be·ing (bē'ĭng)
n.

1. The state or quality of having existence. See synonyms at existence.
2. 1. Something, such as an object, an idea, or a symbol, that exists, is thought to exist, or is represented as existing.
   2. The totality of all things that exist.
3. 1. A person: "The artist after all is a solitary being" (Virginia Woolf).
   2. All the qualities constituting one that exists; the essence.
   3. One's basic or essential nature; personality.

conj. Chiefly Southern U.S., Upper Southern U.S., & New England
Because; since. Often used with as or that.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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