Lexical Definition

‎ὡσεί‎ hōseí (ho-si') like/as/about ^G:PREP
from ‎ὡς‎ and ‎εἰ‎

about, as (it had been, it were), like (as).

• as if

Abbott-Smith

ὡσεί adv.,
(a) as if, .as it were, like as, like: Mt 3:16 9:36, Ac 2:3 6:15, Ro 6:13, He 1:12; γίνεσθαι (φαίνεσθαι) ὡσεί, Mk 9:26, Lk 22:44 ([WH] R, mg., om.), Lk 24:11;
(b) in calculation, and with numbers, about: Mt 14:21, Lk 3:23 9:14, 28 22:41, 59 23:44, Ac 2:41 10:3 19:7; ὡσεὶ λίθου βολήν, Lk 22:41.†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

ὡσεί

or ὡς εἰ, adverb as if, as though; with various moods:

__I with optative, ἴσαν, ὡς εἴ τε πυρὶ χθὼν πᾶσα νέμοιτο [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__I.2 ὡσεί τε with subjunctive, ἐρίλησ᾽ ὡς εἴ τε πατὴρ ὃν παῖδα φιλήσῃ [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__I.3 ὡς εἰ or ὡς εἴ τε, with indicative, ἕπονθ᾽ ὡς εἴ τε μετὰ κτίλον ἕσπετο μῆλα [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__II in comparisons, like, just as, [Refs 8th c.BC+], etc.: with participle, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; with verb supplied, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὡσεί περ with participle, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὡς εἴ πέρ τε with a noun, [Refs]
__II.2 ὡς εἴτε as it were, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III with Numerals, or measures of time and space, about, ὡσεὶ τριήκοντα σταδίων μάλιστά κῃ [NT+5th c.BC+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: LXX.Gen.24.55 ☩ Matt.14.21}