–adverb

1.	in what way or manner; by what means?: How did the accident happen?

2.	to what extent, degree, etc.?: How damaged is the car?

3.	in what state or condition?: How are you?

4.	for what reason; why?: How can you talk such nonsense?

5.	to what effect; with what meaning?: How is one to interpret his action?

6.	what?: How do you mean? If they don't have vanilla, how about chocolate?

7.	(used as an intensifier): How seldom I go there!

8.	by what title or name?: How does one address the president?

9.	at what price: How are the new cars going, cheaper than last year's models?

10.	by what amount or in what measure or quantity?: How do you sell these tomatoes?

11.	in what form or shape?: How does the demon appear in the first act of the opera? How does the medication come?

–conjunction

12.	the manner or way in which: He couldn't figure out how to solve the problem.

13.	about the manner, condition, or way in which: I don't care how you leave your desk when you go. Be careful how you act.

14.	in whatever manner or way; however: You can travel how you please.

1 3e8 5.

Informal. that: He told us how he was honest and could be trusted.

–noun

16.	a question concerning the way or manner in which something is done, achieved, etc.: a child's unending whys and hows.

17.	a way or manner of doing something: to consider all the hows and wherefores.

18.	a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter H.

—Idioms

19.	and how! Informal. certainly! you bet!: Am I happy? And how!

20.	Here's how, Informal. (used as a toast).

21.	how come? Informal. how is it that? why?: How come you never visit us anymore?

22.	how so? how does it happen to be so? why?: You haven't any desire to go? How so?

–verb (used with object)

1.	to form into a legal corporation.

2.	to put or introduce into a body or mass as an integral part or parts: to incorporate revisions into a text.

3.	to take in or include as a part or parts, as the body or a mass does: His book incorporates his earlier essay.

4.	to form or combine into one body o 76c r uniform substance, as ingredients.

5.	to embody: His book incorporates all his thinking on the subject.

6.	to form into a society or organization.

–verb (used without object)

7.	to form a legal corporation.

8.	to unite or combine so as to form one body.

–adjective

9.	legally incorporated, as a company.

10.	combined into one body, mass, or substance.

11.	Archaic. embodied.

O.E. bisignisse (Northumbrian) "care, anxiety," from bisig "careful, anxious, busy, occupied" (see busy) + -ness. Sense of "work, occupation" is first recorded 1387. Sense of "trade, commercial engagements" is first attested 1727. Modern two-syllable pronunciation is 17c. Business card first attested 1840.