wont

¹

[wawnt, wohnt, wuhnt]

adjective

1. accustomed; used (usually followed by an infinitive).

   He was wont to rise at dawn.

   Synonyms: wonted
   Antonyms: unaccustomed

noun

1. custom; habit; practice.

   It was her wont to walk three miles before breakfast.

   Synonyms: use

verb (used with object)

wont, wont, wonted, wonting. 

1. to accustom (a person), as to a thing.

   That summer wonted me to a lifetime of early rising.

2. to render (a thing) customary or usual (usually used passively).

verb (used without object)

wont, wont, wonted, wonting. 

1. to be wont.

won't

²

[wohnt, wuhnt]

1. contraction of will not:

   He won't see you now.

wont

¹

/ wəʊnt /

adjective

1. (postpositive) accustomed (to doing something)

   he was wont to come early

noun

1. a manner or action habitually employed by or associated with someone (often in the phrases as is my wont, as is his wont, etc)

verb

1. (when tr, usually passive) to become or cause to become accustomed

won't

²

/ wəʊnt /

contraction

1. will not

Usage

See contraction.

Other Word Forms

• wontless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wont¹

irst recorded in 1300–50; (adjective) Middle English wont, woned, Old English gewunod, past participle of gewunian “to be used to” ( won ² ); cognate with German gewöhnt; (verb) Middle English, back formation from wonted or wont (past participle); (noun) apparently from conflation of wont (past participle) with obsolete wone “wish” in certain stereotyped phrases

Word History and Origins

Origin of wont¹

Old English gewunod, past participle of wunian to be accustomed to; related to Old High German wunēn (German wohnen ), Old Norse una to be satisfied; see _wean ¹ , _wish , _winsome