Follow - Definition

v 1: to travel behind, go after, come after; "The ducklings
followed their mother around the pond"; "Please follow the
guide through the museum" [ant: lead, precede]
2: be later in time; "Tuesday always follows Monday" [syn:
postdate, follow] [ant: antecede, antedate, forego,
forgo, precede, predate]
3: come as a logical consequence; follow logically; "It follows
that your assertion is false"; "the theorem falls out nicely"
[syn: follow, fall out]
4: travel along a certain course; "follow the road"; "follow the
trail" [syn: follow, travel along]
5: act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes;
"He complied with my instructions"; "You must comply or
else!"; "Follow these simple rules"; "abide by the rules"
[syn: comply, follow, abide by]
6: come after in time, as a result; "A terrible tsunami followed
the earthquake" [syn: follow, come after]
7: behave in accordance or in agreement with; "Follow a
pattern"; "Follow my example" [syn: follow, conform to]
8: be next; "Mary plays best, with John and Sue following"
9: choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies,
strategies or plans; "She followed the feminist movement";
"The candidate espouses Republican ideals" [syn: adopt,
follow, espouse]
10: to bring something about at a later time than; "She followed
dinner with a brandy"; "He followed his lecture with a
question and answer period"
11: imitate in behavior; take as a model; "Teenagers follow
their friends in everything" [syn: take after, follow]
12: follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of
something; "We must follow closely the economic development
is Cuba" ; "trace the student's progress" [syn: trace,
follow]
13: follow with the eyes or the mind; "Keep an eye on the baby,
please!"; "The world is watching Sarajevo"; "She followed
the men with the binoculars" [syn: watch, observe,
follow, watch over, keep an eye on]
14: be the successor (of); "Carter followed Ford"; "Will Charles
succeed to the throne?" [syn: succeed, come after,
follow] [ant: come before, precede]
15: perform an accompaniment to; "The orchestra could barely
follow the frequent pitch changes of the soprano" [syn:
play along, accompany, follow]
16: keep informed; "He kept up on his country's foreign
policies" [syn: keep up, keep abreast, follow]
17: to be the product or result; "Melons come from a vine";
"Understanding comes from experience" [syn: come,
follow]
18: accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of;
"Let's follow our great helmsman!"; "She followed a guru for
years"
19: adhere to or practice; "These people still follow the laws
of their ancient religion"
20: work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a
specific function; "He is a herpetologist"; "She is our
resident philosopher" [syn: be, follow]
21: keep under surveillance; "The police had been following him
for weeks but they could not prove his involvement in the
bombing" [syn: surveil, follow, survey]
22: follow in or as if in pursuit; "The police car pursued the
suspected attacker"; "Her bad deed followed her and haunted
her dreams all her life" [syn: pursue, follow]
23: grasp the meaning; "Can you follow her argument?"; "When he
lectures, I cannot follow"
24: keep to; "Stick to your principles"; "stick to the diet"
[syn: stick to, stick with, follow]