Alison

ask for definition   Tue Mar 07, 2006 3:35 pm GMT
Can you use "what's the meaning of so-and-so" to ask the definition of a word?
My gues is you can't, although I saw someone did.
Thanks.
Ben   Tue Mar 07, 2006 4:42 pm GMT
Yeh, that's fine, although, not used very much.

Ben.
maria   Wed Mar 08, 2006 5:59 am GMT
According to my understanding,we use "what's the meaning of so-and-so"for knowing just the meaning....but for definition we want to explain about that subject more &more....so should use whats the definition of ..?
If im wrong plz correct me.....
Guest   Wed Mar 08, 2006 6:30 am GMT
You can ask the question a number of ways:

What's the meaning of ... ?
What does ... mean?
What's the definition of ... ? (sounds more formal)
Guest   Wed Mar 08, 2006 6:44 am GMT
By the way, "so-and-so" can only refer to a person, not a thing. You would have to say "What does SUCH-AND-SUCH mean?"
Alison   Wed Mar 08, 2006 6:51 am GMT
Thank you so much, Guest, and your inducing question, maria.