follow
 fol·low (fŏlʹō)v. fol·lowed, fol·low·ing, fol·lowsv. tr.
1. To come or go after; proceed behind:
Follow the usher to your seat.
2.
a. To go after in or as if in pursuit: “The wrong she had done followed her and haunted her dream” (Katherine Anne Porter).
b. To keep under surveillance:
followed the suspect around town.
3.
a. To move along the course of; take:
We followed a path to the shore.
b. To go in the direction of; be guided by:
followed the sun westward across the plains; followed the signs to the zoo.
4. To accept the guidance, command, or leadership of:
follow a spiritual master; rebels who refused to follow their commander.
5. To adhere to; practice:
followed family traditions.
6. To take as a model or precedent; imitate:
followed my example and resigned.
7.
a. To act in agreement or compliance with; obey:
follow the rules; follow one's instincts.
b. To keep to or stick to:
followed the recipe; follow a diet.
8. To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at.
9. To come after in order, time, or position:
Night follows day.
10. To bring something about at a later time than or as a consequence of:
She followed her lecture with a question-and-answer period. The band followed its hit record with a tour.
11. To occur or be evident as a consequence of:
Your conclusion does not follow your premise.
12.
a. To watch or observe closely:
followed the bird through binoculars.
b. To be attentive to; pay close heed to:
too sleepy to follow the sermon.
c. To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of:
follow the stock market; followed the local teams.
13. To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand:
Do you follow my argument?v. intr.
1. To come, move, or take place after another person or thing in order or time.
2. To occur or be evident as a consequence; result:
If you ignore your diet, trouble will follow.
3. To grasp the meaning or reasoning of something; understand.n.
1. The act or an instance of following.
2. Games. A billiards shot in which the cue ball is struck above center so that it follows the path of the object ball after impact.Phrasal Verbs:follow along
To move or proceed in unison or in accord with an example:
followed along with the song.follow through
1. Sports To carry a stroke to natural completion after hitting or releasing a ball or other object.
2. To carry an act, project, or intention to completion; pursue fully:
followed through on her promise to reorganize the department.follow up
1. To carry to completion; follow through on:
followed up their recommendations with concrete proposals.
2. To increase the effectiveness or enhance the success of by further action:
followed up her interview with an e-mail.Idioms:as follows
As will be stated next. Used to introduce a specified enumeration, explanation, or command.follow (one's) nose
1. To move straight ahead or in a direct path.
2. Informal To be guided by instinct:
had no formal training but became a success by following his nose.follow suit
1. Games To play a card of the same suit as the one led.
2. To do as another has done; follow an example. [Middle English folowen, from Old English folgian.]
Synonyms: follow, succeed, ensue, result, supervene
These verbs mean to come after something or someone. Follow, which has the widest application, can refer to coming after in time or order, as a consequence or result, or by the operation of logic: Night follows day. He disregarded doctor's orders, and a relapse followed. Because she decries violence, it follows that she won't carry a gun. To succeed is to come next after another, especially in planned order determined by considerations such as rank, inheritance, or election: The heir apparent succeeded to the throne. Ensue usually applies to what is a consequence or logical development: After the government was toppled, chaos ensued. Result implies that what follows is caused by what has preceded: Failure to file an income tax return can result in a fine. Supervene, in contrast, refers to something that is often unexpected and that has little relation to what has preceded: “A bad harvest supervened” (Charlotte Brontë).
Usage Note: As follows (not as follow) is the established form of the idiom regardless of whether the noun that precedes it is singular or plural: The regulations are as follows.
|
|
