different between once vs whatever

English

Etymology

From Middle English ones (genitive of on (“one”) used adverbally), from Old English ?nes (“of one”), genitive of ?n (“one”). Compare Old Saxon ?nes (“once”), Old High German ein?st (“once”) (German einst). More at one (including regarding the development of the pronunciation) and -s.

Pronunciation

• enPR: w?n(t)s, IPA^(key): /w?n(t)s/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /w?n(t)s/, /w?n(t)s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /w?n(t)s/
• Rhymes: -?ns

Adverb

once (not comparable)

1. (frequency) One and only one time.

2. (temporal location) Formerly; during some period in the past.
3. (mathematics) Multiplied by one: indicating that a number is multiplied by one.

4. (obsolete) at any time; ever;

   • The wisdom of God thought fit to acquaint David with that court which we shall once govern.

   If the facts once became known, we'd be in trouble.

Synonyms

• (one time): See Thesaurus:once
• (formerly): See Thesaurus:formerly

Coordinate terms

• (one time): twice, thrice, often, never, seldom
• (formerly): yesterday, tomorrow

Derived terms

• Christmas comes but once a year
• once-in-a-lifetime

Translations

See also

• at once
• once again, once more
• once and for all
• once in a blue moon
• once in a while
• once removed
• once upon a time

Conjunction

once

1. As soon as; when; after.

   We'll get a move on once we find the damn car keys!

   Once you have obtained the elven bow, return to the troll bridge and trade it for the sleeping potion.

   Once he is married, he will be able to claim the inheritance.

Translations

Anagrams

• Coen, Cone, Econ., Noce, ceno-, coen-, cone, cœn-, econ, econ.

Aragonese

Alternative forms

• onze

Etymology

From Latin ?ndecim.

Numeral

once

1. eleven

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin ?ndecim.

Numeral

once (indeclinable)

1. eleven

Derived terms

• oncenu

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??s/

Etymology 1

From Latin uncia.

Noun

once f (plural onces)

1. ounce (avoirdupois ounce)
2. (figuratively, by extension) a little bit

Etymology 2

From Old French lonce which became l'once (la + once), itself from Vulgar Latin *luncea, from Latin lynx, ultimately from Ancient Greek ???? (lúnx), or possibly borrowed from Italian lonza.

Noun

once f (plural onces)

1. snow leopard

Anagrams

• cône, noce

Further reading

• “once” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin uncia.

Noun

once f (plural oncis)

1. ounce

Galician

Etymology

From Old Portuguese onze, from Latin ?ndecim.

Pronunciation

Numeral

once (indeclinable)

1. eleven

Italian

Noun

once f

1. plural of oncia

Anagrams

• ceno, cenò, noce

Middle English

Adverb

once

1. Alternative form of ones

Spanish

Alternative forms

• onze (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /?on?e/, [?õn?.?e]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America) /?onse/, [?õn.se]

Etymology 1

From Old Spanish onze, ondze, from Latin ?ndecim.

Numeral

once

1. eleven

Derived terms

• onceno

Descendants

• ? Cebuano: onse
• ? Tagalog: onse

Etymology 2

Snacks were typically taken at 11 am.

Noun

once f (plural onces)

1. (Latin America) elevenses, snack (bread with tea or coffee)

Further reading

• “once” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Etymology

what +? -ever

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??t??v?/, /w?t??v?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /w?t??v?/, /w????v?/
• Rhymes: -?v?(r)

Unusually, the /t/ in whatever may be flapped in certain dialects, despite preceding a stressed syllable.

Determiner

whatever

1. no matter what; for any

2. (relative) Anything that.

Derived terms

• whateverism
• whateverness
• whatsoever

Related terms

• whatever creams your twinkie
• whatever floats your boat
• whatever it takes

Translations

Pronoun

whatever

1. No matter what; for any

2. (relative) Anything; sometimes used to indicate that the speaker does not care about options.

Translations

Interjection

whatever

2. (colloquial, dismissive) A holophrastic expression used discourteously to indicate that the speaker does not consider the matter worthy of further discussion.

Usage notes

• Tone of voice is particularly important here in playing up or playing down the dismissive quality of the word.

Synonyms

• so what
• whoopee do
• meh
• whatev

Translations

Adjective

whatever (comparative more whatever, superlative most whatever)

1. (colloquial) Unexceptional or unimportant; blah.
2. (dated, postpositive) At all, absolutely, whatsoever.
   • 1864, Charles Piazzi Smyth, Our Inheritance in the Great Pyramid (page 207)

     So then arose the horrible confusion perpetuated ever since, of perversely different kinds of weights, jostling each other in Britain; Troy weight and Avoirdupois weight and Apothecaries' weight, wherein or whereamongst every one is at sea with regard to testing them, and no one whatever is satisfied.

Noun

whatever (plural whatevers)

1. (colloquial) Something whose exact kind or nature is unimportant; a thingy.
   • 2003, David Soubly, Santa, CEO (page 91)

     How would you feel if you're a plant elf, and your daily bonus is tied to the number of whatevers you produce, and then this big clumsy thing barges in and knocks your rate back for the whole week?

Related terms

References

• whatever at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• everwhat