From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
several
adj 1: considered individually; "the respective club members";
"specialists in their several fields"; "the various
reports all agreed" [syn: {respective(a)},
{several(a)}, {various(a)}]
2: distinct and individual; "three several times" [syn:
{several(p)}]
3: (used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2
or 3 but not many; "several letters came in the mail";
"several people were injured in the accident" [syn:
{several(a)}]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Several \Sev"er*al\, adv.
By itself; severally. [Obs.]
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Every kind of thing is laid up several in barns or
storehoudses. --Robynson
(More's
Utopia).
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Several \Sev"er*al\, a. [OF., fr. LL. separalis, fr. L. separ
separate, different. See Sever, Separate.]
1. Separate; distinct; particular; single.
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Each several ship a victory did gain. --Dryden.
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Each might his several province well command,
Would all but stoop to what they understand. --Pope.
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2. Diverse; different; various. --Spenser.
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Habits and faculties, several, and to be
distinguished. --Bacon.
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Four several armies to the field are led. --Dryden.
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3. Consisting of a number more than two, but not very many;
divers; sundry; as, several persons were present when the
event took place.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Several \Sev"er*al\, n.
1. Each particular taken singly; an item; a detail; an
individual. [Obs.]
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There was not time enough to hear . . .
The severals. --Shak.
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2. Persons oe objects, more than two, but not very many.
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Several of them neither rose from any conspicuous
family, nor left any behind them. --Addison.
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3. An inclosed or separate place; inclosure. [Obs.]
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They had their several for heathen nations, their
several for the people of their own nation.
--Hooker.
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In several, in a state of separation. [R.] "Where pastures
in several be." --Tusser.
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