cause

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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

cause¹

  • /kɔːz/ UK
  • [kʰo̞ːz̥] UK
  • /koːz/ Australia, British, New Zealand, Southern, Standard
  • [kʰoːz̥] Australia, British, New Zealand, Southern, Standard
  • /kɔz/
  • /kɑz/ cot caught merger
  • /kɒz/ Canada
  • /kɔz/ Scotland
  • [kʰɔːz̥] Scotland

Sounds like caws, 'cause, cores (non-rhotic) · Rhymes with -ɔːz

Where it comes from

* From Middle English cause (also with the sense of “a thing”), borrowed from Old French cause (“a cause, a thing”), borrowed from Latin causa (“reason, sake, cause”), from Proto-Italic *kaussā, which is of unknown origin. Doublet of chose (“(law) a thing; personal property”). See accuse, excuse, recuse, ruse. Displaced native Old English intinga.

* From Middle English causen, Old French causer and Medieval Latin causāre.

noun causes

  1. countable, often, with of The source of, or reason for, an event or action; that which produces or effects a result. They identified a burst pipe as the cause of the flooding.
  2. especially, uncountable Sufficient reason. There is no cause for alarm.
  3. countable A goal, aim or principle, especially one which transcends purely selfish ends. God befriend us, as our cause is just.
  4. countable, obsolete, uncountable Sake; interest; advantage. I did it not for his cause.
  5. countable, obsolete Any subject of discussion or debate; a matter; an affair. What counsel give you in this weighty cause?
  6. countable A suit or action in court; any legal process by which a party endeavors to obtain his claim, or what he regards as his right; case; ground of action.

Similar: basis, cause, genesis, germ, origin, principle, reason, root, source

verb causes · causing · caused · cause

  1. transitive To set off an event or action; to bring about; to produce. The lightning caused thunder.
  2. ditransitive To actively produce as a result, by means of force or authority. His dogged determination caused the fundraising to be successful.
  3. obsolete To assign or show cause; to give a reason; to make excuse. He, to shifte their curious request, / Gan causen why she could not come in place.

cause²

conjunction

  1. alternative Alternative form of 'cause; because'cause Why not? Cause I don't wanna.

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