Definition of thing

What does the word thing mean?

• part of speech: noun

  Whatever is or may be an object of thought (including or opp. to person), as: (of animate objects, esp. persons, expr. contempt, pity, affection, &c.) poor t., spiteful t., a dear old t., dumb tt.; (of inanimate material object) take those tt. off the table, platinum is a costly t., got my tt. (clothes) wet, pack up your tt. (personal belongings); (of act, fact, idea, course, task, affair, circumstance) a foolish t. to do, SOFT t., PUT -up t., strange t. that you cannot hold your tongue, that is not the same t., the only t. now is to take a cab, the t. (to aim at) is to improve the pace, tt. begin to look brighter, has made a mess of tt., takes tt. too seriously; (of specimen or type of work &c.) latest thing in hats, a sweet t. in coal-scuttles, a little t. of mine I should like to read you; not the (conventionally proper) t.; am not feeling at all the t. (well); (Law) tt. personal, real, personal, real, property; (facet.) tt. political &c., politics &c.; make a good t. of, make good profit by; do the handsome t. by, treat handsomely; know a t. or two, be experienced or shrewd. [old English]