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any which way

 - 2 dictionary results

an⋅y

[en-ee]
–adjective
1. one, a, an, or some; one or more without specification or identification: If you have any witnesses, produce them. Pick out any six you like.
2. whatever or whichever it may be: cheap at any price.
3. in whatever quantity or number, great or small; some: Do you have any butter?
4. every; all: Any schoolboy would know that. Read any books you find on the subject.
5. (following a negative) at all: She can't endure any criticism.
–pronoun
6. an unspecified person or persons; anybody; anyone: He does better than any before him.
7. a single one or ones; an unspecified thing or things; a quantity or number: We don't have any left.
–adverb
8. in whatever degree; to some extent; at all: Do you feel any better?
9. any which way, in any manner whatever; indifferently or carelessly: Doing your work any which way is just not good enough.

Origin:
bef. 950; ME eni, ani, OE ǣnig (OE ān one + -ig -y 1 )


3. See some.


See anybody, anyone, anyplace, anyway, either, they.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

any 
O.E. ænig "any, anyone," lit. "one-y," from P.Gmc. *ainagas (cf. O.S. enig, O.N. einigr, O.Fris. enich, Du. enig, Ger. einig). Thr -y may have dim. force here. Any old is from 1896. Combinations anywise, anyone, anything date back to O.E.; anywhere is from c.1300; anybody 1490; anyway 1570 (but anyways, with adverbial genitive, is from 1560); anyhow 1740; anyplace 1934. Anywhen (1831) is rarely used.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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