whole

Universal Words adjective, noun adjective 1 [onlybeforenoun] full; complete: He spent the whole day writing. * We drank a whole bottle each. * The whole country (= all the people in it) mourned her death. * Let's forget the whole thing. * She wasn't telling the whole truth. 2 [onlybeforenoun] used to emphasize how large or important sth is: We offer a whole variety of weekend breaks. * I can't afford it-that's the whole point. 3 not broken or damaged: Owls usually swallow their prey whole (= without chewing it). -< HALF wholeness noun [U]-see also WHOLLY IDIOMS Most idioms containing whole are at the entries for the nouns and verbs in the idioms, for example go the whole hog is at hog. a whole lot (informal) very much; a lot: I'm feeling a whole lot better. a whole lot (of sth) (informal) a large number or amount: There were a whole lot of people I didn't know. * I lost a whole lot of money. the whole lot everything; all of sth: I've sold the whole lot. noun 1 [C] a thing that is complete in itself: Four quarters make a whole. * The subjects of the curriculum form a coherent whole. 2 [sing.] the ~ of sth all that there is of sth: The effects will last for the whole of his life. -> HALF IDIOMS as a whole as one thing or piece and not as separate parts: The festival will be great for our city and for the country as a whole. on the whole considering everything; in general: On the whole, I'm in favour of the idea.