hæbbað heo on æfen. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke xvi. 29 Hiᵹ habbað moysen and witeᵹan. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 11 Ure sunne þet we abbet idon. a 1225 Ancr. R. 20 Ȝif ȝe habbeð neode. c 1275 Lay. 364 We abbeþ seue. 1340 Ayenb. 32 Þo þet hebbeþ drede of naȝt. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1874) II. 41 Whan these caytyfes hath hurt a mannys name. 1554–9 Songs & Ball (1860) 9 All hathe offendyd. a 1555 Latimer Serm. & Rem. (1845) 201 The rulers of this realm hath no better a God..than the poorest in this world. |
| β c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xiv. 16 Ne habbas ned. a 1300 Cursor M. 21638 (Cott.) Meracles..Has [Edin. hauis] ben in semblance and in sight. c 1300 Ibid. 23114 (Edin.) Murþerers..þat..of kirk as tint þe help. Ibid. 23706 (Edin.) Al þat euir hafs herd þis bok. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 57 Þe creatures þat skill has nane. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 308 Alle þat lyf habbez. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) vii. 25 Þe treessez..hafez lefes of a fute brede. c 1420 Avow. Arth. xxxix, Thenne sex..Hase armut hom. 1578 Ps. lxxvii. in Scot. Poems 16th C. II. 109 Our nighbours hes mocked vs. a 1600 Turnam. Tottenham 31 We er rycher men then he, and mor gode haves. Mod. Sc. Thaim at hes aye gets mair. |
| γ c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 59 His nome þet we of him hafen. Ibid. 69 Halde we us from uniwil, and habben feir lete and ec skil. 13.. K. Alis. 4940 Ne hebben hy non other fyre. c 1340 Cursor M. 15066 (Trin.) We han desired þe. 1382 Wyclif Luke xvi. 29 Thei han Moyses and the prophetis. 1411 Rolls of Parlt. III. 650/1 The ordenance that Thomas Archebisshop of Canterbury, and Richard Lord the Grey..haven made. 1452 Nottingham Rec. II. 364 The said Meire and Cominalte..han putte to their comune sealle. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. Mar. 62 When shepheardes groomes han leave to playe. 1828 Craven Dial., Han, they have, an old contraction for haven. Mod. Lancash. Dial., We han seen them. Han yo any? |
| δ a 1300 Cursor M. 3591 Quen þai it haue. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 8 Þe lordschip þei toke, & haf it ȝit. c 1470 Henry Wallace i. 12 How thai haff wrocht. 1526 Tindale Luke xvi. 29 They have Moses and the prophettes. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. x. 320 We hafe a true gyd. 1611 Bible John viii. 41 We haue one Father, euen God. Mod. colloq. They've done it; we've seen them. |
| ε a 1300 Cursor M. 5173 Yee ha sin. Ibid. 5182 Ha yee broght him wit yow? 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas i. iii. (1544) 6 a, Some ha be lost. 1589 Pappe w. Hatchet B iij, Haie ye anie gold ends to sell? 1793 Burns Bannockburn, Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled. 1892 R. Kipling Barrack-room Ballads, Tomlinson 26 Give answer—what ha' ye done? Mod. Sc. Hae ye ocht to say for yersel? |
3. ind. pa. a. 1st and 3rd pers. sing. had (hæd, həd, əd); contracted 'd. Forms: 1–3 hæfde, hefde, 2 hefede, heffede, heofde (efde), 2–3 heuede, hafde, 2–4 haued, 3 hæuede, hæfuede, hæfede, hauede, hafuede, hafede, heuede, hefuede, hefte, hafte, hauid, hædde, hadd (eftte, afte, adde, ad), 3–4 hafd, hedde, hede, 3–7 hadde, 3– had (4–5 hade, haid, 6 haved, Sc. 4– hed, 6 hayd).
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter lxxvi. 6 [lxxvii. 5] Ger ece in mode ic hefde. c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. v. xvi[ii]. (1890) 446 Osred..ðæt rice..hæfde. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 11 Godalmihti heofde iwriten þa ten laȝe. Ibid. 25 Erðon he hefde anfalde sunne. Ibid. 121 Al swa þe prophete heffede iboded. c 1200 Ormin 113 He..haffde an duhhtiȝ wif. c 1205 Lay. 2624 Cnihtes he hæfde gode. Ibid. 4316 Anne hird-cniht he hauede. Ibid. 6552 Þe æfre hedde kinedom. c 1275 Ibid. 15729 Þisne cnaue ich hadde. a 1300 Cursor M. 9234 (Cott.) Salatiel he had to sun. c 1300 Ibid. 24824 (Edin.) He hauid al þair wil. c 1325 Metr. Hom. 103 He hafd charite inoh. 1340 Ayenb. 14 Hit hedde zeve heauedes. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 38 Alexander..That Scotland haid to steyr and leid. 1382 Wyclif Matt. iii. 4 Joon hadde cloth of the heeris of cameylis. 1526 Tindale John xiii. 29 Judas had the bagge. 1741–2 Richardson Pamela, passim, I'd, you'd, he'd, she'd. Mod. I'd seen him before. |
b. 2nd pers. sing. hadst. Forms: α1 hæfdes, -est, 2–3 hefdest, 3–4 heuedest, haddist, 4–6 haddest, 4 hadest, 6– hadst. βnorth. 3–5 hade, 3– had.
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xxii. 12 Ne hæfdes ðu wede. a 1000 Crist 1383 (Gr.) Þæt þu onsyn hæfdest. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 21 Þu hefdest mare deruenesse. a 1225 Ancr. R. 38 Uor þe ilke muchele blisse þet tu heuedest. Ibid. 40 Þet tu hefdest. a 1300 Cursor M. 17046 Þi sorus..þou had [v. rr. hade, haddist, -est] in hert. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1816 Of hardnesse hadestow neuer. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 474 And haddest mercy on þat man. 1611 Bible Gen. xxx. 30 It was little which thou hadst [Wyclif haddist, Coverd. haddest] before I came. |
c. pl. had; contracted 'd. Forms: α1 hæfdon, hefdan, 2 heofden, heoueden, 2–3 hefden, (efden), hafeden, 2–5 hæfden, hadden, 3 hafueden, hafden, (afden), haueden, hædden, (adden), 3–4 hedden, haden, haddyn, hadon. β2–3 hæfde, hefde, 2–5 hadde, 3 hafde, hauede, hafd, haued, (adde), 3–4 hade, 3– had, (4– Sc. haid).
| α a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 25 Hæfdon ᵹielp micel. 1154 O.E. Chron. an. 1137 Þe..men ne hadden nan more to gyuen. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 219 Þa þe hi alle hafeden þisne red..ȝefestnod. c 1205 Lay. 19008 Þa hædden [c 1275 haden] heo..Merlin þer. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1428 Clað þat ha hefden. c 1300 Havelok 238 Mikel sorwe haueden alle. a 1375 Joseph Arim. 244 Þei..hedden de-deyn. c 1400 Destr. Troy 12456 Þai hadon hom in hate. c 1450 Merlin 193 Alle they that eny hadden. |
| β c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 3 Heo nomen..þe beste þet heo hefde. c 1205 Lay. 1933 Þa hæfde þa Troinisce men ouercomen heora teonen. c 1275 Ibid. 26558 Ou [c 1205 hu] his iveres hadde idon. a 1300 Cursor M. 13501 (Cott.) All þai had i-nogh at ette. Ibid. 24326 (Edin.) Miht hafd we nan. Ibid. 16767 + 149 (Cott.) Þai hade of him drede. c 1300 Harrow. Hell 111 Þey þat haved served me. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 514 To hald that thai forspokyn haid. |
4. subj. pres. a. sing. have. Forms: 1 hæbbe, hebbe, 1–4 habbe, 2–3 æbbe, abbe; 3– have, etc., as Indic. present.
| 805 Charter in O.E. Texts 442 Gif hio bearn hæbbe. 835 Ibid. 448 Se ðæt min lond hebbe. a 1100 O.E. Chron. an. 675 Þes papa curs..he habbe. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 67 Bute ic þis habbe. c 1230 Hali Meid. 37 Þah þu riche beo & nurice habbe. a 1300 Cursor M. 3999 (Cott.) Ar he þe half of þaa haa [v.r. haue] slayn. 1375 Barbour Bruce vi. 334 Bot he haf wit to steir his stede. 1382 Wyclif Eph. iv. 28 That he haue wherof he schal ȝyue. 1607 Beaum. & Fl. Woman-Hater ii. i, If he have the itch of knighthood upon him. |
b. pl. have. Forms: 1 hæbben, habban, hæbbe, 1–3 habben, 3–5 haven, 3– have, as Indic.
| a 1000 Guthlac 644 (Gr.) Þæt ᵹe..brynewylm hæbben. c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Th.) lxix. 5 [lxx. 4] Habban þa mid wynne weorðe blisse. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 69 Halde we us from uniwil and habben feir lete. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. i. 8 Hauen [B. i. 8 haue] heo worschupe in þis world. 1431 E.E. Wills (1882) 88 Y wille that my parisshe chirches haue alle here duetees. |
5. subj. pa. had: as in ind. pa.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 12358 Nere sleighte and queyntise hadde ben. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints, Petrus 238 Sterand, as þai lyf had hade. 1382 Wyclif Acts xxiv. 19 If thei hadden ony thing [1526 Tindale had ought] aȝens me. 1611 Shakes. Cymb. ii. iv. 147 O that I had her heere. 1891 Mrs. Oliphant Janet II. v. 81, I wish I had. |
6. imp.: have a. sing. Forms: 1 hafa, 3–5 hafue, hafe, 3– have (3–4 haf, hab, 4 hawe, haa, 4–6 ha, a, 6 Sc. haif).
| a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 2429 Hafa arna þanc. c 1205 Lay. 31401 Hafue þu al þi kine-lond. Ibid. 25787 Hafe mine godne horn. c 1230 Hali Meid. 11 Haue trust on his help. a 1300 Cursor M. 969 Of alkin fruit haf þou þe nine. Ibid. 3889 Haa lya in þi bedd. a 1300 Fragm. 14 in E.E.P. (1862) 19 Beþenche þe, man, and hab drede. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1177 A mynde on me. c 1460 Towneley Myst. (Surtees) 71 Hafe good day! 1513 Douglas æneis iv. Prol. 145 Haif mercy, lady. c 1530 H. Rhodes Bk. Nurture 321 in Babees Bk. 91 Doe well, and haue well. 1589 Hay any Work (1844) 21 Then ha with thee. Mod. Have a cigar. |
b. pl. Forms: α1 habbaþ, 3 habbeoð, 3–4 habbeþ, 4 haueþ, hauithe. β3–4 haues, hauis, has, 4 haffis. γ3– (haue), have, (4 hab, 4–5 ha).
| a 1000 Andreas 1360 (Gr.) Habbað word ᵹearu. c 1205 Lay. 32172 Habbeoð þat lond auer mære. a 1225 Ancr. R. 16 Þis word habbeð muchel on vs. a 1300 Cursor M. 4884 Haue [v.r. has, haueþ] god day. Ibid. 9049 (Gött.) Hauis sone of me merci. c 1300 Beket 2067 His bodi habbe ȝare. 1370–80 XI Pains of Hell 276 in O.E. Misc. 230 Poul, Michael, on vs ha merci. 1375 Barbour Bruce xiii. 305 Haffis gud day! 1382 Wyclif Mark xi. 22 Haue ȝe the feith of God [1611 Haue faith in God]. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 15 Hauithe youre loke. c 1475 Babees Bk. 183 A Trenchoure ha ye clene. Mod. Have your tickets ready! |
7. pres. pple. having (ˈhævɪŋ). Forms: 1 hæbbende, habbende, 1–3 hæbbende, 3 habende, 4–6 hafand, hauvyng(e, 6– having (Sc. haifand, havand).
| c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 250 We beoð hæbbende ðæs ðe we ær hopedon. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints, Eugenia 351 Hafand at hyr gret wlatsumnes. 1382 Wyclif Matt. xv. 30 Hauynge with hem doumbe men. 14.. Nom. in Wr.-Wülcker 709/26 Idropicus, hafand the dropsy. 1526 Tindale Matt. xxii. 24 If a man dye havinge no children. 1567 Satir. Poems Reform. iv. 78 Nouther to God nor honoure hauand Ee. |
8. pa. pple. had (hæd, həd, əd). Forms: α1 ᵹehæfed, 3 ihaued, ihafd (hihafd), 4 yhet, 4–5 yhadde, ihadde, yhad. β1 hæfed, 2–4 haued, 4– had (4–6 hadde, hade, Sc. haid).
| c 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 148 æfter ðisum wordum wearð ᵹemot ᵹehæfd. c 1205 Lay. 6223 We habbeð ihaued moni burst. c 1275 Ibid. 2685 He hafde many wimmen hi-hafd. Ibid. 4501 Hadde hire i-wedded, and i-hafd. 1340 Ayenb. 40 To yelde þet hi habbeþ y-het kueadliche of oþren. 1387 Trevisa Higden vi. xxix, Vot-men..hadde y-hadde þe meystry. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. lxxx. 65 Our folke haue it longe y had. |
| β c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. i[i]. (1890) 154 Is seo stow..in micelre arwyrðnesse hæfd. a 1300 Cursor M. 2659 Þat þou has had. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 8 He & his haf had þe lond. Ibid. 15 If he had haued myght. 1482 J. Warkworth Chron. 5 That thei shuld be hade to the Toure Hylle. 1513 Douglas æneis ii. xi. [x] 38 In bondage with hir haid. c 1531 R. Morice in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 24 Thei caused suche diligent watch to be hadde. Mod. Have you had enough? |
9. negative forms. inf. OE. nabban, ME. nabbe(n, nave(n; ind. pres. OE. næbbe (nafu); næfð, nabbað, ME. nabbe, naveþ, naþ; ind. pa. OE. næfde, ME. nafde, nauede, nadde, nedde, nad, etc. In OE. nabban was sometimes treated as an independent verb with pa. pple. ᵹenæfd ‘not had’.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xiv. §1 Ðonne sint hie þe pleolicran..ᵹehæfd þonne ᵹenæfd. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. John ix. 41 Næfde ᵹe nane synne. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 113 Moni mon nafð ehta. c 1205 Lay. 557 Neafde [c 1275 nafde] he nenne oðer. Ibid. 4905 Ah he neuede [c 1275 nadde] nenne sune. a 1225 Ancr. R. 244 Nabbe ȝe þis also? a 1240 Lofsong in Cott. Hom. 211 Nabbich nowðer in me wisdom ne wurschipe. a 1300 Floriz & Bl. 65 Ac rest ne miȝte he nabbe none. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1066 Naf I now..bot bare þre dayez. 1340 Ayenb. 210 To þe wreche fayleþ: þet he heþ and þet he neþ. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. i. 157 Ȝe naue no more merit. Ibid. v. 4 Þat I nedde sadloker i-slept. 1393 Ibid. C. vii. 214 (MS. F.) Hit nad be sold. a 1400–50 Alexander 1876 Þai naue no will to my notis. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. i. 176 Necessite nath neuere halyday. |
B. Signification.
From a primitive sense ‘to hold (in hand)’, have has passed naturally into that of ‘hold in possession,’ ‘possess,’ and has thence been extended to express a more general class of relations, of which ‘possession’ is one type, some of which are very vague and intangible. For just as the verbs be and do are the most generalized representatives of the verbal classes κεῖσθαι (situs) and πράσσειν (actio) in Aristotle's classification of verbal predications (κατηγορίαι), so have is the most generalized representative of the class ἔχειν (habitus, having). For although have in its primitive sense of ‘hold’ was a verb of action, in the sense ‘possess,’ and still more, in the weakened senses 2, etc. below, no notion of any action upon the object remains, what is predicated being merely a static relation between the subject and object. In the older languages this relation was often predicated not of the possessor but of the thing possessed, the possessor standing in the dative, thus L. est mihi liber, there is to me a book, I have a book. The extended use of have and its equivalents to express this relation is a general feature of the modern languages. Like the two other generalized verbal types be and do, have also tends to uses in which it becomes a mere element of predication, scarcely capable of explanation apart from the context, and at length an auxiliary verb.
General scheme of arrangement. I. As a main verb (trans. or intr.) * To possess, and connected uses. ** To keep in possession, hold, maintain, etc. *** To come into possession of, to get; and connected uses. **** Phrases. ***** Idiomatic uses, had better, rather, etc. II. As an auxiliary verb. III. Combinations.
I. As a main verb (trans. or intr.)
* In the sense possess, and uses thence arising.
1. a. trans. To hold in hand, in keeping, or possession; to hold or possess as property, or as something at one's disposal.
| Beowulf (Z.) 814 Hine se modeᵹa mæᵹ Hyᵹelaces hæfde be honda. c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxiv. §4 He hæfþ on his aᵹenum ᵹenoh. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xix. 22 Soþlice he hæfde mycele æhta. 1154 O.E. Chron. an. 1137 Þa þe uurecce men ne hadden nan more to gyuen. a 1225 Ancr. R. 16 Sprengeð ou mid hali water þet ȝe schulen euer habben mid ou. a 1300 Cursor M. 5809 Quat has þou in þi hand? 1382 Wyclif Matt. xiv. 17 We han nat here, no but fiue looues and two fishis. c 1450 tr. De Imitatione iii. xxxvi. 106 Men askiþ hov muche a man haþ. 1483 Lett. etc. Rich. III & Hen. VII (Rolls 1861) I. 9 Sir William A Parre..having an axe in his hand. 1513 More Rich. III (1883) 46 My lord you haue very good strawberies at your gardayne in Holberne. 1515 Barclay Egloges (1570) A v b, But, trust me, Coridon, there is diversitie Betwene to have riches and riches to have thee. 1590 Lodge Euphues Gold. Leg. (1609) 56, I haue them about me. 1611 Bible Luke xxii. 31 Satan hath desired to haue you. 1631 Massinger Emperor East iv. iv, What have you there? 1700 T. Brown tr. Fresny's Amusem. Ser. & Com. 26 For I have Insured more by a Thousand Pounds, than I have in her. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) VI. 366 My will is that my son shall have and enjoy the manor of B. only for his life. Mod. How many shares have you in the company? |
b. absol.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxv. 29 Witodlice ælcon þæra þe hæfð man sylþ. 1382 Wyclif Mark iv. 25 Sothely it shal be ȝouen to hym that hath. 1593 Drayton Idea 867, I have, I want, Despaire, and yet Desire. 1642 Rogers Naaman 115, I count my selfe the same man whether I want or have. |
c. to have and to hold, a phrase app. of legal origin (cf. law L. habendum et tenendum: see habendum), retained largely, as in German, Dutch, etc., on account of its alliterative form: To have (or receive) and keep or retain, indicating continuance of possession.
| Beowulf (Z.) 659 Hafa nu ond ᵹe-heald husa selest. 971 Blickl. Hom. 55 Þa þe Godes rices ᵹeleafan habbað & healdaþ. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. ii. 70 Þe Yle of vsure..To habben and to holden. a 1400 Sir Perc. 24 He gaffe hym his syster Acheflour, To have and to holde. 1549 Bk. Com. Prayer, Matrimony, I N. take thee N. to my wedded wife, to haue and to holde from this day forwarde. 1664 Butler Hud., Lady's Answer 96, I fear they'll prove so nice and coy To have, and t'hold, and to enjoy. 1839–56 Bouvier Law Dict. s.v. Habendum, The habendum commences in our common deeds, with the words ‘to have and to hold’. |
2. a. To hold or possess, in a weakened sense; the relation being other than that of property or tenancy, e.g. one of kindred, relative position, etc.
The relation is often reciprocal: the father has a son, the son has a father; the king has subjects, his subjects have a king; the man has a wife, she has a husband; or it may be reciprocal to sense 1: a man has (sense 1) a house, the house has an owner or tenant.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke xvi. 28 Ic hæbbe fif ᵹebroþru. c 1200 Ormin 113 He..haffde an duhhtiȝ wif. c 1205 Lay. 462 Ich abbe i min castlen Seoue þusend kempen. a 1300 Cursor M. 961 Bot þe haf I na frend. 1340 Ayenb. 5 Þou ne sselt habbe god bote me. 1382 Wyclif Matt. ix. 36 As sheep nat hauynge a sheperde. 1513 More Rich. III (1883) 23 Whose specyall pleasure and coumforte were to haue his brother with hym. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 44 If we note well what enemies we have. 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. i. iii. 134 Wherefore haue these gifts a Curtaine before 'em? 1601 ― Jul. C. i. ii. 192 Let me haue men about me, that are fat. 1708 Mrs. Scott in Caldwell Papers i. (Maitland) 212 So having none but men, our ceremonys was the less. 1748 Anson's Voy. i. vii. 71 We had fifty-two fathom of water. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) VI. 535 He having no son at the time. 1890 W. F. Rae Amer. Duchess I. 50 The worst Administration which we have ever had. |
b. with complement or adverbial extension, particularizing the relation of the object or expressing some qualification, condition or limitation thereof.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. iii. 9 We habbað abraham us to fæder. Ibid. John viii. 41 We habbaþ anne god to fæder. c 1290 Beket 2042 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 165 Ȝe to þe kingus wille is bodi ȝe habben al-ȝare. a 1300 Cursor M. 15317 He þat has his bodi clene. 1388 Wyclif 1 Tim. iv. 2 That..haue her conscience corrupt. 1474 Caxton Chesse ii. iv. C iv b, A knyght which had to name malechete. 1526 Tindale Matt. iii. 4 This Jhon had his garment off camels heer. Ibid. xxii. 11 A man which had not on a weddinge garment. 1583 Hollyband Campo di Fior 183 As long as we have this monkey to our cooke. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, ii. i. 112 When Oxford had me downe, he rescued me. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 3 They used to have their Wives in common. 1700 S. L. tr. Fryke's Voy. E. Ind. 14 We still had France on the left of us. 1807 Robinson Archæol. Græca i. ii. 21 A person who had a foreigner to his mother. 1847 Marryat Childr. N. Forest v, You..have the laugh on your side now. 1852 Thackeray Esmond i. iii, They had him to dine with them at the inn. 1891 Mrs. Newman Begun in Jest I. 112, I have women at work for me. |
3. To possess, bear, contain, as an appendage, organ, subordinate part, or adjunct; to contain as parts of itself. (In this last shade of meaning now chiefly confined to time, ‘Thirty days hath September’, ‘the year has twelve calendar months’.)
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. ii. xiii. [xvi.] (1890) 144 He..hæfde blæc feax, and blacne ond wlitan. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Mark xi. 13 An fic-treow þe leaf hæfde. c 1050 Byrhtferth's Handboc in Anglia VIII. 300 ᵹif se monð sceal habban · xxx · nihta. a 1250 Owl & Night. 153 Þu havest wel sharpe clawe. 1382 Wyclif Luke xx. 24 Schewe ȝe to me a peny; whos ymage and writynge aboue hath it? c 1410 Sir Cleges 349 Harlot, hast noo tonge? 1559 W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 144 A lake, is that which continually hath water. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. iii. 3 The saide Ilande hath two cities. 1592 Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 389 The sea hath bounds. 1657 R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 101 The leaves..having many veines. 1659 Willsford Scales Comm. 113 Intercalary years, there is one day added to February, which then hath 29. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. I. 6 She had 12 Guns, and 150 Sea-men and Souldiers. 1704 W. Penn in 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. iv. 80 Virginia has not a town bigger, if half so big, as Knightsbridge. 1887 Lowell Democr. 9 If riches have wings to fly away from their owner, they have wings also to escape danger. |
4. To possess, as an attribute, quality, faculty, function, position, right, etc.; to be characterized by; to hold; to be charged with. (With very various immaterial objs.)
Obsolete uses are to have right, have wrong, to have a certain age, have so many years.
| a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 280 Ic hæbbe ᵹeweald micel to ᵹyrwanne godlecran stol. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. John ix. 21 Acsiað hine sylfne, ylde he hæfð. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 25 He hefde anfalde sunne and seodðan he hauet twafald. c 1230 Hali Meid. 3 Euch meiden þat haueð meidene þeawes. a 1300 Cursor M. 6029 Þan said þe king ‘i haue þe wrang, And al þis wrak on me es lang’. 1382 Wyclif John viii. 57 Thou hast not ȝit fifty ȝeer. 1489 Paston Lett. No. 914 III. 359 Havyng the auctorite to se the Kynges money levied in the North parties. 1549 Latimer 6th Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 159 The Corinthians had no suche contencions among them. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 147 Eyes Diamond-like, having blacke lustre. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. I. 32 They have a Fashion to cut holes in the Lips. 1750 G. Hughes Barbadoes 102 They have a very austere and acerb taste. 1795 Gentl. Mag. 543/1 Every poor family in the neighbourhood had reason to regret his departure. 1840 Lardner Geom. xxi. 293 If two circles have different magnitudes, they will then have different curvatures. 1882 Shorthouse J. Inglesant I. xiii. 243 Their policy had the desired effect. |
5. To be possessed or affected with (something physical or mental); to be subjected to; to experience; to enjoy or suffer.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Mark iii. 11 Swa fela swa untrumnessa, & unclæne gastas hæfdon. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 35 Swilche pine ic habbe. Ibid. 83 Hwet node efde moncun þet he Mon were? a 1225 Ancr. R. 112 Uor vuel þet he haueð. c 1300 Cursor M. 28904 (Cott. Galba) When þou sese any haue hunger or calde. 1382 Wyclif 1 Cor. vii. 28 Suche schulen haue tribulacioun of fleisch. 1464 J. Paston in P. Lett. No. 486 II. 153 My Lord hath had gret costs syn he came hedyr. 1599 H. Buttes Dyets drie Dinner B vj b, Such as have the collicque. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. i. ii. 119 He had a Feauer when he was in Spaine. 1695 Congreve Love for L. v. ii, Hussy, you shall have a rod. 1710 Lady Mansell in 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. iv. 542, I had a tolerable night of it. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 94 Some patient of his, has inflammation of the lungs. 1890 W. F. Rae Amer. Duchess I. 123, I have had a real good time! Mod. He has very bad health. |
6. To possess as an intellectual acquirement, to be versed in, to know; to understand, grasp with the mind.
| 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. iv. i. 33 Haue you the Tongues? 1596 ― Merch. V. i. ii. 74 Hee vnderstands not me, nor I him: he hath neither Latine, French, nor Italian. 1601 ― Twel. N. i. iii. 131, I thinke I haue the backe-tricke. 1602 ― Ham. ii. i. 68 You haue me, haue you not? 1619 Drummond of Hawthornden Conv. w. B. Jonson vii. (1842) 9 He hath by heart some verses of Spenser's Calender. 1750 Chesterfield Lett. (1792) III. ccxxvii. 26 Our young country⁓men have generally too little French. 1839 H. Ainsworth Jack Sheppard iii, ‘Ah! I have it’, he added after a moment's deliberation. 1868 Athenæum 4 Jan. 21/2 A person who having no mathematics attempts to describe a mathematician. |
7. a. To possess as a duty or thing to be done. With object and dative inf. expressing what is to be done by the subject.
(This is in origin a particular case of 2 b.)
| 971 Blickl. Hom. 91 Uton we forþon ᵹeþencean hwylc handlean we him forþ to berenne habban. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke vii. 40 Ic hæbbe ðe to secᵹenne sumðing. a 1225 Juliana 9 Þe þat se heh þing hefde to heden. a 1300 Cursor M. 16487 Ha we noght þar-of to do. 1382 Wyclif 2 John 12, I hauynge mo thinges for to wrijte to ȝou. c 1460 Towneley Myst. 181 We have othere thynges at do. 1592 Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 179 Wishing Adonis had his team to guide. 1657 R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 55 He will have too much to do. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 415 He had much to see. 1742 Richardson Pamela III. 106 Every absent Member..has it to reproach himself with the Consequences that may follow. 1816 Keatinge Trav. (1817) I. 42 Condensing what they had to say into a very portable compass. 1892 Law Rep. Weekly Notes 165/1 The time limited..had still three years to run. |
b. Hence to have to do: see do v. 33 c, d.
c. With infinitive: To be under obligation, to be obliged; to be necessitated to do something. It forms a kind of Future of obligation or duty.
[Cf. the Future tense of the Romanic langs, e.g. je parler-ai, je finir-ai, I have to speak, to finish.]
| 1579 Fenton Guicciard. (1618) 6 He told him, he had not to beleeue, that the couetousnesse of Virginio..had moued Ferdinand. 1594 Hooker Eccl. Pol. i. i. §1 We have..to strive with a number of heavy prejudices. 1596 Spenser State Irel. Wks. (Globe) 657/2 This is the manner of the Spanyardes captaynes, whoe never hath to meddle with his souldiours paye. 1765 H. Walpole Otranto v. (1798) 80 Having to talk with him on urgent affairs. 1831 F. Trollope Dom. Manners Amer. (1894) II. 271 But ‘we had to do it’ as the Americans say. 1848 Mrs. Gaskell Mary Barton ix, Mary had to change some clothes after her walk home. 1883 Manch. Exam. 29 Oct. 5/4 In 1831 the firm had to suspend payment. 1892 Lopes in Law Times Rep. LXVII. 144/1, I regret to have to say that I do not believe that evidence. Mod. I have to go to London to-morrow. |
d. to have to be: must be. colloq. Cf. get v. 24, joke v. 1 b.
| 1967 Weekend Mag. 2 Dec. 2/1 That had to be the most bizarre Grey Cup game ever. 1969 V. Canning Queen's Pawn ii. 8 The car had a Kent number plate MKE 800F. The woman had to be a stranger. 1971 ‘A. Gilbert’ Tenant for Tomb viii. 146 ‘Even your famous Mr Crook can't disprove evidence,’ Ponting pointed out. ‘You have to be joking,’ said Gray. 1972 Student Movement 7 Dec. 13/2 My heart goes out to the performers who watched 1/3 to ½ of their audience leave during what had to be the most tragic selection for a Christmas program I have ever heard. |
** To keep possession of, to hold; and related uses.
8. To hold, keep, retain (in some relation to oneself: as to have in use, to use (habitually); to have in mind, to remember; to have in possession, to possess; to have it in one: to have the ability (to do something) (cf. in prep. 26); etc.
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter lxxvi. 6 [lxxvii. 5] ᵹer ece in mode ic hefde. 971 Blickl. Hom. 87 On bendum hie wæron hæfde. a 1225 Ancr. R. 16 Þis word habbeð muchel on vs. a 1300 Cursor M. 28456, I..has hade it in myn vsage, O mete and drink to do vtrage. 1382 Wyclif 2 Cor. x. 6 Hauynge in redynesse for to venge al vnobedience. c 1400 Sowdone Bab. 3243 The kinge hade wel in mynde The tresone of Genelyne. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 230/1 Have yn possessyon, possideo. 1462 Plumpton Corr. 7 Whom our Lord govern & haf in His keeping. 1551 Robinson tr. More's Utop. ii. (1895) 151 But lynen clothe is..hadde more in vse. 1559 W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 37 The northe Pole, Still we have in sight. c 1600 [see in prep. 26]. 1632 Lithgow Trav. ix. 399 We had a Moorish Frigot in Chase. 1654 Cromwell Sp. 4. Sept. in Carlyle, The Government hath had some things in desire. 1777 Johnson Let. to Mrs. Thrale 13 Aug., Which they have in contemplation—there's the word now. 1887 A. Conan Doyle Study in Scarlet (1893) i. ii. 32, I know well that I have it in me to make my name famous. 1889 [see in prep. 26]. |
9. a. To hold or entertain in the mind (a feeling, opinion, etc.); to entertain, hold, cherish.
| c 1000 Gospel Nicod. viii. in Thwaite's Heptat., Buton hiᵹ habbaþ andan to hym. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 7 Ne we ne beoð iboren for to habbene nane prudu. a 1240 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 185 Hwi abbe ich eni licung in oþer þing þene in þe? a 1300 Cursor M. 11161 Haf na drednes. Ibid. 17273 Iuus had til him envie. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) Pref. 2 What lufe he had til his sugets. 1583 Hollyband Campo di Fior 61 Of this have not any doubt. 1656 Artif. Handsom. (1662) 5 Let me see..what you have against it. 1726 G. Shelvocke Voy. round World (1757) 227 Who..had a mind to act the mad-man. 1882 Shorthouse J. Inglesant I. xv. 280, I have no doubt the Italian is at the bottom of all this. |
b. Hence, To show, exhibit, exercise, exemplify (such sentiment, etc.) in action.
have a care: see care n.1 3 c; have the face: see face n. 7: see also diligence, heed, mercy, regard, etc.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 109 Þet he abbe ihersumnesse and ibuhsumnesse. a 1300 Cursor M. 22474 Lauerd, ha merci on all nu. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 4355 Of þis pure man haue hede. 1483 Lett., etc. Rich. III & Hen. VII (Rolls) I. 45 Havynge respecte..to othere presidentes passed afore. 1539 Bible (Great) Matt. xviii. 26 Sir, haue pacience with me, and I will paye the all. 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 131 All dillygence is to be had to search such a one. 1611 Bible Transl. Pref. 2 It doth certainely belong vnto Kings to haue care of Religion. a 1715 Burnet Own Time (1823) I. 341 There was less regard had to them afterwards. 1805 Med. Jrnl. XIV. 193 Have the goodness to permit an old friend to say a few words in his own defence. 1895 Law Times Rep. LXXIII. 266/2 The court will have regard to slight indications. |
10. To hold in (some specified) estimation; to esteem or account as; to consider or regard as. arch.
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. i[i]. (1890) 154 Is seo stow..in micelre arwyrðnesse hæfd. a 1300 Cursor M. 20133 Saint iohn hir keped and had ful dere. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 438 Ȝif..he be lettid of þis preching..teche he his floc bi hooly lif and god wole haue hym excusid. 1382 ― Luke xiv. 18, I preie thee, haue me excusid. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 198 Thay haue me all at Inuy. a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1534) E iij, Truely, wyse men have hym as suspect. 1535 Coverdale Ps. cxviii[i]. 51 The proude haue me greatly in derision. 1551 Robinson tr. More's Utop. i. (1895) 86 That their lawes were hadde in contempte. 1571 Hanmer Chron. Irel. (1633) 70 They were then had in great reverence. 1728 T. Sheridan Persius vi. (1739) 95 The Athenians had him in so great Esteem. |
11. a. To hold, keep up, carry on (some proceeding or performance); to engage in, maintain, or perform, as a chief actor; to engage in and perform some action.
(This has many affinities and connecting links with other senses.)
| c 1100 O.E. Chron. an. 1085 æfter þisu hæ fde se cyng mycel ᵹeþeaht. 13.. K. Alis. 4766 How he hadde mony batailles With wormes. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xiv. 154 The Kyng had Werre, with hem of Sithie. 1456 Sc. Acts Jas. II, c. 7 Þat þe Demyis..sulde cum out and haif courss throu þe Realme. 1523 Sir W. Bulmer in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. iii. I. 327 If it pleas youe to haue spech with the said Scotishman. a 1535 More Ibid. Ser. i. II. 48 In eny suit that I shold after have to your Grace. 1551 T. Wilson Logike (1580) 79 b, Socrates sheweth that Aspasia had this talke with Zenophon and his wife. 1563 Homilies ii. Idolatry i. (1859) 178 note, That any true Christian ought to have any ado with filthy and dead images. 1664 Dryden Rival Ladies v. ii, Why should we have recourse to desperate ways? 1714 Lond. Gaz. No. 5271/2 The Queen has had a Circle every Evening. 1738 Swift Pol. Convers. 45 She and I had some Words last Sunday at Church. 1845 Stephen Comm. Laws Eng. (1874) II. 257 Whenever a marriage shall not be had within three calendar months after the entry of the notice. |
b. When the action or proceeding is treated as something experienced, got at, attained, or enjoyed, the sense blends with 14.
| 1590 Lodge Euphues Gold. Leg. (1609) 54 Lets haue a little sport with him. 1697 Collier Immor. Stage (1730) 351 He had, says he, an admirable Stroak at the Pathos in general. 1760 Foote Minor i. (1781) 31 Shall we have a dip in the history of the Four Kings this morning? 1847 Marryat Childr. N. Forest v, You will then have a good shot at him. 1868 W. Collins Moonst. iii, I went and had a look at the bedroom. 1891 L. B. Walford Pinch of Exper. 268 Rhoda went, had an enchanting walk. |
c. Colloq. phr. have a nice (occas. good) day (orig. and chiefly U.S.): used as a conventional formula on parting; goodbye. Cf. good day.
| 1971 ‘D. Halliday’ Dolly & Doctor Bird v. 70 The admonitions of the freeway from the airport are wholly American: Keep off the Median..Have a Nice Day. 1978 P. Theroux Picture Palace iii. 13 ‘Have a good day,’ he said. ‘You too.’ 1980 Redbook Oct. 240/1 He picks up the phone, calls his old friend. What are old friends for? Have a nice day. 1985 Eating Out in London 87/2 What characterises a good restaurant in America is brisk service (which can, but doesn't necessarily entail the ‘have a nice day’ syndrome). 1986 R. Brandon Left, Right & Centre xx. 118 And now if you don't mind..I have work to do. Have a nice day. |
† 12. refl. To comport oneself, behave. Obs.
| c 1386 Chaucer Melib. ¶609, I shewe yow hou ye shul haue yow..in gaderynge of richesses. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxvi. 123 Þai hafe þam riȝt warly and wysely. c 1475 Babees Bk. 46 How yee Babees.. Shulde haue youre sylf whenne yee be sette at mete. 1556 Lauder Tractate (1864) 1 How..temporall Iugis sulde haue thame in thare officis. |
13. a. To assert, maintain; to phrase it, put it (with reference to the manner).
| c 1449 Pecock Repr. i. xvii. 96 Also Johun vj⊇ cap. it is had. Ibid. Thouȝ it mai be had by tho textis that God schal ȝeue and do. 1738 Swift Pol. Convers. 44 All the Town has it, that Miss Caper is to be married to Sir Peter. 1874 Blackie Self-Cult. 71 Wonder, as Plato has it, is a truly philosophic passion. 1878 Scribner's Mag. XV. 303/1 The fox..has run to earth, or, as we have it, ‘has holed’. 1955 Times 18 June 6/1 One report had it that Rosario..was still in rebel hands. 1967 Listener 13 Apr. 485/1 The party, as the classic socialist phrase has it, is the means of activating the masses. |
b. With will: To maintain or assert as a fact. With will not: To refuse to admit as a fact, etc.
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. III. 266 Þa læwedan willað habban þone monan be þam ðe hi hine ᵹeseoð. 1577 Harrison England i. xix. (1881) iii. 145 A traueller of my time..noteth the said street to go another waie, insomuch that he would haue it to crosse the third Auon. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iii. i. 30 If I were couetous, ambitious, or peruerse, As he will haue me. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. iii. iv. §12 Stephanus..will not have him to be Hellen the son of Deucalion, but the Son of Pthius. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 271 ¶3 Some will have it, that I often write to my self. 1829 Bengallee 462 Nawaub, or Nabob, as John Bull will have it. 1864 Pusey Lect. Daniel iv. 227 The Anti-Messianic interpreters will have it to be written after the event. |
c. To represent as doing something. U.S. colloq.
| 1928 Amer. Speech June 379 William De Morgan, in Alice for Short, has the ‘toffs’ say daw and flaw for ‘door’ and ‘floor’. |
*** To come into possession of, to get, and connected uses.
14. a. To possess by obtaining or receiving; hence, to come or enter into possession of; to obtain, receive, get, gain, accept, take; to have learned (from some source); to take (food, drink). Also, to bear (a child); to give birth to (a baby). to let one have, to allow one to get, to give one. to be had (of): to be obtained (from).
| a 1000 O.E. Chron. an. 885 Þa Seaxan hæfdun siᵹe. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xix. 16 Hwæt godes do ic þæt ic ece lif hæbbe? a 1123 O.E. Chron. an. 1101 Ealle..heora land onᵹean hæfdon. c 1205 Lay. 10273 Seuerius wende anan to hæbbene þisne kinedom. a 1300 Cursor M. 9574 Þat he moght haue forgi[u]nes. c 1382 Bible (Wycliffe) Gen. xviii. 10, I schall comme to þe þis tyme: þe lyf ledere & Sara þi wyf schall haue a sonne. Ibid. John iii. 15 That ech man that bileueth in to him, perische not, but haue euerelastinge lyf. 1429 Will of Gerard de Braybroke in Trans. Essex Archæol. Soc. (1873) V. 298 And xij poure men clothed in Russet fryse yif hit may be had or ellis in other. 1466 Marg. Paston in P. Lett. No. 560 II. 291 Remember that yf the[y] wer had from you, ye kowd never gyte no moo. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon i. 17 Yf we can have him, I shall make hym to be shamefully hanged. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 318 The winde was so contrarious that he could have no passage. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. iv. 10 b, Hee shoulde haue..anye thing..that was to be had in his Countrey. 1583 Hollyband Campo di Fior 229 [She] had two children at a birthe. 1592 Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 536 You shall have a kiss. 1611 Bible Transl. Pref. 2 What thanks had he? 1632 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 131 Would you have me marrie, when there is no man..that will have me? 1663 Pepys Diary 12 Apr. (1971) IV. 101 Creede and I took a turn at White-hall; but no coach to be had and so I returned to them. c 1680 Beveridge Serm., They have it..from his own mouth. 1736 Gentl. Mag. VI. title-p., Sold by the Booksellers..; of whom may be had compleat setts, or any single Number. 1748 Anson's Voy. ii. iv. 166 On their having no news of us..they were persuaded that we..had perished. 1751 C. Labelye Westm. Br. 94 The Gentlemen of Westminster..made Application to Parliament for having a Bridge. 1765 H. Glasse Art of Cookery (ed. 9) Index, Advt., Thomson's Works... N.B. The Seasons may be had alone. 1803 Watering & Sea-Bathing Places Term. Advt., And which may be had of the Booksellers. 1803 G. Rose Diaries (1860) II. 35 If Lord Spencer returns he must have the Admiralty. 1861 Goschen For. Exch. (1866) 78 The number of marks banco which are to be had for the pound. 1887 Rider Haggard Jess xxiii, Have another egg, Jess? 1892 A. Westland Wife & Mother i. 2 In England..it is unusual to find mothers at an earlier age than eighteen, while it is almost equally exceptional for women to have children after forty-six years of age. a 1899 Mod. There is nothing to be had here. 1915 V. Woolf Voyage Out xix. 313, I have just heard that the yellow guinea-pig has had a black baby. 1926 E. O'Neill Great God Brown iii. ii. 75, I will live with Margaret happily ever after... She will have children by me! 1930 Times Lit. Suppl. 19 June 513/3 (Advt.), All these books may be had of any bookseller. 1946 New Statesman 1 June 402/2 A thousand customers have I told this day there is never a fowl to be had. 1949 ‘G. Orwell’ Nineteen Eighty-Four 39 I'm thirty-nine and I've had four children. 1962 P. Mortimer Pumpkin Eater xxi. 129 She's going to have this kid in a public ward. 1975 G. Bourne Pregnancy (1981) x. 134 More and more women are having their babies in hospital: at present more than 90 per cent are delivered in a maternity unit. |
b. The imperative is used absol. in the sense ‘Here!’ ‘take this!’ Now dial. have to, have towards, used in drinking to any one = here's to. arch.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiv. 49 Haue, haukyn!..and ete þis whan þe hungreth. a 1529 Skelton El. Rummyng 563 Have, here is for me, A cloute of London pinnes. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. v. ii. 37 Petr. Spoke like an Officer: ha to the[e] lad. [Stage direct.] Drinkes to Hortentio. 1639 W. Cartwright Royal Slave iii. i, Str. Here's to thee Leocrates. Leoc. Have towards thee, Philotas. Phil. To thee, Archippus [pledging one the other]. 1861 Ramsay Remin. Ser. ii. 44 He came back in a few minutes, crying, ‘Hae’. Mod. Sc. He's nane sae deaf, that he canna hear ‘Hae!’ |
c. to have it: to gain the victory or advantage, to win the match; to have the superiority.
| 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. v. ii. 181 Well go thy waies olde Lad, for thou shalt ha't. 1847 L. Hunt Men, Women, & B. I. xiv. 232 Upon the whole, the dark browns, chestnuts, etc. have it with us. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. iii. xvii, As many as are of that opinion, say Aye,—contrary, No—the Ayes have it. |
d. to have it: to receive (or have received) a drubbing, thrashing, punishment, reprimand; to let one have it, to ‘give it’ one. colloq.
| 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. iii. i. 112 They haue made wormes meat of me; I haue it, and soundly. 1816 Byron Ch. Har., Notes to iv. cxlii, When one gladiator wounded another, he shouted ‘he has it’, ‘hoc habet,’ or ‘habet.’ 1848 G. F. Ruxton Life in Far West 8 (Farmer), I ups..and let one Injun have it, as was going plum into the boy with his lance. 1891 ‘L. Malet’ Wages of Sin II. 102 If she catches him she'll let him have it hot. 1892 Mrs. H. Ward David Grieve iv. i. I shall let her have it, you'll see. |
e. To have sexual intercourse with, to possess sexually. Also in colloq. phrases to have it away, off (with), to have (a person) away, off.
| 1594 Shakes. Rich. III i. ii. 230 Was ever woman in this humour woo'd? Was ever woman in this humour won? I'll have her;—but I will not keep her long. 1596 ― 1 Henry IV iii. iii. 133 Why, she's neither fish nor flesh; a man knows not where to have her. 1743 Fielding J. Wild III. iv. vii. 336 ‘None of your Coquet Airs, therefore, with me, Madam,’ said he, ‘for I am resolved to have you this Night.’ 1762 Boswell London Jrnl. 28 Nov. (1950) 54 In the midst of divine service I was laying plans for having women. 1820 Keats Let. 1 Nov. (1931) II. 568, I should have had her when I was in health, and I should have remained well. 1894 H. James Notebks. (1947) 170 The idea of the physical possession, the brief physical, passionate rapture..the incongruity, the nastiness, en somme of the man's ‘having’ a sick girl. 1937 in Partridge Dict. Slang Suppl. (ed. 6, 1967) 1169 Have it off..‘is also used..by a man that has contrived to seduce a girl’. 1952 S. J. Kauffmann Philanderer (1953) xi. 182 It's the first time I ever had a girl from Kentucky. 1962 Times 23 Oct. 15/2 My wife went to France and had it off with everyone in sight. 1965 G. Melly Owning-Up iv. 29, I derived iconoclastic pleasure from having it off in the public parks where fifteen years before my brother and I..accompanied our nurse on sunny afternoons. 1967 S. Beckett Eh Joe 19 You've had her, haven't you?.. You've laid her? 1967 A. Wilson No Laughing Matter iii. 304 Having it off may make you feel very good but a diamond bracelet lasts for ever. 1968 A. Diment Gt. Spy Race ii. 28 In future please check with the duty officer if I am free. For all you knew I might be having my secretary off on the desk. Ibid. viii. 141 It had crossed my mind I was going to be asked to have the old fart away. 1970 G. Greer Female Eunuch 265 The vocabulary of impersonal sex is peculiarly desolating. Who wants to..‘have it away’? 1970 Private Eye 13 Mar. 16 He's had more sheilahs than you've had spaghetti breakfasts. 1972 R. Perry Fall Guy iii. 52 No one would dream of having it away with his mistress. |
f. to have it in for: to have something unpleasant in store for; to have a grudge against or dislike for (app. modelled on to be in for: see in adv. 8).
| 1849 ‘A. Harris’ Emigrant Family II. vi. 122 In consequence of a former disagreement, the speaker already ‘had it in for him’ whenever a drinking bout should afford opportunity for the said ‘it’ becoming a transferable possession. 1888 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms II. xviii. 283 He ‘had it in’ for more than one of the people who helped the police. 1927 Daily Mirror 10 Dec. 2/1 If it was not for the prejudice of a certain detective-sergeant who has had it in for me since I left the police force, I should be found not guilty. 1927 Wodehouse Meet Mr. Mulliner iii. 92, I have had it in for that dog since the second Sunday before Septuagesima. 1934 A. Christie Murder on Orient Express ii. ix. 136 A few people had it in for Cassetti all right. 1942 A. L. Rowse Cornish Childhood 112 He was very unpopular with the big boys..and they had it in for him. 1961 D. G. James Matthew Arnold iii. 71 He has it in for the Romantic writers, certainly. 1967 Punch 9 Aug. 194/2 If and when the law catches up with them, I hope it has it in for them. |
g. to have it: to have a solution.
| 1856 C. M. Yonge Daisy Chain i. xxvi. 275 ‘V.V.,’ continued Meta, ‘what can that mean?’ ‘Five, five, of course,’ said Flora. ‘No, no! I have it, Venus Victrix,’ said Ethel. 1897 A. Tweedie Through Finland xviii. 307 ‘I have it,’ said the student, after a long pause, during which we had all sought an excuse to enable us to depart without hurting the farmer's feelings. ‘I will tell them.’ |
h. to have it on or over (a person): to have the advantage of, to be superior to; to have ‘the pull’ of or over. to have nothing on, (a) to have no advantage of or superiority over; conversely, to have something on (occas. over), to have an advantage over (a person); (b) to know nothing discreditable or incriminating about (a person), whence conversely to have something on (a person). Cf. get v. 5 b.
| [1906 H. Green At Actors' Boarding House 27 I'll show 'em the Waldoff ain't got nothin' on Maggie de Shine.] 1910 S. E. White Rules of Game v. xxiv, They think they have it on us straight enough. 1912 C. Mathewson Pitching in a Pinch 7 ‘Hans’ Wagner of Pittsburg, has always been a hard man for me, but in that I have had nothing on a lot of other pitchers. 1917 S. Merwin Temperamental Henry 31 He had it all over the banjo-strumming Thomas P. of the unpleasantly rasping voice. 1919 F. Hurst Humoresque 298 Baby Ella herself had nothin' on you. 1922 H. Titus Timber vii. 65 You know he has it on you. There is no use trying to fight the law. 1924 A. Christie Man in Brown Suit 6 Every one of us incriminated..and not one of us has anything on him. 1928 Daily Express 19 June 12 Kerensky, who tried to do what Napoleon said no man could do: run a revolution and a war simultaneously. Kerensky thought Napoleon had nothing on him. 1928 Observer 22 July 28/3, I have carefully analysed the pre-Olympic performances of Liddell, who won in 1924, and J. W. J. Rinkel, who we hope is going to win this year. Liddell had nothing on Rinkel in preliminaries. 1928 Daily Express 27 Aug. 15/3 America's heavy-weight champion of the world has nothing on Great Britain's Prime Minister. 1929 ‘G. Daviot’ Man in Queue iii. 30 If he thinks he has anything on me..he has another guess coming. 1930 Publisher's Weekly 5 July 27 Deciding that the antique hussies of history in spite of their hot reputations have nothing on her. 1936 T. S. Eliot Essays Anc. & Mod. 68 Huysmans' fee-fi-fo-fum décor of mediævalism has nothing on Mr. Symons's ‘veiled altar’. 1938 E. Bowen Death of Heart i. v. 94 While you had it on me, it made it more difficult. 1941 Punch 9 Apr. 341/1 It has never been finally worked out which system is the more disappointing, but it is generally admitted that each has something over the other. 1947 Penguin New Writing XXXI. 67 He..took out his best clothes. Going to the barracks, he had to look smart, he had to show the soldiers they had nothing on him. 1960 K. Hopkins Dead against my Principles xix. 129 ‘She is the daughter of a criminal.’.. ‘Yes. But we have nothing on her.’ 1962 J. Braine Life at Top x. 122, I wasn't Mark, I never could be Mark; but there at least I had it over him. 1963 M. McCarthy Group iii. 63 The Tribune's typography has it all over the Times's. 1967 Listener 28 Dec. 857/1 For a picture of sheer bloodcurdling hatred and human degradation, our playwrights have nothing on this 60-year-old music-drama inspired by Sophocles' play. |
i. to have it off: to rob or burgle. Criminals' slang.
| 1931 A. R. L. Gardner Art of Crime 233 Bill has had it off last night. 1936 J. Curtis Gilt Kid ii. 20 ‘I had it off last week,’ he said with a wink, ‘not a big job, just a little snout gaff, but I earned myself a score.’ 1939 J. Phelan In Can ii. 14 ‘Denny's 'ad it orf again,’ commented one of the patrons. |
j. to have oneself (something): to provide (something) for oneself, to indulge oneself with (something). colloq. (orig. and chiefly U.S.).
| 1929 E. Wilson I thought of Daisy iii. 155 Ray seems to be having himself a time with Rita Cavanagh! 1936 R. Chandler Killer in Rain (1964) iv. 49 I'm going to have me a short nap now. 1939 C. Morley Kitty Foyle 263, I went and had myself a small brandy. 1940 O. La Farge in 55 Short Stories fr. New Yorker (1952) 265 He had himself two good highballs. 1957 J. Osborne Entertainer 44 We're going to have ourselves a hero, you can see that. 1966 New Yorker 6 Aug. 71 (Advt.), Come to Portugal and have yourself a good cry. |
k. to have had it: to have no chance whatever of having or doing something; to have had one's (adverse) fate finally decided, to be defeated; to be dead, to have been killed; to be ruined, broken down, useless; to have had enough. colloq.
| 1941 New Statesman 30 Aug. 218/3 To have had it, to miss something pleasant, e.g. leave. 1943 Time 22 Mar. 51 ‘You've had it,’ in R.A.F. vernacular, means ‘You haven't got it and you won't get it.’ 1946 S. Gibbons Westwood vi. 78 That could not be got over..as Hilda's boys would say, ‘You've had it’, and there was nothing she could do. 1951 L. P. Hartley My Fellow Devils 277 That was the ghastly moment, coming back to find you gone. Then I did feel I'd had it. 1952 N. Coward Relative Values ii. vi. 64 Of course they're still alive, but I never see a telegram come into the house without saying..‘Sarah's had it!’ 1954 J. B. Priestley Magicians ix. 175 Two more 'ave 'ad it, mate... Two-seater goes off the road an' straight over the bloody edge to Kingdom Come. 1954 D. Unwin Governor's Wife 34 Conversation with an educated African is like walking a tightrope. One slip and you've had it. 1956 ‘M. Innes’ Appleby plays Chicken i. iv. 39 The heart wasn't beating... Whoever he was, the chap had had it. 1956 ‘J. Wyndham’ Seeds of Time 163, I was thinking: ‘Well, that's that. I've had it’, and deciding that I was now in..heaven. 1957 Listener 13 June 945/2 Here are the men who matter—the highly paid white artisan has had it, but he'll put up a big rearguard action. 1958 P. Scott Mark of Warrior 41 He was so weary he just let the men bunch up. They'd all had it. 1959 N.Z. Listener 12 June 21/3 He re-wound the cord and tried again: no spark. ‘It's had it, I think.’ 1959 News Chron. 10 July 4/2 In private, Labour politicians admit that they have had it. 1971 J. Killens in A. Chapman New Black Voices (1972) 58, I mean, I'd had it, for a time, with that traveling-is-broadening shit. |
l. to have had (a person or thing): to have had enough of, to be fed up with. colloq.
| 1943 N.Z.E.F. Times 21 June, I've had the club. 1947 N. Marsh Final Curtain xvi. 249 We'd all..just about had Cedric. 1953 G. Heyer Detection Unlimited ii. 23 He's just about had Warrenby, muscling into every damned thing here. 1956 A. Wilson Anglo-Saxon Att. i. iii. 60 When you resigned in November, I'd about had politics, as much as the Labour Party'd about had you. 1965 Sunday Mail Mag. (Brisbane) 15 Aug. 11/1 By October..N. Dixon Campbell had utterly had that little old white schoolhouse at Pallawalla, and stamped out of it never to return. |
m. to have it (so) good: to possess (so many) advantages. Chiefly in neg. contexts. colloq. (orig. U.S.).
| 1946 Amer. Speech XXI. 243 You never had it so good. This is a sardonic response to complaints about the Army; it is probably supposed to represent the attitude of a peculiarly offensive type of officer. 1957 Times 22 July 4/6 [Mr. Macmillan's speech at Bedford on 20 July] Let us be frank about it: most of our people have never had it so good. 1957 Glasgow Herald 16 Nov. 5/1 Mr. Harold Macmillan, at Maidstone last night..repeated..‘They have never lived so well; they have never had it so good.’ 1958 Times 8 May 11/5 When one boy said, ‘My dad says we never had it so good’, he was expressing a very general acceptance of what the ‘past’ really meant in East London. 1958 Times 12 July 7/7 How long can women's magazines have it so good? 1958 Listener 13 Nov. 776/2 They have it so good in their garden-world. 1959 Times Lit. Suppl. 3 Apr. 198/2 James Bond is having it good again. 1960 J. Rae Custard Boys i. vii. 87 ‘I've never had it so good,’ he told me..‘during the blitz I had more business than I could handle.’ 1961 C. McCullers Clock without Hands vii. 158 From then on I never had it so good. Nobody ever had it so good. 1969 Times 4 Oct. 7/7 The last phrase borrowed from that campaign [sc. the American Presidential campaign of 1952] by a British Prime Minister was from the Democrat Party's campaign slogan of that year. The words ‘never had it so good’ were first used by Mr. Macmillan two years before his party won its third election in a row. |
n. to have on: to be prepared to accept (a person, proposition, etc.); also, to attack or fight (a person). Austral. and N.Z. colloq.
| 1941 Baker Dict. Austral. Slang 34 Have (someone) on, to be prepared to fight a person: to accept a challenge to a contest or fight. 1945 ― Austral. Lang. vi. 120 A man who attacks another is said..to have him on. 1946 F. Sargeson That Summer 54 A girl came past that I thought might have me on. 1965 ― Memoirs of Peon vii. 252, I didn't see why we shouldn't introduce you... But John Morgan wouldn't have it on. |
o. have ―, will ―: in numerous expressions of the type illustrated indicating willingness to travel, etc., because one possesses an essential object, etc.
| 1954 B. Hope Have Tux, will Travel 1 Hoofers, comedians and singers used to put ads in Variety. Those ads read: ‘Have tuxedo, will travel.’ This meant they were ready to go any place at any time. 1960 Daily Mail 13 July 6/2 Never in the whole history of moving pictures has film-making been such a mobile and international industry. ‘Have talent, will travel’ is the watchword now. 1961 John o' London's 18 May 567/3 (heading) Have towel, will strip. 1961 Sunday Times 25 June 21/2 Have honours degree, will travel. 1965 Harrods Xmas Catal. 43/1 Have iron, will travel—featherweight iron weighs only 23/4 lbs. and travels..complete with universal adapters for use with any voltage..{pstlg}4. 4. 0. 1966 Listener 16 June 889/1 Have Gun Will Travel was a much better western..than the ones they are making now. 1968 Times 29 Nov. p. vi/4 Have portable, will play. 1969 Times 14 July 5/5 The..scene has now gone one step further towards the American dream with the opening of Have Typewriter, Will Travel. |
15. a. Hence, in pregnant sense: To get or have got into one's power, or at a disadvantage; to have caught (fig.), to have hold upon.
| 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iv. i. 334 Now infidell I haue thee on the hip. ― 1 Hen. IV, iii. iii. 145 She's neither fish nor flesh; a man knowes not where to haue her. 1659 Shuffling, Cutting & Dealing 6 One had better sometimes play with a good gamester then a bungler, for one knowes not where to have him. 1723 Steele Consc. Lovers i. i, O, I have her; I have nettled and put her into the right Temper to be wrought upon. 1744 M. Bishop Life & Adv. 190 We had them [the French] all Ways, Front, and Rear, and Flank. 1892 Mrs. Oliphant Marr. Elinor II. xx. 81 Women are all hypocrites alike. You never know when you have them. |
b. To have caught (a person) in argument or discussion; to have put into a fix or non-plus. colloq.
| 1816 Scott Old Mort. in Tales My Landlord IV. vii. 125 He has you there, I think, my Lord Duke. 1820 Examiner No. 631. 306/1 We have you there; you must concede the solemnity of the Proclamation. 1848 Thackeray Lett. 12 Aug., I eagerly seized—the newspaper (ha ha! I had somebody there). 1890 Baring-Gould Arminell I. xv. 249, I admit that you have me there. 1892 Sat. Rev. 23 Apr. 464/2 M. Renan ‘has’ Leo XIII on the subject of his dallyings with the Republic. |
c. To get the better of, outwit, take in, deceive, ‘do’. slang.
| 1805 G. Harrington New Lond. Spy (ed. 4) 26 (Farmer) Ten to one but you are had, a cant word they make use of, instead of saying, as the truth is, we have cheated him. 1847 De Quincey Sp. Mil. Nun Wks. 1862 III. 65 The good señora..was not..to be had in this fashion. 1879 M. E. Braddon Clov. Foot xviii, There's not a real diamond among them. If you've advanced money on 'em, you've been had. |
d. to have on: to puzzle or deceive intentionally; to chaff, tease; to hoax. orig. dial.
| 1867 J. T. Staton Rays fro' Loominary 117 It looks as if somebuddy wur havin me on. 1893 Farmer & Henley Slang, To have on, to secure a person's interest, attention, sympathy: generally with a view to deceiving him (or her). 1895 M. Mather Lancs. Idylls 46, I were nobbud hevin' her on a bit. 1928 Daily Express 31 Aug. 7 Speaking unjudicially and in ordinary language you are ‘having him on’. 1951 L. P. Hartley Travelling Grave 52 ‘Of course,’ said Dickie, when the boy had gone off with his mancia, whistling, ‘he's having us on.’ |
16. a. To ‘get’ into a place or state; to cause to come or go; to take with one; to bring, lead, convey, take, put. arch. Also † refl. To betake oneself.
| c 1205 Lay. 19008 Þa hædden heo mid ginne Merlin þer wið inne. a 1300 Cursor M. 16913 (Cott.) Ioseph wald haf awai þe rode. 1424 Sc. Acts Jas. I (1597) §15 That na man haue out of the realm gold nor silver. c 1430 Arte Nombryng (E.E.T.S.) 11 Euery part of the nombre multiplying is to be hade into euery part of the nombre to be multipliede. 1453 Marg. Paston in P. Lett. No. 189 I. 256 This day I have had inne ij. cartfull of hey. 1484 Caxton Fables of Alfonce i, He was had before the Juge. 1490 ― Eneydos I. 144 His knyghtes toke hym and hadde hym awaye fro the bataylle. 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. III. 800 The next daie the corps was had to Westminster. a 1600 Turnam. Tottenham 183 Thay wold have tham to Tyb. 1611 Bible 2 Kings xi. 15 Haue her foorth without the ranges. 1690 W. Walker Idiomat. Anglo-Lat. 230 Make haste to have away the woman. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones xvii. iii, There I was had into a whole room full of women. 1889 Stevenson Master of B. vi. 176 A little later he was had to bed. |
b. have up: to take up or cause to go before a court of justice in answer to a charge; to summon; to call to account. have out: to cause to come out to a duel. to have it out: see out adv. 7 b.
| 1749 Fielding Tom Jones viii. xi, So the fellow was had up, and Frank was had up for a witness. 1820 Examiner No. 638. 427/2 Sir Matthew has been had up before his brother Magistrates on charges connected with bill-broking. 1855 Smedley H. Coverdale iii, If he feels aggrieved, he can have you out (not that I admire duelling). 1861 C. M. Yonge Stokesley Secret xi. (1862) 169 I'd have you up for that. 1892 Mrs. H. Ward David Grieve II. 173 The man who had let them the rooms ought to be ‘had up’. |
c. to have it away: to escape from prison or custody. Criminals' slang.
| 1958 F. Norman Bang to Rights 48 The P.O. who was in charge of the escort that was going to..make sure no one had it away. 1965 New Statesman 30 July 152/3 One thing broke the monotony of this dreary sentence and that was the occasion when a geezer, three peters away from me, had it away. 1969 T. Parker Twisting Lane 196 After I'd had it away three times, they decided it was no use bothering with me in these open places. |
17. With object and complement: a. (with adj., adv., or advb. phr.): To get (something) into a specified condition. b. (with pa. pple., or dat. inf.): To get (something) done; to cause, procure, or oblige (something to be done, or a person to do something).
| a. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 541 So that the clerkes adde the stretessone iler. 1791 ‘G. Gambado’ Ann. Horsem. ix. (1809) 105, I have..determined to have the apple trees down. Mod. They are having the pavement up for the electric light. |
| b. 1390 Robt. III. in Records Priory Coldingham (Surtees) 67 We have had den Johne of Aclyff..at spekyn wyth the byschof of Sant Andrew. 1450–1530 Myrr. our Ladye 33 He had gette hym a synger of psalmes. 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. ii. xxxv 150 Hanybal..cam by fore the cyte for to haue hyt dystroyed. 1503–4 Act 19 Hen. VII, c. 28 Preamb., Divers..made..pursuyte..to have the seyd atteyndours reversed. 1604 Shakes. Oth. ii. iii. 258 To haue their Balmy slumbers wak'd with strife. 1618 Bolton Florus Ep. Ded. (1636) A iij, So desirous..to have it understood by others. 1662 J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 28 She would needs have the young Counts..go to the Inn..to Complement them. 1678 Trials Ireland, Pickering, Grove 24 Grove would have had the Bullets to be Champt. 1722 De Foe Plague (1754) 32 To have their Fortunes told them. 1742 Fielding J. Andrews i. xii, That he might have a bed prepared for him. 1845 S. Austin Ranke's Hist. Ref. III. 571 Before their parents were compelled to have them baptized. 1886 Manch. Exam. 14 Jan. 5/3 He had counted the guns, or had had them counted. |
18. a. to have something done to one: to be subjected to the doing or infliction of it, to receive, experience, or suffer it as the action of others or of fate; to ‘get’ (such a thing) done (to one). Also in same sense, to have some one do something, to have something happen to one. to have it coming to one: see come v. 9 b.
| 13.. K. Alis. 940 Som the throte, and som the heorte Hadyn y-perced. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon ciii. 343, I haue had slayne mo then xx. M. men, besyde my thre neuewes and my yonger brother. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 141 If they had any parte of their liberties withdrawne. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. ii. ii. 73, I had myselfe twentie Angels giuen me this morning. 1603 ― Ham. iii. iv. 206 (Qo 1611) For tis the sport to haue the enginer Hoist with his owne petar. 1611 ― Cymb. i. vi. 3 A Wedded-Lady, That hath her Husband banish'd. 1641 Hinde J. Bruen xxxiv. 107 Jacob had his wife Rachel to dye suddenly in his journey on his hand. 1719 De Foe Crusoe ii. x, Another had one of his hands..burnt. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. i, We often had the traveller or stranger visit us to taste our gooseberry wine. 1860 Grandmother's Money I. 119 (Hoppe), I had a horse run away with me. 1886 Athenæum 30 Oct. 565/1 A man..who certainly deserved to have his biography written. |
b. with will, would, or the like: To wish, will, require that something be done (to oneself or others).
| c 1205 Lay. 32197 Þa com him ufel on, Swa godd hit wolde habben idon. 13.. Coer de L. 112 All they gunne..aske her what she wolde have doo. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. ccclv. 573 Thenglysshmen wolde gladly haue had hym to ben maryed in Heynalt. 1535 Coverdale Jer. i. 17, I will not haue the to be afrayd of them. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. iii. i. 80 What would your Grace haue me to do in this? 1630 B. Jonson New Inn iii. i. 22 Sir Pierce, I'll have him a cavalier. 1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. xlviii. 185 Good luck would have it that this young Damosel came hither. 1709 Berkeley Th. Vision §33 Those who will have us judge of distance by lines and angles. 1787 ‘G. Gambado’ Acad. Horsemen (1809) 34, I would have you make an essay to accomplish it. 1834 Medwin Angler in Wales II. 24 As good fortune would have it. |
c. with a negative, sometimes: Not to allow, bear, or suffer.
| 1583 Hollyband Campo di Fior 21 Thy mother will not have it so. 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, ii. iii. 106, I must not haue you..question me. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. I. p. v, [He] would by no means consent to have him chosen. 1847 Tennyson Princess vii. Introd. Song ii, Yet, O my friend, I will not have thee die! 1890 E. R. Esler Way of Transgressors III. xiv. 238, I will not have the merits of the poor forced upon me. Mod. I would not have it spoken about. |
† 19. a. intr. (for refl.) or absol. To betake oneself, go. Obs.
| c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 937 And ouȝt of þe chapell in gret hast he hedde. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1874) II. 260 Cryeng with lowde voyce: captayne abyde, haue in. 1849 Aytoun Lays, Heart of Bruce xxv, Have down, have down, my merry men all—Have down unto the plain. |
† b. have over: a call to a ferryman. Obs.
| 1590 Greene Never too late Wks. (Rtldg.) 300/1 ‘Have over, ferryman’, there cried a boy. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1862) I. 224 How happy are they who..can cry to Christ ‘Lord Jesus, have over: come and fetch the dreary passenger.’ 1756 Nugent Gr. Tour II. 238 Hanover..took its present name..because of a ferry here over the Leina, Hanover..signifying as much as have-over in English. |
20. intr. or absol. have at: To go at or get at, esp. in a hostile way; to have a stroke at, make an attempt at. Chiefly in imperative; app. 1st pers. plural, but often singular in sense, announcing the speaker's intent to get at or attack. So with other preps. as after, among, through, to, with.
| 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 2288 ‘Haf at þe þenne’, quod þat oþer. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1383 Hipsiphile, Haue at the Iason now thyn horn is blowe. a 1529 Skelton Bowge of Courte 391 Have at all that lyeth vpon the burde! 1546 J. Heywood Prov. (1867) 65 Haue among you blynd harpers (sayde I) The mo the merier. 1575 R. B. Appius & Virginia in Hazl. Dodsley IV. 119 Have with ye, have at ye, your manhood to try. Ibid. 138 Well, sith here is no company, have with ye to Jericho. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iv. viii. 63 Haue through the verie middest of you. 1600 ― A.Y.L. i. ii. 268 Cel. Will you goe Coze? Ros. Haue with you. 1602 ― Ham. i. iv. 89 Mar. Let's follow; 'tis not fit thus to obey him. Hor. Haue after, to what issue will this come? 1639 Fuller Holy War iii. xi. (1647) 128 He wintered in Askelon, intending next spring to have at Jerusalem. 1777 Sheridan Sch. Scand. iii. iii, Charles S. Careless..you shall be auctioneer; so come along with us. Careless. Oh, have with you, if that's the case. 1853 Reade Never too late xvi, Well, come here and I'll have at you in the vulgar tongue. |
**** Phrases.
21. Have is used in numerous phraseological expressions, which are treated under their distinctive words; e.g. to have ado, h. at avail, h. business, h. in charge, h. concern, h. course, h. done, to h. everything, have an eye on or to, h. a finger in, h. at one's finger ends, h. a hand in, h. in hand, h. on hand, h. a heart, h. at heart, as luck would h. it, h. a mind, h. on (clothes), have it out, h. part, h. recourse, h. under one's thumb, h. in view, what h. you, h. the wind of, etc.
***** Idiomatic uses.
22. a. The past Subjunctive had = would have, is used idiomatically with adjectives (or adverbs) in the comparative, as better, liefer, sooner, rather; in the superlative, as best, liefest; or in the positive with ‘as’, as good, as lief, as soon, as well, to express preference or comparative desirability.
In the earliest form of these expressions, in OE. the adjs. léofre, betre were construed with be and the dative, e.g. him wǽre betere = it would be better for him. In ME., side by side with this, appears have and the nominative, in the sense ‘he (I, etc.) would hold or find it better or preferable’. The use with the positive, and superlative, and the extension to rather are later; the use of as soon, sooner, well, is recent, since liefer and better began to be felt as adverbs. (See exhaustive treatment by F. Hall in Amer. Jrnl. Philol. II. 281.) The following instances illustrate this idiom generally; fuller illustration will be found under the several words.
| [O.E. Chron. an. 755 Þa cuædon hie þæt him næniᵹ mæᵹ leofra nære. 971 Blickl. Hom. 25 Him wære betere þæt he næfre ᵹeboren nære. c 1000 ælfric Gen. xxix. 19 Leofre me ys þæt ic hiᵹ sylle þe. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 172 Better him wer..in clostre haf led his life. c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 794 Yet were hym leuere abyde. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 306 He cast what thing him were best to do. c 1394 P. Pl. Crede 16 Þerfor lerne þe byleue leuest me were. 1614 W. Browne Sheph. Pipe Wks. (1772) 21 Leuer me were be slaine.] |
| c 1340 Cursor M. 6235 (Fairf.) We had leyuer [Cott. vs leuer ware] euermare to serue in egipte..þen in þe wildernes to dey. c 1340 Hampole Prose Tr. (1866) 25 Thei had welle lever haue bene stille. c 1386 Chaucer Friar's T. 276 An old rebekke, That hadde almoost as lief to lese hire nekke, As for to yeue a peny of hir good. c 1435 Torr. Portugal 1186 Better he had to have be away. 14.. Chester Pl. (E.E.T.S.) iii. 99, I had as lief thou sleppit. 1470–85 Malory Arthur (1817) II. 109 Of alle knyghtes..I had levest have you. 1478 Marg. Paston in Paston Lett. No. 818. III. 231, I had rather that ye never maryd in yowyr lyffe. 1485 Caxton Paris & V. 47 She had as leef to deye as to lyue. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. (1812) I. 168 They had rather that their lord therle shulde take..the kyng of Englandes doughter. a 1533 ― Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) L vij, I had rather to bee Cato. 1537 etc. [see better a. 4 b]. 1559 etc. [see best a. 4]. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. ii. ii. 36 Sconce call you it?.. I had rather haue it a head. 1595 True Tragedie, etc. in First Sketches (1843) 169, I thinke I had as good Goe with you. 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. iii. ii. 34, I had as liefe be a Brownist, as a Politician. 1665 Cotton Poet. Wks. (1765) 134 He had better, far..have been drown'd. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 287 ¶3 There had better be none at all. 1768 Goldsm. Good-n. Man ii. (Globe) 622/2 You had as good make a point of first giving away yourself. 1844 Mozley Ess. (1878) II. 27 You must give way; and you had as well do so voluntarily. 1844 B. Barton Selections (1849) xxvii, I had almost as well never have been a child. 1847 Marryat Childr. N. Forest xx, I had rather that you had fired through his arm. 1859 Trollope Bertrams (1867) 335 I'd as lief have an old man as a young one; perhaps liefer. 1878 W. H. Mallock New Republic 145, I had best not give her any. |
b. Formerly the indicative (present and past) was also thus used.
| c 1350 Will. Palerne 918, I haue leuer it layne. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus ii. 422 (471) Yet have I lever maken him good chere. c 1386 ― Frankl. T. 632 Yet haue I leuere to lese My lif, than [etc.]. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 93 This knight hath lever for to deie. 14.. St. Wenefrid in Hearne R. Brunne Pref. Append. xv, I have lever that thou do me to dethe then [etc.]. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 101, I haue leuer to quytte yow and gyue yow my parte. 1456–7 Past. Lett. No. 297 I. 407, I have lever other men go to the Dille..than I do. 1595 Sidney Apol. Poetrie (Arb.) 61 Poesie..like Venus..hath rather be troubled in the net with Mars, then enioy the homelie quiet of Vulcan. |
c. Confusion of the two forms of expression produced he (I, etc.) were better (see be v. 19), and him (me, etc.) had liefer, rather.
| 13.. Coer de L. 3502 Hym hadde lever have ben at home. 13.. Syr Degarre in Utterson Pop. Poetry I. 139 Me had lever..That I were fayre out of this lande. c 1386 Chaucer Clerk's T. 388 Al had hir leuer han had a knaue childe. 1593 Shakes. Rich. II, iii. iii. 192 Me rather had, my Heart might feele your Love, Than [etc.]. |
23. had like (liked, likely) to: see like. had need to: see need.
II. As an auxiliary verb. As in the other Germanic (and Romanic) languages, the various moods and tenses of have are used with the pa. pple. of another verb, to form a series of compound or ‘perfect’ tenses of the latter, expressing action already finished at the time indicated, and answering to the Latin perfect tenses dedi, dederam, dedero, dedisse, etc.
This use arose directly from sense 2 b, the object possessed having in agreement with it a passive participle of a transitive verb as attribute or complement; thus, I have my work done = ‘I possess or have my work in a done or finished condition’, whence, by inference of antecedent action from result, the actual sense ‘I have done my work’: cf. the series ‘have you the article ready?’, ‘have you the article completed?’, ‘have you completed the article?’ In some dialects the distinction between the original and developed forms, e.g. ‘He has the house built’, ‘he has built the house’, is still in regular use; with some past participles, as begun, completed, done, finished, etc., it is recognized generally. With transitive verbs the developed use was already frequent in OE.; the pa. pple., which originally agreed in number and case with the object, was sometimes left uninflected. In early ME. the usage is found with verbs of action without an object, whence it was extended to intransitive verbs, especially, at an early date, to the verb to be (as in French and other Romanic languages, and in opposition to continental Teutonic use), as he has been, had been, will have been, etc. (cf. F. il a été, Ger. er ist gewesen). Verbs of motion and position long retained the earlier use of the auxiliary be; and he is gone is still used to express resulting state, while he has gone expresses action. See be 14 b.
24. The present tense of have, forms a present of completed action, or ‘present perfect’. a. To a trans. vb. with object.
Here in origin and form belongs I have got, colloquially used for I have: see get v.
| 832 Charter in Sweet O.E. Texts 447 Ðis..ðet ic beboden hebbe in ðisem ᵹewrite. c 1000 ælfric Gen. xlii. 36 Bearnleasne ᵹe habbaþ me ᵹedonne. ― Exod. v. 21 ᵹe habbaþ us ᵹedon laþe Pharaone. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 69 Ic habbe ifunde hu me mei in sunne ben ibunde. c 1200 Ormin 4458 Himm haffst tu slaȝenn. a 1225 Juliana 33 Mi feader and mi moder..habbe forsake me. a 1300 Cursor M. 5182 Ha yee broght him wit yow? ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 71–2 The briddes, that haven lefte her song, While thei han suffrid cold so strong. c 1410 Love Bonavent. Mirr. xii. 30 (Gibbs MS.) Dere sone what hastow done to vs? c 1450 Merlin 25 Sithe that Vortiger hath do sle oure kynge. 1584 D. Powel Lloyd's Cambria 61 Hauing burnt Holyhed. 1652 Sir C. Cotterell Cassandra ii. (1676) 20 An opinion that ha's mortally offended me. 1726 Leoni Alberti's Archit. II. 2/2 The having satisfied necessity is a very small matter. 1796 J. Owen Trav. Europe I. 274 One of those objects which it is more pleasant to have seen, than to see. 1847 Marryat Childr. N. Forest vi, I've got a great deal on my hands now. 1876 Mozley Univ. Serm. v. (1877) 118 I was open to Christianity to have prohibited property and war. |
b. Extended to verbs of action without object.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 77 We habbeð bigunnen ou to seggen..hwat bi-qu[e]þ þe crede. c 1200 Ormin 11 Icc hafe don swa summ þu badd. c 1400 Apol. Loll. 6 It is knowun þat many popis han synnyd, & ben snibbid. 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. (1580) 133 Els [thei] came of a meaner house then wee have dooen. 1809–10 Wordsw. in Coleridge Friend (1837) III. 23 Every age hath abounded in instances. |
c. Extended to intransitive verbs generally. Used at an early date with been, pa. pple, of be, and hence with the passive voice. With verbs of motion later, partly displacing be as auxiliary.
| c 1205 Lay. 8325 Twien þu hafuest ibeon ouer-cummen. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 3 Engelond haþ i be y nome..ylome. c 1300 Beket 133 Lute we habbeth togadere ibeo. c 1300 St. Margarete 180 Þe were betere habbe bileued atom. c 1300 Harrow. Hell. 43 Hard gates hauy gon. c 1340 Cursor M. 6050 (Fairf.) Yet ys pharaon als he as bene & ay wille be. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 387 Bot rather ha stoud by hurr' futt stylt. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. xviii. 24 The Englisshe..made semblaunt to haue come to them. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. x. 12 b, Having sojourned there a night. 1722 De Foe Plague (1756) 174 What I found to ha' been the Case. 1826 J. Wilson Noct. Ambr. Wks. 1856 I. 174 Things hae really come to a queer pass. 1882 L. Keith Alasnam's Lady III. 165 Why haven't you been to see me? |
d. (I) have and (I) haven't: a phrase indicating that a statement is true in some respects but not in others.
| 1858 Trollope Dr. Thorne II. xiv. 282 ‘Have you spoken to my niece about this, Sir Louis?’ ‘Well, I have, and yet I haven't; I haven't, and yet in a manner I have.’ 1910 J. Buchan Prester John vi. 108 ‘Had the man any news?’ I asked. ‘He had and he hadn't.’ 1933 A. Christie Ld. Edgware Dies iii. 31 ‘You have a problem for me—yes?’.. ‘Well,..I have and I haven't.’ 1967 ‘L. Bruce’ Death of Commuter v. 58 ‘You haven't got any suspicions about Mr. Parador's death, have you?’.. ‘Well, I have and I haven't.’ |
25. The past of have forms a past tense of completed action or ‘pluperfect’. a. With transitive verb and object.
| a 800 O.E. Chron. an. 755 Oþ þæt hie hine ofslæᵹenne [Laud MS. ofslæᵹen] hæfdon. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 221 Þaða he ȝesceapen hafede. c 1200 Ormin 354 Hiss faderr..haffde itt all forrworrpenn. c 1325 Metr. Hom. 86 That joy that he hafd tinte. 1382 Wyclif Wisd. xi. 20 The hurting hadde mouȝt destroȝed them. 1582 Bentley Mon. Matrones ii. 15 Thou hadest chosen me for thy wife. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 393, I had thought I had ended this Chapter and our Persian Expedition. 1676 Ray Corr. (1848) 123, I had not blamed him had he acknowledged his authors. Mod. Had you met him before? Who had caused the disturbance? |
b. With active verbs without object, and with intransitive and passive verbs.
| c 1205 Lay. 112 Heuede Eneas..widen iwalken. a 1240 Lofsong in Cott. Hom. 213 Hefdich ȝare so idon. c 1275 O.E. Misc. 37 He hedde so longe ibeo ine wrecche lyue þisse. a 1300 Cursor M. 14256 Had þou her wit vs bene Mi broþer had noght ben ded, i wen. c 1440 York Myst. xv. 111 Als myn harte wolde, and I had ought. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. xvi. 17 They had soiourned there in great ease. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 46 The Company had no doubt been enriched..had it not beene prevented, by a Rascall. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) II. 190 It did not return me sensation for sensation, as my former feelings had done. 1802 M. Edgeworth Moral T. (1816) I. i. 1 He had been taught to dislike politeness. |
26. The compound tenses (shall have, will have, should have, etc.) are similarly employed.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 11 Ec crist hit walde habben idon. a 1300 Cursor M. 438 If he cuth hafe born it wele. 1307 Elegy Edw. I, viii, So fain thou woldest hit han ywonne. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 536 Þ{supt} he shulnot havy come to þ{supt} joyfull place. 1461 J. Paston in P. Lett. No. 384 II. 4 Brybers that wold a robbed a ship. 1611 Shakes. Cymb. ii. iv. 42, I should haue lost the worth of it in Gold. 1722 De Foe Plague (1756) 186 Multitudes..wou'd ha' been continually running up and down the Streets. Ibid., The Person..wou'd as certainly ha' been incurably infected. |
¶ In 15th and 16th c. (and later U.S. dial.) occur many instances of redundant have, had, in the compound tenses.
| 1442 Bp. Bekynton in Official Corr. II. 213 He might never have had escaped. 1470–85 Malory Arthur (1817) I. 152 Had not he have be, we shold never have retorned. c 1482 W. Paston in Paston Lett. No. 867 III. 297 Sir John..wold have largely have recompensed. 1509 J. Style in Mem. Hen. VII, 433 The sayd kyng had not so sone have returnyd. 1627–77 Feltham Resolves (1696) 37 Cleanthes might well have fail'd..had not accident have helped him. 1768 Sterne Sent. Journ. I. (The Monk, Calais), Nature seemed to have had done with her resentments in him. 1816 U. Brown Jrnl. in Maryland Hist. Mag. (1915) X. 282 If this forest had never have been fired it would have been a vast..Timbered country. 1869 Trans. Ill. Agric. Soc. VII. 444 If said hogs had, in style of Hanlon Brothers, have stood one on the other. 1911 J. F. Wilson Land Claimers i. 17 ‘If the fire hadn't have gone out,’ he mused. |
III. 27. Comb. (mostly nonce-wds.) † have-at-all (cf. sense 20), ‘a desperate risk: a phrase taken from the practice of gamblers’ (Nares); also of a person (quot. 1742). have-been, something that has been but is no longer; a thing belonging to the past: cf. has-been; so had-been, that had been at a former time. have-got: see have n. 2. † have-likeness, ? the possession of likeness or resemblance. have-not: see have n. 2. have-on slang = have n. 3 (cf. sense 15 d). have-something, one who has something; so have-nothing.
| 1622 Good Newes & Bad N. (N.), Her dearest knight..What with his debts, and what with *have at all, Lay hidden like a savage in his den, For feare of bayliffes, sergeants, marshals men. a 1634 Randolph Muses Looking-Glasse (N.), But you will starve yourselfe, that when y' are rotten, One have at all of mine may set it flying. And I will have your bones cut into dice, And make you guilty of the spending of it. 1742 Nash in Guide Watering Places (1806) ix, That the younger ladies take notice how many eyes observe them.—N.B. this does not extend to the Have at Alls. |
| 1874 Daily News 21 Oct., Swept into the *have-beens. 1892 Sir H. Maxwell Meridiana 9, I am a have-been—a phantom—a mere simulacrum. |
| 1835 Willis Pencillings I. xii. 93 A *had-been beautiful woman. |
| 1674 N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. 52 Such an *have-likeness being as needful on the behalf of the organ and object both. |
| 1931 T. R. G. Lyell Slang 372 Have or *have on, a swindle; a mild joke to deceive a person. 1967 Listener 16 Feb. 237/3 Puns, tropes, polyglot have-ons, batty new coinings. |
| 1842 Miall in Nonconf. I. 280 All the *have-somethings would be earnest to impart knowledge. |
▪ II. have, n.
(hæv)
[f. prec. vb.]
1. Having, possession. Obs. exc. as nonce-wd.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 217 Man hoh..of þan þe god him haueð lend loc to chirche bringen..and wurðin þer-mide godes bord alse his haue beð. a 1605 Montgomerie Misc. Poems xlii. 11 For haif, ȝe heir, is haldin half a fill. 1860 Emerson Cond. Life, Wealth Wks. (Bohn) II. 358 Want is a growing giant, whom the coat of Have was never large enough to cover. |
2. colloq. One who has or possesses; one belonging to the wealthier class. Also, a nation or country that has or possesses; one of the wealthier nations. (Usually in pl.; and in conjunction with have-not.) Also attrib. and (occas.) have-got.
| 1836 Lytton Athens (1837) I. 328 The division..of the Rich and the Poor—the Havenots and the Haves. 1888 Bryce Amer. Commw. II. iii. liii. 338 In the hostility of rich and poor, or of capital and labour, in the fears of the Haves and the desire of the Have-nots. 1896 Westm. Gaz. 23 Apr. 7/1 An excellent thing it was to see the Not-Have and the Have colloguing over the wrongs of the people. 1919 J. L. Garvin Econ. Found. Peace xvi. 375 They contemplate a World-Federation when the international League of the Have-Nots has conquered all the Haves. 1937 E. Snow Red Star over China vi. iii. 227 The Reds..radically changed the situation for..all the ‘have-not’ elements. 1949 Koestler Insight & Outlook xvi. 227 The equalization of the steep gradients..between have and have-not nations. 1955 Bull. Atomic Sci. Jan. 3/2 The proposal is for the atomic ‘haves’ to contribute crucial materials and at least some limited amount of technical information to the ‘have nots’. 1959 Brno Studies I. 70 The sharp distinction..between the ‘have-gots’ and the ‘have-nots’ was soon felt in politics. 1959 Times 29 Sept. 18/5 Algerian oil is expected to change France from an oil ‘have-not’ to a ‘have’. 1962 Listener 5 July 29/3 The greatest of the ‘have’ powers. Ibid. 30/1 The Soviet Union is a ‘have’ society that ought to be more generous. 1963 Ibid. 21 Mar. 487/1 Russia was becoming a ‘have-got’ power herself with a productive capacity second only to that of the United States. 1965 H. Kahn On Escalation xiii. 244 A ‘have’ nation might perceive a situation that threatened its possessions as a crisis. 1968 Punch 22 May 757/3 The country had a one-crop economy; the more cocoa it exported, the less the ‘have’ nations were willing to pay for it. |
3. slang. ‘A swindle; a take-in; a do’ (Farmer Slang). Cf. have v. 15 c.
▪ III. have
obs. pa. tense of heave v.