towards

• POS: Preposition
• HYPHEN: to=wards

CIDE DICTIONARY

towards, prep. [AS. impending, imminent, future, toward, towards. See To, and -ward, wards.].

•  In the direction of; to.  [1913 Webster]

  "He set his face toward the wilderness."  [1913 Webster]

  "The waves make towards\'b6 the pebbled shore."  [1913 Webster]
•  With direction to, in a moral sense; with respect or reference to; regarding; concerning.  [1913 Webster]

  "His eye shall be evil toward his brother."  [1913 Webster]

  "Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men."  [1913 Webster]
•  Tending to; in the direction of; in behalf of.  [1913 Webster]

  "This was the first alarm England received towards any trouble."  [1913 Webster]
•  Near; about; approaching to.  [1913 Webster]

  "I am toward nine years older since I left you."  [1913 Webster]

towards, adv. 

 Near; at hand; in state of preparation.  [1913 Webster]
"Do you hear sught, sir, of a battle toward ?"  [1913 Webster]
"We have a trifling foolish banquet Towards."  [1913 Webster]

towards, prep. & adv. 

 See Toward.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

towards, prep.
1 in the direction of (set out towards town).
2 as regards; in relation to (his attitude towards death).
3 as a contribution to; for (put this towards your expenses).
4 near (towards the end of our journey).

Etymology

OE toweard (adj.) future (as TO, -WARD)

ROGET THESAURUS

towards

Direction

N direction, management, managery, government, gubernation, conduct, legislation, regulation, guidance, bossism, legislature, steerage, pilotage, reins, reins of government, helm, rudder, needle, compass, guiding star, load star, lode star, pole star, cynosure, supervision, superintendence, surveillance, oversight, eye of the master, control, charge, board of control, command, premiership, senatorship, director, chair, portfolio, statesmanship, statecraft, kingcraft, queencraft, ministry, ministration, administration, stewardship, proctorship, agency, director, directing, hegemonic, at the helm, at the head of, direction, bearing, course, vector, set, drift, tenor, tendency, incidence, bending, trending, dip, tack, aim, collimation, steering steerage, point of the compass, cardinal points, North East, South, West, N by E, ENE, NE by N, NE, rhumb, azimuth, line of collimation, line, path, road, range, quarter, line of march, alignment, allignment, air line, beeline, straight shoot, directed, directed towards, pointing towards, bound for, aligned, with alligned with, direct, straight, undeviating, unswerving, straightforward, North, Northern, Northerly, towards, on the road, on the high road to, en avant, versus, to, hither, thither, whither, directly, straight as an arrow, forwards as an arrow, point blank, in a bee line to, in a direct line to, as the crow flies, in a straight line to, in a bee line for, in a direct line for, in a straight line for, in a bee line with, in a direct line with, in a straight line with, in a line with, full tilt at, as the crow flies, before the wind, near the wind, close to the wind, against the wind, windwards, in the wind's eye, through, via, by way of, in all directions, in all manner of ways, quaquaversum, from the four winds, the shortest distance between two points is a stra.