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wherefore

 [hwair-fawr, -fohr, wair-]  

where·fore

   [hwair-fawr, -fohr, wair-]
adverb
1.
Archaic. for what? why?
2.
for that cause or reason: Wherefore let us be grateful.
noun
3.
the cause or reason: to study the whys and wherefores of a situation.

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Wherefore is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
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Origin:
1150–1200; Middle English; see where, for

Can be confused: where, wherefore (see usage note at where).

Synonyms
2. See therefore.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To wherefore
Collins
World English Dictionary
wherefore (ˈwɛəˌfɔː)
 
—n
1.  (usually plural) an explanation or reason (esp in the phrase the whys and wherefores)
 
—adv
2.  archaic for what reason? why?
 
—sentence connector
3.  archaic, formal or for which reason: used as an introductory word in legal preambles

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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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

wherefore

see whys and wherefores.

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