and

  • conjunction 1 used to connect words, clauses, or sentences. 2 used to connect two identical words to emphasize progressive change or great duration: getting better and better. 3 (connecting two numbers) plus. 4 informal (after a verb) to: try and do it.

  — USAGE As with other conjunctions such as but and because, it is widely held that it is incorrect to begin a sentence with and, the argument being that such a sentence expresses an incomplete thought. It has, however, long been used in this way in both written and spoken English (typically for rhetorical effect), and is quite acceptable.

  — ORIGIN Old English.

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