Definitions

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • A combining form or suffix from Gr. sw^ma (gen. sw`matos) the body
  • An adjective suffix having primarily the sense of like or same, and indicating a considerable degree of the thing or quality denoted in the first part of the compound; as in mettlesome, full of mettle or spirit; gladsome, full of gladness; winsome, blithesome, etc.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • suffix characterized by some specific condition or quality
  • suffix A body
  • suffix A chromosome
  • suffix Used to form a word indicating a group with a certain small number of members

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Old English -sum ("-some, same as"). Akin to Old Frisian -sum ("-some"), Old High German -sam ("-some"), Old Norse -samr ("-some"), Gothic -sams, -sama. Cognate with Albanian -shëm ("-some"). More at same.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek σῶμα (soma, "body")

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English from a specialized note of Old English sum ("some, one") coming after a genitive plural (eg. hē wæs fēowertiga sum --"he was one of forty", literally "he was forties' some[one]"; sixa sum --"one of six, sixsome").

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Examples

  • Hundreds of cars -some exotic and rare- are on display at the Seattle Auto Show through Sunday, November 6th.

    Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Local News 2011

  • As Wedes walked from the stage Saturday hundreds of people gave him a standing ovation -some with tears in their eyes.

    Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Local News 2011

  • With prizes like that a lot of folks took their chances---some could sing and some clearly couldn't.

    Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph Rachel Ray 2011

  • But now - just hours before the first government shutdown in 15 years -some of the most vocal conservatives are urging Republicans to reach a deal before a shutdown occurs.

    NYT > Home Page By MICHAEL D. SHEAR 2011

  • It is a reminder that many if not all of the issues that Dr. King wanted to address are still with us---some greater in scope than he could have imagined--and a call to keep carrying forward his vision for equity and social justice in our land.

    Crooks and Liars Richard RJ Eskow 2012

  • There are real stories -some of which Hollywood turned into movies- where a bully in a small town beat and abused people for years, and he had gotten away with a slap in the wrist from the local authorities.

    Breaking News: CBS News 2011

  • If they cut the number of international students by 25%, it will be much more serious than that -some universities may close their doors, or at least close entire deprtments.

    The Independent - Frontpage RSS Feed 2011

  • Call me old fashioned, but judges typically do not let 2-year-old twins return to a house where the dad is having a 2 ½ -some.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com Susan Moss 2011

  • In a recent survey, the Science nd Technology Facilities Council STFC found that although most students choose to do a PhD because of their interest in a subject, the careers open to them afterwards can contribute to the UK's knowledge economy in many ways -some of them quite unexpected.

    The Independent - Frontpage RSS Feed 2011

  • -some relatively insignificant event will occur that will cause investor sentiment to slowly begin to change, and BofA's valuation will at last start to edge higher.

    unknown title 2011

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