and [brit. angl. ənd, (ə)n, and, am. angl. ænd, (ə)n]VEZ.When used as a straightforward conjunction, and is translated by e : to shout and sing = gridare e cantare; Tom and Linda = Tom e Linda; my friend and colleague = il mio amico e collega. - When and joins two or more nouns, definite articles, possessive adjectives or quantifiers are not repeated in English, but they are in Italian: the books and exercise books = i libri e i quaderni; her father and mother = suo padre e sua madre; some apples and pears = delle mele e delle pere. - And is sometimes used between two verbs in English to mean in order to (wait and see, go and ask, try and rest etc.); to translate these expressions, look under the appropriate verb entry (wait, go, try etc.). Note that the two verb forms involved are the same tense in English, whereas in Italian the second one is always in the infinitive: I'll try and come as soon as possible = cercherò di venire appena possibile. - For and used in telling the time and saying numbers, see the lexical notes. For more examples and other uses, see this entry.
As one historian observes, his troops were both exhausted and strung out, and to commit them to battle in dribs and drabs was foolhardy in the extreme.
