follow

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Followed p. pr. & vb. n. Following. ][ OE. foluwen, folwen, folgen, AS. folgian, fylgean, fylgan; akin to D. volgen, OHG. folgēn, G. folgen, Icel. fylgja, Sw. följa, Dan. fölge, and perh. to E. folk. ] 1. To go or come after; to move behind in the same path or direction; hence, to go with (a leader, guide, etc.); to accompany; to attend. [ 1913 Webster ]

It waves me forth again; I'll follow it. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To endeavor to overtake; to go in pursuit of; to chase; to pursue; to prosecute. [ 1913 Webster ]

I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. Ex. xiv. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To accept as authority; to adopt the opinions of; to obey; to yield to; to take as a rule of action; as, to follow good advice. [ 1913 Webster ]

Approve the best, and follow what I approve. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Follow peace with all men. Heb. xii. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is most agreeable to some men to follow their reason; and to others to follow their appetites. J. Edwards. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To copy after; to take as an example. [ 1913 Webster ]

We had rather follow the perfections of them whom we like not, than in defects resemble them whom we love. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To succeed in order of time, rank, or office. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To result from, as an effect from a cause, or an inference from a premise. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To watch, as a receding object; to keep the eyes fixed upon while in motion; to keep the mind upon while in progress, as a speech, musical performance, etc.; also, to keep up with; to understand the meaning, connection, or force of, as of a course of thought or argument. [ 1913 Webster ]

He followed with his eyes the flitting shade. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling. [ 1913 Webster ]

O, had I but followed the arts! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

O Antony! I have followed thee to this. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Follow board (Founding), a board on which the pattern and the flask lie while the sand is rammed into the flask. Knight. --
To follow the hounds, to hunt with dogs. --
To follow suit (Card Playing), to play a card of the same suit as the leading card; hence, colloquially, to follow an example set. --
To follow up, to pursue indefatigably.

Syn.- To pursue; chase; go after; attend; accompany; succeed; imitate; copy; embrace; maintain. - To Follow, Pursue. To follow (v.t.) denotes simply to go after; to pursue denotes to follow with earnestness, and with a view to attain some definite object; as, a hound pursues the deer. So a person follows a companion whom he wishes to overtake on a journey; the officers of justice pursue a felon who has escaped from prison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The art or process of following; specif., in some games, as billiards, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it. Also used adjectively; as, follow shot. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. i. To go or come after; -- used in the various senses of the transitive verb: To pursue; to attend; to accompany; to be a result; to imitate.

Syn. -- To Follow, Succeed, Ensue. To follow (v.i.) means simply to come after; as, a crowd followed. To succeed means to come after in some regular series or succession; as, day succeeds to day, and night to night. To ensue means to follow by some established connection or principle of sequence. As wave follows wave, revolution succeeds to revolution; and nothing ensues but accumulated wretchedness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. folwere, AS. folgere. ] 1. One who follows; a pursuer; an attendant; a disciple; a dependent associate; a retainer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A sweetheart; a beau. [ Colloq. ] A. Trollope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Steam Engine) (a) The removable flange, or cover, of a piston. See Illust. of Piston. (b) A gland. See Illust. of Stuffing box. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mach.) The part of a machine that receives motion from another part. See Driver. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Among law stationers, a sheet of parchment or paper which is added to the first sheet of an indenture or other deed.

Syn. -- Imitator; copier; disciple; adherent; partisan; dependent; attendant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One's followers, adherents, or dependents, collectively. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Vocation; business; profession. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Next after; succeeding; ensuing; as, the assembly was held on the following day. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Astron.) (In the field of a telescope) In the direction from which stars are apparently moving (in consequence of the earth's rotation); as, a small star, north following or south following. In the direction toward which stars appear to move is called preceding. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The four principal directions in the field of a telescope are north, south, following, preceding. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Aëronautics) See Advancing-edge, above. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Aëronautics) See Advancing-surface, above. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. an immediate second innings forced on a cricket team scoring a prescribed number of runs fewer than its opponents in the first innings. [ WordNet 1.5 ]