whereof

W4H4E1R1E1O1F4
UK/wɛəɹˈɒv/US/(h)wɛɹˈʌv/

conjunction

Of what.

OriginMiddle English wherof →
Less commonScrabble 16
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Meanings

conjunction
  1. formalOf what.
  2. formalOf which.

    SATURNINUS: Go fetch them hither to us presently. TITUS: Why, there they are, both baked in that pie, Whereof their mother daintily hath fed, Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred.

    c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]
    2 more examples

    However, upon a ſtrict Review, I blotted out ſeveral Paſſages of leſs Moment which were in my firſt Copy, for fear of being cenſured as tedious and trifling, whereof Travellers are often, perhaps not without Juſtice, accuſed.

    1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “A Great Storm Described, the Long-Boat Sent to Fetch Water, the Author Goes with It to Discover the Country. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag), page [176]

    Then they set somewhat of food before me, whereof I ate my fill, and gave me somewhat of clothes wherewith I clad myself anew and covered my nakedness; after which they took me up into the ship, […]

    1885, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “[Sindbad the Seaman and Sindbad the Landsman] The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. [Night 558.]”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume VI, [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC, page 53
  3. formalOf whom.

    Now one day of the days, […] the Sultan cast his eyes upon her as she stood before him, and said to his Grand Wazir, “This be the very woman whereof I spake to thee yesterday, so do thou straightway bring her before me, that I may see what be her suit and fulfil her need.”

    1887, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Alaeddin; or, The Wonderful Lamp. [Night 547.]”, in Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume III, [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC, page 108
  4. archaicWith or by which.
adverbwhereof (not comparable)
  1. archaicnot comparableOf what.

    Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.

    1922, Ludwig Wittgenstein, translated by F. P. Ramsey and C. K. Ogden, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, →OCLC, Proposition 7, page 189
    1 more example

    Anthonio. [I]n ſooth I know not why I am ſo ſad, It wearies me: you ſay it wearies you; But how I caught it, found it, or came by it, What ſtuffe ’tis made of, whereof it is borne, I am to learne: and ſuch a Want-wit ſadnesse makes of mee, That I haue much ado to know my ſelfe.

    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 I, scene i], page 163, column 1
  2. archaicnot comparableOf which.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
which's

Origin

  1. Middle Englishwherof
  2. Englishwhereof

From Middle English wherof; equivalent to where + of. Compare the parallel formations of Swedish varav and Dutch waaraf.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian от който, от каквото
  • от който (ot kojto)of what; of which; of whom
  • от каквото (ot kakvoto)of what; of which; of whom
Chinese Mandarin 甚么的
  • 甚么的of what; of which; of whom
Danish hvoraf
  • hvorafof what; of which; of whom
Dutch waarvan
  • waarvanof what; of which; of whom
Esperanto pri kiu
  • pri kiuof what; of which; of whom
Finnish minkä
  • minkäof what; of which; of whom
French dont
  • dontof what; of which; of whom
German wovon
  • wovonof what; of which; of whom
Hungarian amiből, amelyből
  • amibőlof what; of which; of whom
  • amelybőlof what; of which; of whom
  • akibőlof what; of which; of whom
  • amirőlof what; of which; of whom
  • amelyrőlof what; of which; of whom
  • akirőlof what; of which; of whom
Latin unde
  • undeof what; of which; of whom
Norwegian Bokmål hvorav
  • hvoravof what; of which; of whom
Portuguese donde
  • dondeof what; of which; of whom
Spanish donde
  • dondeof what; of which; of whom
Swedish varav
  • varavof what; of which; of whom

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with whereof

ofloveabovethereofglovestovegovdovehereofshovesovKalashnikovbruvbelovedeglovefit like a glovefor want oflive in the shadow of
All rhymes →

Anagrams

forehew
Cite this entry
APA

whereof. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whereof

MLA

“whereof.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whereof. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “whereof,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whereof.

Source: whereof on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.