See Also:

welcome(1) (iou)



welcome noun1, interjection, & adjective.
[Old English wilcuma (from wil- desire, pleasure + cuma comer), with later alt. of 1st elem. to wel- WELL adverb infl. by Old French bien venu or Old Norse velkominn.]
A. noun. A person whose arrival is pleasing or desirable; an acceptable person or thing. Only in OE.
b. interjection. Used to greet a visitor or guest; expr. pleasure at the arrival of a person. OE.
J. Burchill Welcome back to the land of the living.
C. adjective.
Of a person: acceptable as a visitor, companion, etc. OE.
E. F. Benson Maud would be a welcome guest.
Of a thing: acceptable, agreeable, pleasing. ME.
American Speech Contributions to the Atlas Fund..to defray..costs are welcome. E. Healey They reached the welcome shade of the great trees.
Freely allowed or cordially invited to do or have something. Foll. by to, to do. ME.
J. Austen You would be..welcome to any other in my trinket-box. E. H. Erikson She is quite welcome to keep the pencils. iron.: G. Mitchell If nudists excite you, you're welcome to them.
Phrases etc.: and welcome: added to a statement to imply that its subject or addressee is freely allowed or cordially invited to do or have something specified. bid welcome express gladness on receiving (a person) home, as a guest, etc. make welcome receive (a person) hospitably. welcome aboard joc. (with allus. to nautical usage) greeting a person joining a particular group, enterprise, etc. welcome-home-husband dial. cypress spurge, Euphorbia cyparissias. wish welcome = bid welcome above. you are welcome, you're welcome: a polite response to an expression of thanks.
welcomely adverb (a) with an expression or feeling of welcome; gladly, hospitably; (b) in a manner that is welcomed: L16.
welcomeness noun E17.