What is "and so forth"

And \And\, conj. [AS. and; akin to OS. endi, Icel. enda, OHG. anti, enti, inti, unti, G. und, D. en, OD. ende. Cf, An if, Ante-.]

1. A particle which expresses the relation of connection or addition. It is used to conjoin a word with a word, a clause with a clause, or a sentence with a sentence. Note:

   1. It is sometimes used emphatically; as, ``there are women and women,'' that is, two very different sorts of women.

   2. By a rhetorical figure, notions, one of which is modificatory of the other, are connected by and; as, ``the tediousness and process of my travel,'' that is, the tedious process, etc.; ``thy fair and outward character,'' that is, thy outwardly fair character,
      --Schmidt's Shak. Lex.

2. In order to; -- used instead of the infinitival to, especially after try, come, go.

   At least to try and teach the erring soul.
   --Milton.

3. It is sometimes, in old songs, a mere expletive.

   When that I was and a little tiny boy.
   --Shak.

4. If; though. See An, conj. [Obs.]
   --Chaucer.

   As they will set an house on fire, and it were but to roast their eggs.
   --Bacon.

   And so forth, and others; and the rest; and similar things; and other things or ingredients. The abbreviation, etc. (et cetera), or &c., is usually read and so forth.

Forth \Forth\, v.[AS. for[eth], fr. for akin to D. voort, G. fort [root]78. See Fore, For, and cf. Afford, Further, adv.]

1. Forward; onward in time, place, or order; in advance from a given point; on to end; as, from that day forth; one, two, three, and so forth.

   Lucas was Paul's companion, at the leastway from the sixteenth of the Acts forth.
   --Tyndale.

   From this time forth, I never will speak word.
   --Shak.

   I repeated the Ave Maria; the inquisitor bad me say forth; I said I was taught no more.
   --Strype.

2. Out, as from a state of concealment, retirement, confinement, nondevelopment, or the like; out into notice or view; as, the plants in spring put forth leaves.

   When winter past, and summer scarce begun, Invites them forth to labor in the sun.
   --Dryden.

3. Beyond a (certain) boundary; away; abroad; out.

   I have no mind of feasting forth to-night.
   --Shak.

4. Throughly; from beginning to end. [Obs.]
   --Shak.

   And so forth, Back and forth, From forth. See under And, Back, and From.

   Forth of, Forth from, out of. [Obs.]
   --Shak.

   To bring forth. See under Bring.

phr. (context idiomatic English) Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

adv. continuing in the same way [syn: and so on, etcetera, etc.]