so definition | Dictionary.com

so

1 [soh]

–adverb

1.	in the way or manner indicated, described, or implied: Do it so.

2.	in that or this manner or fashion; thus: So it turned out.

3.	in the aforesaid state or condition: It is broken and has long been so.

4.	to the extent or degree indicated or suggested: Do not walk so fast.

5.	Informal. very or extremely: I'm so sad.

6.	very greatly: My head aches so!

7.	(used before an adverb or an adverbial clause and fol. by as) to such a degree or extent: so far as I know.

8.	having the purpose of: a speech so commemorating the victory.

9.	for this or that reason; hence; therefore: She is ill, and so cannot come to the party.

10.	(used as an affirmative to emphasize or confirm a previous statement) most certainly: I said I would come, and so I will.

11.	(used as an emphatic affirmative to contradict a previous statement) indeed; truly; too: I was so at the party!

12.	likewise or correspondingly; also; too: If he is going, then so am I.

13.	in such manner as to follow or result from: As he learned, so did he teach.

14.	in the way that follows; in this way: The audience was seated, and so the famous speech began.

15.	in the way that precedes; in that way: So ended the speech, and the listeners arose and cheered.

16.	in such way as to end in: So live your life that old age will bring you no regrets.

17.	then; subsequently: and so to bed.

–conjunction

18.	in order that (often fol. by that): Check carefully, so any mistakes will be caught.

19.	with the result that (often fol. by that): He checked carefully, so that the mistakes were caught.

20.	on the condition that; if.

–pronoun

21.	such as has been stated: to be good and stay so.

22.	something that is about or near the persons or things in question, as in number or amount: Of the original twelve, five or so remain.

–interjection

23.	(used as an exclamation of surprise, shock, discovery, inquiry, indifference, etc., according to the manner of utterance.)

–adjective

24.	true as stated or reported; conforming with reality or the fact: Say it isn't so.

—Idioms

25.	only or just so many, being a limited or small number or amount: I can eat only so many pieces of fruit.

26.	only or just so much, being a limited amount or quantity; up to a certain point or maximum: I can eat only so much fruit; just so much that one can do in such a case.

27.

so as,

a.	with the result or purpose: to turn up the volume of the radio so as to drown out the noise from the next apartment.

b.	Older Use. provided that: I like any flower, just so as it's real.

28.

so much,

a.	something, as an amount or cost, that is not specified or determined: The carpeting is priced at so much per yard.

b.	all that is or needs to be said or done: So much for the preliminaries, let's get down to the real issues.

29.	so much as, even: He doesn't so much as say hello to me.

30.	so to speak. speak (def. 22).

31.	so what? what (def. 25).

Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE swā; c. D zoo, G so, Goth swa

Synonyms:
9. See therefore.

Usage note:
5. The intensive so meaning “very or extremely” (Everything's so expensive these days) occurs chiefly in informal speech. In writing and formal speech, intensive so is most often followed by a completing that clause: Everything is so expensive that some families must struggle just to survive.
18, 19. The conjunction so (often followed by that) introduces clauses both of purpose (We ordered our tickets early so that we could get good seats) and of result (The river had frozen during the night so people walked across it all the next day). In formal speech and writing, so that is somewhat more common than so in clauses of purpose. Otherwise, either so or so that is standard.
Like and, but¹, and or, so can occur as a transitional word at the beginning of a sentence: So all our hard work finally brought results. See also as ¹ , and, but ¹ .

so

2 [soh]

–noun Music.

sol ¹ .

So.

South.

Southern.

S.O.

1.	Signal Officer.

2.	Special Order.

3.	Standing Order.

s.o.

1.	seller's option.

2.	shipping order.

sol

1 [sohl]

–noun Music.

1.	the syllable used for the fifth tone of a diatonic scale.

2.	(in the fixed system of solmization) the tone G.

Also, so.

Compare sol-fa (def. 1).

Origin:
1275–1325; ME < L solve; see gamut

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

so¹ (sō)

adv.

In the condition or manner expressed or indicated; thus: Hold the brush so.
To the amount or degree expressed or understood; to such an extent: She was so weary that she fell.
To a great extent; to such an evident degree: But the idea is so obvious.
Because of the reason given; consequently: She was weary and so fell.
Afterward; then: to the gas station and so home.
In the same way; likewise: You were on time and so was I.
Apparently; well, then. Used in expressing astonishment, disapproval, or sarcasm: So you think you've got troubles?
In truth; indeed: "You aren't right." "I am so!"

adj.

True; factual: I wouldn't have told you this if it weren't so.
In good order: Everything on his desk must be exactly so.

conj. Usage Problem

With the result or consequence that: He failed to appear, so we went on without him.
In order that: I stayed so I could see you.

pron. Such as has already been suggested or specified; the same: She became a loyal friend and remained so.
interj. Used to express surprise or comprehension: So! You've finished your work at last.

[Middle English, from Old English swā; see swo- in Indo-European roots.]

Usage Note: Many critics and grammarians have insisted that so must be followed by that in formal writing when used to introduce a clause giving the reason for or purpose of an action: He stayed so that he could see the second feature. But since many respected writers use so for so that in formal writing, it seems best to consider the issue one of stylistic preference: The store stays open late so (or so that) people who work all day can buy groceries. · Both so and so that are acceptably used to introduce clauses that state a result or consequence: The Bay Bridge was still closed, so (or so that) the drive from San Francisco to the Berkeley campus took an hour and a half. · So is frequently used in informal speech to string together the elements of a narrative. In most cases, this practice should not be carried over into formal writing, where readers need connections to be made more explicit. · Critics have sometimes objected to the use of so as an intensive meaning "to a great degree or extent," as in We were so relieved to learn that the deadline had been extended. This usage is most common in informal contexts, perhaps because, unlike the neutral very, it presumes that the listener or reader will be sympathetic to the speaker's evaluation of the situation. Thus one would be more apt to say It was so unfair of them not to invite you than to say It was so fortunate that I didn't have to put up with your company. For just this reason, the construction may occasionally be used to good effect in more formal contexts to invite the reader to take the point of view of the speaker or subject: The request seemed to her to be quite reasonable; it was so unfair of the manager to refuse. See Usage Note at as¹.

New England speakers often use a negative form such as so didn't where other varieties would use the positive so did, as in Sophie ate all her strawberries and so didn't Amelia. Since this usage may confuse a speaker who has not previously encountered it, it is best avoided in writing.

so² (sō)

n. Music
Variant of sol¹.

SO
abbr.

seller's option
significant other
strikeout

sol¹ (sōl)

n. Music
The fifth tone of the diatonic scale in solfeggio.

[Middle English, from Medieval Latin; see gamut.]

strike·out (strīk'out')

n. Baseball Abbr. K or SO
An out made by a batter charged with three strikes and credited to the pitcher who threw the strikes.

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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So\, adv. [OE. so, sa, swa, AS. sw[=a]; akin to OFries, s[=a], s?, D. zoo, OS. & OHG. s?, G. so, Icel. sv[=a], sv?, svo, so, Sw. s?, Dan. saa, Goth. swa so, sw? as; cf. L. suus one's own, Skr. sva one's own, one's self. [root]192. Cf. As, Custom, Ethic, Idiom, Such.]

1. In that manner or degree; as, indicated (in any way), or as implied, or as supposed to be known.

Why is his chariot so long in coming? --Judges v. 28.

2. In like manner or degree; in the same way; thus; for like reason; whith equal reason; -- used correlatively, following as, to denote comparison or resemblance; sometimes, also, following inasmuch as.

As a war should be undertaken upon a just motive, so a prince ought to consider the condition he is in. --Swift.

3. In such manner; to such degree; -- used correlatively with as or that following; as, he was so fortunate as to escape.

I viewed in may mind, so far as I was able, the beginning and progress of a rising world. --T. Burnet.

He is very much in Sir Roger's esteem, so that he lives in the family rather as a relation than dependent. --Addison.

4. Very; in a high degree; that is, in such a degree as can not well be expressed; as, he is so good; he planned so wisely.

5. In the same manner; as has been stated or suggested; in this or that condition or state; under these circumstances; in this way; -- with reflex reference to something just asserted or implied; used also with the verb to be, as a predicate.

Use him [your tutor] with great respect yourself, and cause all your family to do so too. --Locke.

It concerns every man, with the greatest seriousness, to inquire into those matters, whether they be so or not. --Tillotson.

He is Sir Robert's son, and so art thou. --Shak.

6. The case being such; therefore; on this account; for this reason; on these terms; -- used both as an adverb and a conjuction.

God makes him in his own image an intellectual creature, and so capable of dominion. --Locke.

Here, then, exchange we mutually forgiveness; So may the guilt of all my broken vows, My perjuries to thee, be all forgotten. --Rowe.

7. It is well; let it be as it is, or let it come to pass; -- used to express assent.

And when 't is writ, for my sake read it over, And if it please you, so; if not, why, so. --Shak.

There is Percy; if your father will do me any honor, so; if not, let him kill the next Percy himself. --Shak.

8. Well; the fact being as stated; -- used as an expletive; as, so the work is done, is it?

9. Is it thus? do you mean what you say? -- with an upward tone; as, do you say he refuses? So? [Colloq.]

10. About the number, time, or quantity specified; thereabouts; more or less; as, I will spend a week or so in the country; I have read only a page or so.

A week or so will probably reconcile us. --Gay.

Note: See the Note under Ill, adv.

So . . . as. So is now commonly used as a demonstrative correlative of as when it is the puprpose to emphasize the equality or comparison suggested, esp. in negative assertions, and questions implying a negative answer. By Shakespeare and others so . . . as was much used where as . . . as is now common. See the Note under As, 1.

So do, as thou hast said. --Gen. xviii. 5.

As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. --Ps. ciii. 15.

Had woman been so strong as men. --Shak.

No country suffered so much as England. --Macaulay.

So far, to that point or extent; in that particular. "The song was moral, and so far was right." --Cowper.

So far forth, as far; to such a degree. --Shak. --Bacon.

So forth, further in the same or similar manner; more of the same or a similar kind. See And so forth, under And.

So, so, well, well. "So, so, it works; now, mistress, sit you fast." --Dryden. Also, moderately or tolerably well; passably; as, he succeeded but so so. "His leg is but so so." --Shak.

So that, to the end that; in order that; with the effect or result that.

So then, thus then it is; therefore; the consequence is.

So\, conj. Provided that; on condition that; in case that; if.

Though all the winds of doctrine were let loose play upon the earth, so truth be in the field, we do injuriously, by licensing and prohibiting, to misdoubt her strength. --Milton.

So\, interj. Be as you are; stand still; stop; that will do; right as you are; -- a word used esp. to cows; also used by sailors.

Language Translation for : so

Spanish: tan, tanto,

German: so,

Japanese: それほど

More Translations »

/S-O/ n.
1. (also `S.O.') Abbrev. for Significant Other, almost invariably written abbreviated and pronounced /S-O/ by hackers. Used to refer to one's primary relationship, esp. a live-in to whom one is not married. See MOTAS, MOTOS, MOTSS.
2. [techspeak] The Shift Out control character in ASCII (Control-N, 0001110).

Jargon File 4.2.0
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O.E. swa, swæ "in this way," from P.Gmc. *swa (cf. O.S., M.Du., O.H.G. so, O.N. sva, Dan. saa, Swed. sa, O.Fris. sa, Du. zo, Ger. so "so," Goth. swa "as"), from PIE reflexive pronomial stem *s(w)o- (cf. Gk. hos "as," O.Latin suad "so," L. se "himself"). So? as a term of dismissal is attested from 1886 (short for is that so?); so what as an exclamation of indifference dates from 1934. So-so "mediocre" is from 1530; so-and-so is from 1596 meaning "something unspecified;" first recorded 1897 as a euphemistic term of abuse.

"The adverb so at the beginning of a sentence ('So I'll pay for it!'), probably of Yiddish origin, occurs frequently in conversation." [M.Pei, "Story of English," 1952]

SO
1. Shift Out
2. Significant Other, almost invariably written abbreviated and pronounced /S-O/ by hackers. Used to refer to one's primary relationship, especially a live-in to whom one is not married.
[The Jargon File]

so networking
The country code for Somalia.
(1999-01-27)

So

(Nubian, Sabako), an Ethiopian king who brought Egypt under his sway. He was bribed by Hoshea to help him against the Assyrian monarch Shalmaneser (2 Kings 17:4). This was a return to the policy that had been successful in the reign of Jeroboam I.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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In addition to the idioms beginning with so, also see and so forth (and so on); as (so) far as; as (so) far as possible; as (so) far as that goes; as (so) long as; as (so) much as; even so; every now and then (so often); go so far as to; how come (so); in so many words; is that a fact (so); I told you so; just so; never had it so good; not (so) bad; on one's say-so; or so; take it (just so much); without so much as.

so
Somali

seller's option
significant other
Somalia (international vehicle ID)
strikeout
symphony orchestra

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