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Of late   /əv leɪt/   Listen
preposition
Of  prep.  In a general sense, from, or out from; proceeding from; belonging to; relating to; concerning; used in a variety of applications; as:
1.
Denoting that from which anything proceeds; indicating origin, source, descent, and the like; as, he is of a race of kings; he is of noble blood. "That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." "I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you."
2.
Denoting possession or ownership, or the relation of subject to attribute; as, the apartment of the consul: the power of the king; a man of courage; the gate of heaven. "Poor of spirit."
3.
Denoting the material of which anything is composed, or that which it contains; as, a throne of gold; a sword of steel; a wreath of mist; a cup of water.
4.
Denoting part of an aggregate or whole; belonging to a number or quantity mentioned; out of; from amongst; as, of this little he had some to spare; some of the mines were unproductive; most of the company. "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed." "It is a duty to communicate of those blessings we have received."
5.
Denoting that by which a person or thing is actuated or impelled; also, the source of a purpose or action; due to; as, they went of their own will; no body can move of itself; he did it of necessity. "For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts."
6.
Denoting reference to a thing; about; concerning; relating to; as, to boast of one's achievements; they talked of many things. "Knew you of this fair work?"
7.
Denoting nearness or distance, either in space or time; from; as, within a league of the town; within an hour of the appointed time.
8.
Denoting identity or equivalence; used with a name or appellation, and equivalent to the relation of apposition; as, the continent of America; the city of Rome; the Island of Cuba.
9.
Denoting the agent, or person by whom, or thing by which, anything is, or is done; by. "And told to her of (by) some." "He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all." "(Jesus) being forty days tempted of the devil." Note: The use of the word in this sense, as applied to persons, is nearly obsolete.
10.
Denoting relation to place or time; belonging to, or connected with; as, men of Athens; the people of the Middle Ages; in the days of Herod.
11.
Denoting passage from one state to another; from. (Obs.) "O miserable of happy."
12.
During; in the course of. "Not be seen to wink of all the day." "My custom always of the afternoon." Note: Of may be used in a subjective or an objective sense. "The love of God" may mean, our love for God, or God's love for us. Note: From is the primary sense of this preposition; a sense retained in off, the same word differently written for distinction. But this radical sense disappears in most of its application; as, a man of genius; a man of rare endowments; a fossil of a red color, or of an hexagonal figure; he lost all hope of relief; an affair of the cabinet; he is a man of decayed fortune; what is the price of corn? In these and similar phrases, of denotes property or possession, or a relation of some sort involving connection. These applications, however all proceeded from the same primary sense. That which proceeds from, or is produced by, a person or thing, either has had, or still has, a close connection with the same; and hence the word was applied to cases of mere connection, not involving at all the idea of separation.
Of consequence, of importance, value, or influence.
Of late, recently; in time not long past.
Of old, formerly; in time long past.
Of one's self, by one's self; without help or prompting; spontaneously. "Why, knows not Montague, that of itself England is safe, if true within itself?"


adverb
Late  adv.  
1.
After the usual or proper time, or the time appointed; after delay; as, he arrived late; opposed to early.
2.
Not long ago; lately.
3.
Far in the night, day, week, or other particular period; as, to lie abed late; to sit up late at night.
Of late, in time not long past, or near the present; lately; as, the practice is of late uncommon.
Too late, after the proper or available time; when the time or opportunity is past.





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Of late" Quotes from Famous Books



... you, good Castleman," I answered, hardly liking so great an air of condescension on the part of a burgher. An afterthought suggested that perhaps Castleman had not referred to himself as the friend we had made. Strange thoughts and speculations had of late been swarming in my mind until they had almost taken the form of a refrain, "Who is Yolanda?" Though the question repeated itself constantly by day and by night, I received no ...
— Yolanda: Maid of Burgundy • Charles Major
... opposite, Samaritan or Jew; how could'st thou hope Long to enjoy it quiet and secure, 360 Between two such enclosing enemies Roman and Parthian? therefore one of these Thou must make sure thy own, the Parthian first By my advice, as nearer and of late Found able by invasion to annoy Thy country, and captive lead away her Kings Antigonus, and old Hyrcanus bound, Maugre the Roman: it shall be my task To render thee the Parthian at dispose; Chuse which thou ...
— The Poetical Works of John Milton • John Milton
... recognize Tilly; everything looks to me in an eclipse, and nothing bright as it once was, not even you, Amelie. Your smile has a curious touch of sadness in it which does not escape my eyes; accursed as they have been of late, seeing things they ought not to see, yet I can see that, and I know it, too; I have given you cause to be ...
— The Golden Dog - Le Chien d'Or • William Kirby
... pursuit. Jekyll had more than a father's interest; Hyde had more than a son's indifference. To cast in my lot with Jekyll was to die to those appetites which I had long secretly indulged, and had of late begun to pamper. To cast it in with Hyde was to die to a thousand interests and aspirations, and to become, at a blow and for ever, despised and friendless. The bargain might appear unequal; but there was still another consideration in the ...
— The Pocket R.L.S. - Being Favourite Passages from the Works of Stevenson • Robert Louis Stevenson
... was, he had been of late ransacking his grandfather's library and had found besides sea-stories and stories of wrecks, and foreign lands and pirates and deep sea treasure—what interested him more than all, a volume of biographies of ...
— An Australian Lassie • Lilian Turner


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