Anything \A"ny*thing\, n.
1. Any object, act, state, event, or fact whatever; thing of
any kind; something or other; aught; as, I would not do it
for anything.
Did you ever know of anything so unlucky? --A.
Trollope.
They do not know that anything is amiss with them.
--W. G.
Sumner.
2. Expressing an indefinite comparison; -- with as or like.
[Colloq. or Lowx]
I fear your girl will grow as proud as anything.
--Richardson.
Note: Any thing, written as two words, is now commonly used
in contradistinction to any person or anybody. Formerly
it was also separated when used in the wider sense.
``Necessity drove them to undertake any thing and
venture any thing.'' --De Foe.
Anything but, not at all or in any respect. ``The battle
was a rare one, and the victory anything but secure.''
--Hawthorne.
Anything like, in any respect; at all; as, I can not give
anything like a fair sketch of his trials.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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