pronoun

thou

thow

pronoun

An old-fashioned or poetic word for "you," used when speaking to one person.

""Thou art welcome here," the old innkeeper said in the play."

noun

A unit of length equal to one thousandth of an inch, used in engineering.

"The metal sheet was machined to a tolerance of two thou."

Informal shorthand for "a thousand," especially of money.

"He paid five thou in cash for the used car."

How to Use Thou

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn archaic word for "you" (singular), still seen in old texts, poetry, and religious language; also modern slang for "a thousand."

When to use it

The pronoun sense is archaic/literary; the "a thousand" and machining-unit senses are everyday informal use.

Common pairings

thou shalt five thou a few thou

Word Forms

thoued past tense, thous plural, thous plural, thou plural, thous singular

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Can you complete this real example?

"_____ art welcome here," the old innkeeper said in the play.

Etymology

From Old English þū, the original singular form of "you"; it fell out of everyday use as English simplified its pronouns, surviving mainly in older literature, prayer, and dialect.

Rhymes for thou

ou you fou sou IOU Lou kou mou Zou Vou Hou chou

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