have

UK: hæv | US: hæv

Definition
  1. vt. to possess, own, or hold

  2. vt. to experience or undergo (e.g., have a headache)

  3. vt. to cause or compel (e.g., have someone do something)

  4. aux. used to form perfect tenses (e.g., I have eaten)

Structure

No data yet.

Etymology

The word "have" traces back to Old English habban, from Proto-Germanic habjaną ("to hold, possess"). It shares roots with German haben and Dutch hebben. Unlike many verbs, "have" resisted significant morphological splitting in English, retaining its compact form while expanding in grammatical function (e.g., auxiliary use in perfect tenses). Its core meaning of possession logically extended to abstract experiences (e.g., "have an idea") and causative actions.

Examples
  1. I have two cats and a dog.

  2. She has a meeting at 3 PM.

  3. They had their car repaired yesterday.

  4. We have visited Paris three times.

  5. Do you have any questions?