adv. [ OE. whennes, whens (with adverbial s, properly a genitive ending; -- see -wards), also whenne, whanene, AS. hwanan, hwanon, hwonan, hwanone; akin to D. when. See When, and cf. Hence, Thence. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. From what place; hence, from what or which source, origin, antecedent, premise, or the like; how; -- used interrogatively. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whence hath this man this wisdom? Matt. xiii. 54. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whence and what art thou? Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. From what or which place, source, material, cause, etc.; the place, source, etc., from which; -- used relatively. [ 1913 Webster ]

Grateful to acknowledge whence his good
Descends. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ All the words of this class, whence, where, whither, whereabouts, etc., are occasionally used as pronouns by a harsh construction. [ 1913 Webster ] O, how unlike the place from whence they fell? Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ From whence, though a pleonasm, is fully authorized by the use of good writers. [ 1913 Webster ] From whence come wars and fightings among you? James iv. 1. [ 1913 Webster ] Of whence, also a pleonasm, has become obsolete. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. & conj. Whencesoever. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. From, or forth from, what or which place; whence. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. & conj. From what place soever; from what cause or source soever. [ 1913 Webster ]

Any idea, whencesoever we have it. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]