As subject of a verb or occas. an implied verb, with plural referent: you: (a) addressing more than one person, bird, object, abstraction, etc.; also, you and he [quot. c1475]; ~ and youres; (b) addressing more than one person;—with immediately following noun, pron., or num. in apposition or with an adj.; ~ alle, ~ two, ~ your-self, etc.; (c) ostensibly addressing an individual but apparently referring to the group of which the individual is representative; also, addressing a city and by implication its defenders [quot. a1425(c1333-52)].

As subject of a verb, with indefinite referent: (a) addressing a real or an imagined readership or audience: you;—often used in conventional tags; (b) used generically: one [= me pron.(1); occas. difficult to distinguish from (a)].

As subject of a verb or occas. an implied verb, with singular referent: you, thou;—occas. used derisively: (a) used for a king, queen, or other ruler; (b) used for a master, an elder, or a social superior; (c) used for a parent; (d) used for God, Christ, or Mary, or for a pagan god; (e) used by a wife for her husband; used by a woman for her beloved or for the object of her pursuit; (f) used for a teacher or similar figure of moral, intellectual, or spiritual authority; (g) used by a man (esp. a lover or suitor) for a lady, or a husband for a wife; (h) used for someone of whom a favor is desired or from whom one has been received; (i) used for an equal or as a politeness for a stranger; (j) used for a social inferior, pupil or disciple, etc.; also with immediately following noun in apposition.

As vocative, with following noun or noun phrase in apposition, or occas. with following rel. clause or adj.: (a) addressing more than one person or thing: you; ~ alle (men; (b) addressing an indefinite readership or audience: you; (c) addressing an individual: you, thou.

In misc. senses: (a) as direct obj. of a verb, with plural referent: you; also, as indirect obj., with plural referent: you, to you [all exx. may represent the unstressed form of you pron.]; ~ alle; (b) as obj. of a prep., with plural referent: you [some exx. may represent the unstressed form of you pron.]; ?also, as obj. of postposed prep., with singular referent [quot. a1500(?a1400)]; (c) the word ‘ye’; (d) error for the pron.(2); (e) error for we pron.