“such” – English explanatory dictionary

adj 1. of this sort ○ The police are looking for such things as drugs or stolen goods. □ no such not existing ○ There is no such day as April 31st. ○ Someone was asking for a Mr Simpson but there is no such person working here. 2. very; so much ○ There was such a crowd at the party that there weren’t enough chairs to go round. ○ It’s such a shame that she’s ill and has to miss her sister’s wedding. ■ pron this type of person or thing ○ She’s very competent, and is thought of as such by the management. ○ The noise was such that it stopped me sleeping.

a. [OE. such, sich, sech, sik, swich, swilch, swulch, swilc, swulc, AS. swelc, swilc, swylc; akin to OFries. selik, D. zulk, OS. sulic, OHG. sulih, solih, G. solch, Icel. slikr, OSw. salik, Sw. slik, Dan. slig, Goth. swaleiks; originally meaning, so shaped. rad.192. See So, Like, a., and cf. Which.]
1. Of that kind; of the like kind; like; resembling; similar; as we never saw such a day; — followed by that or as introducing the word or proposition which defines the similarity, or the standard of comparison; as the books are not such that I can recommend them, or, not such as I can recommend; these apples are not such as those we saw yesterday; give your children such precepts as tend to make them better. “And in his time such a conqueror
That greater was there none under the sun.” Chaucer. “His misery was such that none of the bystanders could refrain from weeping.” Macaulay. The indefinite article a or an never precedes such, but is placed between it and the noun to which it refers; as such a man; such an honor. The indefinite adjective some, several, one, few, many, all, etc., precede such; as one such book is enough; all such people ought to be avoided; few such ideas were then held.
2. Having the particular quality or character specified. “That thou art happy, owe to God;
That thou continuest such, owe to thyself.” Milton.
3. The same that; — with as; as this was the state of the kingdom at such time as the enemy landed. ´[It] hath such senses as we have.´ Shak.
4. Certain; — representing the object as already particularized in terms which are not mentioned. “In rushed one and tells him such a knight
Is new arrived.” Daniel. “To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year.” James iv. 13. Such is used pronominally. ´He was the father of such as dwell in tents.´ Gen. iv. 20. ´Such as I are free in spirit when our limbs are chained.´ Sir W. Scott. Such is also used before adjectives joined to substantives; as the fleet encountered such a terrible storm that it put back. ´Everything was managed with so much care, and such excellent order was observed.´ De Foe. “Temple sprung from a family which … long after his death produced so many eminent men, and formed such distinguished alliances, that, etc.” Macaulay. Such is used emphatically, without the correlative. “Now will he be mocking:
I shall have such a life.” Shak. Such was formerly used with numerals in the sense of times as much or as many; as such ten, or ten times as many. Such and such, or Such or such, certain; some; — used to represent the object indefinitely, as already particularized in one way or another, or as being of one kind or another. ´In such and such a place shall be my camp.´ 2 Kings vi. 8. ´Sovereign authority may enact a law commanding such and such an action.´ South. — Such like or character, of the like kind. “And many other such like things ye do.” Mark vii. 8.