was

verb

first and third person singular past of be.

1. exist.

   there are no easy answers

   there once was a man

   there must be something wrong

   I think, therefore I am

2. occur; take place.

   the exhibition will be in November

   the opening event is on October 16

   that was before the war

3. having the state, quality, identity, nature, role, etc., specified.

   Amy was 91

   the floor was uneven

   I want to be a teacher

   father was not well

   it will be Christmas soon

   ‘Be careful,’ Mr Carter said

4. say.

   last time I saw her she was all ‘You need to quit smoking!’

1. used with a present participle to form continuous tenses.

   they are coming

   he had been reading

   she will be waiting

2. used with a past participle to form the passive voice.

   it was done

   it is said

   his book will be published

3. used to indicate something that is due or destined to happen.

   construction is to begin next summer

   his mum was never to see him win

4. used with the past participle of intransitive verbs to form perfect tenses.

   I am returned

Old English bēon, an irregular and defective verb, whose full conjugation derives from several originally distinct verbs. The forms am and is are from an Indo-European root shared by Latin sum and est . The forms was and were are from an Indo-European root meaning ‘remain’. The forms be and been are from an Indo-European root shared by Latin fui ‘I was’, fio ‘I become’, and Greek phuein ‘bring forth, cause to grow’. The origin of are is uncertain.

1. a member of a hill people living on the borders of China and Burma (Myanmar).
2. the language of the Wa, belonging to the Mon-Khmer family.