was

past tense first- and third-person singular of be

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English, wæs, 1st & 3rd singular past indicative of wesan to be; akin to Old Norse vera to be, var was, Sanskrit vasati he lives, dwells

Dictionary Entries Near was

Cite this Entry

“Was.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/was. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

was

past 1st & 3rd singular of be

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