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through

  [throo]
Use through in a Sentence
–preposition
1. in at one end, side, or surface and out at the other: to pass through a tunnel; We drove through Denver without stopping. Sun came through the window.
2. past; beyond: to go through a stop sign without stopping.
3. from one to the other of; between or among the individual members or parts of: to swing through the trees; This book has passed through many hands.
4. over the surface of, by way of, or within the limits or medium of: to travel through a country; to fly through the air.
5. during the whole period of; throughout: They worked through the night.
6. having reached the end of; done with: to be through one's work.
7. to and including: from 1900 through 1950.
8. by the means or instrumentality of; by the way or agency of: It was through him they found out.
9. by reason of or in consequence of: to run away through fear.
10. in at the first step of a process, treatment, or method of handling, passing through subsequent steps or stages in order, and finished, accepted, or out of the last step or stage: The body of a car passes through 147 stages on the production line. The new tax bill finally got through Congress.
–adverb
11. in at one end, side, or surface and out at the other: to push a needle through; just passing through.
12. all the way; along the whole distance: This train goes through to Boston.
13. throughout: soaking wet through.
14. from the beginning to the end: to read a letter through.
15. to the end: to carry a matter through.
16. to a favorable or successful conclusion: He barely managed to pull through.
–adjective
17. having completed an action, process, etc.; finished: Please be still until I'm through. When will you be through with school?
18. at the end of all relations or dealings: My sister insists she's through with selfish friends.
19. passing or extending from one end, side, or surface to the other.
20. traveling or moving to a destination without changing of trains, planes, etc.: a through flight.
21. (of a road, route, way, course, etc., or of a ticket, routing order, etc.) admitting continuous or direct passage; having no interruption, obstruction, or hindrance: a through highway; through ticket.
22. (of a bridge truss) having a deck or decks within the depth of the structure. Compare deck (def. 16).
23. of no further use or value; washed-up: Critics say he's through as a writer.
—Idiom
24. through and through,
a. through the whole extent of; thoroughly: cold through and through.
b. from beginning to end; in all respects: an aristocrat through and through.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME (prep. and adv.), metathetic var. of thourgh, OE thurh, c. G durch; akin to OE therh, Goth thairh through, OHG derh perforated, OE thyrel full of holes (adj.), hole (n.). See thirl

Synonyms:
8. See by.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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through   (thrōō)   
prep.  
  1. In one side and out the opposite or another side of: went through the tunnel.
  2. Among or between; in the midst of: a walk through the flowers.
  3. By way of: climbed in through the window.
    1. By the means or agency of: bought the antique vase through a dealer.
    2. Into and out of the handling, care, processing, modification, or consideration of: Her application went through our office. Run the figures through the computer.
  5. Here and there in; around: a tour through France.
  6. From the beginning to the end of: stayed up through the night.
  7. At or to the end of; done or finished with, especially successfully: We are through the initial testing period.
  8. Up to and including: a play that runs through December; a volume that covers A through D.
  9. Past and without stopping for: drove through a red light.
  10. Because of; on account of: She succeeded through hard work. He declined the honor through modesty.
adv.  
  1. From one end or side to another or an opposite end or side: opened the door and went through.
  2. From beginning to end; completely: I read the article once through.
  3. Throughout the whole extent or thickness; thoroughly: warmed the leftovers clear through; got soaked through in the rain; a letter that was shot through with the writer's personality.
  4. Over the total distance; all the way: drove through to their final destination.
  5. To a conclusion or an accomplishment: see a matter through.
adj.  
  1. Allowing continuous passage; unobstructed: a through street.
    1. Affording transportation to a destination with few or no stops and no transfers: a through bus; a through ticket.
    2. Continuing on a highway without exiting: through traffic; through lanes.
    3. Having no more use, value, or potential; washed-up: That swimmer is through as an athlete.
    4. Doomed to death or destruction.
  3. Passing or extending from one end, side, or surface to another: a through beam.
  4. Having finished; at completion: She was through with the project.
  5. Having no further concern, dealings, or connection: I'm through with him.
    1. Having no more use, value, or potential; washed-up: That swimmer is through as an athlete.
    2. Doomed to death or destruction.

[Middle English thurh, through, from Old English thurh; see terə-2 in Indo-European roots.]
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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Through

Through\, prep. [OE. thurgh, [thorn]urh, [thorn]uruh, [thorn]oruh, AS. [thorn]urh; akin to OS. thurh, thuru, OFries. thruch, D. door, OHG. durh, duruh, G. durch, Goth. [thorn]a['i]rh; cf. Ir. tri, tre, W. trwy. [root]53. Cf. Nostril, Thorough, Thrill.]

1. From end to end of, or from side to side of; from one surface or limit of, to the opposite; into and out of at the opposite, or at another, point; as, to bore through a piece of timber, or through a board; a ball passes through the side of a ship.

2. Between the sides or walls of; within; as, to pass through a door; to go through an avenue.

Through the gate of ivory he dismissed His valiant offspring. --Dryden.

3. By means of; by the agency of.

Through these hands this science has passed with great applause. --Sir W. Temple.

Material things are presented only through their senses. --Cheyne.

4. Over the whole surface or extent of; as, to ride through the country; to look through an account.

5. Among or in the midst of; -- used to denote passage; as, a fish swims through the water; the light glimmers through a thicket.

6. From the beginning to the end of; to the end or conclusion of; as, through life; through the year.

Through

Through\, adv. 1. From one end or side to the other; as, to pierce a thing through.

2. From beginning to end; as, to read a letter through.

3. To the end; to a conclusion; to the ultimate purpose; as, to carry a project through.

Note: Through was formerly used to form compound adjectives where we now use thorough; as, through-bred; through-lighted; through-placed, etc.

To drop through, to fall through; to come to naught; to fail.

To fall through. See under Fall, v. i.

Through

Through\, a. Going or extending through; going, extending, or serving from the beginning to the end; thorough; complete; as, a through line; a through ticket; a through train. Also, admitting of passage through; as, a through bridge.

Through bolt, a bolt which passes through all the thickness or layers of that which it fastens, or in which it is fixed.

Through bridge, a bridge in which the floor is supported by the lower chords of the tissues instead of the upper, so that travel is between the trusses and not over them. Cf. Deck bridge, under Deck.

Through cold, a deep-seated cold. [Obs.] --Holland.

Through stone, a flat gravestone. [Scot.] [Written also through stane.] --Sir W. Scott.

Through ticket, a ticket for the whole journey.

Through train, a train which goes the whole length of a railway, or of a long route.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : through
Spanish: a través de,
German: durch,
Japanese: ～を通って
More Translations »

through 
c.1300, metathesis of O.E. þurh, from W.Gmc. *thurkh (cf. O.S. thuru, O.Fris. thruch, M.Du. dore, Du. door, O.H.G. thuruh, Ger. durch, Goth. þairh "through"), from PIE base *tr- "through" (cf. Skt. tirah, Avestan taro "through, beyond," L. trans "beyond," O.Ir. tre, Welsh tra "through"). Not clearly differentiated from thorough until early Mod.Eng. Spelling thro was common 15c.-18c. Reformed spelling thru (1917) is mainly Amer.Eng.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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through

In addition to the idioms beginning with through, see break through; carry through; come through; come up (through); cross (pass through) one's mind; fall between (through) the cracks; fall through; follow through; get through; get through one's head; go through; go through channels; go through the motions; go through the roof; jump through hoops; leaf through; let daylight through; let slip (through the fingers); lie through one's teeth; live through; muddle through; pay through the nose; pull through; put through; put someone through his or her paces; rise through the ranks; run through; sail through; see through; see through rose-colored glasses; sink through the floor; sit out (through); sleep through; squeak by (through); squeeze through; talk through one's hat; think through; win through; work one's way into (through).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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