Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

kind

Cross references:
  1. type                  
 
1. kind \'ki-nd\ n [ME kinde, fr. OE cynd; akin to OE cyn kin] archaic  1a: 
   NATURE  1b: a natural grouping : SPECIES  archaic  1c: FAMILY, LINEAGE  
   archaic  2: MANNER  3: fundamental nature or quality : ESSENCE  4a: a group 
   united by common traits or interests : CATEGORY  4b: SORT, TYPE  4c: a 
   doubtful or barely admissible member of a category {a ~ of gr ay} 5a: goods 
   or commodities as distinguished from money  5b: the equivalent of what has 
   been offered or received 
2. kind aj chiefly dial  1: AFFECTIONATE, : LOVING  2a: of a sympathetic 
   nature : FRIENDLY  2b: of a forbearing nature : GENTLE  2c: arising from or 
   characterized by sympathy or forbearance {a ~  act} 3: of a pleasant nature 
   : AGREEABLE  a gentle, considerate nature. KIND and KINDLY both imply 
   sympathy and humaneness and interest in another's welfare, KIND stressing a 
   disposition to be helpful {a kind heart} and KINDLY stressing more the 
   expression of a sympathetic nature or impulse {take a kindly interest} 
   BENIGN and BENIGNANT stress mildness and mercifulness and apply more often 
   to gracious or patronizing acts or utterances of a superior rather than an 
   equal SYN syn KIND, KINDLY, BENIGN, BENIGNANT mean showing