Etymology 1
From Middle English anoon, anon, anan (literally “in one (moment)”), from on (“in”) + ān (“one”). See on and one.
Adverb
anon (not comparable)
- (archaic) Straight away; at once.
1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:Caliban: Thou dost me yet but little hurt; thou wilt anon,
I know it by thy trembling: now Prosper works upon thee.
1866, Algernon Swinburne, After death, lines 47–50:The dead man answered thus:
“What good gift shall God give us?”,
The boards answered him anon:
“Flesh to feed hell's worm upon.”
- Soon; in a little while.
1598, John Stow, A Suruay of London, →OL:[…] for as much as the same consisteth not in the extreames, but in a verie mediocritie of wealth and riches, as it shall better appeare anone.
- At another time; then; again.
1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC:Sometimes he trots, as if he told the steps,
With gentle majesty and modest pride;
Anon he rears upright, curvets and leaps,
As who should say, lo! thus my strength is try'd...
Etymology 2
Clipping of anonymous.
Noun
anon (plural anons)
- An anonymous person, especially an author.
1904, Thomas Wright, The Life of Edward Fitzgerald, volume 1, page 94:Indeed they did all they could to avoid it, coyly hiding their identities behind initials, asterisks, and anons
1940, Virginia Woolf, Anon:Every body shared in the emotion of Anons [sic] song .... Anon is sometimes man, sometimes woman....
2004, Jane Milling, Peter Thomson, Joseph W. Donohue, Baz Kershaw, The Cambridge History of British Theatre, page 207:Indeed, virtually every known playwright (and probably most of those 'anons') occupied some position in one or more of the patronage networks
2006, J. Michael Walton, Found in Translation: Greek Drama in English, page 185:those identified by initials only and the 'Anons' (some of whom are here unmasked)
- (Internet) An anonymous poster (“person who contributes a note, message, etc”). A participant in an online site, such as a forum or an imageboard, without an account, or who posts without identifying themselves, or hidden behind a pseudonym.
- A work with an unknown author.
1984, Helen Hooven Santmyer, "...And Ladies of the Club", page 214:On the floor again she came upon a couple of "Anons" and frowned at them: Ought We to Visit Her and Cast Away in The Cold. Those would certainly do very well on the top shelf.
- A work without a title.
Adverb
anon
- anon (straight away, at once)
- continually, on and on
- all the way
c. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue, line LINES:So hadde I spoken with hem everichon / That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,- So had I spoken with them, every one, / That I was of their fellowship anon,
Descendants
- English: anon
- Scots: on-ane, one-ane, onan