Whole \Whole\, a. [OE. hole, hol, hal, hool, AS. h[=a]l well,
sound, healthy; akin to OFries. & OS. h?l, D. heel, G. heil,
Icel. heill, Sw. hel whole, Dan. heel, Goth. hails well,
sound, OIr. c?l augury. Cf. Hale, Hail to greet, Heal
to cure, Health, Holy.]
1. Containing the total amount, number, etc.; comprising all
the parts; free from deficiency; all; total; entire; as,
the whole earth; the whole solar system; the whole army;
the whole nation. ``On their whole host I flew unarmed.''
--Milton.
The whole race of mankind. --Shak.
2. Complete; entire; not defective or imperfect; not broken
or fractured; unimpaired; uninjured; integral; as, a whole
orange; the egg is whole; the vessel is whole.
My life is yet whole in me. --2 Sam. i. 9.
3. Possessing, or being in a state of, heath and soundness;
healthy; sound; well.
[She] findeth there her friends hole and sound.
--Chaucer.
They that be whole need not a physician. --Matt. ix.
12.
When Sir Lancelot's deadly hurt was whole.
--Tennyson.
Whole blood. (Law of Descent) See under Blood, n., 2.
Whole note (Mus.), the note which represents a note of
longest duration in common use; a semibreve.
Whole number (Math.), a number which is not a fraction or
mixed number; an integer.
Whole snipe (Zo["o]l.), the common snipe, as distinguished
from the smaller jacksnipe. [Prov. Eng.]
Syn: All; total; complete; entire; integral; undivided;
uninjured; unimpaired; unbroken; healthy.
Usage: Whole, Total, Entire, Complete. When we use
the word whole, we refer to a thing as made up of
parts, none of which are wanting; as, a whole week; a
whole year; the whole creation. When we use the word
total, we have reference to all as taken together, and
forming a single totality; as, the total amount; the
total income. When we speak of a thing as entire, we
have no reference to parts at all, but regard the
thing as an integer, i. e., continuous or unbroken;
as, an entire year; entire prosperity. When we speak
of a thing as complete, there is reference to some
progress which results in a filling out to some end or
object, or a perfected state with no deficiency; as,
complete success; a complete victory.
All the whole army stood agazed on him. --Shak.
One entire and perfect chrysolite. --Shak.
Lest total darkness should by night regain Her
old possession, and extinguish life. --Milton.
So absolute she seems, And in herself complete.
--Milton.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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