prep. [ AS. tō; akin to OS. & OFries. tō, D. toe, G. zu, OHG. zuo, zua, zō, Russ. do, Ir. & Gael. do, OL. -do, -du, as in endo, indu, in, Gr. &unr_;, as in &unr_; homeward. √200. Cf. Too, Tatoo a beat of drums. ] 1. The preposition to primarily indicates approach and arrival, motion made in the direction of a place or thing and attaining it, access; and also, motion or tendency without arrival; movement toward; -- opposed to from. “To Canterbury they wend.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Stay with us, go not to Wittenberg. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

So to the sylvan lodge
They came, that like Pomona's arbor smiled. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

I'll to him again, . . .
He'll tell me all his purpose.
She stretched her arms to heaven. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, it indicates motion, course, or tendency toward a time, a state or condition, an aim, or anything capable of being regarded as a limit to a tendency, movement, or action; as, he is going to a trade; he is rising to wealth and honor. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Formerly, by omission of the verb denoting motion, to sometimes followed a form of be, with the sense of at, or in. “When the sun was [ gone or declined ] to rest.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. In a very general way, and with innumerable varieties of application, to connects transitive verbs with their remoter or indirect object, and adjectives, nouns, and neuter or passive verbs with a following noun which limits their action. Its sphere verges upon that of for, but it contains less the idea of design or appropriation; as, these remarks were addressed to a large audience; let us keep this seat to ourselves; a substance sweet to the taste; an event painful to the mind; duty to God and to our parents; a dislike to spirituous liquor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Marks and points out each man of us to slaughter. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whilst they, distilled
Almost to jelly with the act of fear,
Stand dumb and speak not to him. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 2 Pet. i. 5, 6, 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have a king's oath to the contrary. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Numbers were crowded to death. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fate and the dooming gods are deaf to tears. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Go, buckle to the law. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. As sign of the infinitive, to had originally the use of last defined, governing the infinitive as a verbal noun, and connecting it as indirect object with a preceding verb or adjective; thus, ready to go, i.e., ready unto going; good to eat, i.e., good for eating; I do my utmost to lead my life pleasantly. But it has come to be the almost constant prefix to the infinitive, even in situations where it has no prepositional meaning, as where the infinitive is direct object or subject; thus, I love to learn, i.e., I love learning; to die for one's country is noble, i.e., the dying for one's country. Where the infinitive denotes the design or purpose, good usage formerly allowed the prefixing of for to the to; as, what went ye out for see? (Matt. xi. 8). [ 1913 Webster ]

Then longen folk to go on pilgrimages,
And palmers for to seeken strange stranders. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such usage is now obsolete or illiterate. In colloquial usage, to often stands for, and supplies, an infinitive already mentioned; thus, he commands me to go with him, but I do not wish to. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. In many phrases, and in connection with many other words, to has a pregnant meaning, or is used elliptically. Thus, it denotes or implies: (a) Extent; limit; degree of comprehension; inclusion as far as; as, they met us to the number of three hundred. [ 1913 Webster ]

We ready are to try our fortunes
To the last man. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Few of the Esquimaux can count to ten. Quant. Rev. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) Effect; end; consequence; as, the prince was flattered to his ruin; he engaged in a war to his cost; violent factions exist to the prejudice of the state. (c) Apposition; connection; antithesis; opposition; as, they engaged hand to hand. [ 1913 Webster ]

Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face. 1 Cor. xiii. 12. [ 1913 Webster ]

(d) Accord; adaptation; as, an occupation to his taste; she has a husband to her mind. [ 1913 Webster ]

He to God's image, she to his was made. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

(e) Comparison; as, three is to nine as nine is to twenty-seven; it is ten to one that you will offend him. [ 1913 Webster ]

All that they did was piety to this. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

(f) Addition; union; accumulation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wisdom he has, and to his wisdom, courage. Denham. [ 1913 Webster ]

(g) Accompaniment; as, she sang to his guitar; they danced to the music of a piano. [ 1913 Webster ]

Anon they move
In perfect phalanx to the Dorian mood
Of flutes and soft recorders. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

(h) Character; condition of being; purpose subserved or office filled. [ In this sense archaic ] “I have a king here to my flatterer.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Made his masters and others . . . to consider him to a little wonder. Walton. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ To in to-day, to-night, and to-morrow has the sense or force of for or on; for, or on, (this) day, for, or on, (this) night, for, or on, (the) morrow. To-day, to-night, to-morrow may be considered as compounds, and usually as adverbs; but they are sometimes used as nouns; as, to-day is ours. [ 1913 Webster ] To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow;
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To and again, to and fro. [ R. ] --
To and fro, forward and back. In this phrase, to is adverbial. [ 1913 Webster ] There was great showing both to and fro. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ] --
To-and-fro, a pacing backward and forward; as, to commence a to-and-fro. Tennyson. --
To the face, in front of; in behind; hence, in the presence of. --
To wit, to know; namely. See Wit, v. i. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ To, without an object expressed, is used adverbially; as, put to the door, i. e., put the door to its frame, close it; and in the nautical expressions, to heave to, to come to, meaning to a certain position. To, like on, is sometimes used as a command, forward, set to. “To, Achilles! to, Ajax! to!” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ AS. to- asunder; akin to G. zer-, and perhaps to L. dis-, or Gr. &unr_;. ] An obsolete intensive prefix used in the formation of compound verbs; as in to-beat, to-break, to-hew, to-rend, to-tear. See these words in the Vocabulary. See the Note on All to, or All-to, under All, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. tode, tade, AS. tādie, tādige; of unknown origin. Cf. Tadpole. ] (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of batrachians belonging to the genus Bufo and allied genera, especially those of the family Bufonidae. Toads are generally terrestrial in their habits except during the breeding season, when they seek the water. Most of the species burrow beneath the earth in the daytime and come forth to feed on insects at night. Most toads have a rough, warty skin in which are glands that secrete an acrid fluid. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The common toad (Bufo vulgaris) and the natterjack are familiar European species. The common American toad (Bufo lentiginosus) is similar to the European toad, but is less warty and is more active, moving chiefly by leaping. [ 1913 Webster ]

Obstetrical toad. (Zool.) See under Obstetrical. --
Surinam toad. (Zool.) See Pita. --
Toad lizard (Zool.), a horned toad. --
Toad pipe (Bot.), a hollow-stemmed plant (Equisetum limosum) growing in muddy places. Dr. Prior. --
Toad rush (Bot.), a low-growing kind of rush (Juncus bufonius). --
Toad snatcher (Zool.), the reed bunting. [ Prov. Eng. ] --
Toad spittle. (Zool.) See Cuckoo spit, under Cuckoo. --
Tree toad. (Zool.) See under Tree. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Said to be so called in allusion to an old alleged practice among mountebanks' boys of eating toads (popularly supposed to be poisonous), in order that their masters might have an opportunity of pretending to effect a cure. The French equivalent expression is un avaleur de couleuvres. Cf. Toady. ] A fawning, obsequious parasite; a mean sycophant; a flatterer; a toady. V. Knox. [ 1913 Webster ]

You had nearly imposed upon me, but you have lost your labor. You're too zealous a toadeater, and betray yourself. Dickens. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) Any marine fish of the genus Batrachus, having a large, thick head and a wide mouth, and bearing some resemblance to a toad. The American species (Batrachus tau) is very common in shallow water. Called also oyster fish, and sapo. (b) The angler. (c) A swellfish. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) An herb (Linaria vulgaris) of the Figwort family, having narrow leaves and showy orange and yellow flowers; -- called also butter and eggs, flaxweed, and ramsted. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The golden plover. [ Local, U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like a toad. [ Obs. ] A. Stafford. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A small toad. [ R. ] Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Min.) A local name for the igneous rocks of Derbyshire, England; -- said by some to be derived from the German todter stein, meaning dead stone, that is, stone which contains no ores. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Bufonite, formerly regarded as a precious stone, and worn as a jewel. See Bufonite. [ 1913 Webster ]