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fol⋅low

[fol-oh]

–verb (used with object)

1.	to come after in sequence, order of time, etc.: The speech follows the dinner.

2.	to go or come after; move behind in the same direction: Drive ahead, and I'll follow you.

3.	to accept as a guide or leader; accept the authority of or give allegiance to: Many Germans followed Hitler.

4.	to conform to, comply with, or act in accordance with; obey: to follow orders; to follow advice.

5.	to imitate or copy; use as an exemplar: They follow the latest fads.

6.	to move forward along (a road, path, etc.): Follow this road for a mile.

7.	to come after as a result or consequence; result from: Reprisals often follow victory.

8.	to go after or along with (a person) as companion.

9.	to go in pursuit of: to follow an enemy.

10.	to try for or attain to: to follow an ideal.

11.	to engage in or be concerned with as a pursuit: He followed the sea as his true calling.

12.	to watch the movements, progress, or course of: to follow a bird in flight.

13.	to watch the development of or keep up with: to follow the news.

14.	to keep up with and understand (an argument, story, etc.): Do you follow me?

–verb (used without object)

15.	to come next after something else in sequence, order of time, etc.

16.	to happen or occur after something else; come next as an event: After the defeat great disorder followed.

17.	to attend or serve.

18.	to go or come after a person or thing in motion.

19.	to result as an effect; occur as a consequence: It follows then that he must be innocent.

–noun

20.	the act of following.

21.	Billiards, Pool. follow shot (def. 2).

22.	follow-up (def. 3).

—Verb phrases

23.	follow out, to carry to a conclusion; execute: They followed out their orders to the letter.

24.

follow through,

a.	to carry out fully, as a stroke of a club in golf, a racket in tennis, etc.

b.	to continue an effort, plan, proposal, policy, etc., to its completion.

25.

follow up,

a.	to pursue closely and tenaciously.

b.	to increase the effectiveness of by further action or repetition.

c.	to pursue to a solution or conclusion.

—Idiom

26.	follow suit. suit (def. 13).

Origin:
bef. 900; ME folwen, OE folgian; c. OS folgon, OHG folgēn, folgōn (G folgen)

Related forms:

fol⋅low⋅a⋅ble, adjective

Synonyms:
3. obey. 4. heed, observe. 8. accompany, attend. 9. pursue, chase; trail, track, trace. 19. arise, proceed. Follow, ensue, result, succeed imply coming after something else, in a natural sequence. Follow is the general word: We must wait to see what follows. A detailed account follows. Ensue implies a logical sequence, what might be expected normally to come after a given act, cause, etc.: When the power lines were cut, a paralysis of transportation ensued. Result emphasizes the connection between a cause or event and its effect, consequence, or outcome: The accident resulted in injuries to those involved. Succeed implies coming after in time, particularly coming into a title, office, etc.: Formerly the oldest son succeeded to his father's title.

Antonyms:
1. precede. 2, 3. lead. 4. disregard. 9. flee.

fol⋅low-up

[fol-oh-uhp]

–noun

1.	the act of following up.

2.	an action or thing that serves to increase the effectiveness of a previous one, as a second or subsequent letter, phone call, or visit.

Also called follow. Journalism.

a.	a news story providing additional information on a story or article previously published.

b.	Also called sidebar, supplementary story. a minor news story used to supplement a related story of major importance. Compare feature story (def. 1), human-interest story, shirttail.

–adjective

4.	designed or serving to follow up, esp. to increase the effectiveness of a previous action: a follow-up interview; a follow-up offer.

5.	of or pertaining to action that follows an initial treatment, course of study, etc.: follow-up care for mental patients; a follow-up survey.

Origin:
1920–25; n., adj. use of v. phrase follow up

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To follow

fol·low (fŏl'ō)

v. fol·lowed, fol·low·ing, fol·lows

v. tr.

To come or go after; proceed behind: Follow the usher to your seat.
1. To go after in or as if in pursuit: "The wrong she had done followed her and haunted her dream" (Katherine Anne Porter).
2. To keep under surveillance: followed the suspect around town.
3. To move along the course of; take: We followed a path to the shore.
4. To go in the direction of; be guided by: followed the sun westward across the plains; followed the signs to the zoo.
5. To act in agreement or compliance with; obey: follow the rules; follow one's instincts.
6. To keep to or stick to: followed the recipe; follow a diet.
7. To watch or observe closely: followed the bird through binoculars.
8. To be attentive to; pay close heed to: too sleepy to follow the sermon.
9. To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of: follow the stock market; followed the local teams.
1. To move along the course of; take: We followed a path to the shore.
2. To go in the direction of; be guided by: followed the sun westward across the plains; followed the signs to the zoo.
3. To act in agreement or compliance with; obey: follow the rules; follow one's instincts.
4. To keep to or stick to: followed the recipe; follow a diet.
5. To watch or observe closely: followed the bird through binoculars.
6. To be attentive to; pay close heed to: too sleepy to follow the sermon.
7. To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of: follow the stock market; followed the local teams.
To accept the guidance, command, or leadership of: follow a spiritual master; rebels who refused to follow their commander.
To adhere to; practice: followed family traditions.
To take as a model or precedent; imitate: followed my example and resigned.
1. To act in agreement or compliance with; obey: follow the rules; follow one's instincts.
2. To keep to or stick to: followed the recipe; follow a diet.
3. To watch or observe closely: followed the bird through binoculars.
4. To be attentive to; pay close heed to: too sleepy to follow the sermon.
5. To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of: follow the stock market; followed the local teams.
To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at.
To come after in order, time, or position: Night follows day.
To bring something about at a later time than or as a consequence of: She followed her lecture with a question-and-answer period. The band followed its hit record with a tour.
To occur or be evident as a consequence of: Your conclusion does not follow your premise.
1. To watch or observe closely: followed the bird through binoculars.
2. To be attentive to; pay close heed to: too sleepy to follow the sermon.
3. To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of: follow the stock market; followed the local teams.
To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand: Do you follow my argument?

v. intr.

To come, move, or take place after another person or thing in order or time.
To occur or be evident as a consequence; result: If you ignore your diet, trouble will follow.
To grasp the meaning or reasoning of something; understand.

The act or an instance of following.
Games A billiards shot in which the cue ball is struck above center so that it follows the path of the object ball after impact.
Sports To carry a stroke to natural completion after hitting or releasing a ball or other object.
To carry an act, project, or intention to completion; pursue fully: followed through on her promise to reorganize the department.
To carry to completion; follow through on: followed up their recommendations with concrete proposals.
To increase the effectiveness or enhance the success of by further action: followed up her interview with an e-mail.

Phrasal Verb(s):
follow alongTo move or proceed in unison or in accord with an example: followed along with the song.
follow through

Sports To carry a stroke to natural completion after hitting or releasing a ball or other object.
To carry an act, project, or intention to completion; pursue fully: followed through on her promise to reorganize the department.

follow up

To carry to completion; follow through on: followed up their recommendations with concrete proposals.
To increase the effectiveness or enhance the success of by further action: followed up her interview with an e-mail.

Idiom(s):
as followsAs will be stated next. Used to introduce a specified enumeration, explanation, or command.

Idiom(s):
follow (one's) nose

To move straight ahead or in a direct path.
Informal To be guided by instinct: had no formal training but became a success by following his nose.

Idiom(s):
follow suit

Games To play a card of the same suit as the one led.
To do as another has done; follow an example.

[Middle English folowen, from Old English folgian.]

Synonyms: These verbs mean to come after something or someone. Follow, which has the widest application, can refer to coming after in time or order, as a consequence or result, or by the operation of logic: Night follows day. He disregarded doctor's orders, and a relapse followed. Because she decries violence, it follows that she won't carry a gun. To succeed is to come next after another, especially in planned order determined by considerations such as rank, inheritance, or election: The heir apparent succeeded to the throne.
Ensue usually applies to what is a consequence or logical development: After the government was toppled, chaos ensued.
Result implies that what follows is caused by what has preceded: Failure to file an income tax return can result in a fine.
Supervene, in contrast, refers to something that is often unexpected and that has little relation to what has preceded: "A bad harvest supervened" (Charlotte Brontë).

Usage Note: As follows (not as follow) is the established form of the idiom regardless of whether the noun that precedes it is singular or plural: The regulations are as follows.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Follow

Fol"low\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Followed; p. pr. & vb. n. Following.][OE. foluwen, folwen, folgen, AS. folgian, fylgean, fylgan; akin to D. volgen, OHG. folg?n, G. folgen, Icel. fylgja, Sw. f["o]lja, Dan. f["o]lge, and perh. to E. folk.]

1. To go or come after; to move behind in the same path or direction; hence, to go with (a leader, guide, etc.); to accompany; to attend.

It waves me forth again; I'll follow it. --Shak.

2. To endeavor to overtake; to go in pursuit of; to chase; to pursue; to prosecute.

I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. --Ex. xiv. 17.

3. To accept as authority; to adopt the opinions of; to obey; to yield to; to take as a rule of action; as, to follow good advice.

Approve the best, and follow what I approve. --Milton.

Follow peace with all men. --Heb. xii. 14.

It is most agreeable to some men to follow their reason; and to others to follow their appetites. --J. Edwards.

4. To copy after; to take as an example.

We had rather follow the perfections of them whom we like not, than in defects resemble them whom we love. --Hooker.

5. To succeed in order of time, rank, or office.

6. To result from, as an effect from a cause, or an inference from a premise.

7. To watch, as a receding object; to keep the eyes fixed upon while in motion; to keep the mind upon while in progress, as a speech, musical performance, etc.; also, to keep up with; to understand the meaning, connection, or force of, as of a course of thought or argument.

He followed with his eyes the flitting shade. --Dryden.

8. To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.

O, had I but followed the arts! --Shak.

O Antony! I have followed thee to this. --Shak.

Follow board (Founding), a board on which the pattern and the flask lie while the sand is rammed into the flask. --Knight.

To follow the hounds, to hunt with dogs.

To follow suit (Card Playing), to play a card of the same suit as the leading card; hence, colloquially, to follow an example set.

To follow up, to pursue indefatigably.

Syn: Syn.- To pursue; chase; go after; attend; accompany; succeed; imitate; copy; embrace; maintain.

Usage: - To Follow, Pursue. To follow (v.t.) denotes simply to go after; to pursue denotes to follow with earnestness, and with a view to attain some definite object; as, a hound pursues the deer. So a person follows a companion whom he wishes to overtake on a journey; the officers of justice pursue a felon who has escaped from prison.

Follow

Fol"low\, v. i. To go or come after; -- used in the various senses of the transitive verb: To pursue; to attend; to accompany; to be a result; to imitate.

Syn: Syn.- To Follow, Succeed, Ensue.

Usage: To follow (v.i.) means simply to come after; as, a crowd followed. To succeed means to come after in some regular series or succession; as, day succeeds to day, and night to night. To ensue means to follow by some established connection or principle of sequence. As wave follows wave, revolution succeeds to revolution; and nothing ensues but accumulated wretchedness.

Follow

Fol"low\, n. The art or process of following; specif., in some games, as billiards, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it. Also used adjectively; as, follow shot.

Language Translation for : follow

Spanish: seguir,

German: folgen,

Japanese: ついていく

More Translations »

O.E. folgian, fylgan "follow, pursue," also "obey, apply oneself to a practice or calling," from W.Gmc. *fulg- (cf. O.Fris. folgia, M.Du. volghen, Ger. folgen "to follow"). Probably originally a compound of *full-gan with a sense of "full-going;" the sense then shifting to "serve, go with as an attendant" (cf. fulfill). To follow one's nose "go straight on" first attested 1650. Follow-up (n.) is from 1923, originally in the argot of personnel management.

Main Entry: fol·low
Function: transitive verb
: to be in accordance with (a prior decision) : accept as authoritative —see also PRECEDENT —compare OVERRULE

follow

In addition to the idioms beginning with follow, also see as follows; camp follower; hard act to follow.

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