have-not
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of have-not
First recorded in 1830–40
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In contrast, the House bill avoids any mandatory set-asides, instead creating new programs that target institutions in those have-not states.
From Science Magazine • Feb. 3, 2022
Eventually — I’m hoping around April or May — we’ll lose interest in who’s a have-shot and who’s a have-not.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 20, 2021
That's easy: Because the have-not owners are mad, and the other possible solutions, which include stricter salary caps, would pit them against the player's union in a losing fight.
From Golf Digest • Sep. 16, 2019
“I always coached mostly the have-not schools,” Kelvin said.
From Washington Post • Mar. 14, 2019
A knight with a silver suit of armour would immediately call himself a have-not, if he met a knight with a golden one.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.