on one's own
adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, or belonging to oneself or itself (usually used after a possessive to emphasize the idea of ownership, interest, or relation conveyed by the possessive): He spent only his own money.
2.
(used as an intensifier to indicate oneself as the sole agent of some activity or action, preceded by a possessive): He insists on being his own doctor.
verb (used with object)
3.
to have or hold as one's own; possess: They own several homes.
4.
to acknowledge or admit: to own a fault.
5.
to acknowledge as one's own; recognize as having full claim, authority, power, dominion, etc.: He owned his child before the entire assembly. They owned the king as their lord.
00:10
On one's own
is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
verb (used without object)
Idioms 6.
to confess (often followed by to, up, or up to ): The one who did it had better own up. I own to being uncertain about that.
7.
come into one's own,
a.
to take possession of that which is due or owed one.
b.
to receive the recognition that one's abilities merit: She finally came into her own as a sculptor of the first magnitude.
8.
get one's own back, to get revenge and thereby a sense of personal satisfaction, as for a slight or a previous setback; get even with somebody or something: He saw the award as a way of getting his own back for all the snubs by his colleagues.
9.
hold one's own,
a.
to maintain one's position or condition: The stock market seems to be holding its own these days.
b.
to be equal to the opposition: He can hold his own in any fight.
10.
of one's own, belonging to oneself: She had never had a room of her own.
11.
on one's own,
a.
by dint of one's own efforts, resources, or sense of responsibility; independently: Because she spoke the language, she got around the country very well on her own.
b.
living or functioning without dependence on others; independent: My son's been on his own for several years.
Origin:
before 900; (adj.) Middle English owen, Old English āgen (cognate with German eigen, Old Norse eigenn), orig. past participle of āgan to possess (see owe); (v.) Middle English ownen, Old English āgnian, āhnian, derivative of āgen
before 900; (adj.) Middle English owen, Old English āgen (cognate with German eigen, Old Norse eigenn), orig. past participle of āgan to possess (see owe); (v.) Middle English ownen, Old English āgnian, āhnian, derivative of āgen
Related forms
non·own·ing, adjective
un·owned, adjective
Antonyms
3. lack, need.
3. lack, need.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
own (əʊn) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —determiner | |
| 1. | a. (intensifier): John's own idea; your own mother |
| b. (as pronoun): I'll use my own | |
| 2. | on behalf of oneself or in relation to oneself: he is his own worst enemy |
| 3. | come into one's own |
| a. to become fulfilled: she really came into her own when she got divorced | |
| b. to receive what is due to one | |
| 4. | informal get one's own back to have revenge |
| 5. | hold one's own to maintain one's situation or position, esp in spite of opposition or difficulty |
| 6. | on one's own |
| a. without help | |
| b. by oneself; alone | |
| —vb (when intr, | |
| 7. | (tr) to have as one's possession |
| 8. | to confess or admit; acknowledge |
| 9. | rare (tr; takes a clause as object) to concede: I own that you are right |
| [Old English āgen, originally past participle of āgan to have; related to Old Saxon ēgan, Old Norse eiginn. See | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
own
O.E. agen "one's own," lit. "possessed by," from P.Gmc. *aigana- "possessed, owned" (cf. O.S. egan, O.Fris. egin, O.N. eiginn, Du. eigen, Ger. eigen "own"), from pp. of PIE *aik- "to be master of, possess," source of O.E. agan "to have" (see owe).
own
evolved in early M.E. from O.E. geagnian, from root agan "to have, to own" (see own), and in part from own (adj.) (q.v.). It became obsolete after c.1300, but was revived early 17c., in part as a back-formation of owner (mid-14c.), which continued. To own up "make full confession" is from 1853.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
on one's own
-
By one's own efforts or resources, as in He built the entire addition on his own. [Mid-1900s]
-
Responsible for oneself, independent of outside help or control, as in Dave moved out last fall; he's on his own now. [Mid-1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nearby Words
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