Meanings
alternative obsolete vnto
- archaicpoeticUp to; indicates a motion towards a thing and then stopping at it.
Sir Gawain rode unto the nearby castle.
1 more example
Come unto these yellow sands, And then take hands; Curtsied when you have, and kiss'd The wild waves whist, Foot it featly here and there, And sweet sprites bear The burthen.[…]
1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii] - archaicpoeticTo; indicates an indirect object.
And the Lord said unto Moses […]
3 more examples
So please my lord the duke and all the court To quit the fine for one half of his goods I am content; so he will let me have The other half in use, to render it, Upon his death, unto the gentleman That lately stole his daughter: Two things provided more,—[…]
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]Again, whereas men affirm they perceive an addition of ponderosity in dead bodies, comparing them usually unto blocks and stones, whensoever they lift or carry them; this accessional preponderancy is rather in appearance than reality.
1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC[…] And, doubtless, unto thee is given A life that bears immortal fruit In such great offices as suit The full-grown energies of heaven.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXXIX”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 61 - archaicpoeticDown to the last; encompassing even every.
I do but sing because I must, And pipe but as the linnets sing: And unto one her note is gay, For now her little ones have ranged; And unto one her note is changed, Because her brood is stol’n away.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXI”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 36 - archaicpoeticUntil a particular time.
faithful unto death
Synonyms & antonyms
conjunctionUp to the time or degree that; until.
Origin
- Old English*untō
- Middle Englishunto
- Englishunto
Inherited from Middle English unto, from Old English *untō, *und tō, equivalent to un- (“against; toward; up to”) + to. Cognate with Old Frisian ont to ("until"; > Saterland Frisian antou (“until”)) (cf. Old Frisian und (“up to; till”), Old Frisian til (“till; to”)), Old Saxon untō, untuo (“until”), Old High German unze, unzi, unza (“until”), Old Norse und (“as far as; up to”), Gothic 𐌿𐌽𐍄𐌴 (untē, “until; as long as”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic إِلَى
- إِلَى (ʔilā)up to
Esperanto ĝis, al
- ĝisup to
- alto; indicates an indirect object
French jusqu'à
- jusqu'àup to
German zu, bis zu
- zuup to
- bis zuup to
Hindi पर्यंत
- पर्यंत (paryant)up to
Latin ad, usque
- adup to
- usqueup to
- subup to
Polish do, ku
- doup to
- kuup to
- doto; indicates an indirect object
- kuto; indicates an indirect object
Turkish -e doğru, -e kadar
- -e doğruup to
- -e kadarup to
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with unto
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
unto. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unto
“unto.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unto. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unto,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unto.
Source: unto on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.