GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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Found 2 definitions

1.       
   Who , pron. [Possess. whose ; object. Whom .] [OE. who, wha, AS. hwā, interrogative pron., neut. hwæt; akin to OFries. hwa, neut. hwet, OS. hwē, neut. hwat, D. wie, neut. wat, G. wer, neut. was, OHG. wer, hwer, neut. waz, hwaz, Icel. hvat, neut., Dan. hvo, neut. hvad, Sw. ho, hvem, neut. hvad, Goth. hwas, fem. hwō, neut. hwa, Lith. kas, Ir. & Gael. co, W. pwy, L. quod, neuter of qui, Gr. πότερος whether, Skr. kas. √182.   Cf. How, Quantity, Quorum, Quote, Ubiquity, What, When, Where, Whether, Which, Whither, Whom, Why.]
   1913 Webster
   Originally, an interrogative pronoun, later, a relative pronoun also; -- used always substantively, and either as singular or plural.  See the Note under What, pron., 1.  As interrogative pronouns, who and whom ask the question: What or which person or persons? Who and whom, as relative pronouns (in the sense of that), are properly used of persons (corresponding to which, as applied to things), but are sometimes, less properly and now rarely, used of animals, plants, etc.  Who and whom, as compound relatives, are also used especially of persons, meaning the person that; the persons that; the one that; whosoever.  “Let who will be President.”  
   Macaulay.
   
   1913 Webster
   [He] should not tell whose children they were.
   Chaucer.
   
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   There thou tell'st of kings, and who aspire;
   Who fall, who rise, who triumph, who do moan.
   Daniel.
   
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   Adders who with cloven tongues
   Do hiss into madness.
   Shak.
   
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   Whom I could pity thus forlorn.
   Milton.
   
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   How hard is our fate, who serve in the state.
   Addison.
   
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   Who cheapens life, abates the fear of death.
   Young.
   
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   The brace of large greyhounds, who were the companions of his sports.
   Sir W. Scott.
   
   1913 Webster
   One; any; one.  [Obs., except in the archaic phrase, as who should say.]
   1913 Webster
   As who should say, it were a very dangerous matter if a man in any point should be found wiser than his forefathers were.
   Robynson (More's Utopia).
   
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2.       
   Whom , pron. [OE. wham, AS. dative hwām, hwm.  See Who.] The objective case of who.  See Who.
   1913 Webster
   ☞ In Old English, whom was also commonly used as a dative.  Cf. Him.
   1913 Webster
   And every grass that groweth upon root
   She shall eke know, and whom it will do boot.
   Chaucer.
   
   1913 Webster