was

[ wuhz, woz; unstressed wuhz ]

verb

1. first and third person singular past indicative of be.

was

/ wɒz; wəz /

verb

1. the past tense (indicative mood) of be 1
2. not_standard.
   a form of the subjunctive mood used in place of were, esp in conditional sentences

   if the film was to be with you, would you be able to process it?

Word History and Origins

Origin of was¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English wæs, past tense singular of wesan “to be”; cognate with Old Frisian, Old High German, Gothic was, Old Norse var; wassail

Word History and Origins

Origin of was¹

Old English wæs, from wesan to be; related to Old Frisian, Old High German was, Old Norse var

Example Sentences

The last time they had lost a City playoff contest was in 2011 when they fell to Cleveland 14-3 in the quarterfinals.

From Los Angeles Times

The score was tied 3-3 after the first quarter, but the Cavaliers’ suffocating defense began to take hold in the second quarter as Cleveland scored three times to take a 6-2 lead into halftime.

From Los Angeles Times

Charlton House in Greenwich, south-east London, was built in 1612 and repaired following damage caused in the Blitz, but a leaky roof is affecting its historic interior so it has been added to the register.

From BBC

Another place was cut after being reassessed.

From BBC

Originally opened in 1728 as the Church of St John the Evangelist, the site was decommissioned as a church and became a concert venue in the 1960s following bomb damage during World War Two.

From BBC