AskDefine | Define welcome

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The Collaborative Dictionary

Welcome \Wel"come\, n. [1913 Webster]
Salutation to a newcomer. "Welcome ever smiles." --Shak. [1913 Webster]
Kind reception of a guest or newcomer; as, we entered the house and found a ready welcome. [1913 Webster] His warmest welcome at an inn. --Shenstone. [1913 Webster] Truth finds an entrance and a welcome too. --South. [1913 Webster] To bid welcome, to receive with professions of kindness. [1913 Webster] To thee and thy company I bid A hearty welcome. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
Welcome \Wel"come\, a. [OE. welcome, welcume, wilcume, AS. wilcuma a welcome guest, from wil-, as a prefix, akin to willa will + cuma a comer, fr. cuman to come; hence, properly, one who comes so as to please another's will; cf. Icel. velkominn welcome, G. willkommen. See Will, n., and Come.] [1913 Webster]
Received with gladness; admitted willingly to the house, entertainment, or company; as, a welcome visitor. [1913 Webster] When the glad soul is made Heaven's welcome guest. --Cowper. [1913 Webster]
Producing gladness; grateful; as, a welcome present; welcome news. "O, welcome hour!" --Milton. [1913 Webster]
Free to have or enjoy gratuitously; as, you are welcome to the use of my library. [1913 Webster] Note: Welcome is used elliptically for you are welcome. "Welcome, great monarch, to your own." --Dryden. [1913 Webster] Welcome-to-our-house (Bot.), a kind of spurge (Euphorbia Cyparissias). --Dr. Prior. [1913 Webster]
Welcome \Wel"come\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Welcomed; p. pr. & vb. n. Welcoming.] [AS. wilcumian.] To salute with kindness, as a newcomer; to receive and entertain hospitably and cheerfully; as, to welcome a visitor; to welcome a new idea. "I welcome you to land." --Addison. [1913 Webster] Thus we salute thee with our early song, And welcome thee, and wish thee long. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

Word Net

welcome adj : giving pleasure or satisfaction or received with pleasure or freely granted; "a welcome relief"; "a welcome guest"; "made the children feel welcome"; "you are welcome to join us" [ant: unwelcome]

Noun

1 the state of being welcome; "don't outstay your welcome"
2 a greeting or reception; "the proposal got a warm welcome"

Verb

1 accept gladly; "I welcome your proposals"
2 bid welcome to; greet upon arrival [syn: receive] [ant: say farewell]
3 receive someone, as into one's house

Moby Thesaurus

abide by, accede, accept, acceptable, acceptance, accession, acclaim, accueil, acquiesce, acquiesce in, acquiescence, acquire, affable, agree, agree to, agree with, agreeable, agreement, agreement in principle, amiable, amicable, applaud, assent, assentation, be responsible for, bigheartedness, blissful, bounteousness, bountifulness, bounty, bring down, bring on, bring upon, buy, cheer, cheerful, compatible, complaisant, compliance, comply, concurrence, congenial, consent, contract, cordial, desirable, dulcet, easy purse strings, embrace, en rapport, enjoyable, fair, fair and pleasant, fall in with, fall into, favorable, felicific, felicitous, fine, free hand, freedom, freehandedness, freeheartedness, freeness, gain, general agreement, generosity, generousness, genial, get, give the nod, givingness, glad hand, good, goodly, gracious, graciousness, grateful, gratifying, great heart, greatheartedness, greetings, hail, harmonious, heart-warming, hearty assent, hearty welcome, hold with, honeyed, hospitality, hug, in toto, incur, invite, largeheartedness, largeness, largess, liberality, liberalness, likable, magnanimity, make welcome, mellifluous, mellow, munificence, nice, nod, nod assent, open arms, open hand, open heart, openhandedness, openheartedness, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, pleasure-giving, pleasureful, receipt, receive, receiving, reception, refuge, rewarding, run, satisfying, smiling reception, subscribe to, support, sweet, sympathetic, take kindly to, taking in, the glad hand, unselfishness, vote for, warm assent, welcome mat, welcoming, yes, yield assent

English

Etymology

wilcuma, meaning literally “well + come” (“May you have fared well in coming here!”). Cognate to German willkommen, Middle High German willekomen, Old High German willechomen, Dutch welkom, Danish and Norwegian velkommen, Spanish bienvenido and French bienvenue, each also meaning “[may you have fared] well [in] coming [here]”

Pronunciation

  • /ˈwɛl.kəm/
  • /"welk@m/

Interjection

welcome
  1. greeting given upon someone’s arrival.

Translations

greeting given upon someone's arrival

Verb

  1. affirm or greet the arrival of someone, especially by saying "Welcome!".
  2. to accept something willingly or gladly
    We welcome suggestions for improvement.

Translations

affirm or greet the arrival of someone
to accept willingly

Adjective

  1. Whose arrival is a cause of joy.

Translations

whose arrival is a cause of joy

Noun

  1. The act of greeting someone’s arrival, especially by saying "Welcome!"; reception.
  2. The utterance of such a greeting.

Translations

act of greeting someone’s arrival
utterance of such a greeting
Welcome is a greeting as well as a state of willing acceptance into one's company.
Welcome may also refer to:
In geography:
In music:
In film:
Wellcome may refer to:
welcome in Dutch: Welcome
welcome in Polish: Welcome
welcome in Volapük: Welcome
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