W \W\ (d[u^]b"'l [=u]),
the twenty-third letter of the English alphabet, is usually a
consonant, but sometimes it is a vowel, forming the second
element of certain diphthongs, as in few, how. It takes its
written form and its name from the repetition of a V, this
being the original form of the Roman capital letter which we
call U. Etymologically it is most related to v and u. See V,
and U. Some of the uneducated classes in England, especially
in London, confuse w and v, substituting the one for the
other, as weal for veal, and veal for weal; wine for vine,
and vine for wine, etc. See Guide to Pronunciation,
[sect][sect] 266-268.
Waag \Waag\ (w[aum]g), n. (Zo["o]l.)
The grivet.
Waahoo \Waa*hoo"\ (w[aum]*h[=oo]"), n. (Bot.)
The burning bush; -- said to be called after a quack medicine
made from it.
Wabble \Wab"ble\ (w[o^]b"b'l), v. i. [Cf. Prov. G. wabbeln to
wabble, and E. whap. Cf. {Quaver}.]
To move staggeringly or unsteadily from one side to the
other; to vacillate; to move the manner of a rotating disk
when the axis of rotation is inclined to that of the disk; --
said of a turning or whirling body; as, a top wabbles; a buzz
saw wabbles.
Wabble \Wab"ble\, n.
A hobbling, unequal motion, as of a wheel unevenly hung; a
staggering to and fro.
Wabbly \Wab"bly\, a.
Inclined to wabble; wabbling.
Wacke \Wack"e\, Wacky \Wack"y\, n. [G. wacke, MHG. wacke a large
stone, OHG. waggo a pebble.] (Geol.)
A soft, earthy, dark-colored rock or clay derived from the
alteration of basalt.
Wad \Wad\, n. [See {Woad}.]
Woad. [Obs.]
Wad \Wad\, n. [Probably of Scand. origin; cf. Sw. vadd wadding,
Dan vat, D. & G. watte. Cf. {Wadmol}.]
1. A little mass, tuft, or bundle, as of hay or tow.
--Holland.
2. Specifically: A little mass of some soft or flexible
material, such as hay, straw, tow, paper, or old rope
yarn, used for retaining a charge of powder in a gun, or
for keeping the powder and shot close; also, to diminish
or avoid the effects of windage. Also, by extension, a
dusk of felt, pasteboard, etc., serving a similar purpose.
3. A soft mass, especially of some loose, fibrous substance,
used for various purposes, as for stopping an aperture,
padding a garment, etc.
{Wed hook}, a rod with a screw or hook at the end, used for
removing the wad from a gun.
Wad \Wad\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Waded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wadding}.]
1. To form into a mass, or wad, or into wadding; as, to wad
tow or cotton.
2. To insert or crowd a wad into; as, to wad a gun; also, to
stuff or line with some soft substance, or wadding, like
cotton; as, to wad a cloak.
Wad \Wad\, Wadd \Wadd\, n. (Min.)
(a) An earthy oxide of manganese, or mixture of different
oxides and water, with some oxide of iron, and often
silica, alumina, lime, or baryta; black ocher. There
are several varieties.
(b) Plumbago, or black lead.
Wadding \Wad"ding\, n. [See {Wad} a little mass.]
1. A wad, or the materials for wads; any pliable substance of
which wads may be made.
2. Any soft stuff of loose texture, used for stuffing or
padding garments; esp., sheets of carded cotton prepared
for the purpose.
Waddle \Wad"dle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Waddled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Waddling}.] [Freq. of wade; cf. AS. w[ae]dlian to beg, from
wadan to go. See {Wade}.]
To walk with short steps, swaying the body from one side to
the other, like a duck or very fat person; to move clumsily
and totteringly along; to toddle; to stumble; as, a child
waddles when he begins to walk; a goose waddles. --Shak.
She drawls her words, and waddles in her pace. --Young.
Waddle \Wad"dle\, v. t.
To trample or tread down, as high grass, by walking through
it. [R.] --Drayton.
Waddler \Wad"dler\, n.
One who, or that which, waddles.
Waddlingly \Wad"dling*ly\, adv.
In a waddling manner.
Wade \Wade\, n.
Woad. [Obs.] --Mortimer.
Wade \Wade\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Waded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wading}.] [OE. waden to wade, to go, AS. wadan; akin to
OFries. wada, D. waden, OHG. watan, Icel. va?a, Sw. vada,
Dan. vade, L. vadere to go, walk, vadum a ford. Cf. {Evade},
{Invade}, {Pervade}, {Waddle}.]
1. To go; to move forward. [Obs.]
When might is joined unto cruelty, Alas, too deep
will the venom wade. --Chaucer.
Forbear, and wade no further in this speech. --Old
Play.
2. To walk in a substance that yields to the feet; to move,
sinking at each step, as in water, mud, sand, etc.
So eagerly the fiend . . . With head, hands, wings,
or feet, pursues his way, And swims, or sinks, or
wades, or creeps, or flies. --Milton.
3. Hence, to move with difficulty or labor; to proceed ?lowly
among objects or circumstances that constantly ?inder or
embarrass; as, to wade through a dull book.
And wades through fumes, and gropes his way.
--Dryden.
The king's admirable conduct has waded through all
these difficulties. --Davenant.
Wade \Wade\, v. t.
To pass or cross by wading; as, he waded ?he rivers and
swamps.
Wade \Wade\, n.
The act of wading. [Colloq.]
Wader \Wad"er\, n.
1. One who, or that which, wades.
2. (Zo["o]l.) Any long-legged bird that wades in the water in
search of food, especially any species of limicoline or
grallatorial birds; -- called also {wading bird}. See
Illust. g, under {Aves}.
Wading \Wad"ing\,
a. & n. from {Wade}, v.
{Wading bird}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Wader}, 2.
Wadmol \Wad"mol\, n. [Of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. va?m[=a]l a
woollen stuff, Dan vadmel. Cf. {Wad} a small mass, and
{Woodmeil}.]
A coarse, hairy, woolen cloth, formerly used for garments by
the poor, and for various other purposes. [Spelled also
{wadmal}, {wadmeal}, {wadmoll}, {wadmel}, etc.] --Beck
(Draper's Dict.). Sir W. Scott.
Wadset \Wad"set\, n. [Scot. wad a pledge; akin to Sw. vad a
wager. See {Wed}.] (Scots Law)
A kind of pledge or mortgage. [Written also {wadsett}.]
Wadsetter \Wad"set*ter\, n.
One who holds by a wadset.
Wady \Wad"y\, n.; pl. {Wadies}. [Ar. w[=a]d[=i] a valley, a
channel of a river, a river.]
A ravine through which a brook flows; the channel of a water
course, which is dry except in the rainy season.
Wae \Wae\, n.
A wave. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Waeg \Waeg\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The kittiwake. [Scot.]
Wafer \Wa"fer\, n. [OE. wafre, OF. waufre, qaufre, F. qaufre; of
Teutonic origin; cf. LG. & D. wafel, G. waffel, Dan. vaffel,
Sw. v[*a]ffla; all akin to G. wabe a honeycomb, OHG. waba,
being named from the resemblance to a honeycomb. G. wabe is
probably akin to E. weave. See {Weave}, and cf. {Waffle},
{Gauffer}.]
1. (Cookery) A thin cake made of flour and other ingredients.
Wafers piping hot out of the gleed. --Chaucer.
The curious work in pastry, the fine cakes, wafers,
and marchpanes. --Holland.
A woman's oaths are wafers -- break with making --B.
Jonson.
2. (Eccl.) A thin cake or piece of bread (commonly
unleavened, circular, and stamped with a crucifix or with
the sacred monogram) used in the Eucharist, as in the
Roman Catholic Church.
3. An adhesive disk of dried paste, made of flour, gelatin,
isinglass, or the like, and coloring matter, -- used in
sealing letters and other documents.
{Wafer cake}, a sweet, thin cake. --Shak.
{Wafer irons}, or {Wafer tongs} (Cookery), a pincher-shaped
contrivance, having flat plates, or blades, between which
wafers are baked.
{Wafer woman}, a woman who sold wafer cakes; also, one
employed in amorous intrigues. --Beau. & Fl.
Wafer \Wa"fer\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wafered}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wafering}.]
To seal or close with a wafer.
Waferer \Wa"fer*er\, n.
A dealer in the cakes called wafers; a confectioner. [Obs.]
--Chaucer.
Waffle \Waffle\, n. [D. wafel. See {Wafer}.]
1. A thin cake baked and then rolled; a wafer.
2. A soft indented cake cooked in a waffle iron.
{Waffle iron}, an iron utensil or mold made in two parts
shutting together, -- used for cooking waffles over a
fire.
Waft \Waft\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wafted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wafting}.] [Prob. originally imp. & p. p. of wave, v. t. See
{Wave} to waver.]
1. To give notice to by waving something; to wave the hand
to; to beckon. [Obs.]
But soft: who wafts us yonder? --Shak.
2. To cause to move or go in a wavy manner, or by the impulse
of waves, as of water or air; to bear along on a buoyant
medium; as, a balloon was wafted over the channel.
A gentle wafting to immortal life. --Milton.
Speed the soft intercourse from soul to soul, And
waft a sigh from Indus to the pole. --Pope.
3. To cause to float; to keep from sinking; to buoy. [Obs.]
--Sir T. Browne.
Note: This verb is regular; but waft was formerly som?times
used, as by Shakespeare, instead of wafted.
Waft \Waft\, v. i.
To be moved, or to pass, on a buoyant medium; to float.
And now the shouts waft near the citadel. --Dryden.
Waft \Waft\, n.
1. A wave or current of wind. ``Everywaft of the air.''
--Longfellow.
In this dire season, oft the whirlwind's wing Sweeps
up the burden of whole wintry plains In one wide
waft. --Thomson.
2. A signal made by waving something, as a flag, in the air.
3. An unpleasant flavor. [Obs.]
4. (Naut.) A knot, or stop, in the middle of a flag. [Written
also {wheft}.]
Note: A flag with a waft in it, when hoisted at the staff, or
half way to the gaff, means, a man overboard; at the
peak, a desire to communicate; at the masthead,
``Recall boats.''
Waftage \Waft"age\, n.
Conveyance on a buoyant medium, as air or water. --Shak.
Boats prepared for waftage to and fro. --Drayton.
Wafter \Waft"er\, n.
1. One who, or that which, wafts.
O Charon, Thou wafter of the soul to bliss or bane.
--Beau. & FL.
2. A boat for passage. --Ainsworth.
Wafture \Waf"ture\, n.
The act of waving; a wavelike motion; a waft. --R. Browning.
An angry wafture of your hand. --Shak.
Wag \Wag\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wagged}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wagging}.] [OE. waggen; probably of Scand. origin; cf. Sw.
vagga to rock a cradle, vagga cradle, Icel. vagga, Dan.
vugge; akin to AS. wagian to move, wag, wegan to bear, carry,
G. & D. bewegen to move, and E. weigh. [root]136. See
{Weigh}.]
To move one way and the other with quick turns; to shake to
and fro; to move vibratingly; to cause to vibrate, as a part
of the body; as, to wag the head.
No discerner durst wag his tongue in censure. --Shak.
Every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and
wag his head. --Jer. xviii.
16.
Note: Wag expresses specifically the motion of the head and
body used in buffoonery, mirth, derision, sport, and
mockery.
Wag \Wag\, v. i.
1. To move one way and the other; to be shaken to and fro; to
vibrate.
The resty sieve wagged ne'er the more. --Dryden.
2. To be in action or motion; to move; to get along; to
progress; to stir. [Colloq.]
``Thus we may see,'' quoth he, ``how the world
wags.'' --Shak.
3. To go; to depart; to pack oft. [R.]
I will provoke him to 't, or let him wag. --Shak.
Wag \Wag\, n. [From {Wag}, v.]
1. The act of wagging; a shake; as, a wag of the head.
[Colloq.]
2. [Perhaps shortened from wag-halter a rogue.] A man full of
sport and humor; a ludicrous fellow; a humorist; a wit; a
joker.
We wink at wags when they offend. --Dryden.
A counselor never pleaded without a piece of pack
thread in his hand, which he used to twist about a
finger all the while he was speaking; the wags used
to call it the thread of his discourse. --Addison.
Wagati \Wa*ga"ti\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A small East Indian wild cat ({Felis wagati}), regarded by
some as a variety of the leopard cat.
Wage \Wage\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Waged}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Waging}.] [OE. wagen, OF. wagier, gagier, to pledge,
promise, F. gager to wager, lay, bet, fr. LL. wadium a
pledge; of Teutonic origin; cf. Goth. wadi a pledge,
gawadj[=o]n to pledge, akin to E. wed, G. wette a wager. See
{Wed}, and cf. {Gage}.]
1. To pledge; to hazard on the event of a contest; to stake;
to bet, to lay; to wager; as, to wage a dollar. --Hakluyt.
My life I never but as a pawn To wage against thy
enemies. --Shak.
2. To expose one's self to, as a risk; to incur, as a danger;
to venture; to hazard. ``Too weak to wage an instant trial
with the king.'' --Shak.
To wake and wage a danger profitless. --Shak.
3. To engage in, as a contest, as if by previous gage or
pledge; to carry on, as a war.
[He pondered] which of all his sons was fit To reign
and wage immortal war with wit. --Dryden.
The two are waging war, and the one triumphs by the
destruction of the other. --I. Taylor.
4. To adventure, or lay out, for hire or reward; to hire out.
[Obs.] ``Thou . . . must wage thy works for wealth.''
--Spenser.
5. To put upon wages; to hire; to employ; to pay wages to.
[Obs.]
Abundance of treasure which he had in store,
wherewith he might wage soldiers. --Holinshed.
I would have them waged for their labor. --Latimer.
6. (O. Eng. Law) To give security for the performance of.
--Burrill.
{To wage battle} (O. Eng. Law), to give gage, or security,
for joining in the duellum, or combat. See {Wager of
battel}, under {Wager}, n. --Burrill.
{To wage one's law} (Law), to give security to make one's
law. See {Wager of law}, under {Wager}, n.
Wage \Wage\, v. i.
To bind one's self; to engage. [Obs.]
Wage \Wage\, n. [OF. wage, gage, guarantee, engagement. See
{Wage}, v. t. ]
1. That which is staked or ventured; that for which one
incurs risk or danger; prize; gage. [Obs.] ``That warlike
wage.'' --Spenser.
2. That for which one labors; meed; reward; stipulated
payment for service performed; hire; pay; compensation; --
at present generally used in the plural. See {Wages}. ``My
day's wage.'' --Sir W. Scott. ``At least I earned my
wage.'' --Thackeray. ``Pay them a wage in advance.'' --J.
Morley. ``The wages of virtue.'' --Tennyson.
By Tom Thumb, a fairy page, He sent it, and doth him
engage, By promise of a mighty wage, It secretly to
carry. --Drayton.
Our praises are our wages. --Shak.
Existing legislation on the subject of wages.
--Encyc. Brit.
Note: Wage is used adjectively and as the first part of
compounds which are usually self-explaining; as, wage
worker, or wage-worker; wage-earner, etc.
{Board wages}. See under 1st {Board}.
Syn: Hire; reward; stipend; salary; allowance; pay;
compensation; remuneration; fruit.
Wagel \Wag"el\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Waggel}.
Wagenboom \Wa"gen*boom`\, n. [D., literally, wagon tree.] (Bot.)
A south African proteaceous tree ({Protea grandiflora});
also, its tough wood, used for making wagon wheels.
Wager \Wa"ger\, n. [OE. wager, wajour, OF. wagiere, or wageure,
E. gageure. See {Wage}, v. t.]
1. Something deposited, laid, or hazarded on the event of a
contest or an unsettled question; a bet; a stake; a
pledge.
Besides these plates for horse races, the wagers may
be as the persons please. --Sir W.
Temple.
If any atheist can stake his soul for a wager
against such an inexhaustible disproportion, let him
never hereafter accuse others of credulity.
--Bentley.
2. (Law) A contract by which two parties or more agree that a
certain sum of money, or other thing, shall be paid or
delivered to one of them, on the happening or not
happening of an uncertain event. --Bouvier.
Note: At common law a wager is considered as a legal contract
which the courts must enforce unless it be on a subject
contrary to public policy, or immoral, or tending to
the detriment of the public, or affecting the interest,
feelings, or character of a third person. In many of
the United States an action can not be sustained upon
any wager or bet. --Chitty. --Bouvier.
3. That on which bets are laid; the subject of a bet.
{Wager of battel}, or {Wager of battle} (O. Eng. Law), the
giving of gage, or pledge, for trying a cause by single
combat, formerly allowed in military, criminal, and civil
causes. In writs of right, where the trial was by
champions, the tenant produced his champion, who, by
throwing down his glove as a gage, thus waged, or
stipulated, battle with the champion of the demandant,
who, by taking up the glove, accepted the challenge. The
wager of battel, which has been long in disuse, was
abolished in England in 1819, by a statute passed in
consequence of a defendant's having waged his battle in a
case which arose about that period. See {Battel}.
{Wager of law} (Law), the giving of gage, or sureties, by a
defendant in an action of debt, that at a certain day
assigned he would take a law, or oath, in open court, that
he did not owe the debt, and at the same time bring with
him eleven neighbors (called compurgators), who should
avow upon their oaths that they believed in their
consciences that he spoke the truth.
{Wager policy}. (Insurance Law) See under {Policy}.
Wager \Wa"ger\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wagered}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wagering}.]
To hazard on the issue of a contest, or on some question that
is to be decided, or on some casualty; to lay; to stake; to
bet.
And wagered with him Pieces of gold 'gainst this which
he wore. --Shak.
Wager \Wa"ger\, v. i.
To make a bet; to lay a wager.
'T was merry when You wagered on your angling. --Shak.
Wagerer \Wa"ger*er\, n.
One who wagers, or lays a bet.
Wagering \Wa"ger*ing\, a.
Hazarding; pertaining to the act of one who wagers.
{Wagering policy}. (Com.) See {Wager policy}, under {Policy}.
Wages \Wa"ges\, n. plural in termination, but singular in
signification. [Plural of wage; cf. F. gages, pl., wages,
hire. See {Wage}, n.]
A compensation given to a hired person for services; price
paid for labor; recompense; hire. See {Wage}, n., 2.
The wages of sin is death. --Rom. vi. 23.
{Wages fund} (Polit. Econ.), the aggregate capital existing
at any time in any country, which theoretically is
unconditionally destined to be paid out in wages. It was
formerly held, by Mill and other political economists,
that the average rate of wages in any country at any time
depended upon the relation of the wages fund to the number
of laborers. This theory has been greatly modified by the
discovery of other conditions affecting wages, which it
does not take into account. --Encyc. Brit.
Syn: See under {Wage}, n.
Waggel \Wag"gel\ (w[a^]g"g[e^]l), n. (Zo["o]l.)
The young of the great black-backed gull ({Larus marinus}),
formerly considered a distinct species. [Prov. Eng.]
Waggery \Wag"ger*y\ (-g[~e]r*[y^]), n.; pl. {Waggeries}. [From
{Wag}.]
The manner or action of a wag; mischievous merriment;
sportive trick or gayety; good-humored sarcasm; pleasantry;
jocularity; as, the waggery of a schoolboy. --Locke.
A drollery and lurking waggery of expression. --W.
Irving.
Waggie \Wag"gie\ (-g[i^]), n.
The pied wagtail. [Prov. Eng.]
Waggish \Wag"gish\ (-g[i^]sh), a.
1. Like a wag; mischievous in sport; roguish in merriment or
good humor; frolicsome. ``A company of waggish boys.''
--L'Estrange.
2. Done, made, or laid in waggery or for sport; sportive;
humorous; as, a waggish trick. -- {Wag"gish*ly}, adv. --
{Wag"gish*ness}, n.
Waggle \Wag"gle\, v. i. [Freq. of wag; cf. D. waggelen, G.
wackeln.]
To reel, sway, or move from side to side; to move with a
wagging motion; to waddle.
Why do you go nodding and waggling so? --L'Estrange.
Waggle \Wag"gle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Waggled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Waggling}.]
To move frequently one way and the other; to wag; as, a bird
waggles his tail.
Wag-halter \Wag"-hal`ter\, n. [Wag + halter.]
One who moves or wears a halter; one likely to be hanged.
[Colloq. & Obs.]
I can tell you, I am a mad wag-halter. --Marston.
Wagnerite \Wag"ner*ite\, n. (Min.)
A fluophosphate of magnesia, occurring in yellowish crystals,
and also in massive forms.
Wagon \Wag"on\, n. [D. wagen. [root]136. See {Wain}.]
1. A wheeled carriage; a vehicle on four wheels, and usually
drawn by horses; especially, one used for carrying freight
or merchandise.
Note: In the United States, light wagons are used for the
conveyance of persons and light commodities.
2. A freight car on a railway. [Eng.]
3. A chariot [Obs.] --Spenser.
4. (Astron.) The Dipper, or Charles's Wain.
Note: This word and its compounds are often written with two
g's (waggon, waggonage, etc.), chiefly in England. The
forms wagon, wagonage, etc., are, however,
etymologically preferable, and in the United States are
almost universally used.
{Wagon boiler}. See the Note under {Boiler}, 3.
{Wagon ceiling} (Arch.), a semicircular, or wagon-headed,
arch or ceiling; -- sometimes used also of a ceiling whose
section is polygonal instead of semicircular.
{Wagon master}, an officer or person in charge of one or more
wagons, especially of those used for transporting freight,
as the supplies of an army, and the like.
{Wagon shoe}, a skid, or shoe, for retarding the motion of a
wagon wheel; a drag.
{Wagon vault}. (Arch.) See under 1st {Vault}.
Wagon \Wag"on\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wagoned}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wagoning}.]
To transport in a wagon or wagons; as, goods are wagoned from
city to city.
Wagon \Wag"on\, v. i.
To wagon goods as a business; as, the man wagons between
Philadelphia and its suburbs.
Wagonage \Wag"on*age\, n.
1. Money paid for carriage or conveyance in wagon.
2. A collection of wagons; wagons, collectively.
Wagonage, provender, and a piece or two of cannon.
--Carlyle.
Wagoner \Wag"on*er\, n.
1. One who conducts a wagon; one whose business it is to
drive a wagon.
2. (Astron.) The constellation Charles's Wain, or Ursa Major.
See {Ursa major}, under {Ursa}.
Wagonette \Wag`on*ette"\, n.
A kind of pleasure wagon, uncovered and with seats extended
along the sides, designed to carry six or eight persons
besides the driver.
Wagonful \Wag"on*ful\, n.; pl. {Wagonfuls}.
As much as a wagon will hold; enough to fill a wagon; a
wagonload.
Wagon-headed \Wag"on-head`ed\, a.
Having a top, or head, shaped like the top of a covered
wagon, or resembling in section or outline an inverted U,
thus ?; as, a wagonheaded ceiling.
Wagonload \Wag"on*load`\, n.
Same as {Wagonful}.
Wagon-roofed \Wag"on-roofed`\, a.
Having a roof, or top, shaped like an inverted U;
wagon-headed.
Wagonry \Wag"on*ry\, n.
Conveyance by means of a wagon or wagons. [Obs.] --Milton.
Wagonwright \Wag"on*wright`\, n.
One who makes wagons.
Wagtail \Wag"tail`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of many species of Old World singing birds belonging
to {Motacilla} and several allied genera of the family
{Motacillid[ae]}. They have the habit of constantly jerking
their long tails up and down, whence the name.
{Field wagtail}, any one of several species of wagtails of
the genus {Budytes} having the tail shorter, the legs
longer, and the hind claw longer and straighter, than do
the water wagtails. Most of the species are yellow
beneath. Called also {yellow wagtail}.
{Garden wagtail}, the Indian black-breasted wagtail
({Nemoricola Indica}).
{Pied wagtail}, the common European water wagtail ({Motacilla
lugubris}). It is variegated with black and white. The
name is applied also to other allied species having
similar colors. Called also {pied dishwasher}.
{Wagtail flycatcher}, a true flycatcher ({Sauloprocta
motacilloides}) common in Southern Australia, where it is
very tame, and frequents stock yards and gardens and often
builds its nest about houses; -- called also {black
fantail}.
{Water wagtail}.
(a) Any one of several species of wagtails of the restricted
genus {Motacilla}. They live chiefly on the shores of
ponds and streams.
(b) The American water thrush. See {Water thrush}.
{Wood wagtail}, an Asiatic wagtail; ({Calobates sulphurea})
having a slender bill and short legs.
Wah \Wah\ (w[aum]), n. (Zo["o]l.)
The panda.
Wahabee \Wa*ha"bee\, n. [Ar. wah[=a]bi.]
A follower of Abdel Wahab (b. 1691; d. 1787), a reformer of
Mohammedanism. His doctrines prevail particularly among the
Bedouins, and the sect, though checked in its influence,
extends to most parts of Arabia, and also into India.
[Written also {Wahaby}.]
Waid \Waid\, a. [For weighed.]
Oppressed with weight; crushed; weighed down. [Obs.]
--Tusser.
Waif \Waif\, n. [OF. waif, gaif, as adj., lost, unclaimed, chose
gaive a waif, LL. wayfium, res vaivae; of Scand. origin. See
{Waive}.]
1. (Eng. Law.) Goods found of which the owner is not known;
originally, such goods as a pursued thief threw away to
prevent being apprehended, which belonged to the king
unless the owner made pursuit of the felon, took him, and
brought him to justice. --Blackstone.
2. Hence, anything found, or without an owner; that which
comes along, as it were, by chance. ``Rolling in his mind
old waifs of rhyme.'' --Tennyson.
3. A wanderer; a castaway; a stray; a homeless child.
A waif Desirous to return, and not received.
--Cowper.
Waift \Waift\, n.
A waif. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Wail \Wail\, v. t. [Cf. Icel. val choice, velja to choose, akin
to Goth. waljan, G. w["a]hlen.]
To choose; to select. [Obs.] ``Wailed wine and meats.''
--Henryson.
Wail \Wail\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wailed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wailing}.] [OE. wailen, weilen, probably fr. Icel. v[ae]la;
cf. Icel. v[ae], vei, woe, and E. wayment, also OE. wai, wei,
woe. Cf. {Woe}.]
To lament; to bewail; to grieve over; as, to wail one's
death. --Shak.
Wail \Wail\, v. i.
To express sorrow audibly; to make mournful outcry; to weep.
Therefore I will wail and howl. --Micah i. 8.
Wail \Wail\, n.
Loud weeping; violent lamentation; wailing. ``The wail of the
forest.'' --Longfellow.
Wailer \Wail"er\, n.
One who wails or laments.
Waileress \Wail"er*ess\, n.
A woman who wails. [Obs.]
Wailful \Wail"ful\, a.
Sorrowful; mournful. `` Like wailful widows.'' --Spenser.
``Wailful sonnets.'' --Shak.
Wailingly \Wail"ing*ly\, adv.
In a wailing manner.
Wailment \Wail"ment\, n.
Lamentation; loud weeping; wailing. [Obs.] --Bp. Hacket.
Waiment \Wai"ment\ v. & n.
See {Wayment}. [Obs.]
Wain \Wain\, n. [OE. wain, AS. w[ae]gn; akin to D. & G. wagen,
OHG. wagan, Icel. & Sw. vagn, Dan. vogn, and E. way. ????.
See {Way}, {Weigh}, and cf. {Wagon}.]
1. A four-wheeled vehicle for the transportation of goods,
produce, etc.; a wagon.
The wardens see nothing but a wain of hay.
--Jeffrey.
Driving in ponderous wains their household goods to
the seashore. --Longfellow.
2. A chariot. [Obs.]
{The Wain}. (Astron.) See {Charles's Wain}, in the
Vocabulary.
{Wain rope}, a cart rope. --Shak.
Wainable \Wain"a*ble\, a.
Capable of being plowed or cultivated; arable; tillable.
[Obs.] --Cowell.
Wainage \Wain"age\ (?; 48), n. [From {Wain}.]
A finding of carriages, carts, etc., for the transportation
of goods, produce, etc. --Ainsworth.
Wainage \Wain"age\, n. (O. Eng. Law)
See {Gainage}, a.
Wainbote \Wain"bote`\, n. [Wain + bote.] (O. Eng. Law)
See {Cartbote}. See also the Note under {Bote}.
Wainscot \Wain"scot\, n. [OD. waeghe-schot, D. wagen-schot, a
clapboard, fr. OD. waeg, weeg, a wall (akin to AS. wah; cf.
Icel. veggr) + schot a covering of boards (akin to E. shot,
shoot).]
1. Oaken timber or boarding. [Obs.]
A wedge wainscot is fittest and most proper for
cleaving of an oaken tree. --Urquhart.
Inclosed in a chest of wainscot. --J. Dart.
2. (Arch.) A wooden lining or boarding of the walls of
apartments, usually made in panels.
3. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of European moths
of the family {Leucanid[ae]}.
Note: They are reddish or yellowish, streaked or lined with
black and white. Their larv[ae] feed on grasses and
sedges.
Wainscot \Wain"scot\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wainscoted}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Wainscoting}.]
To line with boards or panelwork, or as if with panelwork;
as, to wainscot a hall.
Music soundeth better in chambers wainscoted than
hanged. --Bacon.
The other is wainscoted with looking-glass. --Addison.
Wainscoting \Wain"scot*ing\, n.
1. The act or occupation of covering or lining with boards in
panel.
2. The material used to wainscot a house, or the wainscot as
a whole; panelwork.
Wainwright \Wain"wright`\, n.
Same as {Wagonwright}.
Wair \Wair\, n. (Carp.)
A piece of plank two yard? long and a foot broad. --Bailey.
Waist \Waist\, n. [OE. wast; originally, growth, akin to AS.
weaxan to grow; cf. AS. w[ae]stm growth. See {Wax} to grow.]
1. That part of the human body which is immediately below the
ribs or thorax; the small part of the body between the
thorax and hips. --Chaucer.
I am in the waist two yards about. --Shak.
2. Hence, the middle part of other bodies; especially
(Naut.), that part of a vessel's deck, bulwarks, etc.,
which is between the quarter-deck and the forecastle; the
middle part of the ship.
3. A garment, or part of a garment, which covers the body
from the neck or shoulders to the waist line.
4. A girdle or belt for the waist. [Obs.] --Shak.
{Waist anchor}. See {Sheet anchor}, 1, in the Vocabulary.
Waistband \Waist"band\, n.
1. The band which encompasses the waist; esp., one on the
upper part of breeches, trousers, pantaloons, skirts, or
the like.
2. A sash worn by women around the waist. [R.]
Waistcloth \Waist"cloth\, n.
1. A cloth or wrapper worn about the waist; by extension,
such a garment worn about the hips and passing between the
thighs.
2. (Naut.) A covering of canvas or tarpaulin for the
hammocks, stowed on the nettings, between the quarterdeck
and the forecastle.
Waistcoat \Waist"coat\, n.
(a) A short, sleeveless coat or garment for men, worn
under the coat, extending no lower than the hips, and
covering the waist; a vest.
(b) A garment occasionally worn by women as a part of
fashionable costume.
Note: The waistcoat was a part of female attire as well as
male . . . It was only when the waistcoat was worn
without a gown or upper dress that it was considered
the mark of a mad or profligate woman. --Nares.
Syn: See {Vest}.
Waistcoateer \Waist`coat*eer"\, n.
One wearing a waistcoat; esp., a woman wearing one uncovered,
or thought fit for such a habit; hence, a loose woman;
strumpet. [Obs.]
Do you think you are here, sir, Amongst your
waistcoateers, your base wenches? --Beau. & Fl.
Waistcoating \Waist"coat*ing\, n.
A fabric designed for waistcoats; esp., one in which there is
a pattern, differently colored yarns being used.
Waister \Waist"er\, n. (Naut.)
A seaman, usually a green hand or a broken-down man,
stationed in the waist of a vessel of war. --R. H. Dana, Jr.
Wait \Wait\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Waited}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Waiting}.] [OE. waiten, OF. waitier, gaitier, to watch,
attend, F. guetter to watch, to wait for, fr. OHG. wahta a
guard, watch, G. wacht, from OHG. wahh[=e]n to watch, be
awake. [root]134. See {Wake}, v. i.]
1. To watch; to observe; to take notice. [Obs.]
``But [unless] ye wait well and be privy, I wot
right well, I am but dead,'' quoth she. --Chaucer.
2. To stay or rest in expectation; to stop or remain
stationary till the arrival of some person or event; to
rest in patience; to stay; not to depart.
All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till
my change come. --Job xiv. 14.
They also serve who only stand and wait. --Milton.
Haste, my dear father; 't is no time to wait.
--Dryden.
{To wait on} or {upon}.
(a) To attend, as a servant; to perform services for; as,
to wait on a gentleman; to wait on the table.
``Authority and reason on her wait.'' --Milton. ``I
must wait on myself, must I?'' --Shak.
(b) To attend; to go to see; to visit on business or for
ceremony.
(c) To follow, as a consequence; to await. ``That ruin
that waits on such a supine temper.'' --Dr. H. More.
(d) To look watchfully at; to follow with the eye; to
watch. [R.] ``It is a point of cunning to wait upon
him with whom you speak with your eye.'' --Bacon.
(e) To attend to; to perform. ``Aaron and his sons . . .
shall wait on their priest's office.'' --Num. iii. 10.
(f) (Falconry) To fly above its master, waiting till game
is sprung; -- said of a hawk. --Encyc. Brit.
Wait \Wait\, v. t.
1. To stay for; to rest or remain stationary in expectation
of; to await; as, to wait orders.
Awed with these words, in camps they still abide,
And wait with longing looks their promised guide.
--Dryden.
2. To attend as a consequence; to follow upon; to accompany;
to await. [Obs.]
3. To attend on; to accompany; especially, to attend with
ceremony or respect. [Obs.]
He chose a thousand horse, the flower of all His
warlike troops, to wait the funeral. --Dryden.
Remorse and heaviness of heart shall wait thee, And
everlasting anguish be thy portion. --Rowe.
4. To cause to wait; to defer; to postpone; -- said of a
meal; as, to wait dinner. [Colloq.]
Wait \Wait\, n. [OF. waite, guaite, gaite, F. guet watch,
watching, guard, from OHG. wahta. See {Wait}, v. i.]
1. The act of waiting; a delay; a halt.
There is a wait of three hours at the border Mexican
town of El Paso. --S. B.
Griffin.
2. Ambush. ``An enemy in wait.'' --Milton.
3. One who watches; a watchman. [Obs.]
4. pl. Hautboys, or oboes, played by town musicians; not used
in the singular. [Obs.] --Halliwell.
5. pl. Musicians who sing or play at night or in the early
morning, especially at Christmas time; serenaders; musical
watchmen. [Written formerly {wayghtes}.]
Hark! are the waits abroad? --Beau & Fl.
The sound of the waits, rude as may be their
minstrelsy, breaks upon the mild watches of a winter
night with the effect of perfect harmony. --W.
Irving.
{To lay wait}, to prepare an ambuscade.
{To lie in wait}. See under 4th {Lie}.
Waiter \Wait"er\, n.
1. One who, or that which, waits; an attendant; a servant in
attendance, esp. at table.
The waiters stand in ranks; the yeomen cry, ``Make
room,'' as if a duke were passing by. --Swift.
2. A vessel or tray on which something is carried, as dishes,
etc.; a salver.
{Coast waiter}. See under {Coast}, n.
Waiting \Wait"ing\,
a. & n. from {Wait}, v.
{In waiting}, in attendance; as, lords in waiting. [Eng.]
{Waiting gentlewoman}, a woman who waits upon a person of
rank.
{Waiting maid}, {Waiting woman}, a maid or woman who waits
upon another as a personal servant.
Waitingly \Wait"ing*ly\, adv.
By waiting.
Waitress \Wait"ress\, n.
A female waiter or attendant; a waiting maid or waiting
woman.
Waive \Waive\, n. [See {Waive}, v. t. ]
1. A waif; a castaway. [Obs.] --Donne.
2. (O. Eng. Law) A woman put out of the protection of the
law. See {Waive}, v. t., 3
(b), and the Note.
Waive \Waive\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Waived}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Waiving}.] [OE. waiven, weiven, to set aside, remove, OF.
weyver, quesver, to waive, of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. veifa
to wave, to vibrate, akin to Skr. vip to tremble. Cf.
{Vibrate}, {Waif}.] [Written also {wave}.]
1. To relinquish; to give up claim to; not to insist on or
claim; to refuse; to forego.
He waiveth milk, and flesh, and all. --Chaucer.
We absolutely do renounce or waive our own opinions,
absolutely yielding to the direction of others.
--Barrow.
2. To throw away; to cast off; to reject; to desert.
3. (Law)
(a) To throw away; to relinquish voluntarily, as a right
which one may enforce if he chooses.
(b) (O. Eng. Law) To desert; to abandon. --Burrill.
Note: The term was applied to a woman, in the same sense as
outlaw to a man. A woman could not be outlawed, in the
proper sense of the word, because, according to
Bracton, she was never in law, that is, in a
frankpledge or decennary; but she might be waived, and
held as abandoned. --Burrill.
Waive \Waive\, v. i.
To turn aside; to recede. [Obs.]
To waive from the word of Solomon. --Chaucer.
Waiver \Waiv"er\, n. (Law)
The act of waiving, or not insisting on, some right, claim,
or privilege.
Waivure \Waiv"ure\, n.
See {Waiver}. [R.]
Waiwode \Wai"wode\, n.
See {Waywode}.
Wake \Wake\, n. [Originally, an open space of water s?rrounded
by ice, and then, the passage cut through ice for a vessel,
probably of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. v["o]k a hole, opening
in ice, Sw. vak, Dan. vaage, perhaps akin to E. humid.]
The track left by a vessel in the water; by extension, any
track; as, the wake of an army.
This effect followed immediately in the wake of his
earliest exertions. --De Quincey.
Several humbler persons . . . formed quite a procession
in the dusty wake of his chariot wheels. --Thackeray.
Wake \Wake\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Waked}or {Woke} (?); p. pr. &
vb. n. {Waking}.] [AS. wacan, wacian; akin to OFries. waka,
OS. wak?n, D. waken, G. wachen, OHG. wahh?n, Icel. vaka, Sw.
vaken, Dan. vaage, Goth. wakan, v. i., uswakjan, v. t., Skr.
v[=a]jay to rouse, to impel. ????. Cf. {Vigil}, {Wait}, v.
i., {Watch}, v. i.]
1. To be or to continue awake; to watch; not to sleep.
The father waketh for the daughter. --Ecclus.
xlii. 9.
Though wisdom wake, suspicion sleeps. --Milton.
I can not think any time, waking or sleeping,
without being sensible of it. --Locke.
2. To sit up late festive purposes; to hold a night revel.
The king doth wake to-night, and takes his rouse,
Keeps wassail, and the swaggering upspring reels.
--Shak.
3. To be excited or roused from sleep; to awake; to be
awakened; to cease to sleep; -- often with up.
He infallibly woke up at the sound of the concluding
doxology. --G. Eliot.
4. To be exited or roused up; to be stirred up from a
dormant, torpid, or inactive state; to be active.
Gentle airs due at their hour To fan the earth now
waked. --Milton.
Then wake, my soul, to high desires. --Keble.
Wake \Wake\, v. t.
1. To rouse from sleep; to awake.
The angel . . . came again and waked me. --Zech. iv.
1.
2. To put in motion or action; to arouse; to excite. ``I
shall waken all this company.'' --Chaucer.
Lest fierce remembrance wake my sudden rage.
--Milton.
Even Richard's crusade woke little interest in his
island realm. --J. R. Green.
3. To bring to life again, as if from the sleep of death; to
reanimate; to revive.
To second life Waked in the renovation of the just.
--Milton.
4. To watch, or sit up with, at night, as a dead body.
Wake \Wake\, n.
1. The act of waking, or being awaked; also, the state of
being awake. [Obs. or Poetic]
Making such difference 'twixt wake and sleep.
--Shak.
Singing her flatteries to my morning wake. --Dryden.
2. The state of forbearing sleep, especially for solemn or
festive purposes; a vigil.
The warlike wakes continued all the night, And
funeral games played at new returning light.
--Dryden.
The wood nymphs, decked with daises trim, Their
merry wakes and pastimes keep. --Milton.
3. Specifically:
(a) (Ch. of Eng.) An annual parish festival formerly held
in commemoration of the dedication of a church.
Originally, prayers were said on the evening
preceding, and hymns were sung during the night, in
the church; subsequently, these vigils were
discontinued, and the day itself, often with
succeeding days, was occupied in rural pastimes and
exercises, attended by eating and drinking, often to
excess.
Great solemnities were made in all churches, and
great fairs and wakes throughout all England.
--Ld. Berners.
And every village smokes at wakes with lusty
cheer. --Drayton.
(b) The sitting up of persons with a dead body, often
attended with a degree of festivity, chiefly among the
Irish. ``Blithe as shepherd at a wake.'' --Cowper.
{Wake play}, the ceremonies and pastimes connected with a
wake. See {Wake}, n., 3
(b), above. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wakeful \Wake"ful\, a.
Not sleeping; indisposed to sleep; watchful; vigilant.
Dissembling sleep, but wakeful with the fright.
--Dryden.
-- {Wake"ful*ly}, adv. -- {Wake"ful*ness}, n.
Waken \Wak"en\, v. i. [imp. & p. pr. {Wakened}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wakening}.] [OE. waknen, AS. w[ae]cnan; akin to Goth.
gawaknan. See {Wake}, v. i.]
To wake; to cease to sleep; to be awakened.
Early, Turnus wakening with the light. --Dryden.
Waken \Wak"en\, v. t.
1. To excite or rouse from sleep; to wake; to awake; to
awaken. ``Go, waken Eve.'' --Milton.
2. To excite; to rouse; to move to action; to awaken.
Then Homer's and Tyrt[ae]us' martial muse Wakened
the world. --Roscommon.
Venus now wakes, and wakens love. --Milton.
They introduce Their sacred song, and waken raptures
high. --Milton.
Wakener \Wak"en*er\, n.
One who wakens.
Wakening \Wak"en*ing\, n.
1. The act of one who wakens; esp., the act of ceasing to
sleep; an awakening.
2. (Scots Law) The revival of an action. --Burrill.
They were too much ashamed to bring any wakening of
the process against Janet. --Sir W.
Scott.
Waker \Wak"er\, n.
One who wakes.
Wake-robin \Wake"-rob`in\, n. (Bot.)
Any plant of the genus {Arum}, especially, in England, the
cuckoopint ({Arum maculatum}).
Note: In America the name is given to several species of
Trillium, and sometimes to the Jack-in-the-pulpit.
Waketime \Wake"time`\, n.
Time during which one is awake. [R.] --Mrs. Browning.
Waking \Wak"ing\, n.
1. The act of waking, or the state or period of being awake.
2. A watch; a watching. [Obs.] ``Bodily pain . . . standeth
in prayer, in wakings, in fastings.'' --Chaucer.
In the fourth waking of the night. --Wyclif
(Matt. xiv.
25).
Walaway \Wa"la*way\, interj.
See {Welaway}. [Obs.]
Wald \Wald\, n. [AS. weald. See {Wold}.]
A forest; -- used as a termination of names. See {Weald}.
Waldenses \Wal*den"ses\ (?; 277), n. pl. [So called from Petrus
Waldus, or Peter Waldo, a merchant of Lyons, who founded this
sect about a. d. 1170.] (Eccl. Hist.)
A sect of dissenters from the ecclesiastical system of the
Roman Catholic Church, who in the 13th century were driven by
persecution to the valleys of Piedmont, where the sect
survives. They profess substantially Protestant principles.
Waldensian \Wal*den"sian\, a.
Of or pertaining to the Waldenses. -- n. One Holding the
Waldensian doctrines.
Waldgrave \Wald"grave\, n. [See {Wald}, and {Margrave}.]
In the old German empire, the head forest keeper.
Waldheimia \Wald*hei"mi*a\, n. [NL.] (Zo["o]l.)
A genus of brachiopods of which many species are found in the
fossil state. A few still exist in the deep sea.
Wale \Wale\, n. [AS. walu a mark of stripes or blows, probably
originally, a rod; akin to Icel. v["o]lr, Goth. walus a rod,
staff. [root]146. Cf. {Goal}, {Weal} a wale.]
1. A streak or mark made on the skin by a rod or whip; a
stripe; a wheal. See {Wheal}. --Holland.
2. A ridge or streak rising above the surface, as of cloth;
hence, the texture of cloth.
Thou 'rt rougher far, And of a coarser wale, fuller
of pride. --Beau & Fl.
3. (Carp.) A timber bolted to a row of piles to secure them
together and in position. --Knight.
4. (Naut.)
(a) pl. Certain sets or strakes of the outside planking of
a vessel; as, the main wales, or the strakes of
planking under the port sills of the gun deck; channel
wales, or those along the spar deck, etc.
(b) A wale knot, or wall knot.
{Wale knot}. (Naut.) See {Wall knot}, under 1st {Wall}.
Wale \Wale\, v. t.
1. To mark with wales, or stripes.
2. To choose; to select; specifically (Mining), to pick out
the refuse of (coal) by hand, in order to clean it. [Prov.
Eng. & Scot.]
Walhalla \Wal*hal"la\, n. [Cf. G. walhalla, See {Valhalla}.]
See {Valhalla}.
Waling \Wal"ing\, n. (Naut.)
Same as {Wale}, n., 4.
Walk \Walk\ (w[add]k), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Walked}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Walking}.] [OE. walken, probably from AS. wealcan to
roll, turn, revolve, akin to D. walken to felt hats, to work
a hat, G. walken to full, OHG. walchan to beat, to full,
Icel. v[=a]lka to roll, to stamp, Sw. valka to full, to roll,
Dan. valke to full; cf. Skr. valg to spring; but cf. also AS.
weallian to roam, ramble, G. wallen. [root]130.]
1. To move along on foot; to advance by steps; to go on at a
moderate pace; specifically, of two-legged creatures, to
proceed at a slower or faster rate, but without running,
or lifting one foot entirely before the other touches the
ground.
At the end of twelve months, he walked in the palace
of the kingdom of Babylon. --Dan. iv. 29.
When Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked
on the water, to go to Jesus. --Matt. xiv.
29.
Note: In the walk of quadrupeds, there are always two, and
for a brief space there are three, feet on the ground
at once, but never four.
2. To move or go on the feet for exercise or amusement; to
take one's exercise; to ramble.
3. To be stirring; to be abroad; to go restlessly about; --
said of things or persons expected to remain quiet, as a
sleeping person, or the spirit of a dead person; to go
about as a somnambulist or a specter.
I have heard, but not believed, the spirits of the
dead May walk again. --Shak.
When was it she last walked? --Shak.
4. To be in motion; to act; to move; to wag. [Obs.] ``Her
tongue did walk in foul reproach.'' --Spenser.
Do you think I'd walk in any plot? --B. Jonson.
I heard a pen walking in the chimney behind the
cloth. --Latimer.
5. To behave; to pursue a course of life; to conduct one's
self.
We walk perversely with God, and he will walk
crookedly toward us. --Jer. Taylor.
6. To move off; to depart. [Obs. or Colloq.]
He will make their cows and garrans to walk.
--Spenser.
{To walk} in, to go in; to enter, as into a house.
{To walk after the flesh} (Script.), to indulge sensual
appetites, and to live in sin. --Rom. viii. 1.
{To walk after the Spirit} (Script.), to be guided by the
counsels and influences of the Spirit, and by the word of
God. --Rom. viii. 1.
{To walk by faith} (Script.), to live in the firm belief of
the gospel and its promises, and to rely on Christ for
salvation. --2 Cor. v. 7.
{To walk in darkness} (Script.), to live in ignorance, error,
and sin. --1 John i. 6.
{To walk in the flesh} (Script.), to live this natural life,
which is subject to infirmities and calamities. --2 Cor.
x. 3.
{To walk in the light} (Script.), to live in the practice of
religion, and to enjoy its consolations. --1 John i. 7.
{To walk over}, in racing, to go over a course at a walk; --
said of a horse when there is no other entry; hence,
colloquially, to gain an easy victory in any contest.
{To walk through the fire} (Script.), to be exercised with
severe afflictions. --Isa. xliii. 2.
{To walk with God} (Script.), to live in obedience to his
commands, and have communion with him.
Walk \Walk\, v. t.
1. To pass through, over, or upon; to traverse; to
perambulate; as, to walk the streets.
As we walk our earthly round. --Keble.
2. To cause to walk; to lead, drive, or ride with a slow
pace; as to walk one's horses. `` I will rather trust . .
. a thief to walk my ambling gelding.'' --Shak.
3. [AS. wealcan to roll. See {Walk} to move on foot.] To
subject, as cloth or yarn, to the fulling process; to
full. [Obs. or Scot.]
{To walk the plank}, to walk off the plank into the water and
be drowned; -- an expression derived from the practice of
pirates who extended a plank from the side of a ship, and
compelled those whom they would drown to walk off into the
water; figuratively, to vacate an office by compulsion.
--Bartlett.
Walk \Walk\, n.
1. The act of walking, or moving on the feet with a slow
pace; advance without running or leaping.
2. The act of walking for recreation or exercise; as, a
morning walk; an evening walk.
3. Manner of walking; gait; step; as, we often know a person
at a distance by his walk.
4. That in or through which one walks; place or distance
walked over; a place for walking; a path or avenue
prepared for foot passengers, or for taking air and
exercise; way; road; hence, a place or region in which
animals may graze; place of wandering; range; as, a sheep
walk.
A woody mountain . . . with goodliest trees Planted,
with walks and bowers. --Milton.
He had walk for a hundred sheep. --Latimer.
Amid the sound of steps that beat The murmuring
walks like rain. --Bryant.
5. A frequented track; habitual place of action; sphere; as,
the walk of the historian.
The mountains are his walks. --Sandys.
He opened a boundless walk for his imagination.
--Pope.
6. Conduct; course of action; behavior.
7. The route or district regularly served by a vender; as, a
milkman's walk. [Eng.]
Walkable \Walk"a*ble\, a.
Fit to be walked on; capable of being walked on or over. [R.]
--Swift.
Walker \Walk"er\, n.
1. One who walks; a pedestrian.
2. That with which one walks; a foot. [Obs.]
Lame Mulciber, his walkers quite misgrown.
--Chapman.
3. (Law) A forest officer appointed to walk over a certain
space for inspection; a forester.
4. [AS. wealcere. See {Walk}, v. t., 3.] A fuller of cloth.
[Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
She cursed the weaver and the walker The cloth that
had wrought. --Percy's
Reliques.
5. (Zo["o]l.) Any ambulatorial orthopterous insect, as a
stick insect.
Walking \Walk"ing\,
a. & n. from {Walk}, v.
{Walking beam}. See {Beam}, 10.
{Walking crane}, a kind of traveling crane. See under
{Crane}.
{Walking fern}. (Bot.) See {Walking leaf}, below.
{Walking fish} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
Asiatic fishes of the genus {Ophiocephalus}, some of
which, as {O. marulius}, become over four feet long. They
have a special cavity over the gills lined with a membrane
adapted to retain moisture to aid in respiration, and are
thus able to travel considerable distances over the land
at night, whence the name. They construct a curious nest
for their young. Called also {langya}.
{Walking gentleman} (Theater), an actor who usually fills
subordinate parts which require a gentlemanly appearance
but few words. [Cant]
{Walking lady} (Theater), an actress who usually fills such
parts as require only a ladylike appearance on the stage.
[Cant]
{Walking leaf}.
(a) (Bot.) A little American fern ({Camptosorus
rhizophyllus}); -- so called because the fronds taper
into slender prolongations which often root at the apex,
thus producing new plants.
(b) (Zo["o]l.) A leaf insect. See under {Leaf}.
{Walking papers}, or {Walking ticket}, an order to leave;
dismissal, as from office. [Colloq.] --Bartlett.
{Walking stick}.
(a) A stick or staff carried in the hand for hand for support
or amusement when walking; a cane.
(b) (Zo["o]l.) A stick insect; -- called also {walking
straw}. See Illust. of {Stick insect}, under {Stick}.
{Walking wheel} (Mach.), a prime mover consisting of a wheel
driven by the weight of men or animals walking either in
it or on it; a treadwheel.
Walk-mill \Walk"-mill`\, n. [Walk to Walking Leaf, or full +
mill.]
A fulling mill. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
Walk-over \Walk"-o`ver\, n.
In racing, the going over a course by a horse which has no
competitor for the prize; hence, colloquially, a one-sided
contest; an uncontested, or an easy, victory.
Walkyr \Wal"kyr\, n. (Scand. Myth.)
See {Valkyria}.
Wall \Wall\, n. (Naut.)
A kind of knot often used at the end of a rope; a wall knot;
a wale.
{Wall knot}, a knot made by unlaying the strands of a rope,
and making a bight with the first strand, then passing the
second over the end of the first, and the third over the
end of the second and through the bight of the first; a
wale knot. Wall knots may be single or double, crowned or
double-crowned.
Wall \Wall\, n. [AS. weall, from L. vallum a wall, vallus a
stake, pale, palisade; akin to Gr. ? a nail. Cf. {Interval}.]
1. A work or structure of stone, brick, or other materials,
raised to some height, and intended for defense or
security, solid and permanent inclosing fence, as around a
field, a park, a town, etc., also, one of the upright
inclosing parts of a building or a room.
The plaster of the wall of the King's palace. --Dan.
v. 5.
2. A defense; a rampart; a means of protection; in the
plural, fortifications, in general; works for defense.
The waters were a wall unto them on their right
hand, and on their left. --Ex. xiv. 22.
In such a night, Troilus, methinks, mounted the
Troyan walls. --Shak.
To rush undaunted to defend the walls. --Dryden.
3. An inclosing part of a receptacle or vessel; as, the walls
of a steam-engine cylinder.
4. (Mining)
(a) The side of a level or drift.
(b) The country rock bounding a vein laterally. --Raymond.
Note: Wall is often used adjectively, and also in the
formation of compounds, usually of obvious
signification; as in wall paper, or wall-paper; wall
fruit, or wall-fruit; wallflower, etc.
{Blank wall}, Blind wall, etc. See under {Blank}, {Blind},
etc.
{To drive to the wall}, to bring to extremities; to push to
extremes; to get the advantage of, or mastery over.
{To go to the wall}, to be hard pressed or driven; to be the
weaker party; to be pushed to extremes.
{To take the wall}. to take the inner side of a walk, that
is, the side next the wall; hence, to take the precedence.
``I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's.''
--Shak.
{Wall barley} (Bot.), a kind of grass ({Hordeum murinum})
much resembling barley; squirrel grass. See under
{Squirrel}.
{Wall box}. (Mach.) See {Wall frame}, below.
{Wall creeper} (Zo["o]l.), a small bright-colored bird
({Tichodroma muraria}) native of Asia and Southern Europe.
It climbs about over old walls and cliffs in search of
insects and spiders. Its body is ash-gray above, the wing
coverts are carmine-red, the primary quills are mostly red
at the base and black distally, some of them with white
spots, and the tail is blackish. Called also {spider
catcher}.
{Wall cress} (Bot.), a name given to several low cruciferous
herbs, especially to the mouse-ear cress. See under
{Mouse-ear}.
{Wall frame} (Mach.), a frame set in a wall to receive a
pillow block or bearing for a shaft passing through the
wall; -- called also {wall box}.
{Wall fruit}, fruit borne by trees trained against a wall.
{Wall gecko} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of Old
World geckos which live in or about buildings and run over
the vertical surfaces of walls, to which they cling by
means of suckers on the feet.
{Wall lizard} (Zo["o]l.), a common European lizard ({Lacerta
muralis}) which frequents houses, and lives in the chinks
and crevices of walls; -- called also {wall newt}.
{Wall louse}, a wood louse.
{Wall moss} (Bot.), any species of moss growing on walls.
{Wall newt} (Zo["o]l.), the wall lizard. --Shak.
{Wall paper}, paper for covering the walls of rooms; paper
hangings.
{Wall pellitory} (Bot.), a European plant ({Parictaria
officinalis}) growing on old walls, and formerly esteemed
medicinal.
{Wall pennywort} (Bot.), a plant ({Cotyledon Umbilicus})
having rounded fleshy leaves. It is found on walls in
Western Europe.
{Wall pepper} (Bot.), a low mosslike plant ({Sedum acre})
with small fleshy leaves having a pungent taste and
bearing yellow flowers. It is common on walls and rocks in
Europe, and is sometimes seen in America.
{Wall pie} (Bot.), a kind of fern; wall rue.
{Wall piece}, a gun planted on a wall. --H. L. Scott.
{Wall plate} (Arch.), a piece of timber placed horizontally
upon a wall, and supporting posts, joists, and the like.
See Illust. of {Roof}.
{Wall rock}, granular limestone used in building walls. [U.
S.] --Bartlett.
{Wall rue} (Bot.), a species of small fern ({Asplenium
Ruta-muraria}) growing on walls, rocks, and the like.
{Wall spring}, a spring of water issuing from stratified
rocks.
{Wall tent}, a tent with upright cloth sides corresponding to
the walls of a house.
{Wall wasp} (Zo["o]l.), a common European solitary wasp
({Odynerus parietus}) which makes its nest in the crevices
of walls.
Wall \Wall\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Walled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Walling}.]
1. To inclose with a wall, or as with a wall. ``Seven walled
towns of strength.'' --Shak.
The king of Thebes, Amphion, That with his singing
walled that city. --Chaucer.
2. To defend by walls, or as if by walls; to fortify.
The terror of his name that walls us in. --Denham.
3. To close or fill with a wall, as a doorway.
Wallaba \Wal"la*ba\, n. (Bot.)
A leguminous tree ({Eperua falcata}) of Demerara, with
pinnate leaves and clusters of red flowers. The reddish brown
wood is used for palings and shingles. --J. Smith (Dict.
Econ. Plants).
Wallaby \Wal"la*by\, n.; pl. {Wallabies}. [From a native name.]
(Zo["o]l.)
Any one of numerous species of kangaroos belonging to the
genus {Halmaturus}, native of Australia and Tasmania,
especially the smaller species, as the brush kangaroo ({H.
Bennettii}) and the pademelon ({H. thetidis}). The wallabies
chiefly inhabit the wooded district and bushy plains.
[Written also {wallabee}, and {whallabee}.]
Wallah \Wal"lah\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A black variety of the jaguar; -- called also {tapir tiger}.
[Written also {walla}.]
Wallaroo \Wal`la*roo"\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of several species of kangaroos of the genus
{Macropus}, especially {M. robustus}, sometimes called the
{great wallaroo}.
Wallbird \Wall"bird`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The spotted flycatcher. [Prov. Eng.]
Waller \Wall"er\, n.
One who builds walls.
Waller \Wall"er\, n. [G.] (Zo["o]l.)
The wels.
Wallerian degeneration \Wal*le"ri*an de*gen`er*a"tion\ (Med.)
A form of degeneration occurring in nerve fibers as a result
of their division; -- so called from Dr. Waller, who
published an account of it in 1850.
Wallet \Wal"let\, n. [OE. walet, probably the same word as OE.
watel a bag. See {Wattle}.]
1. A bag or sack for carrying about the person, as a bag for
carrying the necessaries for a journey; a knapsack; a
beggar's receptacle for charity; a peddler's pack.
[His hood] was trussed up in his walet. --Chaucer.
2. A pocketbook for keeping money about the person.
3. Anything protuberant and swagging. ``Wallets of flesh.''
--Shak.
Walleteer \Wal`let*eer"\, n.
One who carries a wallet; a foot traveler; a tramping beggar.
[Colloq.] --Wright.
Wall-eye \Wall"-eye`\, n. [See {Wall-eyed}.]
1. An eye in which the iris is of a very light gray or
whitish color; -- said usually of horses. --Booth.
Note: Jonson has defined wall-eye to be ``a disease in the
crystalline humor of the eye; glaucoma.'' But glaucoma
is not a disease of the crystalline humor, nor is
wall-eye a disease at all, but merely a natural
blemish. --Tully. In the north of England, as Brockett
states, persons are said to be wall-eyed when the white
of the eye is very large and distorted, or on one side.
2. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) An American fresh-water food fish ({Stizostedion
vitreum}) having large and prominent eyes; -- called
also {glasseye}, {pike perch}, {yellow pike}, and
{wall-eyed perch}.
(b) A California surf fish ({Holconotus argenteus}).
(c) The alewife; -- called also {wall-eyed herring}.
Wall-eyed \Wall"-eyed`\, a. [Icel. valdeyg[eth]r, or vagleygr;
fr. vagl a beam, a beam in the eye (akin to Sw. vagel a
roost, a perch, a sty in the eye) + eygr having eyes (from
auga eye). See {Eye}.]
Having an eye of a very light gray or whitish color. --Booth.
Note: Shakespeare, in using wall-eyed as a term of reproach
(as ``wall-eyed rage,'' a ``wall-eyed wretch''),
alludes probably to the idea of unnatural or distorted
vision. See the Note under {Wall-eye}. It is an eye
which is utterly and incurably perverted, an eye that
knows no pity.
Wallflower \Wall"flow`er\, n.
1. (Bot.) A perennial, cruciferous plant ({Cheiranthus
Cheiri}), with sweet-scented flowers varying in color from
yellow to orange and deep red. In Europe it very common on
old walls.
Note: The name is sometimes extended to other species of
{Cheiranthus} and of the related genus {Erysimum},
especially the American {Western wallflower} ({Erysimum
asperum}), a biennial herb with orange-yellow flowers.
2. A lady at a ball, who, either from choice, or because not
asked to dance, remains a spectator. [Colloq.]
Wallhick \Wall"hick`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The lesser spotted woodpecker ({Dryobates minor}). [Prov.
Eng.]
Walling \Wall"ing\, n.
1. The act of making a wall or walls.
2. Walls, in general; material for walls.
{Walling wax}, a composition of wax and tallow used by
etchers and engravers to make a bank, or wall, round the
edge of a plate, so as to form a trough for holding the
acid used in etching, and the like. --Fairholt.
Walloons \Wal*loons"\, n. pl.; sing. {Walloon}. [Cf. F. wallon.]
A Romanic people inhabiting that part of Belgium which
comprises the provinces of Hainaut, Namur, Li['e]ge, and
Luxembourg, and about one third of Brabant; also, the
language spoken by this people. Used also adjectively.
[Written also Wallons.] ``A base Walloon . . . thrust Talbot
with a spear.'' --Shak.
{Walloon guard}, the bodyguard of the Spanish monarch; -- so
called because formerly consisting of Walloons.
Wallop \Wal"lop\, v. i. [Cf. OFlem. walop a gallop; of uncertain
origin. Cf. {Gallop}.]
To move quickly, but with great effort; to gallop. [Prov.
Eng. & Scot.]
Wallop \Wal"lop\, n.
A quick, rolling movement; a gallop. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
Wallop \Wal"lop\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Walloped}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Walloping}.] [Probably fr. AS. weallan to spring up, to
boil or bubble. [root]147. See {Well}, n. & v. i.]
1. To boil with a continued bubbling or heaving and rolling,
with noise. [Prov. Eng.] --Brockett.
2. To move in a rolling, cumbersome manner; to waddle. [Prov.
Eng.] --Halliwell.
3. To be slatternly. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
Wallop \Wal"lop\, v. t.
1. To beat soundly; to flog; to whip. [Prov. Eng., Scot., &
Colloq. U. S.]
2. To wrap up temporarily. [Prov. Eng.]
3. To throw or tumble over. [Prov. Eng.]
Wallop \Wal"lop\, n.
1. A thick piece of fat. --Halliwell.
2. A blow. [Prov. Eng., Scot., & Colloq. U. S.]
Wallow \Wal"low\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wallowed}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Wallowing}.] [OE. walwen, AS. wealwian; akin to Goth.
walwjan (in comp.) to roll, L. volvere; cf. Skr. val to turn.
[root]147. Cf. {Voluble Well}, n.]
1. To roll one's self about, as in mire; to tumble and roll
about; to move lazily or heavily in any medium; to
flounder; as, swine wallow in the mire.
I may wallow in the lily beds. --Shak.
2. To live in filth or gross vice; to disport one's self in a
beastly and unworthy manner.
God sees a man wallowing in his native impurity.
--South.
3. To wither; to fade. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
Wallow \Wal"low\, v. t.
To roll; esp., to roll in anything defiling or unclean.
``Wallow thyself in ashes.'' --Jer. vi. 26.
Wallow \Wal"low\, n.
A kind of rolling walk.
One taught the toss, and one the new French wallow.
--Dryden.
Wallower \Wal"low*er\, n.
1. One who, or that which, wallows.
2. (Mach.) A lantern wheel; a trundle.
Wallowish \Wal"low*ish\, a. [Scot. wallow to fade or wither.]
Flat; insipid. [Obs.] --Overbury.
Wall-plat \Wall"-plat`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The spotted flycatcher. It builds its nest on walls. [Prov.
Eng.]
Wall-sided \Wall"-sid`ed\, a. (Naut.)
Having sides nearly perpendicular; -- said of certain vessels
to distinguish them from those having flaring sides, or sides
tumbling home (see under {Tumble}, v. i.).
Wallwort \Wall"wort`\, n. (Bot.)
The dwarf elder, or danewort ({Sambucus Ebulus}).
Walm \Walm\, v. i. [AS. weallan; cf. w[ae]lm, billow.
[root]147.]
To roll; to spout; to boil up. [Obs.] --Holland.
Walnut \Wal"nut\, n. [OE. walnot, AS. wealh-hnutu a Welsh or
foreign nut, a walnut; wealh foreign, strange, n., a
Welshman, Celt (akin to OHG. Walh, properly, a Celt, from the
name of a Celtic tribe, in L. Volcae) + hnutu a nut; akin to
D. walnoot, G. walnuss, Icel. valhnot, Sw. valn["o]t, Dan
valn["o]d. See {Nut}, and cf. {Welsh}.] (Bot.)
The fruit or nut of any tree of the genus {Juglans}; also,
the tree, and its timber. The seven or eight known species
are all natives of the north temperate zone.
Note: In some parts of America, especially in New England,
the name walnut is given to several species of hickory
({Carya}), and their fruit.
{Ash-leaved walnut}, a tree ({Juglans fraxinifolia}), native
in Transcaucasia.
{Black walnut}, a North American tree ({J. nigra}) valuable
for its purplish brown wood, which is extensively used in
cabinetwork and for gunstocks. The nuts are thick-shelled,
and nearly globular.
{English}, or {European}, {walnut}, a tree ({J. regia}),
native of Asia from the Caucasus to Japan, valuable for
its timber and for its excellent nuts, which are also
called Madeira nuts.
{Walnut brown}, a deep warm brown color, like that of the
heartwood of the black walnut.
{Walnut oil}, oil extracted from walnut meats. It is used in
cooking, making soap, etc.
{White walnut}, a North American tree ({J. cinerea}), bearing
long, oval, thick-shelled, oily nuts, commonly called
butternuts. See {Butternut}.
Walrus \Wal"rus\, n. [D. walrus; of Scand. origin; cf. Dan
valros, Sw. vallross, Norw. hvalros; literally, whale horse;
akin to Icel. hrosshvalr, AS. horshw[ae]l. See {Whale}, and
{Horse}.] (Zo["o]l.)
A very large marine mammal ({Trichecus rosmarus}) of the Seal
family, native of the Arctic Ocean. The male has long and
powerful tusks descending from the upper jaw. It uses these
in procuring food and in fighting. It is hunted for its oil,
ivory, and skin. It feeds largely on mollusks. Called also
{morse}.
Note: The walrus of the North Pacific and Behring Strait
({Trichecus obesus}) is regarded by some as a distinct
species, by others as a variety of the common walrus.
Walter \Wal"ter\, v. i. [See {Welter}.]
To roll or wallow; to welter. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
Waltron \Wal"tron\, n.
A walrus. [Obs.] --Woodward.
Walty \Wal"ty\, a. [Cf. {Walter} to roll.]
Liable to roll over; crank; as, a walty ship. [R.]
--Longfellow.
Waltz \Waltz\, n. [G. walzer, from walzen to roll, revolve,
dance, OHG. walzan to roll; akin to AS. wealtan. See
{Welter}.]
A dance performed by two persons in circular figures with a
whirling motion; also, a piece of music composed in triple
measure for this kind of dance.
Waltz \Waltz\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Waltzed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Waltzing}.]
To dance a waltz.
Waltzer \Waltz"er\, n.
A person who waltzes.
Walwe \Wal"we\, v.
To wallow. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Waly \Wa"ly\, interj. [Cf. {Welaway}.]
An exclamation of grief. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
Wamble \Wam"ble\, v. i. [Cf. Dan. vamle, and vammel squeamish,
ready to vomit, Icel. v[ae]ma to feel nausea, v[ae]minn
nauseous.]
1. To heave; to be disturbed by nausea; -- said of the
stomach. --L'Estrange.
2. To move irregularly to and fro; to roll.
Wamble \Wam"ble\, n.
Disturbance of the stomach; a feeling of nausea. --Holland.
Wamble-cropped \Wam"ble-cropped`\, a.
Sick at the stomach; also, crestfallen; dejected. [Slang]
Wammel \Wam"mel\, v. i.
To move irregularly or awkwardly; to wamble, or wabble.
[Prov. Eng.]
Wamp \Wamp\, n. [From the North American Indian name.]
(Zo["o]l.)
The common American eider.
Wampee \Wam*pee"\, n. (Bot.)
(a) A tree ({Cookia punctata}) of the Orange family, growing
in China and the East Indies; also, its fruit, which is
about the size of a large grape, and has a hard rind and
a peculiar flavor.
(b) The pickerel weed. [Southern U. S.]
Wampum \Wam"pum\, n. [North American Indian wampum, wompam, from
the Mass. w['o]mpi, Del. w[=a]pe, white.]
Beads made of shells, used by the North American Indians as
money, and also wrought into belts, etc., as an ornament.
Round his waist his belt of wampum. --Longfellow.
Girded with his wampum braid. --Whittier.
Note: These beads were of two kinds, one white, and the other
black or dark purple. The term wampum is properly
applied only to the white; the dark purple ones are
called suckanhock. See {Seawan}. ``It [wampum]
consisted of cylindrical pieces of the shells of
testaceous fishes, a quarter of an inch long, and in
diameter less than a pipestem, drilled . . . so as to
be strung upon a thread. The beads of a white color,
rated at half the value of the black or violet, passed
each as the equivalent of a farthing in transactions
between the natives and the planters.'' --Palfrey.
Wan \Wan\, obs. imp. of {Win}.
Won. --Chaucer.
Wan \Wan\, a. [AS. wann, wonn, wan, won, dark, lurid, livid,
perhaps originally, worn out by toil, from winnan to labor,
strive. See {Win}.]
Having a pale or sickly hue; languid of look; pale; pallid.
``Sad to view, his visage pale and wan.'' --Spenser.
My color . . . [is] wan and of a leaden hue. --Chaucer.
Why so pale and wan, fond lover? --Suckling.
With the wan moon overhead. --Longfellow.
Wan \Wan\, n.
The quality of being wan; wanness. [R.]
Tinged with wan from lack of sleep. --Tennyson.
Wan \Wan\, v. i.
To grow wan; to become pale or sickly in looks. ``All his
visage wanned.'' --Shak.
And ever he mutter'd and madden'd, and ever wann'd with
despair. --Tennyson.
Wand \Wand\, n. [Of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. v["o]ndr, akin to
Dan. vaand, Goth. wandus; perhaps originally, a pliant twig,
and akin to E. wind to turn.]
1. A small stick; a rod; a verge.
With good smart blows of a wand on his back.
--Locke.
2. Specifically:
(a) A staff of authority.
Though he had both spurs and wand, they seemed
rather marks of sovereignty than instruments of
punishment. --Sir P.
Sidney.
(b) A rod used by conjurers, diviners, magicians, etc.
Picus bore a buckler in his hand; His other
waved a long divining wand. --Dryden.
{Wand of peace} (Scots Law), a wand, or staff, carried by the
messenger of a court, which he breaks when deforced (that
is, hindered from executing process), as a symbol of the
deforcement, and protest for remedy of law. --Burrill.
Wander \Wan"der\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wandered}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Wandering}.] [OE. wandren, wandrien, AS. wandrian; akin
to G. wandern to wander; fr. AS. windan to turn. See {Wind}
to turn.]
1. To ramble here and there without any certain course or
with no definite object in view; to range about; to
stroll; to rove; as, to wander over the fields.
They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins.
--Heb. xi. 37.
He wandereth abroad for bread. --Job xv. 23.
2. To go away; to depart; to stray off; to deviate; to go
astray; as, a writer wanders from his subject.
When God caused me to wander from my father's house.
--Gen. xx. 13.
O, let me not wander from thy commandments. --Ps.
cxix. 10.
3. To be delirious; not to be under the guidance of reason;
to rave; as, the mind wanders.
Syn: To roam; rove; range; stroll; gad; stray; straggly; err;
swerve; deviate; depart.
Wander \Wan"der\, v. t.
To travel over without a certain course; to traverse; to
stroll through. [R.] ``[Elijah] wandered this barren waste.''
--Milton.
Wanderer \Wan"der*er\, n.
One who wanders; a rambler; one who roves; hence, one who
deviates from duty.
Wandering \Wan"der*ing\,
a. & n. from {Wander}, v.
{Wandering albatross} (Zo["o]l.), the great white albatross.
See Illust. of {Albatross}.
{Wandering cell} (Physiol.), an animal cell which possesses
the power of spontaneous movement, as one of the white
corpuscles of the blood.
{Wandering Jew} (Bot.), any one of several creeping species
of {Tradescantia}, which have alternate, pointed leaves,
and a soft, herbaceous stem which roots freely at the
joints. They are commonly cultivated in hanging baskets,
window boxes, etc.
{Wandering kidney} (Med.), a morbid condition in which one
kidney, or, rarely, both kidneys, can be moved in certain
directions; -- called also {floating kidney}, {movable
kidney}.
{Wandering liver} (Med.), a morbid condition of the liver,
similar to wandering kidney.
{Wandering mouse} (Zo["o]l.), the whitefooted, or deer,
mouse. See Illust. of {Mouse}.
{Wandering spider} (Zo["o]l.), any one of a tribe of spiders
that wander about in search of their prey.
Wanderingly \Wan"der*ing*ly\, adv.
In a wandering manner.
Wanderment \Wan"der*ment\, n.
The act of wandering, or roaming. [Obs.] --Bp. Hall.
Wanderoo \Wan`der*oo"\, n. [Cingalese wanderu a monkey.]
(Zo["o]l.)
A large monkey ({Macacus silenus}) native of Malabar. It is
black, or nearly so, but has a long white or gray beard
encircling the face. Called also {maha}, {silenus},
{neelbhunder}, {lion-tailed baboon}, and {great wanderoo}.
[Written also {ouanderoo}.]
Note: The name is sometimes applied also to other allied
species.
Wandy \Wand"y\, a.
Long and flexible, like a wand. [Prov. Eng.] --Brockett.
Wane \Wane\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Waned}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Waning}.] [OE. wanien, AS. wanian, wonian, from wan, won,
deficient, wanting; akin to D. wan-, G. wahnsinn, insanity,
OHG. wan, wana-, lacking, wan?n to lessen, Icel. vanr
lacking, Goth. vans; cf. Gr. ? bereaved, Skr. ?na wanting,
inferior. ????. Cf. {Want} lack, and {Wanton}.]
1. To be diminished; to decrease; -- contrasted with {wax},
and especially applied to the illuminated part of the
moon.
Like the moon, aye wax ye and wane. Waning moons
their settled periods keep. --Addison.
2. To decline; to fail; to sink.
You saw but sorrow in its waning form. --Dryden.
Land and trade ever will wax and wane together.
--Sir J.
Child.
Wane \Wane\, v. t.
To cause to decrease. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.
Wane \Wane\, n.
1. The decrease of the illuminated part of the moon to the
eye of a spectator.
2. Decline; failure; diminution; decrease; declension.
An age in which the church is in its wane. --South.
Though the year be on the wane. --Keble.
3. An inequality in a board. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
Waney \Wan"ey\, n.
A sharp or uneven edge on a board that is cut from a log not
perfectly squared, or that is made in the process of
squaring. See {Wany}, a.
Wang \Wang\, n. [OE. wange, AS. wange, wonge, cheek, jaw; akin
to D. wang, OS. & OHG. wanga, G. wange.]
1. The jaw, jawbone, or cheek bone. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
So work aye the wangs in his head. --Chaucer.
2. A slap; a blow. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
{Wang tooth}, a cheek tooth; a molar. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wang \Wang\, n.
See {Whang}. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Wangan \Wan"gan\, n. [American Indian.]
A boat for conveying provisions, tools, etc.; -- so called by
Maine lumbermen. [Written also {wangun}.] --Bartlett.
Wanger \Wang"er\, n. [AS. wangere. See 1st {Wang}.]
A pillow for the cheek; a pillow. [Obs. & R.]
His bright helm was his wanger. --Chaucer.
Wanghee \Wang*hee"\, n. [Chin. wang yellow + he? a root.] (Bot.)
The Chinese name of one or two species of bamboo, or jointed
cane, of the genus {Phyllostachys}. The slender stems are
much used for walking sticks. [Written also {whanghee}.]
Wango \Wang"o\, n.
A boomerang.
Wanhope \Wan"hope`\, n. [AS. wan, won, deficient, wanting + hopa
hope: cf. D. wanhoop. ????. See {Wane}, and {Hope}.]
Want of hope; despair; also, faint or delusive hope;
delusion. [Obs.] Piers Plowman. ``Wanhope and distress.''
--Chaucer.
Wanhorn \Wan"horn`\, n. [Corruption fr. Siamese wanhom.] (Bot.)
An East Indian plant ({K[ae]mpferia Galanga}) of the Ginger
family. See {Galanga}.
Waniand \Wan"i*and\, n. [See {Wanion}.]
The wane of the moon. [Obs.] --Halliwell.
Waning \Wan"ing\, n.
The act or process of waning, or decreasing.
This earthly moon, the Church, hath fulls and wanings,
and sometimes her eclipses. --Bp. Hall.
Wanion \Wan"ion\, n. [Probably for OE. waniand waning, p. pr. of
wanien; hence, used of the waning of the moon, supposed to be
an unlucky time. See {Wane}.]
A word of uncertain signification, used only in the phrase
with a wanion, apparently equivalent to with a vengeance,
with a plague, or with misfortune. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.
Latimer.
Wankle \Wan"kle\, a. [AS. wancol.]
Not to be depended on; weak; unstable. [Prov. Eng.] --Grose.
Wanly \Wan"ly\, adv.
In a wan, or pale, manner.
Wanned \Wanned\, a.
Made wan, or pale.
Wanness \Wan"ness\, n.
The quality or state of being wan; a sallow, dead, pale
color; paleness; pallor; as, the wanness of the cheeks after
a fever.
Wannish \Wan"nish\, a.
Somewhat wan; of a pale hue.
No sun, but a wannish glare, In fold upon fold of
hueless cloud. --Tennyson.
Want \Want\ (277), n. [Originally an adj., from Icel. vant,
neuter of vanr lacking, deficient. [root]139. See {Wane}, v.
i.]
1. The state of not having; the condition of being without
anything; absence or scarcity of what is needed or
desired; deficiency; lack; as, a want of power or
knowledge for any purpose; want of food and clothing.
And me, his parent, would full soon devour For want
of other prey. --Milton.
From having wishes in consequence of our wants, we
often feel wants in consequence of our wishes.
--Rambler.
Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and more saucy.
--Franklin.
2. Specifically, absence or lack of necessaries; destitution;
poverty; penury; indigence; need.
Nothing is so hard for those who abound in riches,
as to conceive how others can be in want. --Swift.
3. That which is needed or desired; a thing of which the loss
is felt; what is not possessed, and is necessary for use
or pleasure.
Habitual superfluities become actual wants. --Paley.
4. (Mining) A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before
the subsequent deposition took place. [Eng.]
Syn: Indigence; deficiency; defect; destitution; lack;
failure; dearth; scarceness.
Want \Want\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wanted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wanting}.]
1. To be without; to be destitute of, or deficient in; not to
have; to lack; as, to want knowledge; to want judgment; to
want learning; to want food and clothing.
They that want honesty, want anything. --Beau. & Fl.
Nor think, though men were none, That heaven would
want spectators, God want praise. --Milton.
The unhappy never want enemies. --Richardson.
2. To have occasion for, as useful, proper, or requisite; to
require; to need; as, in winter we want a fire; in summer
we want cooling breezes.
3. To feel need of; to wish or long for; to desire; to crave.
`` What wants my son?'' --Addison.
I want to speak to you about something. --A.
Trollope.
Want \Want\, v. i. [Icel. vanta to be wanting. See {Want} to
lack.]
1. To be absent; to be deficient or lacking; to fail; not to
be sufficient; to fall or come short; to lack; -- often
used impersonally with of; as, it wants ten minutes of
four.
The disposition, the manners, and the thoughts are
all before it; where any of those are wanting or
imperfect, so much wants or is imperfect in the
imitation of human life. --Dryden.
2. To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack.
You have a gift, sir (thank your education), Will
never let you want. --B. Jonson.
For as in bodies, thus in souls, we find What wants
in blood and spirits, swelled with wind. --Pope.
Note: Want was formerly used impersonally with an indirect
object. ``Him wanted audience.'' --Chaucer.
Wa'n't \Wa'n't\
A colloquial contraction of was not.
Wantage \Want"age\, n.
That which is wanting; deficiency.
Wanting \Want"ing\, a.
Absent; lacking; missing; also, deficient; destitute; needy;
as, one of the twelve is wanting; I shall not be wanting in
exertion.
Wantless \Want"less\, a.
Having no want; abundant; fruitful.
Wanton \Wan"ton\, a. [OE. wantoun, contr. from wantowen; pref.
wan- wanting (see {Wane}, v. i.), hence expressing negation +
towen, p. p., AS. togen, p. p. of te['o]n to draw, to
educate, bring up; hence, properly, ill bred. See {Tug}, v.
t.]
1. Untrained; undisciplined; unrestrained; hence, loose;
free; luxuriant; roving; sportive. ``In woods and wanton
wilderness.'' --Spenser. ``A wild and wanton herd.''
--Shak.
A wanton and a merry [friar]. --Chaucer.
[She] her unadorned golden tresses wore Disheveled,
but in wanton ringlets waved. --Milton.
How does your tongue grow wanton in her praise!
--Addison.
2. Wandering from moral rectitude; perverse; dissolute. ``Men
grown wanton by prosperity.'' --Roscommon.
3. Specifically: Deviating from the rules of chastity; lewd;
lustful; lascivious; libidinous; lecherous.
Not with wanton looking of folly. --Chaucer.
[Thou art] froward by nature, enemy to peace,
Lascivious, wanton. --Shak.
4. Reckless; heedless; as, wanton mischief.
Wanton \Wan"ton\, n.
1. A roving, frolicsome thing; a trifler; -- used rarely as a
term of endearment.
I am afeard you make a wanton of me. --Shak.
Peace, my wantons; he will do More than you can aim
unto. --B. Jonson.
2. One brought up without restraint; a pampered pet.
Anything, sir, That's dry and wholesome; I am no
bred wanton. --Beau. & Fl.
3. A lewd person; a lascivious man or woman.
Wanton \Wan"ton\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wantoned}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Wantoning}.]
1. To rove and ramble without restraint, rule, or limit; to
revel; to play loosely; to frolic.
Nature here wantoned as in her prime. --Milton.
How merrily we would sally into the fields, and
strip under the first warmth of the sun, and wanton
like young dace in the streams! --Lamb.
2. To sport in lewdness; to play the wanton; to play
lasciviously.
Wanton \Wan"ton\, v. t.
To cause to become wanton; also, to waste in wantonness.
[Obs.]
Wantonize \Wan"ton*ize\, v. i.
To behave wantonly; to frolic; to wanton. [R.] --Lamb.
Wantonly \Wan"ton*ly\, adv.
1. In a wanton manner; without regularity or restraint;
loosely; sportively; gayly; playfully; recklessly;
lasciviously.
2. Unintentionally; accidentally. [Obs.] --J. Dee.
Wantonness \Wan"ton*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being wanton; negligence of
restraint; sportiveness; recklessness; lasciviousness.
--Gower.
The tumults threatened to abuse all acts of grace, and
turn them into wantonness. --Eikon
Basilike.
Young gentlemen would be as sad as night Only for
wantonness. --Shak.
Wantrust \Wan"trust`\, n. [Pref. wan- as in wanton + trust.]
Failing or diminishing trust; want of trust or confidence;
distrust. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wantwit \Want"wit`\, n.
One destitute of wit or sense; a blockhead; a fool. [Obs.]
--Shak.
Wanty \Wan"ty\, n. [For womb tie, that is, belly?and. See
{Womb}, and {Tie}.]
A surcingle, or strap of leather, used for binding a load
upon the back of a beast; also, a leather tie; a short wagon
rope. [Prov. Eng.]
Wany \Wan"y\, v. i.
To wane. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wany \Wan"y\, a.
1. Waning or diminished in some parts; not of uniform size
throughout; -- said especially of sawed boards or timber
when tapering or uneven, from being cut too near the
outside of the log.
2. Spoiled by wet; -- said of timber. --Halliwell.
Wanze \Wanze\, v. i.
To wane; to wither. [Obs.]
Wap \Wap\, v. t. & i. [See {Whap}.]
To beat; to whap. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] --Sir T. Malory.
Wap \Wap\, n.
A blow or beating; a whap. [Prov. Eng.]
Wapacut \Wap"a*cut\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The American hawk owl. See under {Hawk}.
Wapatoo \Wap"a*too`\, n. (Bot.)
The edible tuber of a species of arrowhead ({Sagittaria
variabilis}); -- so called by the Indians of Oregon. [Written
also {wappato}.]
Waped \Waped\, a. [Prov. E. wape pale, v., to stupefy, akin to
wap to beat. Cf. {Whap}, and {Wappened}.]
Cast down; crushed by misery; dejected. [Obs.]
Wapentake \Wap"en*take\ (?; 277), n. [AS. w?penge??c,
w?pent[=a]c, from Icel. v[=a]pnat[=a]k, literally, a weapon
taking or weapon touching, hence an expression of assent
(``si displicuit sententia fremitu aspernantur; sin placuit
frameas concutiunt.'' --Tacitus, ``Germania,'' xi.). See
{Weapon}, and {Take}. This name had its origin in a custom of
touching lances or spears when the hundreder, or chief,
entered on his office. ``Cum quis accipiebat pr[ae]fecturam
wapentachii, die statuto in loco ubi consueverant congregari,
omnes majores natu contra eum conveniebant, et descendente eo
de equo suo, omnes assurgebant ei. Ipse vero, erecta lancea
sua, ab omnibus secundum morem f[oe]dus accipiebat; omnes
enim quot-quot venissent cum lanceis suis ipsius hastam
tangebant, et ita se confirmabant per contactum armorum, pace
palam concessa. W[ae]pnu enim arma sonat; tac, tactus est --
hac de causa totus ille conventus dicitur Wapentac, eo quod
per tactum armorum suorum ad invicem conf[oe]derati sunt.''
--L L. Edward Confessor, 33. D. Wilkins.]
In some northern counties of England, a division, or
district, answering to the hundred in other counties.
Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire are divided into
wapentakes, instead of hundreds. [Written also {wapentac}.]
--Selden. Blackstone.
Wapinschaw \Wap"in*schaw\, n. [Scot. See {Weapon}, and {Show}.]
An exhibition of arms. according to the rank of the
individual, by all persons bearing arms; -- formerly made at
certain seasons in each district. [Scot.] --Jamieson. Sir W.
Scott.
Wapiti \Wap"i*ti\, n. [Probably the Iroquois name. Bartlett.]
(Zo["o]l.)
The American elk ({Cervus Canadensis}). It is closely related
to the European red deer, which it somewhat exceeds in size.
Note: By some writers it is thought to be a variety of the
red deer, but it is considered a distinct species by
others. It is noted for the large, branching antlers of
the male.
Wapp \Wapp\, n. [CF. Prov. E. wap to wrap up.] (Naut.)
(a) A fair-leader.
(b) A rope with wall knots in it with which the shrouds are
set taut.
Wappato \Wap"pa*to\, n. (Bot.)
See {Wapatoo}.
Wappened \Wap"pened\, a. [Cf. {Waped}, {Wapper}.]
A word of doubtful meaning used once by Shakespeare.
This [gold] is it
That makes the wappen'd widow wed again.
Note: It is conjectured by some that it is an error for
wappered, meaning tremulous or exhausted.
Wapper \Wap"per\, v. t. & i. [freq. of wap, v.; cf. dial. G.
wappern, wippern, to move up and down, to rock.]
To cause to shake; to tremble; to move tremulously, as from
weakness; to totter. [Obs.]
Wapper \Wap"per\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A gudgeon. [Prov. Eng.]
Wappet \Wap"pet\, n.
A small yelping cur. [Prov. Eng.]
Wapping \Wap"ping\, n.
Yelping. [R.] --Fuller.
War \War\, a.
Ware; aware. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
War \War\, n. [OE. & AS. werre; akin to OHG. werra scandal,
quarrel, sedition, werran to confound, mix, D. warren, G.
wirren, verwirren, to embroil, confound, disturb, and perhaps
to E. worse; cf. OF. werre war, F. querre, of Teutonic
origin. Cf. {Guerrilla}, {Warrior}.]
1. A contest between nations or states, carried on by force,
whether for defence, for revenging insults and redressing
wrongs, for the extension of commerce, for the acquisition
of territory, for obtaining and establishing the
superiority and dominion of one over the other, or for any
other purpose; armed conflict of sovereign powers;
declared and open hostilities.
Men will ever distinguish war from mere bloodshed.
--F. W.
Robertson.
Note: As war is the contest of nations or states, it always
implies that such contest is authorized by the monarch
or the sovereign power of the nation. A war begun by
attacking another nation, is called an offensive war,
and such attack is aggressive. War undertaken to repel
invasion, or the attacks of an enemy, is called
defensive.
2. (Law) A condition of belligerency to be maintained by
physical force. In this sense, levying war against the
sovereign authority is treason.
3. Instruments of war. [Poetic]
His complement of stores, and total war. --Prior.
4. Forces; army. [Poetic]
On their embattled ranks the waves return, And
overwhelm their war. --Milton.
5. The profession of arms; the art of war.
Thou art but a youth, and he is a man of war from
his youth. --1 Sam. xvii.
33.
6. a state of opposition or contest; an act of opposition; an
inimical contest, act, or action; enmity; hostility.
``Raised impious war in heaven.'' --Milton.
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
but war was in his heart. --Ps. lv. 21.
{Civil war}, a war between different sections or parties of
the same country or nation.
{Holy war}. See under {Holy}.
{Man of war}. (Naut.) See in the Vocabulary.
{Public war}, a war between independent sovereign states.
{War cry}, a cry or signal used in war; as, the Indian war
cry.
{War dance}, a dance among savages preliminary to going to
war. Among the North American Indians, it is begun by some
distinguished chief, and whoever joins in it thereby
enlists as one of the party engaged in a warlike
excursion. --Schoolcraft.
{War field}, a field of war or battle.
{War horse}, a horse used in war; the horse of a cavalry
soldier; especially, a strong, powerful, spirited horse
for military service; a charger.
{War paint}, paint put on the face and other parts of the
body by savages, as a token of going to war. ``Wash the
war paint from your faces.'' --Longfellow.
{War song}, a song of or pertaining to war; especially, among
the American Indians, a song at the war dance, full of
incitements to military ardor.
{War whoop}, a war cry, especially that uttered by the
American Indians.
War \War\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Warred}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Warring}.]
1. To make war; to invade or attack a state or nation with
force of arms; to carry on hostilities; to be in a state
by violence.
Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of
Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem
to war against it. --Isa. vii. 1.
Why should I war without the walls of Troy? --Shak.
Our countrymen were warring on that day! --Byron.
2. To contend; to strive violently; to fight. ``Lusts which
war against the soul.'' --1 Pet. ii. 11.
War \War\, v. t.
1. To make war upon; to fight. [R.]
To war the Scot, and borders to defend. --Daniel.
2. To carry on, as a contest; to wage. [R.]
That thou . . . mightest war a good warfare. --Tim.
i. 18.
War-beaten \War"-beat`en\, a.
Warworn.
Warble \War"ble\, n. [Cf. {Wormil}.]
1. (Far.)
(a) A small, hard tumor which is produced on the back of a
horse by the heat or pressure of the saddle in
traveling.
(b) A small tumor produced by the larv[ae] of the gadfly
in the backs of horses, cattle, etc. Called also
{warblet}, {warbeetle}, {warnles}.
2. (Zo["o]l.) See {Wormil}.
Warble \War"ble\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Warbled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Warbling}.] [OE. werbelen, OF. werbler; of Teutonic origin;
cf. G. wirbeln to turn, to warble, D. wervelen, akin to E.
whirl. See {Whirl}.]
1. To sing in a trilling, quavering, or vibratory manner; to
modulate with turns or variations; to trill; as, certain
birds are remarkable for warbling their songs.
2. To utter musically; to modulate; to carol.
If she be right invoked in warbled song. --Milton.
Warbling sweet the nuptial lay. --Trumbull.
3. To cause to quaver or vibrate. ``And touch the warbled
string.'' --Milton.
Warble \War"ble\, v. i.
1. To be quavered or modulated; to be uttered melodiously.
Such strains ne'er warble in the linnet's throat.
--Gay.
3. To sing in a trilling manner, or with many turns and
variations. ``Birds on the branches warbling.'' --Milton.
3. To sing with sudden changes from chest to head tones; to
yodel.
Warble \War"ble\, n.
A quavering modulation of the voice; a musical trill; a song.
And he, the wondrous child, Whose silver warble wild
Outvalued every pulsing sound. --Emerson.
Warbler \War"bler\, n.
1. One who, or that which, warbles; a singer; a songster; --
applied chiefly to birds.
In lulling strains the feathered warblers woo.
--Tickell.
2. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of small Old World
singing birds belonging to the family {Sylviid[ae]}, many
of which are noted songsters. The bluethroat, blackcap,
reed warbler (see under {Reed}), and sedge warbler (see
under {Sedge}) are well-known species.
3. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of small, often
bright colored, American singing birds of the family or
subfamily {Mniotiltid[ae]}, or {Sylvicolin[ae]}. They are
allied to the Old World warblers, but most of them are not
particularly musical.
Note: The American warblers are often divided, according to
their habits, into bush warblers, creeping warblers,
fly-catching warblers, ground warblers, wood warblers,
wormeating warblers, etc.
{Bush warbler} (Zo["o]l.) any American warbler of the genus
{Opornis}, as the Connecticut warbler ({O. agilis}).
{Creeping warbler} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of
very small American warblers belonging to {Parula},
{Mniotilta}, and allied genera, as the blue yellow-backed
warbler ({Parula Americana}), and the black-and-white
creeper ({Mniotilta varia}).
{Fly-catching warbler} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species
of warblers belonging to {Setophaga}, {Sylvania}, and
allied genera having the bill hooked and notched at the
tip, with strong rictal bristles at the base, as the
hooded warbler ({Sylvania mitrata}), the black-capped
warbler ({S. pusilla}), the Canadian warbler ({S.
Canadensis}), and the American redstart (see {Redstart}).
{Ground warbler} (Zo["o]l.), any American warbler of the
genus {Geothlypis}, as the mourning ground warbler ({G.
Philadelphia}), and the Maryland yellowthroat (see
{Yellowthroat}).
{Wood warbler} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous American
warblers of the genus {Dendroica}. Among the most common
wood warblers in the Eastern States are the yellowbird, or
yellow warbler (see under {Yellow}), the black-throated
green warbler ({Dendroica virens}), the yellow-rumped
warbler ({D. coronata}), the blackpoll ({D. striata}), the
bay-breasted warbler ({D. castanea}), the chestnut-sided
warbler ({D. Pennsylvanica}), the Cape May warbler ({D.
tigrina}), the prairie warbler (see under {Prairie}), and
the pine warbler ({D. pinus}). See also {Magnolia
warbler}, under {Magnolia}, and {Blackburnian warbler}.
Warblingly \War"bling*ly\, adv.
In a warbling manner.
Warburg's tincture \War"burg's tinc"ture\ (Pharm.)
A preparation containing quinine and many other ingredients,
often used in the treatment of malarial affections. It was
invented by Dr. Warburg of London.
-ward \-ward\ (w[~e]rd), -wards \-wards\ (w[~e]rdz). [AS.
-weard, -weardes; akin to OS. & OFries. -ward. OHG. -wert, G.
-w["a]rts, Icel. -ver[eth]r, Goth. -va['i]r[thorn]s, L.
vertere to turn, versus toward, and E. worth to become.
[root]143. See {Worth}. v. i., and cf. {Verse}. Adverbs
ending in -wards (AS. -weardes) and some other adverbs, such
as besides, betimes, since (OE. sithens). etc., were
originally genitive forms used adverbially.]
Suffixes denoting course or direction to; motion or tendency
toward; as in backward, or backwards; toward, or towards,
etc.
Ward \Ward\, n. [AS. weard, fem., guard, weard, masc., keeper,
guard; akin to OS. ward a watcher, warden, G. wart, OHG.
wart, Icel. v["o]r[eth]r a warden, a watch, Goth. -wards in
da['u]rawards a doorkeeper, and E. wary; cf. OF. warde guard,
from the German. See {Ware}, a., {Wary}, and cf. {Guard},
{Wraith}.]
1. The act of guarding; watch; guard; guardianship;
specifically, a guarding during the day. See the Note
under {Watch}, n., 1.
Still, when she slept, he kept both watch and ward.
--Spenser.
2. One who, or that which, guards; garrison; defender;
protector; means of guarding; defense; protection.
For the best ward of mine honor. --Shak.
The assieged castle's ward Their steadfast stands
did mightily maintain. --Spenser.
For want of other ward, He lifted up his hand, his
front to guard. --Dryden.
3. The state of being under guard or guardianship;
confinement under guard; the condition of a child under a
guardian; custody.
And he put them in ward in the house of the captain
of the guard. --Gen. xl. 3.
I must attend his majesty's command, to whom I am
now in ward. --Shak.
It is also inconvenient, in Ireland, that the wards
and marriages of gentlemen's children should be in
the disposal of any of those lords. --Spenser.
4. A guarding or defensive motion or position, as in fencing;
guard. ``Thou knowest my old ward; here I lay, and thus I
bore my point.'' --Shak.
5. One who, or that which, is guarded. Specifically:
(a) A minor or person under the care of a guardian; as, a
ward in chancery. ``You know our father's ward, the
fair Monimia.'' --Otway.
(b) A division of a county. [Eng. & Scot.]
(c) A division, district, or quarter of a town or city.
Throughout the trembling city placed a guard,
Dealing an equal share to every ward. --Dryden.
(d) A division of a forest. [Eng.]
(e) A division of a hospital; as, a fever ward.
6.
(a) A projecting ridge of metal in the interior of a lock,
to prevent the use of any key which has not a
corresponding notch for passing it.
(b) A notch or slit in a key corresponding to a ridge in
the lock which it fits; a ward notch. --Knight.
The lock is made . . . more secure by attaching
wards to the front, as well as to the back,
plate of the lock, in which case the key must be
furnished with corresponding notches.
--Tomlinson.
{Ward penny} (O. Eng. Law), money paid to the sheriff or
castellan for watching and warding a castle.
{Ward staff}, a constable's or watchman's staff. [Obs.]
Ward \Ward\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Warded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Warding}.] [OE. wardien, AS. weardian to keep, protect; akin
to OS. ward?n to watch, take care, OFries. wardia, OHG.
wart?n, G. warten to wait, wait on, attend to, Icel. var?a to
guarantee defend, Sw. v[*a]rda to guard, to watch; cf. OF.
warder, of German origin. See {Ward}, n., and cf. {Award},
{Guard}, {Reward}.]
1. To keep in safety; to watch; to guard; formerly, in a
specific sense, to guard during the day time.
Whose gates he found fast shut, no living wight To
ward the same. --Spenser.
2. To defend; to protect.
Tell him it was a hand that warded him From thousand
dangers. --Shak.
3. To defend by walls, fortifications, etc. [Obs.]
4. To fend off; to repel; to turn aside, as anything
mischievous that approaches; -- usually followed by off.
Now wards a felling blow, now strikes again.
--Daniel.
The pointed javelin warded off his rage. --Addison.
It instructs the scholar in the various methods of
warding off the force of objections. --I. Watts.
Ward \Ward\, v. i.
1. To be vigilant; to keep guard.
2. To act on the defensive with a weapon.
She redoubling her blows drove the stranger to no
other shift than to ward and go back. --Sir P.
Sidney.
Ward-corn \Ward"-corn`\, n. [Ward + F. corne horn, L. cornu.]
(O. Eng. Law)
The duty of keeping watch and ward (see the Note under
{Watch}, n., 1) with a horn to be blown upon any occasion of
surprise. --Burrill.
Wardcorps \Ward"corps`\, n. [Wars + corps.]
Guardian; one set to watch over another. [Obs.] ``Though thou
preyedest Argus . . . to be my wardcorps.'' --Chaucer.
Warden \Ward"en\, n. [OE. wardein, OF. wardein, gardein,
gardain, F. gardien. See {Guardian}, and {Ward} guard.]
1. A keeper; a guardian; a watchman.
He called to the warden on the . . . battlements.
--Sir. W.
Scott.
2. An officer who keeps or guards; a keeper; as, the warden
of a prison.
3. A head official; as, the warden of a college; specifically
(Eccl.), a churchwarden.
4. [Properly, a keeping pear.] A large, hard pear, chiefly
used for baking and roasting. [Obs.]
I would have had him roasted like a warden. --Beau.
& Fl.
{Warden pie}, a pie made of warden pears. [Obs.] --Shak.
Wardenry \Ward"en*ry\, Wardenship \Ward"en*ship\, n.
The office or jurisdiction of a warden.
Warder \Ward"er\, n.
1. One who wards or keeps; a keeper; a guard. ``The warders
of the gate.'' --Dryden.
2. A truncheon or staff carried by a king or a commander in
chief, and used in signaling his will.
When, lo! the king suddenly changed his mind, Casts
down his warder to arrest them there. --Daniel.
Wafting his warder thrice about his head, He cast it
up with his auspicious hand, Which was the signal,
through the English spread, This they should charge.
--Drayton.
Wardian \Ward"i*an\, a.
Designating, or pertaining to, a kind of glass inclosure for
keeping ferns, mosses, etc., or for transporting growing
plants from a distance; as, a Wardian case of plants; -- so
named from the inventor, Nathaniel B. Ward, an Englishman.
Wardmote \Ward"mote`\, n.
Anciently, a meeting of the inhabitants of a ward; also, a
court formerly held in each ward of London for trying
defaults in matters relating to the watch, police, and the
like. --Brande & C. ``Wards and wardmotes.'' --Piers Plowman.
Wardrobe \Ward"robe`\, n. [OE. warderobe, OF. warderobe, F.
garderobe; of German origin. See {Ward}, v. t., and {Robe}.]
1. A room or apartment where clothes are kept, or wearing
apparel is stored; a portable closet for hanging up
clothes.
2. Wearing apparel, in general; articles of dress or personal
decoration.
Flowers that their gay wardrobe wear. --Milton.
With a pair of saddlebags containing his wardrobe.
--T. Hughes.
3. A privy. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wardroom \Ward"room`\, n.
1. (Naut.) A room occupied as a messroom by the commissioned
officers of a war vessel. See {Gunroom}. --Totten.
2. A room used by the citizens of a city ward, for meetings,
political caucuses, elections, etc. [U. S.]
-wards \-wards\
See {-ward}.
Wardship \Ward"ship\, n.
1. The office of a ward or keeper; care and protection of a
ward; guardianship; right of guardianship.
Wardship is incident to tenure in socage.
--Blackstone.
2. The state of begin under a guardian; pupilage.
It was the wisest act . . . in my wardship. --B.
Jonson.
Wardsman \Wards"man\, n.; pl. {Wardsmen}.
A man who keeps ward; a guard. [R.] --Sydney Smith.
Ware \Ware\, obs. imp. of {Wear}.
Wore.
Ware \Ware\, v. t. (Naut.)
To wear, or veer. See {Wear}.
Ware \Ware\, n. [AS. w[=a]r.] (Bot.)
Seaweed. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
{Ware goose} (Zo["o]l.), the brant; -- so called because it
feeds on ware, or seaweed. [Prov. Eng.]
Ware \Ware\, n. [OE. ware, AS. waru; akin to D. waar, G. waare,
Icel. & Sw. vara, Dan. vare; and probably to E. worth, a. See
{Worth}, a.]
Articles of merchandise; the sum of articles of a particular
kind or class; style or class of manufactures; especially, in
the plural, goods; commodities; merchandise. ``Retails his
wares at wakes.'' --Shak. ``To chaffer with them and eke to
sell them their ware.'' --Chaucer.
It the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on
the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of
them on the Sabbath, or on the holy day. --Neh. x. 31.
Note: Although originally and properly a collective noun, it
admits of a plural form, when articles of merchandise
of different kinds are meant. It is often used in
composition; as in hardware, glassware, tinware, etc.
Ware \Ware\, a. [OE. war, AS. w[ae]r. [root]142. See {Wary}.]
A ware; taking notice; hence, wary; cautious; on one's guard.
See {Beware}. [Obs.]
She was ware and knew it bet [better] than he.
--Chaucer.
Of whom be thou ware also. --2. Tim. iv.
15.
He is ware enough; he is wily and circumspect for
stirring up any sedition. --Latimer.
The only good that grows of passed fear Is to be wise,
and ware of like again. --Spenser.
Ware \Ware\, n. [AS. waru caution.]
The state of being ware or aware; heed. [Obs.] --Wyclif.
Ware \Ware\, v. t. [As. warian.]
To make ware; to warn; to take heed of; to beware of; to
guard against. ``Ware that I say.'' --Chaucer.
God . . . ware you for the sin of avarice. --Chaucer.
Then ware a rising tempest on the main. --Dryden.
Wareful \Ware"ful\, a.
Wary; watchful; cautious. [Obs.]
Warefulness \Ware"ful*ness\, n.
Wariness; cautiousness. [Obs.] ``Full of warefulness.'' --Sir
P. Sidney.
Warega fly \Wa*re"ga fly`\ (Zo["o]l.)
A Brazilian fly whose larv[ae] live in the skin of man and
animals, producing painful sores.
Warehouse \Ware"house`\, n.; pl. {Warehouses}.
A storehouse for wares, or goods. --Addison.
Warehouse \Ware"house`\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Warehoused}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Warehousing}.]
1. To deposit or secure in a warehouse.
2. To place in the warehouse of the government or customhouse
stores, to be kept until duties are paid.
Warehouseman \Ware"house`man\, n.; pl. {Warehousemen}.
1. One who keeps a warehouse; the owner or keeper of a dock
warehouse or wharf store.
2. One who keeps a wholesale shop or store for Manchester or
woolen goods. [Eng.]
{Warehouseman's itch} (Med.), a form of eczema occurring on
the back of the hands of warehousemen.
Warehousing \Ware"hous`ing\, n.
The act of placing goods in a warehouse, or in a customhouse
store.
{Warehousing system}, an arrangement for lodging imported
articles in the customhouse stores, without payment of
duties until they are taken out for home consumption. If
re["e]xported, they are not charged with a duty. See
{Bonded warehouse}, under {Bonded}, a.
Wareless \Ware"less\, a. [See {Ware}, n.]
Unwary; incautious; unheeding; careless; unaware. [Obs.]
And wareless of the evil That by themselves unto
themselves is wrought. --Spenser.
Warely \Ware"ly\, adv.
Cautiously; warily. [Obs.]
They bound him hand and foot with iron chains, And with
continual watch did warely keep. --Spenser.
Warence \War"ence\, n. [OF. warance. F. garance, LL. warentia,
garantia.] (Bot.)
Madder.
Wareroom \Ware"room`\, n.
A room in which goods are stored or exhibited for sale.
Wares \Wares\, n. pl.
See 4th {Ware}.
Warfare \War"fare`\, n. [War + OE. fare a journey, a passage,
course, AS. faru. See {Fare}, n.]
1. Military service; military life; contest carried on by
enemies; hostilities; war.
The Philistines gathered their armies together for
warfare, to fight with Israel. --I Sam.
xxviii. 1.
This day from battle rest; Faithful hath been your
warfare. --Milton.
2. Contest; struggle.
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. --2 Cor.
x. 4.
Warfare \War"fare`\, v. i.
To lead a military life; to carry on continual wars.
--Camden.
Warfarer \War"far`er\, n.
One engaged in warfare; a military man; a soldier; a warrior.
Warhable \War"ha`ble\, a. [War + hable.]
Fit for war. [Obs.] ``Warhable youth.'' --Spenser.
Wariangle \War`i*an"gle\, n. [OE. wariangel, weryangle; cf. AS.
wearg outlaw, criminal, OHG, warg, warch, Goth. wargs (in
comp.), G. w["u]rgengel, i. e., destroying angel, destroyer,
killer, and E. worry.] (Zo["o]l.)
The red-backed shrike ({Lanius collurio}); -- called also
{w["u]rger}, {worrier}, and {throttler}. [Written also
{warriangle}, {weirangle}, etc.] [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Warily \Wa"ri*ly\, adv.
In a wary manner.
Wariment \Wa"ri*ment\, n.
Wariness. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Warine \War"ine\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A South American monkey, one of the sapajous.
Wariness \Wa"ri*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being wary; care to foresee and guard
against evil; cautiousness. ``An almost reptile wariness.''
--G. W. Cable.
To determine what are little things in religion, great
wariness is to be used. --Sprat.
Syn: Caution; watchfulness; circumspection; foresight; care;
vigilance; scrupulousness.
Warish \War"ish\, v. t. [OF. warir to protect, heal, cure, F.
gu['e]ri? to cure; of Teutonic origin; cf. OHG. werian,
weren, to protect, to hinder. See {Garret}.]
To protect from the effects of; hence, to cure; to heal.
[Obs.]
My brother shall be warished hastily. --Chaucer.
Varro testifies that even at this day there be some who
warish and cure the stinging of serpents with their
spittle. --Holland.
Warish \War"ish\, v. i.
To be cured; to recover. [Obs.]
Your daughter . . . shall warish and escape. --Chaucer.
Warison \War"i*son\, n. [OF. warison safety, supplies, cure, F.
gu['e]rison cure. See {Warish}, v. t.]
1. Preparation; protection; provision; supply. [Obs.]
2. Reward; requital; guerdon. [Obs. or Scot.]
Wit and wisdom is good warysoun. --Proverbs of
Hending.
Wark \Wark\, n. [See {Work}.]
Work; a building. [Obs. or Scot.] --Spenser.
Warkloom \Wark"loom\, n.
A tool; an implement. [Scot.]
Warlike \War"like`\, a.
1. Fit for war; disposed for war; as, a warlike state; a
warlike disposition.
Old Siward, with ten thousand warlike men. --Shak.
2. Belonging or relating to war; military; martial.
The great archangel from his warlike toil Surceased.
--Milton.
Syn: Martial; hostile; soldierly. See {Martial}.
Warlikeness \War"like`ness\, n.
Quality of being warlike.
Warling \War"ling\, n.
One often quarreled with; -- ? word coined, perhaps, to rhyme
with darling. [Obs.]
Better be an old man's darling than a young man's
warling. --Camde?.
Warlock \War"lock\, n. [OE. warloghe a deceiver, a name or the
Devil, AS. w?rloga a belier or breaker of his agreement,
word, or pledge; w?r covenant, troth (aki? to L. verus true;
see {Very}) + loga a liar (in comp.), le['o]gan to lie. See
3d {Lie}.]
A male witch; a wizard; a sprite; an imp. [Written also
{warluck}.] --Dryden.
It was Eyvind Kallda's crew Of warlocks blue, With
their caps of darkness hooded! --Longfellow.
Warlock \War"lock\, a.
Of or pertaining to a warlock or warlock; impish. [R.]
Thou shalt win the warlock fight. --J. R. Drak?.
Warlockry \War"lock*ry\, n.
Impishness; magic.
Warly \War"ly\, a.
Warlike. --Burns.
Warm \Warm\, a. [Compar. {Warmer}; superl. {Warmest}.] [AS.
wearm; akin to OS., OFries., D., & G. warm, Icel. varmr, Sw.
& Dan. varm, Goth. warmjan to warm; probably akin to Lith.
virti to cook, boil; or perhaps to Skr. gharma heat, OL.
formus warm. ???, ???.]
1. Having heat in a moderate degree; not cold as, warm milk.
``Whose blood is warm within.'' --Shak.
Warm and still is the summer night. --Longfellow.
2. Having a sensation of heat, esp. of gentle heat; glowing.
3. Subject to heat; having prevalence of heat, or little or
no cold weather; as, the warm climate of Egypt.
4. Fig.: Not cool, indifferent, lukewarm, or the like, in
spirit or temper; zealous; ardent; fervent; excited;
sprightly; irritable; excitable.
Mirth, and youth, and warm desire! --Milton.
Each warm wish springs mutual from the heart.
--Pope.
They say he's warm man and does not care to be mad?
mouths at. --Addison.
I had been none of the warmest of partisans.
--Hawthor??.
5. Violent; vehement; furious; excited; passionate; as, a
warm contest; a warm debate.
Welcome, daylight; we shall have warm work on't.
--Dryden.
6. Being well off as to property, or in good circumstances;
forehanded; rich. [Colloq.]
Warm householders, every one of them. --W. Irving.
You shall have a draft upon him, payable at sight:
and let me tell you he as warm a man as any within
five miles round him. --Goldsmith.
7. In children's games, being near the object sought for;
hence, being close to the discovery of some person, thing,
or fact concealed. [Colloq.]
Here, indeed, young Mr. Dowse was getting ``warm,''
?? children say at blindman's buff. --Black.
8. (Paint.) Having yellow or red for a basis, or in their
composition; -- said of colors, and opposed to cold which
is of blue and its compounds.
Syn: Ardent; zealous; fervent; glowing; enthusiastic;
cordial; keen; violent; furious; hot.
Warm \Warm\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Warmed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Warming}.] [AS. wearmian. See {Warm}, a.]
1. To communicate a moderate degree of heat to; to render
warm; to supply or furnish heat to; as, a stove warms an
apartment.
Then shall it [an ash tree] be for a man to burn;
for he will take thereof and warm himself. --Isa.
xliv 15
Enough to warm, but not enough to burn.
--Longfellow.
2. To make engaged or earnest; to interest; to engage; to
excite ardor or zeal; to enliven.
I formerly warmed my head with reading controversial
writings. --Pope.
Bright hopes, that erst bosom warmed. --Keble.
Warm \Warm\, v. i. [AS. wearmian.]
1. To become warm, or moderately heated; as, the earth soon
warms in a clear day summer.
There shall not be a coal to warm at. --Isa. xlvii.
14.
2. To become ardent or animated; as, the speake? warms as he
proceeds.
Warm \Warm\, n.
The act of warming, or the state of being warmed; a warming;
a heating. [Colloq.] --Dickens.
Warm-blooded \Warm"-blood`ed\, a. (Physiol.)
Having warm blood; -- applied especially to those animals, as
birds and mammals, which have warm blood, or, more properly,
the power of maintaining a nearly uniform temperature
whatever the temperature of the surrounding air. See
{Homoiothermal}.
Warmer \Warm"er\, n.
One who, or that which, warms.
Warmful \Warm"ful\, a.
Abounding in capacity to warm; giving warmth; as, a warmful
garment. [R.] --Chapman.
Warm-hearted \Warm"-heart`ed\, a.
Having strong affection; cordial; sincere; hearty;
sympathetic. -- {Warm"-heart`ed*ness}, n.
Warming \Warm"ing\,
a. & n. from {Warm}, v.
{Warming pan}, a long-handled covered pan into which live
coals are put, -- used for warming beds. --Shak.
Warmly \Warm"ly\, adv.
In a warm manner; ardently.
Warmness \Warm"ness\, n.
Warmth. --Chaucer.
Warmonger \War"mon`ger\, n.
One who makes ar a trade or business; a mercenary. [R.]
--Spenser.
Warmouth \War"mouth\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
An American freshwater bream, or sunfish ({Ch[ae]nobryttus
gulosus}); -- called also {red-eyed bream}.
Warmth \Warmth\, n.
1. The quality or state of being warm; gentle heat; as, the
warmth of the sun; the warmth of the blood; vital warmth.
Here kindly warmth their mounting juice ferments.
--Addison.
2. A state of lively and excited interest; zeal; ardor;
fervor; passion; enthusiasm; earnestness; as, the warmth
of love or piety; he replied with much warmth. ``Spiritual
warmth, and holy fires.'' --Jer. Taylor.
That warmth . . . which agrees with Christian zeal.
--Sprat.
3. (Paint.) The glowing effect which arises from the use of
warm colors; hence, any similar appearance or effect in a
painting, or work of color.
Syn: Zeal; ardor; fervor; fervency; heat; glow; earnestness;
cordiality; animation; eagerness; excitement; vehemence.
Warmthless \Warmth"less\, a.
Being without warmth; not communicating warmth; cold. [R.]
--Coleridge.
Warn \Warn\ (w[add]rn), v. t. [OE. wernen, AS. weornan, wyrnan.
Cf. {Warn} to admonish.]
To refuse. [Written also {wern}, {worn}.] [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Warn \Warn\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Warned}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Warning}.] [OE. warnen, warnien, AS. warnian, wearnian, to
take heed, to warn; akin to AS. wearn denial, refusal, OS.
warning, wernian, to refuse, OHG. warnen, G. warnen to warn,
OFries. warna, werna, Icel. varna to refuse; and probably to
E. wary. ????.]
1. To make ware or aware; to give previous information to; to
give notice to; to notify; to admonish; hence, to notify
or summon by authority; as, to warn a town meeting; to
warn a tenant to quit a house. ``Warned of the ensuing
fight.'' --Dryden.
Cornelius the centurion . . . was warned from God by
an holy angel to send for thee. --Acts x. 22.
Who is it that hath warned us to the walls? --Shak.
2. To give notice to, of approaching or probable danger or
evil; to caution against anything that may prove
injurious. ``Juturna warns the Daunian chief of Lausus'
danger, urging swift relief.'' --Dryden.
3. To ward off. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Warner \Warn"er\, n.
One who warns; an admonisher.
Warner \Warn"er\, n.
A warrener. [Obs.] --Piers Plowman.
Warning \Warn"ing\, a.
Giving previous notice; cautioning; admonishing; as, a
warning voice.
That warning timepiece never ceased. --Longfellow.
{Warning piece}, {Warning wheel} (Horol.), a piece or wheel
which produces a sound shortly before the clock strikes.
Warning \Warn"ing\, n.
1. Previous notice. ``At a month's warning.'' --Dryden.
A great journey to take upon so short a warning.
--L'Estrange.
2. Caution against danger, or against faults or evil
practices which incur danger; admonition; monition.
Could warning make the world more just or wise.
--Dryden.
Warningly \Warn"ing*ly\, adv.
In a warning manner.
Warnstore \Warn"store\, v. t. [Cf. OF. warnesture, garnesture,
provisions, supplies, and E. garnish.]
To furnish. [Obs.] ``To warnstore your house.'' --Chaucer.
Warp \Warp\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Warped}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Warping}.] [OE. warpen; fr. Icel. varpa to throw, cast, varp
a casting, fr. verpa to throw; akin to Dan. varpe to warp a
ship, Sw. varpa, AS. weorpan to cast, OS. werpan, OFries.
werpa, D. & LG. werpen, G. werfen, Goth. wa['i]rpan; cf. Skr.
vrj to twist. ????. Cf. {Wrap}.]
1. To throw; hence, to send forth, or throw out, as words; to
utter. [Obs.] --Piers Plowman.
2. To turn or twist out of shape; esp., to twist or bend out
of a flat plane by contraction or otherwise.
The planks looked warped. --Coleridge.
Walter warped his mouth at this To something so mock
solemn, that I laughed. --Tennyson.
3. To turn aside from the true direction; to cause to bend or
incline; to pervert.
This first avowed, nor folly warped my mind.
--Dryden.
I have no private considerations to warp me in this
controversy. --Addison.
We are divested of all those passions which cloud
the intellects, and warp the understandings, of men.
--Southey.
4. To weave; to fabricate. [R. & Poetic.] --Nares.
While doth he mischief warp. --Sternhold.
5. (Naut.) To tow or move, as a vessel, with a line, or warp,
attached to a buoy, anchor, or other fixed object.
6. To cast prematurely, as young; -- said of cattle, sheep,
etc. [Prov. Eng.]
7. (Agric.) To let the tide or other water in upon (lowlying
land), for the purpose of fertilization, by a deposit of
warp, or slimy substance. [Prov. Eng.]
8. (Rope Making) To run off the reel into hauls to be tarred,
as yarns.
9. (Weaving) To arrange (yarns) on a warp beam.
{Warped surface} (Geom.), a surface generated by a straight
line moving so that no two of its consecutive positions
shall be in the same plane. --Davies & Peck.
Warp \Warp\, v. i.
1. To turn, twist, or be twisted out of shape; esp., to be
twisted or bent out of a flat plane; as, a board warps in
seasoning or shrinking.
One of you will prove a shrunk panel, and, like
green timber, warp, warp. --Shak.
They clamp one piece of wood to the end of another,
to keep it from casting, or warping. --Moxon.
2. to turn or incline from a straight, true, or proper
course; to deviate; to swerve.
There is our commission, From which we would not
have you warp. --Shak.
3. To fly with a bending or waving motion; to turn and wave,
like a flock of birds or insects.
A pitchy cloud Of locusts, warping on the eastern
wind. --Milton.
4. To cast the young prematurely; to slink; -- said of
cattle, sheep, etc. [Prov. Eng.]
5. (Weaving) To wind yarn off bobbins for forming the warp of
a web; to wind a warp on a warp beam.
Warp \Warp\, n. [AS. wearp; akin to Icel. varp a casting,
throwing, Sw. varp the draught of a net, Dan. varp a towline,
OHG. warf warp, G. werft. See {Warp}, v.]
1. (Weaving) The threads which are extended lengthwise in the
loom, and crossed by the woof.
2. (Naut.) A rope used in hauling or moving a vessel, usually
with one end attached to an anchor, a post, or other fixed
object; a towing line; a warping hawser.
3. (Agric.) A slimy substance deposited on land by tides,
etc., by which a rich alluvial soil is formed. --Lyell.
4. A premature casting of young; -- said of cattle, sheep,
etc. [Prov. Eng.]
5. Four; esp., four herrings; a cast. See {Cast}, n., 17.
[Prov. Eng.] --Wright.
6. [From {Warp}, v.] The state of being warped or twisted;
as, the warp of a board.
{Warp beam}, the roller on which the warp is wound in a loom.
{Warp fabric}, fabric produced by warp knitting.
{Warp frame}, or {Warp-net frame}, a machine for making warp
lace having a number of needles and employing a thread for
each needle.
{Warp knitting}, a kind of knitting in which a number of
threads are interchained each with one or more contiguous
threads on either side; -- also called {warp weaving}.
{Warp lace}, or {Warp net}, lace having a warp crossed by
weft threads.
Warpage \Warp"age\, n.
The act of warping; also, a charge per ton made on shipping
in some harbors.
Warpath \War"path`\, n.
The route taken by a party of Indians going on a warlike
expedition. --Schoolcraft.
{On the warpath}, on a hostile expedition; hence,
colloquially, about to attack a person or measure.
Warper \Warp"er\, n.
1. One who, or that which, warps or twists out of shape.
2. One who, or that which, forms yarn or thread into warps or
webs for the loom.
Warping \Warp"ing\, n.
1. The act or process of one who, or that which, warps.
2. The art or occupation of preparing warp or webs for the
weaver. --Craig.
{Warping bank}, a bank of earth raised round a field to
retain water let in for the purpose of enriching land.
--Craig.
{Warping hook}, a hook used by rope makers for hanging the
yarn on, when warping it into hauls for tarring.
{Warping mill}, a machine for warping yarn.
{Warping penny}, money, varying according to the length of
the thread, paid to the weaver by the spinner on laying
the warp. [Prov. Eng.] --Wright.
{Warping post}, a strong post used in warping rope-yarn.
Warproof \War"proof`\, n.
Valor tried by war.
Warragal \War"ra*gal\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The dingo.
Warrandice \War"ran*dice\, n. [See {Warrantise}.] (Scots Law)
The obligation by which a person, conveying a subject or a
right, is bound to uphold that subject or right against every
claim, challenge, or burden arising from circumstances prior
to the conveyance; warranty. [Written also {warrandise}.]
--Craig.
Warrant \War"rant\, n. [OE. warant, OF. warant a warrant, a
defender, protector, F. garant, originally a p. pr. pf German
origin, fr. OHG. wer[=e]n to grant, warrant, G. gew["a]hren;
akin to OFries. wera. Cf. {Guarantee}.]
1. That which warrants or authorizes; a commission giving
authority, or justifying the doing of anything; an act,
instrument, or obligation, by which one person authorizes
another to do something which he has not otherwise a right
to do; an act or instrument investing one with a right or
authority, and thus securing him from loss or damage;
commission; authority. Specifically:
(a) A writing which authorizes a person to receive money
or other thing.
(b) (Law) A precept issued by a magistrate authorizing an
officer to make an arrest, a seizure, or a search, or
do other acts incident to the administration of
justice.
(c) (Mil. & Nav.) An official certificate of appointment
issued to an officer of lower rank than a commissioned
officer. See {Warrant officer}, below.
2. That which vouches or insures for anything; guaranty;
security.
I give thee warrant of thy place. --Shak.
His worth is warrant for his welcome hither. --Shak.
3. That which attests or proves; a voucher.
4. Right; legality; allowance. [Obs.] --Shak.
{Bench warrant}. (Law) See in the Vocabulary.
{Dock warrant} (Com.), a customhouse license or authority.
{General warrant}. (Law) See under {General}.
{Land warrant}. See under {Land}.
{Search warrant}. (Law) See under {Search}, n.
{Warrant of attorney} (Law), written authority given by one
person to another empowering him to transact business for
him; specifically, written authority given by a client to
his attorney to appear for him in court, and to suffer
judgment to pass against him by confession in favor of
some specified person. --Bouvier.
{Warrant officer}, a noncommissioned officer, as a sergeant,
corporal, bandmaster, etc., in the army, or a
quartermaster, gunner, boatswain, etc., in the navy.
{Warrant to sue and defend}.
(a) (O. Eng. Law) A special warrant from the crown,
authorizing a party to appoint an attorney to sue or
defend for him.
(b) A special authority given by a party to his attorney
to commence a suit, or to appear and defend a suit in
his behalf. This warrant is now disused. --Burrill.
Warrant \War"rant\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Warranted}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Warranting}.] [OE. waranten, OF. warantir, garantir,
guarantir, garentir, garandir, F. garantir to warrant, fr.
OF. warant, garant, guarant, a warrant, a protector, a
defender, F. garant. [root]142. See {Warrant}, n.]
1. To make secure; to give assurance against harm; to
guarantee safety to; to give authority or power to do, or
forbear to do, anything by which the person authorized is
secured, or saved harmless, from any loss or damage by his
action.
That show I first my body to warrant. --Chaucer.
I'll warrant him from drowning. --Shak.
In a place Less warranted than this, or less secure,
I can not be. --Milton.
2. To support by authority or proof; to justify; to maintain;
to sanction; as, reason warrants it.
True fortitude is seen in great exploits, That
justice warrants, and that wisdom guides. --Addison.
How little while it is since he went forth out of
his study, -- chewing a Hebrew text of Scripture in
his mouth, I warrant. --Hawthorne.
3. To give a warrant or warranty to; to assure as if by
giving a warrant to.
[My neck is] as smooth as silk, I warrant ye. --L'
Estrange.
4. (Law)
(a) To secure to, as a grantee, an estate granted; to
assure.
(b) To secure to, as a purchaser of goods, the title to
the same; to indemnify against loss.
(c) To secure to, as a purchaser, the quality or quantity
of the goods sold, as represented. See {Warranty}, n.,
2.
(d) To assure, as a thing sold, to the purchaser; that is,
to engage that the thing is what it appears, or is
represented, to be, which implies a covenant to make
good any defect or loss incurred by it.
Warrantable \War"rant*a*ble\, a.
Authorized by commission, precept, or right; justifiable;
defensible; as, the seizure of a thief is always warrantable
by law and justice; falsehood is never warrantable.
His meals are coarse and short, his employment
warrantable, his sleep certain and refreshing. --South.
-- {War"rant*a*ble*ness}, n. -- {War"rant*bly}, adv.
Warrantee \War`ran*tee"\, n. (Law)
The person to whom a warrant or warranty is made.
Warranter \War"rant*er\, n.
1. One who warrants, gives authority, or legally empowers.
2. (Law) One who assures, or covenants to assure; one who
contracts to secure another in a right, or to make good
any defect of title or quality; one who gives a warranty;
a guarantor; as, the warranter of a horse.
Warrantise \War"rant*ise\, n. [OF. warentise, warandise,
garantise. See {Warrant}, n.]
Authority; security; warranty. [Obs.] --Shak.
Warrantise \War"rant*ise\, v. t.
To warrant. [Obs.] --Hakluyt.
Warrantor \War"rant*or\, n. (Law)
One who warrants.
Warranty \War"rant*y\, n.; pl. {Warranties}. [OF. warantie, F.
garantie. See {Warrant}, n., and cf. {Guaranty}.]
1. (Anc. Law) A covenant real, whereby the grantor of an
estate of freehold and his heirs were bound to warrant and
defend the title, and, in case of eviction by title
paramount, to yield other lands of equal value in
recompense. This warranty has long singe become obsolete,
and its place supplied by personal covenants for title.
Among these is the covenant of warranty, which runs with
the land, and is in the nature of a real covenant. --Kent.
2. (Modern Law) An engagement or undertaking, express or
implied, that a certain fact regarding the subject of a
contract is, or shall be, as it is expressly or impliedly
declared or promised to be. In sales of goods by persons
in possession, there is an implied warranty of title, but,
as to the quality of goods, the rule of every sale is,
Caveat emptor. --Chitty. Bouvier.
3. (Insurance Law) A stipulation or engagement by a party
insured, that certain things, relating to the subject of
insurance, or affecting the risk, exist, or shall exist,
or have been done, or shall be done. These warranties,
when express, should appear in the policy; but there are
certain implied warranties. --Bouvier.
4. Justificatory mandate or precept; authority; warrant. [R.]
--Shak.
If they disobey precept, that is no excuse to us,
nor gives us any warranty . . . to disobey likewise.
--Kettlewe??.
5. Security; warrant; guaranty.
The stamp was a warranty of the public. --Locke.
Syn: See {Guarantee}.
Warranty \War"rant*y\, v. t.
To warrant; to guarantee.
Warray \War"ray\, v. t. [OF. werreier, werrier, guerroier, F.
guerroyer, from OF. werre war, F. guerre; of German origin.
See {War}.]
To make war upon. [Obs.] Fairfax. ``When a man warrayeth
truth.'' --Chaucer.
Warre \Warre\, a. [OE. werre; of Scand. origin. See {Worse}.]
Worse. [Obs.]
They say the world is much warre than it wont.
--Spenser.
Warren \War"ren\, n. [Of. waresne, warenne, garene, F. garenne,
from OF. warer, garer, to beware, to take care; of Teutonic
origin; cf. OHG. war?n (in comp.), OS. war?n to take care, to
observe, akin to E. wary. ????. See {Wary}.]
1. (Eng Law)
(a) A place privileged, by prescription or grant the king,
for keeping certain animals (as hares, conies,
partridges, pheasants, etc.) called beasts and fowls
of warren. --Burrill.
(b) A privilege which one has in his lands, by royal grant
or prescription, of hunting and taking wild beasts and
birds of warren, to the exclusion of any other person
not entering by his permission. --Spelman.
They wend both warren and in waste. --Piers
Plowman.
Note: The warren is the next franchise in degree to the park;
and a forest, which is the highest in dignity,
comprehends a chase, a park, and a free warren.
2. A piece of ground for the breeding of rabbits.
3. A place for keeping flash, in a river.
Warrener \War"ren*er\, n.
The keeper of a warren.
Warriangle \War`ri*an"gle\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Wariangle}. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Warrie \War"rie\, v. t.
See {Warye}. [Obs.]
Warrin \War"rin\, n. [From a native name.] (Zo["o]l.)
An Australian lorikeet ({Trichoglossus multicolor})
remarkable for the variety and brilliancy of its colors; --
called also {blue-bellied lorikeet}, and {blue-bellied
parrot}.
Warrior \War"rior\ (?; 277), n. [OE. werreour, OF. werreour,
guerreor, from guerre, werre, war. See {War}, and {Warray}.]
A man engaged or experienced in war, or in the military life;
a soldier; a champion.
Warriors old with ordered spear and shield. --Milton.
{Warrior ant} (Zo["o]l.), a reddish ant ({Formica sanguinea})
native of Europe and America. It is one of the species
which move in armies to capture and enslave other ants.
Warrioress \War"rior*ess\, n.
A female warrior. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Warry \War"ry\, v. t.
See {Warye}. [Obs.]
Warsaw \War"saw\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The black grouper ({Epinephelus nigritus}) of the
southern coasts of the United States.
(b) The jewfish; -- called also {guasa}.
Wart \Wart\, n. [OE. werte, AS. wearte; akin to D. wrat, G.
warze, OHG. warza, Icel. varta, Sw. v[*a]rta, Dan. vorte;
perh. orig., a growth, and akin to E. wort; or cf. L. verruca
wart.]
1. (Med.) A small, usually hard, tumor on the skin formed by
enlargement of its vascular papill[ae], and thickening of
the epidermis which covers them.
2. An excrescence or protuberance more or less resembling a
true wart; specifically (Bot.), a glandular excrescence or
hardened protuberance on plants.
{Fig wart}, {Moist wart} (Med.), a soft, bright red, pointed
or tufted tumor found about the genitals, often massed
into groups of large size. It is a variety of condyloma.
Called also {pointed wart}, {venereal wart}. --L. A.
Duhring.
{Wart cress} (Bot.), the swine's cress. See under {Swine}.
{Wart snake} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of East
Indian colubrine snakes of the genus {Acrochordus}, having
the body covered with wartlike tubercles or spinose
scales, and lacking cephalic plates and ventral scutes.
{Wart spurge} (Bot.), a kind of wartwort ({Euphorbia
Helioscopia}).
Warted \Wart"ed\, a. (Bot.)
Having little knobs on the surface; verrucose; as, a warted
capsule.
Wart hog \Wart" hog`\ (Zo["o]l.)
Either one of two species of large, savage African wild hogs
of the genus {Phacoch[oe]rus}. These animals have a pair of
large, rough, fleshy tubercles behind the tusks and second
pair behind the eyes. The tusks are large and strong, and
both pairs curve upward. The body is scantily covered with
bristles, but there is long dorsal mane. The South African
species ({Phacoch[oe]rus [AE]thiopicus}) is the best known.
Called also {vlacke vark}. The second species ({P.
[AE]liani}) is native of the coasts of the Red Sea.
Wartless \Wart"less\, a.
Having no wart.
Wartweed \Wart"weed`\, n. (Bot.)
Same as {Wartwort}.
Wartwort \Wart"wort`\, n. (Bot.)
A name given to several plants because they were thought to
be a cure for warts, as a kind of spurge ({Euphorbia
Helioscopia}), and the nipplewort ({Lampsana communis}).
Warty \Wart"y\, a.
1. Having warts; full of warts; overgrow with warts; as, a
warty leaf.
2. Of the nature of warts; as, a warty excrescence.
{Warty egg} (Zo["o]l.), a marine univalve shell ({Ovulum
verrucosum}), having the surface covered with wartlike
elevations.
Warwickite \War"wick*ite\, n. (Min.)
A dark brown or black mineral, occurring in prismatic
crystals imbedded in limestone near Warwick, New York. It
consists of the borate and titanate of magnesia and iron.
Warworn \War"worn`\, a.
Worn with military service; as, a warworn soldier; a warworn
coat. --Shak.
Wary \Wa"ry\, a. [Compar. {Warier}; superl. {Wariest}.] [OE.
war, AS. w[ae]r; akin to Icel. v?rr, Dan. & Sw. var, Goth.
wars, G. gewahr aware, OHG. wara notice, attention, Gr. ? to
see. Cf. {Aware}, {Garment}, {Garnish}, {Garrison},
{Panorama}, {Ward}, v. t. {Ware}, a., {Warren}.]
1. Cautious of danger; carefully watching and guarding
against deception, artifices, and dangers; timorously or
suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous; careful.
``Bear a wary eye.'' --Shak.
We should be wary, therefore, what persecution we
raise against the living labors of public men.
--Milton.
2. Characterized by caution; guarded; careful.
It behoveth our words to be wary and few. --Hooker.
Syn: Cautious; circumspect; watchful. See {Cautious}.
Warye \War"ye\, v. t. [AS. wergian, wyrgean. Cf. {Worry}.]
To curse; to curse; to execrate; to condemn; also, to vex.
[Obs.] [Spelled also {warrie}, {warry}, and {wary}.] ``Whom I
thus blame and warye.'' --Chaucer.
Was \Was\ (w[o^]z). [AS. w[ae]s, 2d pers. w[=ae]re, 3d pers.
w[ae]s, pl. w[=ae]ron, with the inf. wesan to be; akin to D.
wezen, imp. was, OHG. wesan, imp. was, G. wesen, n., a being,
essence, war was, Icel. vera to be, imp. var, Goth. wisan to
be, to dwell, to remain, imp. was, Skr. vas to remain, to
dwell. [root]148. Cf. {Vernacular}, {Wassail}, {Were}, v.]
The first and third persons singular of the verb be, in the
indicative mood, preterit (imperfect) tense; as, I was; he
was.
Wase \Wase\ (w[=a]s), n. [Cf. Sw. vase a sheaf.]
A bundle of straw, or other material, to relieve the pressure
of burdens carried upon the head. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
Wash \Wash\ (w[o^]sh), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Washed} (w[o^]sht);
p. pr. & vb. n. {Washing}.] [OE. waschen, AS. wascan; akin to
D. wasschen, G. waschen, OHG. wascan, Icel. & Sw. vaska, Dan.
vaske, and perhaps to E. water. [root]150.]
1. To cleanse by ablution, or dipping or rubbing in water; to
apply water or other liquid to for the purpose of
cleansing; to scrub with water, etc., or as with water;
as, to wash the hands or body; to wash garments; to wash
sheep or wool; to wash the pavement or floor; to wash the
bark of trees.
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, . . .
he took water and washed his hands before the
multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of
this just person. --Matt. xxvii.
24.
2. To cover with water or any liquid; to wet; to fall on and
moisten; hence, to overflow or dash against; as, waves
wash the shore.
Fresh-blown roses washed with dew. --Milton.
[The landscape] washed with a cold, gray mist.
--Longfellow.
3. To waste or abrade by the force of water in motion; as,
heavy rains wash a road or an embankment.
4. To remove by washing to take away by, or as by, the action
of water; to drag or draw off as by the tide; -- often
with away, off, out, etc.; as, to wash dirt from the
hands.
Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins.
--Acts xxii.
16.
The tide will wash you off. --Shak.
5. To cover with a thin or watery coat of color; to tint
lightly and thinly.
6. To overlay with a thin coat of metal; as, steel washed
with silver.
{To wash gold}, etc., to treat earth or gravel, or crushed
ore, with water, in order to separate the gold or other
metal, or metallic ore, through their superior gravity.
{To wash the hands of}. See under {Hand}.
Wash \Wash\, v. i.
1. To perform the act of ablution.
Wash in Jordan seven times. --2 Kings v.
10.
2. To clean anything by rubbing or dipping it in water; to
perform the business of cleansing clothes, ore, etc., in
water. ``She can wash and scour.'' --Shak.
3. To bear without injury the operation of being washed; as,
some calicoes do not wash. [Colloq.]
4. To be wasted or worn away by the action of water, as by a
running or overflowing stream, or by the dashing of the
sea; -- said of road, a beach, etc.
Wash \Wash\, n.
1. The act of washing; an ablution; a cleansing, wetting, or
dashing with water; hence, a quantity, as of clothes,
washed at once.
2. A piece of ground washed by the action of a sea or river,
or sometimes covered and sometimes left dry; the
shallowest part of a river, or arm of the sea; also, a
bog; a marsh; a fen; as, the washes in Lincolnshire. ``The
Wash of Edmonton so gay.'' --Cowper.
These Lincoln washes have devoured them. --Shak.
3. Substances collected and deposited by the action of water;
as, the wash of a sewer, of a river, etc.
The wash of pastures, fields, commons, and roads,
where rain water hath a long time settled.
--Mortimer.
4. Waste liquid, the refuse of food, the collection from
washed dishes, etc., from a kitchen, often used as food
for pigs. --Shak.
5. (Distilling)
(a) The fermented wort before the spirit is extracted.
(b) A mixture of dunder, molasses, water, and scummings,
used in the West Indies for distillation. --B.
Edwards.
6. That with which anything is washed, or wetted, smeared,
tinted, etc., upon the surface. Specifically:
(a) A liquid cosmetic for the complexion.
(b) A liquid dentifrice.
(c) A liquid preparation for the hair; as, a hair wash.
(d) A medical preparation in a liquid form for external
application; a lotion.
(e) (Painting) A thin coat of color, esp. water color.
(j) A thin coat of metal laid on anything for beauty or
preservation.
7. (Naut.)
(a) The blade of an oar, or the thin part which enters the
water.
(b) The backward current or disturbed water caused by the
action of oars, or of a steamer's screw or paddles,
etc.
8. The flow, swash, or breaking of a body of water, as a
wave; also, the sound of it.
9. Ten strikes, or bushels, of oysters. [Prov. Eng.]
{Wash ball}, a ball of soap to be used in washing the hands
or face. --Swift.
{Wash barrel} (Fisheries), a barrel nearly full of split
mackerel, loosely put in, and afterward filled with salt
water in order to soak the blood from the fish before
salting.
{Wash bottle}. (Chem.)
(a) A bottle partially filled with some liquid through
which gases are passed for the purpose of purifying
them, especially by removing soluble constituents.
(b) A washing bottle. See under {Washing}.
{Wash gilding}. See {Water gilding}.
{Wash leather}, split sheepskin dressed with oil, in
imitation of chamois, or shammy, and used for dusting,
cleaning glass or plate, etc.; also, alumed, or buff,
leather for soldiers' belts.
Wash \Wash\, a.
1. Washy; weak. [Obs.]
Their bodies of so weak and wash a temper. --Beau. &
Fl.
2. Capable of being washed without injury; washable; as, wash
goods. [Colloq.]
Washable \Wash"a*ble\, a.
Capable of being washed without damage to fabric or color.
Washboard \Wash"board`\, n.
1. A fluted, or ribbed, board on which clothes are rubbed in
washing them.
2. A board running round, and serving as a facing for, the
walls of a room, next to the floor; a mopboard.
3. (Naut.) A broad, thin plank, fixed along the gunwale of
boat to keep the sea from breaking inboard; also, a plank
on the sill of a lower deck port, for the same purpose; --
called also {wasteboard}. --Mar. Dict.
Washbowl \Wash"bowl`\, n.
A basin, or bowl, to hold water for washing one's hands,
face, etc.
Washdish \Wash"dish`\, n.
1. A washbowl.
2. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Washerwoman}, 2. [Prov. Eng.]
Washed \Washed\, a. (Zo["o]l.)
Appearing as if overlaid with a thin layer of different
color; -- said of the colors of certain birds and insects.
Washen \Wash"en\, obs.
p. p. of {Wash}. --Chaucer.
Washer \Wash"er\, n. [AS. w[ae]scere.]
1. One who, or that which, washes.
2. A ring of metal, leather, or other material, or a
perforated plate, used for various purposes, as around a
bolt or screw to form a seat for the head or nut, or
around a wagon axle to prevent endwise motion of the hub
of the wheel and relieve friction, or in a joint to form a
packing, etc.
3. (Plumbing) A fitting, usually having a plug, applied to a
cistern, tub, sink, or the like, and forming the outlet
opening.
4. (Zo["o]l.) The common raccoon.
5. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Washerwoman}, 2. [Prov. Eng.]
Washerman \Wash"er*man\, n.; pl. {Washermen}.
A man who washes clothes, esp. for hire, or for others.
Washerwoman \Wash"er*wom`an\, n.; pl. {Washerwomen}.
1. A woman who washes clothes, especially for hire, or for
others.
2. (Zo["o]l.) The pied wagtail; -- so called in allusion to
its beating the water with its tail while tripping along
the leaves of water plants. [Prov. Eng.]
Washhouse \Wash"house`\, n.
An outbuilding for washing, esp. one for washing clothes; a
laundry.
Washiness \Wash"i*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being washy, watery, or weak.
Washing \Wash"ing\, n.
1. The act of one who washes; the act of cleansing with
water; ablution.
2. The clothes washed, esp. at one time; a wash.
{Washing bear} (Zo["o]l.), the raccoon.
{Washing bottle} (Chem.), a bottle fitted with glass tubes
passing through the cork, so that on blowing into one of
the tubes a stream of water issuing from the other may be
directed upon anything to be washed or rinsed, as a
precipitate upon a filter, etc.
{Washing fluid}, a liquid used as a cleanser, and consisting
usually of alkaline salts resembling soaps in their
action.
{Washing machine}, a machine for washing; specifically, a
machine for washing clothes.
{Washing soda}. (Chem.) See {Sodium carbonate}, under
{Sodium}.
{Washing stuff}, any earthy deposit containing gold enough to
pay for washing it; -- so called among gold miners.
Washingtonian \Wash`ing*to"ni*an\, a.
1. Pertaining to, or characteristic of, George Washington;
as, a Washingtonian policy. --Lowell.
2. Designating, or pertaining to, a temperance society and
movement started in Baltimore in 1840 on the principle of
total abstinence. -- n. A member of the Washingtonian
Society.
Wash-off \Wash"-off`\, a. (Calico Printing)
Capable of being washed off; not permanent or durable; --
said of colors not fixed by steaming or otherwise.
Washout \Wash"out`\, n.
The washing out or away of earth, etc., especially of a
portion of the bed of a road or railroad by a fall of rain or
a freshet; also, a place, especially in the bed of a road or
railroad, where the earth has been washed away.
Washpot \Wash"pot`\, n.
1. A pot or vessel in which anything is washed.
2. (Tin-Plate Manuf.) A pot containing melted tin into which
the plates are dipped to be coated.
Washstand \Wash"stand`\, n.
A piece of furniture holding the ewer or pitcher, basin, and
other requisites for washing the person.
Washtub \Wash"tub`\, n.
A tub in which clothes are washed.
Washy \Wash"y\, a. [From {Wash}.]
1. Watery; damp; soft. ``Washy ooze.'' --Milton.
2. Lacking substance or strength; weak; thin; dilute; feeble;
as, washy tea; washy resolutions.
A polish . . . not over thin and washy. --Sir H.
Wotton.
3. Not firm or hardy; liable to sweat profusely with labor;
as, a washy horse. [Local, U. S.]
Wasite \Wa"site\, n. [See {Wasium}.] (Min.)
A variety of allanite from Sweden supposed to contain wasium.
Wasium \Wa"si*um\, n. [NL. So called from Wasa, or Vasa, the
name of a former royal family of Sweden.] (Chem.)
A rare element supposed by Bahr to have been extracted from
wasite, but now identified with thorium.
Wasp \Wasp\, n. [OE. waspe, AS. w[ae]ps, w[ae]fs; akin to D.
wesp, G. wespe, OHG. wafsa, wefsa, Lith. vapsa gadfly, Russ.
osa wasp, L. vespa, and perhaps to E. weave.] (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of numerous species of stinging hymenopterous
insects, esp. any of the numerous species of the genus
{Vespa}, which includes the true, or social, wasps, some of
which are called {yellow jackets}.
Note: The social wasps make a complex series of combs, of a
substance like stiff paper, often of large size, and
protect them by a paperlike covering. The larv[ae] are
reared in the cells of the combs, and eat insects and
insect larv[ae] brought to them by the adults, but the
latter feed mainly on the honey and pollen of flowers,
and on the sweet juices of fruit. See Illust. in
Appendix.
{Digger wasp}, any one of numerous species of solitary wasps
that make their nests in burrows which they dig in the
ground, as the sand wasps. See {Sand wasp}, under {Sand}.
{Mud wasp}. See under {Mud}.
{Potter wasp}. See under {Potter}.
{Wasp fly}, a species of fly resembling a wasp, but without a
sting.
Waspish \Wasp"ish\, a.
1. Resembling a wasp in form; having a slender waist, like a
wasp.
2. Quick to resent a trifling affront; characterized by
snappishness; irritable; irascible; petulant; snappish.
He was naturally a waspish and hot man. --Bp. Hall.
Much do I suffer, much, to keep in peace This
jealous, waspish, wrong-head, rhyming race. --Pope.
Syn: Snappish; petulant; irritable; irascible; testy;
peevish; captious. -- {Wasp"ish*ly}, adv. --
{Wasp"ish*ness}, n.
Wassail \Was"sail\, n. [AS. wes h[=a]l (or an equivalent form in
another dialect) be in health, which was the form of drinking
a health. The form wes is imperative. See {Was}, and
{Whole}.]
1. An ancient expression of good wishes on a festive
occasion, especially in drinking to some one.
Geoffrey of Monmouth relates, on the authority of
Walter Calenius, that this lady [Rowena], the
daughter of Hengist, knelt down on the approach of
the king, and, presenting him with a cup of wine,
exclaimed, Lord king w[ae]s heil, that is,
literally, Health be to you. --N. Drake.
2. An occasion on which such good wishes are expressed in
drinking; a drinking bout; a carouse. ``In merry wassail
he . . . peals his loud song.'' --Sir W. Scott.
The king doth wake to-night and takes his rouse,
Keeps wassail. --Shak.
The victors abandoned themselves to feasting and
wassail. --Prescott.
3. The liquor used for a wassail; esp., a beverage formerly
much used in England at Christmas and other festivals,
made of ale (or wine) flavored with spices, sugar, toast,
roasted apples, etc.; -- called also {lamb's wool}.
A jolly wassail bowl, A wassail of good ale. --Old
Song.
4. A festive or drinking song or glee. [Obs.]
Have you done your wassail! 'T is a handsome, drowsy
ditty, I'll assure you. --Beau. & Fl.
Wassail \Was"sail\, a.
Of or pertaining to wassail, or to a wassail; convivial; as,
a wassail bowl. ``Awassail candle, my lord, all tallow.''
--Shak.
{Wassail bowl}, a bowl in which wassail was mixed, and placed
upon the table. ``Spiced wassail bowl.'' --J. Fletcher.
``When the cloth was removed, the butler brought in a huge
silver vessel . . . Its appearance was hailed with
acclamation, being the wassail bowl so renowned in
Christmas festivity.'' --W. Irving.
{Wassail cup}, a cup from which wassail was drunk.
Wassail \Was"sail\, v. i.
To hold a wassail; to carouse.
Spending all the day, and good part of the night, in
dancing, caroling, and wassailing. --Sir P.
Sidney.
Wassailer \Was"sail*er\, n.
One who drinks wassail; one who engages in festivity,
especially in drinking; a reveler.
The rudeness and swilled insolence Of such late
wassailers. --Milton.
Wast \Wast\
The second person singular of the verb be, in the indicative
mood, imperfect tense; -- now used only in solemn or poetical
style. See {Was}.
Wastage \Wast"age\, n.
Loss by use, decay, evaporation, leakage, or the like; waste.
Waste \Waste\, a. [OE. wast, OF. wast, from L. vastus,
influenced by the kindred German word; cf. OHG. wuosti, G.
w["u]st, OS. w?sti, D. woest, AS. w[=e]ste. Cf. {Vast}.]
1. Desolate; devastated; stripped; bare; hence, dreary;
dismal; gloomy; cheerless.
The dismal situation waste and wild. --Milton.
His heart became appalled as he gazed forward into
the waste darkness of futurity. --Sir W.
Scott.
2. Lying unused; unproductive; worthless; valueless; refuse;
rejected; as, waste land; waste paper.
But his waste words returned to him in vain.
--Spenser.
Not a waste or needless sound, Till we come to
holier ground. --Milton.
Ill day which made this beauty waste. --Emerson.
3. Lost for want of occupiers or use; superfluous.
And strangled with her waste fertility. --Milton.
{Waste gate}, a gate by which the superfluous water of a
reservoir, or the like, is discharged.
{Waste paper}. See under {Paper}.
{Waste pipe}, a pipe for carrying off waste, or superfluous,
water or other fluids. Specifically:
(a) (Steam Boilers) An escape pipe. See under {Escape}.
(b) (Plumbing) The outlet pipe at the bottom of a bowl,
tub, sink, or the like.
{Waste steam}.
(a) Steam which escapes the air.
(b) Exhaust steam.
{Waste trap}, a trap for a waste pipe, as of a sink.
Waste \Waste\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wasted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wasting}.] [OE. wasten, OF. waster, guaster, gaster, F.
g[^a]ter to spoil, L. vastare to devastate, to lay waste, fr.
vastus waste, desert, uncultivated, ravaged, vast, but
influenced by a kindred German word; cf. OHG. wuosten, G.
w["u]sten, AS. w[=e]stan. See {Waste}, a.]
1. To bring to ruin; to devastate; to desolate; to destroy.
Thou barren ground, whom winter's wrath hath wasted,
Art made a mirror to behold my plight. --Spenser.
The Tiber Insults our walls, and wastes our fruitful
grounds. --Dryden.
2. To wear away by degrees; to impair gradually; to diminish
by constant loss; to use up; to consume; to spend; to wear
out.
Until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness.
--Num. xiv.
33.
O, were I able To waste it all myself, and leave ye
none! --Milton.
Here condemned To waste eternal days in woe and
pain. --Milton.
Wasted by such a course of life, the infirmities of
age daily grew on him. --Robertson.
3. To spend unnecessarily or carelessly; to employ
prodigally; to expend without valuable result; to apply to
useless purposes; to lavish vainly; to squander; to cause
to be lost; to destroy by scattering or injury.
The younger son gathered all together, and . . .
wasted his substance with riotous living. --Luke xv.
13.
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And
waste its sweetness on the desert air. --Gray.
4. (Law) To damage, impair, or injure, as an estate,
voluntarily, or by suffering the buildings, fences, etc.,
to go to decay.
Syn: To squander; dissipate; lavish; desolate.
Waste \Waste\, v. i.
1. To be diminished; to lose bulk, substance, strength,
value, or the like, gradually; to be consumed; to dwindle;
to grow less.
The time wasteth night and day. --Chaucer.
The barrel of meal shall not waste. --1 Kings
xvii. 14.
But man dieth, and wasteth away. --Job xiv. 10.
2. (Sporting) To procure or sustain a reduction of flesh; --
said of a jockey in preparation for a race, etc.
Waste \Waste\, n. [OE. waste; cf. the kindred AS. w?sten, OHG.
w?st[=i], wuost[=i], G. w["u]ste. See {Waste}, a. & v.]
1. The act of wasting, or the state of being wasted; a
squandering; needless destruction; useless consumption or
expenditure; devastation; loss without equivalent gain;
gradual loss or decrease, by use, wear, or decay; as, a
waste of property, time, labor, words, etc. ``Waste . . .
of catel and of time.'' --Chaucer.
For all this waste of wealth loss of blood.
--Milton.
He will never . . . in the way of waste, attempt us
again. --Shak.
Little wastes in great establishments, constantly
occurring, may defeat the energies of a mighty
capital. --L. Beecher.
2. That which is wasted or desolate; a devastated,
uncultivated, or wild country; a deserted region; an
unoccupied or unemployed space; a dreary void; a desert; a
wilderness. ``The wastes of Nature.'' --Emerson.
All the leafy nation sinks at last, And Vulcan rides
in triumph o'er the waste. --Dryden.
The gloomy waste of waters which bears his name is
his tomb and his monument. --Bancroft.
3. That which is of no value; worthless remnants; refuse.
Specifically: Remnants of cops, or other refuse resulting
from the working of cotton, wool, hemp, and the like, used
for wiping machinery, absorbing oil in the axle boxes of
railway cars, etc.
4. (Law) Spoil, destruction, or injury, done to houses,
woods, fences, lands, etc., by a tenant for life or for
years, to the prejudice of the heir, or of him in
reversion or remainder.
Note: Waste is voluntary, as by pulling down buildings; or
permissive, as by suffering them to fall for want of
necessary repairs. Whatever does a lasting damage to
the freehold is a {waste}. --Blackstone.
5. (Mining) Old or abandoned workings, whether left as vacant
space or filled with refuse.
Syn: Prodigality; diminution; loss; dissipation; destruction;
devastation; havoc; desolation; ravage.
Wastebasket \Waste"bas`ket\, n.
A basket used in offices, libraries, etc., as a receptacle
for waste paper.
Wasteboard \Waste"board`\, n. (Naut.)
See {Washboard}, 3.
Wastebook \Waste"book`\, n. (Com.)
A book in which rough entries of transactions are made,
previous to their being carried into the journal.
Wasteful \Waste"ful\, a.
1. Full of waste; destructive to property; ruinous; as,
wasteful practices or negligence; wasteful expenses.
2. Expending, or tending to expend, property, or that which
is valuable, in a needless or useless manner; lavish;
prodigal; as, a wasteful person; a wasteful disposition.
3. Waste; desolate; unoccupied; untilled. [Obs.]
In wilderness and wasteful desert strayed.
--Spenser.
Syn: Lavish; profuse; prodigal; extravagant. --
{Waste"ful*ly}, adv. -- {Waste"ful*ness}, n.
Wastel \Was"tel\, n. [OF. wastel, gastel, F. g[^a]teau, LL.
wastellus, fr. MHG. wastel a kind of bread; cf. OHG. & AS.
wist food.]
A kind of white and fine bread or cake; -- called also
{wastel bread}, and {wastel cake}. [Obs.]
Roasted flesh or milk and wasted bread. --Chaucer.
The simnel bread and wastel cakes, which were only used
at the tables of the highest nobility. --Sir W.
Scott.
Wasteness \Waste"ness\, n.
1. The quality or state of being waste; a desolate state or
condition; desolation.
A day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness.
--Zeph. i. 15.
2. That which is waste; a desert; a waste. [R.]
Through woods and wasteness wide him daily sought.
--Spenser.
Waster \Wast"er\, n. [OE. wastour, OF. wasteor, gasteor. See
{Waste}, v. t.]
1. One who, or that which, wastes; one who squanders; one who
consumes or expends extravagantly; a spendthrift; a
prodigal.
He also that is slothful in his work is brother to
him that is a great waster. --Prov. xviii.
9.
Sconces are great wasters of candles. --Swift.
2. An imperfection in the wick of a candle, causing it to
waste; -- called also a {thief}. --Halliwell.
3. A kind of cudgel; also, a blunt-edged sword used as a
foil.
Half a dozen of veneys at wasters with a good fellow
for a broken head. --Beau. & Fl.
Being unable to wield the intellectual arms of
reason, they are fain to betake them unto wasters.
--Sir T.
Browne.
Wastethrift \Waste"thrift`\, n.
A spendthrift. [Obs.]
Wasteweir \Waste"weir`\, n.
An overfall, or weir, for the escape, or overflow, of
superfluous water from a canal, reservoir, pond, or the like.
Wasting \Wast"ing\, a.
Causing waste; also, undergoing waste; diminishing; as, a
wasting disease; a wasting fortune.
{Wasting palsy} (Med.), progressive muscular atrophy. See
under {Progressive}.
Wastor \Wast"or\, n.
A waster; a thief. [Obs. or R.] [Written also {wastour}.]
--Chaucer. Southey.
Wastorel \Wast"o*rel\, n.
See {Wastrel}. [Obs.]
Wastrel \Wast"rel\, n.
1. Any waste thing or substance; as:
(a) Waste land or common land. [Obs.] --Carew.
(b) A profligate. [Prov. Eng.]
(c) A neglected child; a street Arab. [Eng.]
2. Anything cast away as bad or useless, as imperfect bricks,
china, etc. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Watch \Watch\ (w[o^]ch), n. [OE. wacche, AS. w[ae]cce, fr.
wacian to wake; akin to D. wacht, waak, G. wacht, wache.
[root]134. See {Wake}, v. i. ]
1. The act of watching; forbearance of sleep; vigil; wakeful,
vigilant, or constantly observant attention; close
observation; guard; preservative or preventive vigilance;
formerly, a watching or guarding by night.
Shepherds keeping watch by night. --Milton.
All the long night their mournful watch they keep.
--Addison.
Note: Watch was formerly distinguished from ward, the former
signifying a watching or guarding by night, and the
latter a watching, guarding, or protecting by day
Hence, they were not unfrequently used together,
especially in the phrase to keep watch and ward, to
denote continuous and uninterrupted vigilance or
protection, or both watching and guarding. This
distinction is now rarely recognized, watch being used
to signify a watching or guarding both by night and by
day, and ward, which is now rarely used, having simply
the meaning of guard, or protection, without reference
to time.
Still, when she slept, he kept both watch and
ward. --Spenser.
Ward, guard, or custodia, is chiefly applied to
the daytime, in order to apprehend rioters, and
robbers on the highway . . . Watch, is properly
applicable to the night only, . . . and it begins
when ward ends, and ends when that begins.
--Blackstone.
2. One who watches, or those who watch; a watchman, or a body
of watchmen; a sentry; a guard.
Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch; go your way,
make it as sure as ye can. --Matt. xxvii.
65.
3. The post or office of a watchman; also, the place where a
watchman is posted, or where a guard is kept.
He upbraids Iago, that he made him Brave me upon the
watch. --Shak.
4. The period of the night during which a person does duty as
a sentinel, or guard; the time from the placing of a
sentinel till his relief; hence, a division of the night.
I did stand my watch upon the hill. --Shak.
Might we but hear . . . Or whistle from the lodge,
or village cock Count the night watches to his
feathery dames. --Milton.
5. A small timepiece, or chronometer, to be carried about the
person, the machinery of which is moved by a spring.
Note: Watches are often distinguished by the kind of
escapement used, as an {anchor watch}, a {lever watch},
a {chronometer watch}, etc. (see the Note under
{Escapement}, n., 3); also, by the kind of case, as a
{gold} or {silver watch}, an {open-faced watch}, a
{hunting watch}, or {hunter}, etc.
6. (Naut.)
(a) An allotted portion of time, usually four hour for
standing watch, or being on deck ready for duty. Cf.
{Dogwatch}.
(b) That part, usually one half, of the officers and crew,
who together attend to the working of a vessel for an
allotted time, usually four hours. The watches are
designated as the {port watch}, and the {starboard
watch}.
{Anchor watch} (Naut.), a detail of one or more men who keep
watch on deck when a vessel is at anchor.
{To be on the watch}, to be looking steadily for some event.
{Watch and ward} (Law), the charge or care of certain
officers to keep a watch by night and a guard by day in
towns, cities, and other districts, for the preservation
of the public peace. --Wharton. --Burrill.
{Watch and watch} (Naut.), the regular alternation in being
on watch and off watch of the two watches into which a
ship's crew is commonly divided.
{Watch barrel}, the brass box in a watch, containing the
mainspring.
{Watch bell} (Naut.), a bell struck when the half-hour glass
is run out, or at the end of each half hour. --Craig.
{Watch bill} (Naut.), a list of the officers and crew of a
ship as divided into watches, with their stations.
--Totten.
{Watch case}, the case, or outside covering, of a watch;
also, a case for holding a watch, or in which it is kept.
{Watch chain}. Same as {watch guard}, below.
{Watch clock}, a watchman's clock; see under {Watchman}.
{Watch fire}, a fire lighted at night, as a signal, or for
the use of a watch or guard.
{Watch glass}.
(a) A concavo-convex glass for covering the face, or dial,
of a watch; -- also called {watch crystal}.
(b) (Naut.) A half-hour glass used to measure the time of
a watch on deck.
{Watch guard}, a chain or cord by which a watch is attached
to the person.
{Watch gun} (Naut.), a gun sometimes fired on shipboard at 8
p. m., when the night watch begins.
{Watch light}, a low-burning lamp used by watchers at night;
formerly, a candle having a rush wick.
{Watch night}, The last night of the year; -- so called by
the Methodists, Moravians, and others, who observe it by
holding religious meetings lasting until after midnight.
{Watch paper}, an old-fashioned ornament for the inside of a
watch case, made of paper cut in some fanciful design, as
a vase with flowers, etc.
{Watch tackle} (Naut.), a small, handy purchase, consisting
of a tailed double block, and a single block with a hook.
Watch \Watch\, v. i. [Cf. AS. w[oe]ccan, wacian. [root]134. See
{Watch}, n., {Wake}, v. i. ]
1. To be awake; to be or continue without sleep; to wake; to
keep vigil.
I have two nights watched with you. --Shak.
Couldest thou not watch one hour ? --Mark xiv.
37.
2. To be attentive or vigilant; to give heed; to be on the
lookout; to keep guard; to act as sentinel.
Take ye heed, watch and pray. --Mark xiii.
33.
The Son gave signal high To the bright minister that
watched. --Milton.
3. To be expectant; to look with expectation; to wait; to
seek opportunity.
My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that
watch for the morning. --Ps. cxxx. 6.
4. To remain awake with any one as nurse or attendant; to
attend on the sick during the night; as, to watch with a
man in a fever.
5. (Naut.) To serve the purpose of a watchman by floating
properly in its place; -- said of a buoy.
{To watch over}, to be cautiously observant of; to inspect,
superintend, and guard.
Watch \Watch\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Watched}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Watching}.]
1. To give heed to; to observe the actions or motions of, for
any purpose; to keep in view; not to lose from sight and
observation; as, to watch the progress of a bill in the
legislature.
Saul also sent messengers unto David's house to
watch him, and to slay him. --1 Sam. xix.
11
I must cool a little, and watch my opportunity.
--Landor.
In lazy mood I watched the little circles die.
--Longfellow.
2. To tend; to guard; to have in keeping.
And flaming ministers, to watch and tend Their
earthy charge. --Milton.
Paris watched the flocks in the groves of Ida.
--Broome.
Watchdog \Watch"dog`\ (w[o^]ch"d[o^]g`), n.
A dog kept to watch and guard premises or property, and to
give notice of the approach of intruders.
Watcher \Watch"er\ (-[~e]r), n.
One who watches; one who sits up or continues; a diligent
observer; specifically, one who attends upon the sick during
the night.
Watches \Watch"es\ (-[e^]z), n. pl. (Bot.)
The leaves of {Saracenia flava}. See {Trumpets}.
Watchet \Watchet\ (-[e^]t), a. [Probably from F. vaciet
bilberry, whortleberry; cf. L. vaccinium blueberry,
whortleberry.]
Pale or light blue. [Obs.] ``Watchet mantles.'' --Spenser.
Who stares in Germany at watchet eyes? --Dryden.
Watchful \Watch"ful\, a.
Full of watch; vigilant; attentive; careful to observe
closely; observant; cautious; -- with of before the thing to
be regulated or guarded; as, to be watchful of one's
behavior; and with against before the thing to be avoided;
as, to be watchful against the growth of vicious habits.
``Many a watchful night.'' --Shak. ``Happy watchful
shepherds.'' --Milton.
'Twixt prayer and watchful love his heart dividing.
--Keble.
Syn: Vigilant; attentive; cautious; observant; circumspect;
wakeful; heedful. -- {Watch"ful*ly}, adv. --
{Watch"ful*ness}, n.
Watchhouse \Watch"house`\, n.; pl. {Watchhouses}.
1. A house in which a watch or guard is placed.
2. A place where persons under temporary arrest by the police
of a city are kept; a police station; a lockup.
Watchmaker \Watch"mak`er\, n.
One whose occupation is to make and repair watches.
Watchman \Watch"man\, n.; pl. {Watchmen}.
1. One set to watch; a person who keeps guard; a guard; a
sentinel.
2. Specifically, one who guards a building, or the streets of
a city, by night.
{Watchman beetle} (Zo["o]l.), the European dor.
{Watchman's clock}, a watchman's detector in which the
apparatus for recording the times of visiting several
stations is contained within a single clock.
{Watchman's detector}, or {Watchman's time detector}, an
apparatus for recording the time when a watchman visits a
station on his rounds.
{Watchman's rattle}, an instrument having at the end of a
handle a revolving arm, which, by the action of a strong
spring upon cogs, produces, when in motion, a loud, harsh,
rattling sound.
Watchtower \Watch"tow`er\, n.
A tower in which a sentinel is placed to watch for enemies,
the approach of danger, or the like.
Watchword \Watch"word`\, n.
1. A word given to sentinels, and to such as have occasion to
visit the guards, used as a signal by which a friend is
known from an enemy, or a person who has a right to pass
the watch from one who has not; a countersign; a password.
2. A sentiment or motto; esp., one used as a rallying cry or
a signal for action.
Nor deal in watchwords overmuch. --Tennyson.
Water \Wa"ter\ (w[add]"t[~e]r), n. [AS. w[ae]ter; akin to OS.
watar, OFries. wetir, weter, LG. & D. water, G. wasser, OHG.
wazzar, Icel. vatn, Sw. vatten, Dan. vand, Goth. wat[=o], O.
Slav. & Russ. voda, Gr. 'y`dwr, Skr. udan water, ud to wet,
and perhaps to L. unda wave. [root]137. Cf. {Dropsy},
{Hydra}, {Otter}, {Wet}, {Whisky}.]
1. The fluid which descends from the clouds in rain, and
which forms rivers, lakes, seas, etc. ``We will drink
water.'' --Shak. ``Powers of fire, air, water, and
earth.'' --Milton.
Note: Pure water consists of hydrogen and oxygen, {H2O}, and
is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, transparent
liquid, which is very slightly compressible. At its
maximum density, 39[deg] Fahr. or 4[deg] C., it is the
standard for specific gravities, one cubic centimeter
weighing one gram. It freezes at 32[deg] Fahr. or
0[deg] C. and boils at 212[deg] Fahr. or 100[deg] C.
(see {Ice}, {Steam}). It is the most important natural
solvent, and is frequently impregnated with foreign
matter which is mostly removed by distillation; hence,
rain water is nearly pure. It is an important
ingredient in the tissue of animals and plants, the
human body containing about two thirds its weight of
water.
2. A body of water, standing or flowing; a lake, river, or
other collection of water.
Remembering he had passed over a small water a poor
scholar when first coming to the university, he
kneeled. --Fuller.
3. Any liquid secretion, humor, or the like, resembling
water; esp., the urine.
4. (Pharm.) A solution in water of a gaseous or readily
volatile substance; as, ammonia water. --U. S. Pharm.
5. The limpidity and luster of a precious stone, especially a
diamond; as, a diamond of the first water, that is,
perfectly pure and transparent. Hence, of the first water,
that is, of the first excellence.
6. A wavy, lustrous pattern or decoration such as is imparted
to linen, silk, metals, etc. See {Water}, v. t., 3,
{Damask}, v. t., and {Damaskeen}.
7. An addition to the shares representing the capital of a
stock company so that the aggregate par value of the
shares is increased while their value for investment is
diminished, or ``diluted.'' [Brokers' Cant]
Note: Water is often used adjectively and in the formation of
many self-explaining compounds; as, water drainage;
water gauge, or water-gauge; waterfowl, water-fowl, or
water fowl; water-beaten; water-borne, water-circled,
water-girdled, water-rocked, etc.
{Hard water}. See under {Hard}.
{Inch of water}, a unit of measure of quantity of water,
being the quantity which will flow through an orifice one
inch square, or a circular orifice one inch in diameter,
in a vertical surface, under a stated constant head; also
called {miner's inch}, and {water inch}. The shape of the
orifice and the head vary in different localities. In the
Western United States, for hydraulic mining, the standard
aperture is square and the head from 4 to 9 inches above
its center. In Europe, for experimental hydraulics, the
orifice is usually round and the head from 1/2 of an inch
to 1 inch above its top.
{Mineral water}, waters which are so impregnated with foreign
ingredients, such as gaseous, sulphureous, and saline
substances, as to give them medicinal properties, or a
particular flavor or temperature.
{Soft water}, water not impregnated with lime or mineral
salts.
{To hold water}. See under {Hold}, v. t.
{To keep one's head above water}, to keep afloat; fig., to
avoid failure or sinking in the struggles of life.
[Colloq.]
{To make water}.
(a) To pass urine. --Swift.
(b) (Naut.) To admit water; to leak.
{Water of crystallization} (Chem.), the water combined with
many salts in their crystalline form. This water is
loosely, but, nevertheless, chemically, combined, for it
is held in fixed and definite amount for each substance
containing it. Thus, while pure copper sulphate, {CuSO4},
is a white amorphous substance, blue vitriol, the
crystallized form, {CuSO4.5H2O}, contains five molecules
of water of crystallization.
{Water on the brain} (Med.), hydrocephalus.
{Water on the chest} (Med.), hydrothorax.
Note: Other phrases, in which water occurs as the first
element, will be found in alphabetical order in the
Vocabulary.
Water \Wa"ter\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Watered}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Watering}.] [AS. w[ae]terian, gew[ae]terian.]
1. To wet or supply with water; to moisten; to overflow with
water; to irrigate; as, to water land; to water flowers.
With tears watering the ground. --Milton.
Men whose lives gilded on like rivers that water the
woodlands. --Longfellow.
2. To supply with water for drink; to cause or allow to
drink; as, to water cattle and horses.
3. To wet and calender, as cloth, so as to impart to it a
lustrous appearance in wavy lines; to diversify with
wavelike lines; as, to water silk. Cf. {Water}, n., 6.
4. To add water to (anything), thereby extending the quantity
or bulk while reducing the strength or quality; to extend;
to dilute; to weaken.
{To water stock}, to increase the capital stock of a company
by issuing new stock, thus diminishing the value of the
individual shares. Cf. {Water}, n., 7. [Brokers' Cant]
Water \Wa"ter\, v. i.
1. To shed, secrete, or fill with, water or liquid matter;
as, his eyes began to water.
If thine eyes can water for his death. --Shak.
2. To get or take in water; as, the ship put into port to
water.
{The mouth waters}, a phrase denoting that a person or animal
has a longing desire for something, since the sight of
food often causes one who is hungry to have an increased
flow of saliva.
Water adder \Wa"ter ad"der\ (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The water moccasin.
(b) The common, harmless American water snake
({Tropidonotus sipedon}). See Illust. under {Water
Snake}.
Waterage \Wa"ter*age\ (?; 48), n.
Money paid for transportation of goods, etc., by water.
[Eng.]
Water agrimony \Wa"ter ag"ri*mo*ny\ (Bot.)
A kind of bur marigold ({Bidens tripartita}) found in wet
places in Europe.
Water aloe \Wa"ter al"oe\ (Bot.)
See {Water soldier}.
Water antelope \Wa"ter an"te*lope\
See {Water buck}.
Water arum \Wa"ter a"rum\ (Bot.)
An aroid herb (Calla palustris) having a white spathe. It is
an inhabitant of the north temperate zone.
Water back \Wa"ter back`\
See under 1st {Back}.
Water bailiff \Wa"ter bail"iff\
An officer of the customs, whose duty it is to search
vessels. [Eng.]
Water ballast \Wa"ter bal"last\ (Naut.)
Water confined in specially constructed compartments in a
vessel's hold, to serve as ballast.
Water barometer \Wa"ter ba*rom"e*ter\ (Physics)
A barometer in which the changes of atmospheric pressure are
indicated by the motion of a column of water instead of
mercury. It requires a column of water about thirty-three
feet in height.
Water bath \Wa"ter bath`\
A device for regulating the temperature of anything subjected
to heat, by surrounding the vessel containing it with another
vessel containing water which can be kept at a desired
temperature; also, a vessel designed for this purpose.
Water battery \Wa"ter bat"ter*y\
1. (Elec.) A voltaic battery in which the exciting fluid is
water.
2. (Mil.) A battery nearly on a level with the water.
Water bear \Wa"ter bear`\ (Zo["o]l.)
Any species of Tardigrada, 2. See Illust. of {Tardigrada}.
Water-bearer \Wa"ter-bear`er\, n. (Astron.)
The constellation Aquarius.
Water bed \Wa"ter bed`\
A kind of mattress made of, or covered with, waterproof
fabric and filled with water. It is used in hospitals for
bedridden patients.
Water beech \Wa"ter beech`\ (Bot.)
The American hornbeam. See {Hornbeam}.
Water beetle \Wa"ter bee"tle\ (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of numerous species of aquatic beetles belonging to
{Dytiscus} and allied genera of the family {Dytiscid[ae]},
and to various genera of the family {Hydrophilid[ae]}. These
beetles swim with great agility, the fringed hind legs acting
together like oars.
Water bellows \Wa"ter bel"lows\
Same as {Tromp}.
Water bird \Wa"ter bird`\ (Zo["o]l.)
Any aquatic bird; a water fowl.
Water blackbird \Wa"ter black"*bird\ (Zo["o]l.)
The European water ousel, or dipper.
Waterboard \Wa"ter*board`\, n.
A board set up to windward in a boat, to keep out water.
--Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Water boatman \Wa"ter boat`man\ (Zo["o]l.)
A boat bug.
Waterbok \Wa"ter*bok`\, n. [D.] (Zo["o]l.)
A water buck.
Water-bound \Wa"ter-bound`\, a.
Prevented by a flood from proceeding.
Water brain \Wa"ter brain`\
A disease of sheep; gid.
Water brash \Wa"ter brash`\ (Med.)
See under {Brash}.
Water breather \Wa"ter breath"er\ (Zo["o]l.)
Any arthropod that breathes by means of gills.
Water bridge \Wa"ter bridge`\ (Steam Boilers)
See {Water table}.
Water buck \Wa"ter buck`\ (Zo["o]l.)
A large, heavy antelope ({Kobus ellipsiprymnus}) native of
Central Africa. It frequents the banks of rivers and is a
good swimmer. It has a white ring around the rump. Called
also {photomok}, {water antelope}, and {waterbok}.
Note: The name is also applied to other related species, as
the leche ({Kobus leche}), which has similar habits.
Water buffalo \Wa"ter buf"fa*lo\ (Zo["o]l.)
The European buffalo.
Water bug \Wa"ter bug`\ (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The Croton bug.
(b) Any one of numerous species of large, rapacious, aquatic,
hemipterous insects belonging to {Belostoma}, {Benacus},
{Zaitha}, and other genera of the family
{Belostomatid[ae]}. Their hind legs are long and fringed,
and act like oars. Some of these insects are of great
size, being among the largest existing Hemiptera. Many of
them come out of the water and fly about at night.
Water butt \Wa"ter butt`\
A large, open-headed cask, set up on end, to contain water.
--Dickens.
Water caltrop \Wa"ter cal"trop\ (Bot.)
The water chestnut.
Water can \Wa"ter can`\ (Bot.)
Any one of several species of Nuphar; the yellow frog lily;
-- so called from the shape of the seed vessel. See {Nuphar},
and cf. {Candock}. --Dr. Prior.
Water canker \Wa"ter can"ker\ (Med.)
See {Canker}, n., 1.
Water carriage \Wa"ter car"riage\
1. Transportation or conveyance by water; means of
transporting by water.
2. A vessel or boat. [Obs.] --Arbuthnot.
Water cart \Wa"ter cart`\
A cart carrying water; esp., one carrying water for sale, or
for sprinkling streets, gardens, etc.
Water cavy \Wa"ter ca"vy\ (Zo["o]l.)
The capybara.
Water celery \Wa"ter cel"er*y\ (Bot.)
A very acrid herb ({Ranunculus sceleratus}) growing in
ditches and wet places; -- called also {cursed crowfoot}.
Water cell \Wa"ter cell`\
A cell containing water; specifically (Zo["o]l.), one of the
cells or chambers in which water is stored up in the stomach
of a camel.
Water cement \Wa"ter ce*ment"\
Hydraulic cement.
Water chestnut \Wa"ter chest"nut\ (Bot.)
The fruit of {Trapa natans} and {Trapa bicornis}, Old World
water plants bearing edible nutlike fruits armed with several
hard and sharp points; also, the plant itself; -- called also
{water caltrop}.
Water chevrotain \Wa"ter chev`ro*tain"\ (Zo["o]l.)
A large West African chevrotain ({Hy[ae]moschus aquaticus}).
It has a larger body and shorter legs than the other allied
species. Called also {water deerlet}.
Water chicken \Wa"ter chick"en\ (Zo["o]l.)
The common American gallinule.
Water chickweed \Wa"ter chick"weed`\ (Bot.)
A small annual plant ({Montia fontana}) growing in wet places
in southern regions.
Water chinquapin \Wa"ter chin"qua*pin\ (Bot.)
The American lotus, and its edible seeds, which somewhat
resemble chinquapins. Cf. {Yoncopin}.
Water clock \Wa"ter clock`\
An instrument or machine serving to measure time by the fall,
or flow, of a certain quantity of water; a clepsydra.
Water-closet \Wa"ter-clos`et\, n.
A privy; especially, a privy furnished with a contrivance for
introducing a stream of water to cleanse it.
Water cock \Wa"ter cock`\ (Zo["o]l.)
A large gallinule ({Gallicrex cristatus}) native of
Australia, India, and the East Indies. In the breeding season
the male is black and has a fleshy red caruncle, or horn, on
the top of its head. Called also {kora}.
Water color \Wa"ter col`or\ (Paint.)
1. A color ground with water and gum or other glutinous
medium; a color the vehicle of which is water; -- so
called in distinction from {oil color}.
Note: It preserves its consistency when dried in a solid
cake, which is used by rubbing off a portion on a
moistened palette. Moist water colors are water colors
kept in a semifluid or pasty state in little metal
tubes or pans.
2. A picture painted with such colors.
Water-colorist \Wa"ter-col`or*ist\, n.
One who paints in water colors.
Water course \Wa"ter course`\
1. A stream of water; a river or brook. --Isa. xliv. 4.
2. A natural channel for water; also, a canal for the
conveyance of water, especially in draining lands.
3. (Law) A running stream of water having a bed and banks;
the easement one may have in the flowing of such a stream
in its accustomed course. A water course may be sometimes
dry. --Angell. --Burrill.
Water craft \Wa"ter craft`\
Any vessel or boat plying on water; vessels and boats,
collectively.
Water crake \Wa"ter crake`\ (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The dipper.
(b) The spotted crake ({Porzana maruetta}). See Illust. of
{Crake}.
(c) The swamp hen, or crake, of Australia.
Water crane \Wa"ter crane`\
A goose-neck apparatus for supplying water from an elevated
tank, as to the tender of a locomotive.
Water cress \Wa"ter cress`\ (Bot.)
A perennial cruciferous herb ({Nasturtium officinale})
growing usually in clear running or spring water. The leaves
are pungent, and used for salad and as an antiscorbutic.
Water crow \Wa"ter crow`\ [So called in allusion to its dark
plumage.] (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The dipper.
(b) The European coot.
Water crowfoot \Wa"ter crow"foot`\ (Bot.)
An aquatic kind of buttercup ({Ranunculus aquatilis}), used
as food for cattle in parts of England.
{Great water crowfoot}, an American water plant ({Ranunculus
multifidus}), having deep yellow flowers.
Water cure \Wa"ter cure`\
1. (Med.) Hydropathy.
2. A hydropathic institution.
Water deck \Wa"ter deck`\
A covering of painting canvas for the equipments of a
dragoon's horse. --Wilhelm.
Water deer \Wa"ter deer`\ (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A small Chinese deer ({Hydropotes inermis}). Both sexes
are destitute of antlers, but the male has large,
descending canine tusks.
(b) The water chevrotain.
Water deerlet \Wa"ter deer"let\
See {Water chevrotain}.
Water devil \Wa"ter dev"il\ (Zo["o]l.)
The rapacious larva of a large water beetle ({Hydrophilus
piceus}), and of other similar species. See Illust. of Water
beetle.
Water dock \Wa"ter dock`\ (Bot.)
A tall, coarse dock growing in wet places. The American water
dock is {Rumex orbiculatus}, the European is {R.
Hydrolapathum}.
Water doctor \Wa"ter doc"tor\ (Med.)
(a) One who professes to be able to divine diseases by
inspection of the urine.
(b) A physician who treats diseases with water; an
hydropathist.
Water dog \Wa"ter dog`\
1. (Zo["o]l.) A dog accustomed to the water, or trained to
retrieve waterfowl. Retrievers, waters spaniels, and
Newfoundland dogs are so trained.
2. (Zo["o]l.) The menobranchus.
3. A small floating cloud, supposed to indicate rain.
4. A sailor, esp. an old sailor; an old salt. [Colloq.]
Water drain \Wa"ter drain`\
A drain or channel for draining off water.
Water drainage \Wa"ter drain"age\ (?; 48).
The draining off of water.
Water dressing \Wa"ter dress"ing\ (Med.)
The treatment of wounds or ulcers by the application of
water; also, a dressing saturated with water only, for
application to a wound or an ulcer.
Water dropwort \Wa"ter drop"wort`\ (Bot.)
A European poisonous umbelliferous plant ({Enanthe
fistulosa}) with large hollow stems and finely divided
leaves.
Water eagle \Wa"ter ea"gle\ (Zo["o]l.)
The osprey.
Water elder \Wa"ter el"der\ (Bot.)
The guelder-rose.
Water elephant \Wa"ter el"e*phant\ (Zo["o]l.)
The hippopotamus. [R.]
Water engine \Wa"ter en"gine\
An engine to raise water; or an engine moved by water; also,
an engine or machine for extinguishing fires; a fire engine.
Waterer \Wa"ter*er\, n.
One who, or that which, waters.
Waterfall \Wa"ter*fall`\, n.
1. A fall, or perpendicular descent, of the water of a river
or stream, or a descent nearly perpendicular; a cascade; a
cataract.
2. (Hairdressing) An arrangement of a woman's back hair over
a cushion or frame in some resemblance to a waterfall.
3. A certain kind of neck scarf. --T. Hughes.
Water feather \Wa"ter feath"er\ Water feather-foil \Wa"ter
feath"er-foil`\ (Bot.)
The water violet ({Hottonia palustris}); also, the less showy
American plant {H. inflata}.
Water flag \Wa"ter flag`\ (Bot.)
A European species of Iris ({Iris Pseudacorus}) having bright
yellow flowers.
Water flannel \Wa"ter flan"nel\ (Bot.)
A floating mass formed in pools by the entangled filaments of
a European fresh-water alga ({Cladophora crispata}).
Water flea \Wa"ter flea`\ (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of numerous species of small aquatic Entomostraca
belonging to the genera {Cyclops}, {Daphnia}, etc; -- so
called because they swim with sudden leaps, or starts.
Waterflood \Wa"ter*flood`\, n. [AS. w[ae]terfl[=o]d.]
A flood of water; an inundation.
Water flounder \Wa"ter floun"der\ (Zo["o]l.)
The windowpane ({Pleuronectes maculatus}). [Local, U. S.]
Waterfowl \Wa"ter*fowl`\, n.
Any bird that frequents the water, or lives about rivers,
lakes, etc., or on or near the sea; an aquatic fowl; -- used
also collectively.
Note: Of aquatic fowls, some are waders, or furnished with
long legs; others are swimmers, or furnished with
webbed feet.
Water fox \Wa"ter fox`\ (Zo["o]l.)
The carp; -- so called on account of its cunning. --Walton.
Water frame \Wa"ter frame`\
A name given to the first power spinning machine, because
driven by water power.
Water furrow \Wa"ter fur"row\ (Agric.)
A deep furrow for conducting water from the ground, and
keeping the surface soil dry.
Water-furrow \Wa"ter-fur"row\, v. t.
To make water furrows in.
Water gage \Wa"ter gage`\
See {Water gauge}.
Water gall \Wa"ter gall`\
1. A cavity made in the earth by a torrent of water; a
washout.
2. A watery appearance in the sky, accompanying the rainbow;
a secondary or broken rainbow.
These water galls, in her dim element, Foretell new
storms to those already spent. --Shak.
False good news are [is] always produced by true
good, like the water gall by the rainbow. --Walpole.
Water gang \Wa"ter gang`\ (O. E. Law)
A passage for water, such as was usually made in a sea wall,
to drain water out of marshes. --Burrill.
Water gas \Wa"ter gas`\ (Chem.)
See under {Gas}.
Water gate \Wa"ter gate`\
A gate, or valve, by which a flow of water is permitted,
prevented, or regulated.
Water gauge \Wa"ter gauge`\ [Written also {water gage}.]
1. A wall or bank to hold water back. --Craig.
2. An instrument for measuring or ascertaining the depth or
quantity of water, or for indicating the height of its
surface, as in the boiler of a steam engine. See {Gauge}.
Water gavel \Wa"ter gav"el\ (O. Eng. Law)
A gavel or rent paid for a privilege, as of fishing, in some
river or water.
Water germander \Wa"ter ger*man"der\ (Bot.)
A labiate plant ({Teucrium Scordium}) found in marshy places
in Europe.
Water gilding \Wa"ter gild"ing\
The act, or the process, of gilding metallic surfaces by
covering them with a thin coating of amalgam of gold, and
then volatilizing the mercury by heat; -- called also {wash
gilding}.
Water glass \Wa"ter glass`\ (Chem.)
See {Soluble glass}, under {Glass}.
Water god \Wa"ter god`\ (Myth.)
A fabulous deity supposed to dwell in, and preside over, some
body of water.
Water gruel \Wa"ter gru"el\
A liquid food composed of water and a small portion of meal,
or other farinaceous substance, boiled and seasoned.
Water hammer \Wa"ter ham"mer\ (Physics)
1. A vessel partly filled with water, exhausted of air, and
hermetically sealed. When reversed or shaken, the water
being unimpeded by air, strikes the sides in solid mass
with a sound like that of a hammer.
2. A concussion, or blow, made by water in striking, as
against the sides of a pipe or vessel containing it.
Water hare \Wa"ter hare\ (Zo["o]l.)
A small American hare or rabbit ({Lepus aquaticus}) found on
or near the southern coasts of the United States; -- called
also {water rabbit}, and {swamp hare}.
Water hemlock \Wa"ter hem"lock\ (Bot)
(a) A poisonous umbelliferous plant ({Cicuta virosa}) of
Europe; also, any one of several plants of that genus.
(b) A poisonous plant ({[OE]nanthe crocata}) resembling the
above.
Water hemp \Wa"ter hemp`\ (Bot.)
See under {Hemp}.
Water hen \Wa"ter hen`\
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any gallinule.
2. (Zo["o]l.) The common American coot.
Water hog \Wa"ter hog`\ (Zo["o]l.)
The capybara.
Water horehound \Wa"ter hore"hound`\ (Bot.)
Bugleweed.
Waterhorse \Wa"ter*horse`\, n.
A pile of salted fish heaped up to drain.
Water hyacinth \Wa"ter hy"a*cinth\ (Bot.)
Either of several tropical aquatic plants of the genus
{Eichhornia}, related to the pickerel weed.
Water ice \Wa"ter ice`\
Water flavored, sweetened, and frozen, to be eaten as a
confection.
Waterie \Wa"ter*ie\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The pied wagtail; -- so called because it frequents ponds.
Water inch \Wa"ter inch`\
Same as {Inch of water}, under {Water}.
Wateriness \Wa"ter*i*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being watery; moisture; humidity.
Watering \Wa"ter*ing\,
a. & n. from {Water}, v.
{Watering call} (Mil.), a sound of trumpet or bugle summoning
cavalry soldiers to assemble for the purpose of watering
their horses.
{Watering cart}, a sprinkling cart. See {Water}.
{Watering place}.
(a) A place where water may be obtained, as for a ship, for
cattle, etc.
(b) A place where there are springs of medicinal water, or a
place by the sea, or by some large body of water, to
which people resort for bathing, recreation, boating,
etc.
{Watering pot}.
(a) A kind of bucket fitted with a rose, or perforated
nozzle, -- used for watering flowers, paths, etc.
(b) (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of marine bivalve
shells of the genus {Aspergillum}, or {Brechites}. The
valves are small, and consolidated with the capacious
calcareous tube which incases the entire animal. The tube
is closed at the anterior end by a convex disk perforated
by numerous pores, or tubules, and resembling the rose of
a watering pot.
{Watering trough}, a trough from which cattle, horses, and
other animals drink.
Waterish \Wa"ter*ish\, a. [AS. w[ae]terisc.]
1. Resembling water; thin; watery.
Feed upon such nice and waterish diet. --Shak.
2. Somewhat watery; moist; as, waterish land.
Waterishness \Wa"ter*ish*ness\, n.
The quality of being waterish.
Water joint \Wa"ter joint`\ (Arch.)
A joint in a stone pavement where the stones are left
slightly higher than elsewhere, the rest of the surface being
sunken or dished. The raised surface is intended to prevent
the settling of water in the joints.
Water junket \Wa"ter jun"ket\ (Zo["o]l.)
The common sandpiper.
Water-laid \Wa"ter-laid`\, a.
Having a left-hand twist; -- said of cordage; as, a
water-laid, or left-hand, rope.
Waterlander \Wa`ter*land"er\, Waterlandian \Wa`ter*land"i*an\n.
(Eccl. Hist.)
One of a body of Dutch Anabaptists who separated from the
Mennonites in the sixteenth century; -- so called from a
district in North Holland denominated Waterland.
Water laverock \Wa"ter la"ver*ock\ (Zo["o]l.)
The common sandpiper.
Waterleaf \Wa"ter*leaf`\, n. (Bot.)
Any plant of the American genus {Hydrophyllum}, herbs having
white or pale blue bell-shaped flowers. --Gray.
Water leg \Wa"ter leg`\ (Steam Boilers)
See {Leg}, 7.
Water lemon \Wa"ter lem"on\ (Bot.)
The edible fruit of two species of passion flower
({Passiflora laurifolia}, and {P. maliformis}); -- so called
in the West Indies.
Waterless \Wa"ter*less\, a.
Destitute of water; dry. --Chaucer.
Water lettuce \Wa"ter let"tuce\ (Bot.)
A plant ({Pistia stratiotes}) which floats on tropical
waters, and forms a rosette of spongy, wedge-shaped leaves.
--J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).
Water level \Wa"ter lev"el\
1. The level formed by the surface of still water.
2. A kind of leveling instrument. See under {Level}, n.
Water lily \Wa"ter lil`y\ (Bot.)
A blossom or plant of any species of the genus Nymph[ae]a,
distinguished for its large floating leaves and beautiful
flowers. See {Nymph[ae]a}.
Note: The name is extended to various plants of other related
genera, as {Nuphar}, {Euryale}, {Nelumbo}, and
{Victoria}. See {Euryale}, {Lotus}, and {Victoria}, 1.
Water lime \Wa"ter lime`\
Hydraulic lime.
Water line \Wa"ter line`\
1. (Shipbuilding) Any one of certain lines of a vessel,
model, or plan, parallel with the surface of the water at
various heights from the keel.
Note: In a half-breadth plan, the water lines are outward
curves showing the horizontal form of the ship at their
several heights; in a sheer plan, they are projected as
straight horizontal lines.
2. (Naut.) Any one of several lines marked upon the outside
of a vessel, corresponding with the surface of the water
when she is afloat on an even keel. The lowest line
indicates the vessel's proper submergence when not loaded,
and is called the {light water line}; the highest, called
the {load water line}, indicates her proper submergence
when loaded.
{Water-line model} (Shipbuilding), a model of a vessel formed
of boards which are shaped according to the water lines as
shown in the plans and laid upon each other to form a
solid model.
Water lizard \Wa"ter liz"ard\ (Zo["o]l.)
Any aquatic lizard of the genus {Varanus}, as the monitor of
the Nile. See {Monitor}, n., 3.
Water locust \Wa"ter lo"cust\ (Bot.)
A thorny leguminous tree ({Gleditschia monosperma}) which
grows in the swamps of the Mississippi valley.
Water-logged \Wa"ter-logged\, a.
Filled or saturated with water so as to be heavy,
unmanageable, or loglike; -- said of a vessel, when, by
receiving a great quantity of water into her hold, she has
become so heavy as not to be manageable by the helm.
Waterman \Wa"ter*man\, n.; pl. {Watermen}.
1. A man who plies for hire on rivers, lakes, or canals, or
in harbors, in distinction from a seaman who is engaged on
the high seas; a man who manages fresh-water craft; a
boatman; a ferryman.
2. An attendant on cab stands, etc., who supplies water to
the horses. [Eng.] --Dickens.
3. A water demon. --Tylor.
Watermark \Wa"ter*mark`\, n.
1. A mark indicating the height to which water has risen, or
at which it has stood; the usual limit of high or low
water.
2. A letter, device, or the like, wrought into paper during
the process of manufacture.
Note: ``The watermark in paper is produced by bending the
wires of the mold, or by wires bent into the shape of
the required letter or device, and sewed to the surface
of the mold; -- it has the effect of making the paper
thinner in places. The old makers employed watermarks
of an eccentric kind. Those of Caxton and other early
printers were an oxhead and star, a collared dog's
head, a crown, a shield, a jug, etc. A fool's cap and
bells, employed as a watermark, gave the name to
foolscap paper; a postman's horn, such as was formerly
in use, gave the name to post paper.'' --Tomlinson.
3. (Naut.) See {Water line}, 2. [R.]
Water meadow \Wa"ter mead"ow\ (Agric.)
A meadow, or piece of low, flat land, capable of being kept
in a state of fertility by being overflowed with water from
some adjoining river or stream.
Water measure \Wa"ter meas"ure\
A measure formerly used for articles brought by water, as
coals, oysters, etc. The water-measure bushel was three
gallons larger than the Winchester bushel. --Cowell.
Water measurer \Wa"ter meas"ur*er\ (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of numerous species of water; the skater. See
{Skater}, n., 2.
Watermelon \Wa"ter*mel`on\, n. (Bot.)
The very large ovoid or roundish fruit of a cucurbitaceous
plant ({Citrullus vulgaris}) of many varieties; also, the
plant itself. The fruit sometimes weighs many pounds; its
pulp is usually pink in color, and full of a sweet watery
juice. It is a native of tropical Africa, but is now
cultivated in many countries. See Illust. of {Melon}.
Water meter \Wa"ter me"ter\
A contrivance for measuring a supply of water delivered or
received for any purpose, as from a street main.
Water milfoil \Wa"ter mil"foil\ (Bot.)
Any plant of the genus {Myriophyllum}, aquatic herbs with
whorled leaves, the submersed ones pinnately parted into
capillary divisions.
Water mill \Wa"ter mill`\
A mill whose machinery is moved by water; -- distinguished
from a {windmill}, and a {steam mill}.
Water mint \Wa"ter mint`\
A kind of mint ({Mentha aquatica}) growing in wet places, and
sometimes having a perfume resembling bergamot.
Water mite \Wa"ter mite`\ (Zo["o]l.)
Any of numerous species of aquatic mites belonging to
{Hydrachna} and allied genera of the family {Hydrachnid[ae]},
usually having the legs fringed and adapted for swimming.
They are often red or red and black in color, and while young
are parasites of fresh-water insects and mussels. Called also
{water tick}, and {water spider}.
Water moccasin \Wa"ter moc"ca*sin\ (Zo["o]l.)
A venomous North American snake ({Ancistrodon piscivorus})
allied to the rattlesnake but destitute of a rattle. It lives
in or about pools and ponds, and feeds largely of fishes.
Called also {water snake}, {water adder}, {water viper}.
Water mole \Wa"ter mole`\ (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The shrew mole. See under {Shrew}.
(b) The duck mole. See under {Duck}.
Water monitor \Wa"ter mon"i*tor\ (Zo["o]l.)
A very large lizard ({Varanaus salvator}) native of India. It
frequents the borders of streams and swims actively. It
becomes five or six feet long. Called also {two-banded
monitor}, and {kabaragoya}. The name is also applied to other
aquatic monitors.
Water motor \Wa"ter mo"tor\
1. A water engine.
2. A water wheel; especially, a small water wheel driven by
water from a street main.
Water mouse \Wa"ter mouse`\ (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of several species of mice belonging to the genus
{Hydromys}, native of Australia and Tasmania. Their hind legs
are strong and their toes partially webbed. They live on the
borders of streams, and swim well. They are remarkable as
being the only rodents found in Australia.
Water murrain \Wa"ter mur"rain\
A kind of murrain affecting cattle. --Crabb.
Water newt \Wa"ter newt`\ (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of numerous species of aquatic salamanders; a triton.
Water nymph \Wa"ter nymph`\
1. (Myth.) A goddess of any stream or other body of water,
whether one of the Naiads, Nereids, or Oceanides.
2. (Bot.) A water lily ({Nymph[ae]a}).
Water oat \Wa"ter oat`\
Indian rice. See under {Rice}.
Water opossum \Wa"ter o*pos"sum\ (Zo["o]l.)
See {Yapock}, and the Note under {Opossum}.
Water ordeal \Wa"ter or"de*al\
Same as {Ordeal by water}. See the Note under {Ordeal}, n.,
1.
Water ousel \Wa"ter ou"sel\, Water ouzel \Wa"ter ou"zel\ .
(Zo["o]l.)
Any one of several species of small insessorial birds of the
genus {Cinclus} (or {Hydrobates}), especially the European
water ousel ({C. aquaticus}), and the American water ousel
({C. Mexicanus}). These birds live about the water, and are
in the habit of walking on the bottom of streams beneath the
water in search of food.
Water parsnip \Wa"ter pars"nip\ (Bot.)
Any plant of the aquatic umbelliferous genus {Sium},
poisonous herbs with pinnate or dissected leaves and small
white flowers.
Water partridge \Wa"ter par"tridge\ (Zo["o]l.)
The ruddy duck. [Local, U. S.]
Water pennywort \Wa"ter pen"ny*wort`\ (Bot.)
Marsh pennywort. See under {Marsh}.
Water pepper \Wa"ter pep"per\ (Bot.)
(a) Smartweed.
(b) Waterwort.
Water pheasant \Wa"ter pheas"ant\ (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The pintail. See {Pintail}, n., 1.
(b) The goosander.
(c) The hooded merganser.
Water piet \Wa"ter pi"et\ (Zo["o]l.)
The water ousel.
Water pig \Wa"ter pig`\
1. (Zo["o]l.) The capybara.
2. (Zo["o]l.) The gourami.
Water pillar \Wa"ter pil"lar\
A waterspout. [Obs.]
Water pimpernel \Wa"ter pim"per*nel\ (Bot.)
A small white-flowered shrub; brookweed.
Water pipe \Wa"ter pipe\
A pipe for conveying water.
Water pitcher \Wa"ter pitch"er\
1. A pitcher for water.
2. (Bot.) One of a family of plants having pitcher-shaped
leaves. The sidesaddle flower ({Sarracenia purpurea}) is
the type.
Water plant \Wa"ter plant`\
A plant that grows in water; an aquatic plant.
Water plantain \Wa"ter plan"tain\ (Bot.)
A kind of plant with acrid leaves. See under 2d {Plantain}.
Water plate \Wa"ter plate`\
A plate heated by hot water contained in a double bottom or
jacket. --Knight.
Water poa \Wa"ter po"a\ (Bot.)
Meadow reed grass. See under {Reed}.
Water poise \Wa"ter poise`\
A hydrometer.
Water pore \Wa"ter pore`\,
1. (Zo["o]l.) A pore by which the water tubes of various
invertebrates open externally.
2. (Bot.) One of certain minute pores in the leaves of some
plants. They are without true guardian cells, but in other
respects closely resemble ordinary stomata. --Goodale.
Waterpot \Wa"ter*pot`\, n.
A vessel for holding or conveying water, or for sprinkling
water on cloth, plants, etc.
Water power \Wa"ter pow"er\
1. The power of water employed to move machinery, etc.
2. A fall of water which may be used to drive machinery; a
site for a water mill; a water privilege.
Water pox \Wa"ter pox`\ (Med.)
A variety of chicken pox, or varicella. --Dunglison.
Water privilege \Wa"ter priv"i*lege\
The advantage of using water as a mechanical power; also, the
place where water is, or may be, so used. See under
{Privilege}.
Waterproof \Wa"ter*proof`\, a.
Proof against penetration or permeation by water; impervious
to water; as, a waterproof garment; a waterproof roof.
Waterproof \Wa"ter*proof`\, n.
1. A substance or preparation for rendering cloth, leather,
etc., impervious to water.
2. Cloth made waterproof, or any article made of such cloth,
or of other waterproof material, as rubber; esp., an outer
garment made of such material.
Waterproof \Wa"ter*proof`\, v. t.
To render impervious to water, as cloth, leather, etc.
Waterproofing \Wa"ter*proof`ing\, n.
1. The act or process of making waterproof.
2. Same as {Waterproof}, n., 1.
Water purslane \Wa"ter purs"lane\ (Bot.)
See under {Purslane}.
Water qualm \Wa"ter qualm`\ (Med.)
See {Water brash}, under {Brash}.
Water rabbit \Wa"ter rab"bit\ (Zo["o]l.)
See {Water hare}.
Water radish \Wa"ter rad"ish\ (Bot.)
A coarse yellow-flowered plant ({Nasturtium amphibium})
related to the water cress and to the horse-radish.
Water rail \Wa"ter rail`\ (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of numerous species of rails of the genus {Rallus},
as the common European species ({Rallus aquaticus}). See
Illust. of {Rail}.
Water ram \Wa"ter ram`\
An hydraulic ram.
Water rat \Wa"ter rat`\
1. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The water vole. See under {Vole}.
(b) The muskrat.
(c) The beaver rat. See under {Beaver}.
2. A thief on the water; a pirate.
Water rate \Wa"ter rate`\
A rate or tax for a supply of water.
Water rattle \Wa"ter rat"tle\ Water rattler \Wa"ter rat"tler\
(Zo["o]l.)
The diamond rattlesnake ({Crotalus adamanteus}); -- so called
from its preference for damp places near water.
Water-ret \Wa"ter-ret`\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Water-retted}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Water-retting}.]
To ret, or rot, in water, as flax; to water-rot.
Water rice \Wa"ter rice"\
Indian rice. See under {Rice}.
Water rocket \Wa"ter rock"et\
1. (Bot.) A cruciferous plant ({Nasturtium sylvestre}) with
small yellow flowers.
2. A kind of firework to be discharged in the water.
Water-rot \Wa"ter-rot`\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Water-rotted}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Water-rotting}.]
To rot by steeping in water; to water-ret; as, to water-rot
hemp or flax.
Water sail \Wa"ter sail`\ (Naut.)
A small sail sometimes set under a studding sail or under a
driver boom, and reaching nearly to the water.
Water sapphire \Wa"ter sap"phire\ [Equiv. to F. saphir d'eau.]
(Min.)
A deep blue variety of iolite, sometimes used as a gem; --
called also {saphir d'eau}.
Waterscape \Wa"ter*scape"\, n. [Cf. {Landscape}.]
A sea view; -- distinguished from landscape. [Jocose]
--Fairholt.
Water scorpion \Wa"ter scor"pi*on\ (Zo["o]l.)
See {Nepa}.
Water screw \Wa"ter screw`\
A screw propeller.
Watershed \Wa"ter*shed`\, n. [Cf. G. wasserscheide; wasser water
+ scheide a place where two things separate, fr. scheiden to
separate.]
1. The whole region or extent of country which contributes to
the supply of a river or lake.
2. The line of division between two adjacent rivers or lakes
with respect to the flow of water by natural channels into
them; the natural boundary of a basin.
Water shield \Wa"ter shield`\ (Bot.)
An aquatic American plant ({Brasenia peltata}) having
floating oval leaves, and the covered with a clear jelly.
Watershoot \Wa"ter*shoot`\, n.
1. A sprig or shoot from the root or stock of a tree. [Obs.]
2. (Arch.) That which serves to guard from falling water; a
drip or dripstone.
3. A trough for discharging water.
Water shrew \Wa"ter shrew`\ (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of several species of shrews having fringed feet and
capable of swimming actively. The two common European species
({Crossopus fodiens}, and {C. ciliatus}) are the best known.
The most common American water shrew, or marsh shrew
({Neosorex palustris}), is rarely seen, owing to its
nocturnal habits.
Water snail \Wa"ter snail`\
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any aquatic pulmonate gastropod belonging to
{Planorbis}, {Limn[ae]a}, and allied genera; a pond snail.
2. (Mech.) The Archimedean screw. [R.]
Water snake \Wa"ter snake`\ (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A common North American colubrine snake ({Tropidonotus
sipedon}) which lives chiefly in the water.
(b) Any species of snakes of the family {Homalopsid[ae]},
all of which are aquatic in their habits.
Water-soak \Wa"ter-soak`\, v. t.
To soak water; to fill the interstices of with water.
Water soldier \Wa"ter sol`dier\ (Bot.)
An aquatic European plant ({Stratiotes aloides}) with
bayonet-shaped leaves.
Water souchy \Wa"ter souch`y\ (Cookery)
A dish consisting of small fish stewed and served in a little
water. [Written also {water souchet}.] See {Zoutch}.
Water spaniel \Wa"ter span"iel\
A curly-haired breed of spaniels, naturally very fond of the
water.
Water sparrow \Wa"ter spar"row\ (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The reed warbler. [Prov. Eng.]
(b) The reed bunting. [Prov. Eng.]
Water speedwell \Wa"ter speed"well\ (Bot.)
A kind of speedwell ({Veronica Anagallis}) found in wet
places in Europe and America.
Water spider \Wa"ter spi"der\ (Zo["o]l.)
(a) An aquatic European spider ({Argyoneta aquatica}) which
constructs its web beneath the surface of the water on
water plants. It lives in a bell-shaped structure of
silk, open beneath like a diving bell, and filled with
air which the spider carries down in the form of small
bubbles attached one at a time to the spinnerets and hind
feet. Called also {diving spider}.
(b) A water mite.
(c) Any spider that habitually lives on or about the water,
especially the large American species ({Dolomedes
lanceolatus}) which runs rapidly on the surface of water;
-- called also {raft spider}.
Water spinner \Wa"ter spin`ner\ (Zo["o]l.)
The water spider.
Waterspout \Wa"ter*spout`\, n.
A remarkable meteorological phenomenon, of the nature of a
tornado or whirlwind, usually observed over the sea, but
sometimes over the land.
Note: Tall columns, apparently of cloud, and reaching from
the sea to the clouds, are seen moving along, often
several at once, sometimes straight and vertical, at
other times inclined and tortuous, but always in rapid
rotation. At their bases, the sea is violently agitated
and heaped up with a leaping or boiling motion, water,
at least in some cases, being actually carried up in
considerable quantity, and scattered round from a great
height, as solid bodies are by tornadoes on land. --Sir
J. Herschel.
Water sprite \Wa"ter sprite`\
A sprite, or spirit, imagined as inhabiting the water. --J.
R. Drake.
Water-standing \Wa"ter-stand`ing\, a.
Tear-filled. [R.] ``Many an orphan's water-standing eye.''
--Shak.
Water star grass \Wa"ter star" grass`\ (Bot.)
An aquatic plant ({Schollera graminea}) with grassy leaves,
and yellow star-shaped blossoms.
Water starwort \Wa"ter star"wort`\
See under {Starwort}.
Water supply \Wa"ter sup*ply"\
A supply of water; specifically, water collected, as in
reservoirs, and conveyed, as by pipes, for use in a city,
mill, or the like.
Water tabby \Wa"ter tab"by\
A kind of waved or watered tabby. See {Tabby}, n., 1.
Water table \Wa"ter ta"ble\ (Arch.)
A molding, or other projection, in the wall of a building, to
throw off the water, -- generally used in the United States
for the first table above the surface of the ground (see
{Table}, n., 9), that is, for the table at the top of the
foundation and the beginning of the upper wall.
Watertath \Wa"ter*tath`\, n. [Water + tath, n.]
A kind of coarse grass growing in wet grounds, and supposed
to be injurious to sheep. [Prov. Eng.]
Water thermometer \Wa"ter ther*mom"e*ter\ (Physics)
A thermometer filled with water instead of mercury, for
ascertaining the precise temperature at which water attains
its maximum density. This is about 39[deg] Fahr., or 4[deg]
Centigrade; and from that point down to 32[deg] Fahr., or
0[deg] Centigrade, or the freezing point, it expands.
Water thief \Wa"ter thief`\
A pirate. [R.] --Shak.
Water thrush \Wa"ter thrush`\ (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A North American bird of the genus {Seiurus}, belonging
to the Warbler family, especially the common species ({S.
Noveboracensis}).
(b) The European water ousel.
(b) The pied wagtail.
Water thyme \Wa"ter thyme`\ (Bot.)
See {Anacharis}.
Water tick \Wa"ter tick`\
Same as {Water mite}.
Water tiger \Wa"ter ti"ger\ (Zo["o]l.)
A diving, or water, beetle, especially the larva of a water
beetle. See Illust. b of {Water beetle}.
Water-tight \Wa"ter-tight`\, a.
So tight as to retain, or not to admit, water; not leaky.
Water torch \Wa"ter torch`\ (Bot.)
The common cat-tail ({Typha latifolia}), the spike of which
makes a good torch soaked in oil. --Dr. Prior.
Water tower \Wa"ter tow"er\
A large metal pipe made to be extended vertically by
sections, and used for discharging water upon burning
buildings.
Water tree \Wa"ter tree`\ (Bot.)
A climbing shrub ({Tetracera alnifolia, or potatoria}) of
Western Africa, which pours out a watery sap from the freshly
cut stems.
Water trefoil \Wa"ter tre"foil`\ (Bot.)
The buck bean.
Water tube \Wa"ter tube`\ (Zo["o]l.)
One of a system of tubular excretory organs having external
openings, found in many invertebrates. They are believed to
be analogous in function to the kidneys of vertebrates. See
Illust. under {Trematodea}, and {Sporocyst}.
Water tupelo \Wa"ter tu"pe*lo\ (Bot.)
A species of large tupelo ({Nyssa aquatica}) growing in
swamps in the southern of the United States. See {Ogeechee
lime}.
Water turkey \Wa"ter tur"key\ (Zo["o]l.)
The American snakebird. See {Snakebird}.
Water tu tuyere \Wa"ter tu tu`y[`e]re"\
A tuy[`e]re kept cool by water circulating within a casing.
It is used for hot blast.
Water tu twist \Wa"ter tu twist`\
Yarn made by the throstle, or water frame.
Water vine \Wa"ter vine`\ (Bot.)
Any plant of the genus {Phytocrene}, climbing shrubs of Asia
and Africa, the stems of which are singularly porous, and
when cut stream with a limpid potable juice.
Water violet \Wa"ter vi"o*let\ (Bot.)
See under {Violet}.
Water viper \Wa"ter vi"per\ (Zo["o]l.)
See {Water moccasin}.
Water vole \Wa"ter vole`\ (Zo["o]l.)
See under {Vole}.
Water wagtail \Wa"ter wag"tail`\
See under {Wagtail}.
Waterway \Wa"ter*way`\, n. (Naut.)
Heavy plank or timber extending fore and aft the whole length
of a vessel's deck at the line of junction with the sides,
forming a channel to the scuppers, which are cut through it.
In iron vessels the waterway is variously constructed.
Water way \Wa"ter way`\
Same as {Water course}.
Waterweed \Wa"ter*weed`\, n. (Bot.)
See {Anacharis}.
Water wheel \Wa"ter wheel`\
1. Any wheel for propelling machinery or for other purposes,
that is made to rotate by the direct action of water; --
called an {overshot wheel} when the water is applied at
the top, an {undershot wheel} when at the bottom, a
{breast wheel} when at an intermediate point; other forms
are called {reaction wheel}, {vortex wheel}, {turbine
wheel}, etc.
2. The paddle wheel of a steam vessel.
3. A wheel for raising water; a noria, or the like.
Water willow \Wa"ter wil`low\ (Bot.)
An American aquatic plant ({Dianthera Americana}) with long
willowlike leaves, and spikes of small purplish flowers.
Water wing \Wa"ter wing`\ (Arch.)
One of two walls built on either side of the junction of a
bridge with the bank of a river, to protect the abutment of
the bridge and the bank from the action of the current.
Water witch \Wa"ter witch`\ (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The dabchick.
(b) The stormy petrel. [Prov. Eng.]
Water-white \Wa"ter-white`\, n. (Bot.)
A vinelike plant ({Vitis Carib[ae]a}) growing in parched
districts in the West Indies, and containing a great amount
of sap which is sometimes used for quenching thirst.
Waterwork \Wa"ter*work`\, n.
1. (Paint.) Painting executed in size or distemper, on canvas
or walls, -- formerly, frequently taking the place of
tapestry. --Shak. Fairholt.
2. An hydraulic apparatus, or a system of works or fixtures,
by which a supply of water is furnished for useful or
ornamental purposes, including dams, sluices, pumps,
aqueducts, distributing pipes, fountains, etc.; -- used
chiefly in the plural.
Waterworn \Wa"ter*worn`\, a.
Worn, smoothed, or polished by the action of water; as,
waterworn stones.
Waterwort \Wa"ter*wort`\, n. (Bot.)
Any plant of the natural order {Elatine[ae]}, consisting of
two genera ({Elatine}, and {Bergia}), mostly small annual
herbs growing in the edges of ponds. Some have a peppery or
acrid taste.
Watery \Wa"ter*y\, a. [AS. w[ae]terig.]
1. Of or pertaining to water; consisting of water. ``The
watery god.'' --Dryden. ``Fish within their watery
residence.'' --Milton.
2. Abounding with water; wet; hence, tearful.
3. Resembling water; thin or transparent, as a liquid; as,
watery humors.
The oily and watery parts of the aliment.
--Arbuthnot.
4. Hence, abounding in thin, tasteless, or insipid fluid;
tasteless; insipid; vapid; spiritless.
Watt \Watt\, n. [From the distinguished mechanician and
scientist, James Watt.] (Physics)
A unit of power or activity equal to 10^{7} C.G.S. units of
power, or to work done at the rate of one joule a second. An
English horse power is approximately equal to 746 watts.
Wattmeter \Watt"me`ter\, n. [Watt + meter.] (Physics)
An instrument for measuring power in watts, -- much used in
measuring the energy of an electric current.
Wattle \Wat"tle\, n. [AS. watel, watul, watol, hurdle, covering,
wattle; cf. OE. watel a bag. Cf. {Wallet}.]
1. A twig or flexible rod; hence, a hurdle made of such rods.
And there he built with wattles from the marsh A
little lonely church in days of yore. --Tennyson.
2. A rod laid on a roof to support the thatch.
3. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A naked fleshy, and usually wrinkled and highly
colored, process of the skin hanging from the chin or
throat of a bird or reptile.
(b) Barbel of a fish.
4.
(a) The astringent bark of several Australian trees of the
genus {Acacia}, used in tanning; -- called also
{wattle bark}.
(b) (Bot.) The trees from which the bark is obtained. See
{Savanna wattle}, under {Savanna}.
{Wattle turkey}. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Brush turkey}.
Wattle \Wat"tle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wattled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wattling}.]
1. To bind with twigs.
2. To twist or interweave, one with another, as twigs; to
form a network with; to plat; as, to wattle branches.
3. To form, by interweaving or platting twigs.
The folded flocks, penned in their wattled cotes.
--Milton.
Wattlebird \Wat"tle*bird`\, n.
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of honey eaters
belonging to {Anthoch[ae]ra} and allied genera of the
family {Meliphagid[ae]}. These birds usually have a large
and conspicuous wattle of naked skin hanging down below
each ear. They are natives of Australia and adjacent
islands.
Note: The best-known species ({Anthoch[ae]ra carunculata})
has the upper parts grayish brown, with a white stripe
on each feather, and the wing and tail quills dark
brown or blackish, tipped with withe. Its wattles, in
life, are light blood-red. Called also {wattled crow},
{wattled bee-eater}, {wattled honey eater}. Another
species ({A. inauris}) is streaked with black, gray,
and white, and its long wattles are white, tipped with
orange. The bush wattlebirds, belonging to the genus
{Anellobia}, are closely related, but lack conspicuous
wattles. The most common species ({A. mellivora}) is
dark brown, finely streaked with white. Called also
{goruck creeper}.
2. (Zo["o]l.) The Australian brush turkey.
Wattled \Wat"tled\, a.
Furnished with wattles, or pendent fleshy processes at the
chin or throat.
The wattled cocks strut to and fro. --Longfellow.
Wattling \Wat"tling\, n.
The act or process of binding or platting with twigs; also,
the network so formed.
Made with a wattling of canes or sticks. --Dampier.
Waucht \Waucht\, Waught \Waught\, n. [Cf. {Quaff}.]
A large draught of any liquid. [Scot.] --Jamieson.
Waul \Waul\, v. i. [Of imitative origin.]
To cry as a cat; to squall; to wail. [Written also {wawl}.]
The helpless infant, coming wauling and crying into the
world. --Sir W.
Scott.
Waur \Waur\, a. [See {Worse}.]
Worse. [Scot.]
Murder and waur than murder. --Sir W.
Scott.
Wave \Wave\ (w[=a]v), v. t.
See {Waive}. --Sir H. Wotton. Burke.
Wave \Wave\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Waved} (w[=a]vd); p. pr. & vb.
n. {Waving}.] [OE. waven, AS. wafian to waver, to hesitate,
to wonder; akin to w[ae]fre wavering, restless, MHG. wabern
to be in motion, Icel. vafra to hover about; cf. Icel.
v[=a]fa to vibrate. Cf. {Waft}, {Waver}.]
1. To play loosely; to move like a wave, one way and the
other; to float; to flutter; to undulate.
His purple robes waved careless to the winds.
--Trumbull.
Where the flags of three nations has successively
waved. --Hawthorne.
2. To be moved to and fro as a signal. --B. Jonson.
3. To fluctuate; to waver; to be in an unsettled state; to
vacillate. [Obs.]
He waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither
good nor harm. --Shak.
Wave \Wave\, v. t.
1. To move one way and the other; to brandish. ``[[AE]neas]
waved his fatal sword.'' --Dryden.
2. To raise into inequalities of surface; to give an
undulating form a surface to.
Horns whelked and waved like the enridged sea.
--Shak.
3. To move like a wave, or by floating; to waft. [Obs.] --Sir
T. Browne.
4. To call attention to, or give a direction or command to,
by a waving motion, as of the hand; to signify by waving;
to beckon; to signal; to indicate.
Look, with what courteous action It waves you to a
more removed ground. --Shak.
She spoke, and bowing waved Dismissal. --Tennyson.
Wave \Wave\, n. [From {Wave}, v.; not the same word as OE. wawe,
waghe, a wave, which is akin to E. wag to move. [root]136.
See {Wave}, v. i.]
1. An advancing ridge or swell on the surface of a liquid, as
of the sea, resulting from the oscillatory motion of the
particles composing it when disturbed by any force their
position of rest; an undulation.
The wave behind impels the wave before. --Pope.
2. (Physics) A vibration propagated from particle to particle
through a body or elastic medium, as in the transmission
of sound; an assemblage of vibrating molecules in all
phases of a vibration, with no phase repeated; a wave of
vibration; an undulation. See {Undulation}.
3. Water; a body of water. [Poetic] ``Deep drank Lord Marmion
of the wave.'' --Sir W. Scott.
Build a ship to save thee from the flood, I 'll
furnish thee with fresh wave, bread, and wine.
--Chapman.
4. Unevenness; inequality of surface. --Sir I. Newton.
5. A waving or undulating motion; a signal made with the
hand, a flag, etc.
6. The undulating line or streak of luster on cloth watered,
or calendered, or on damask steel.
7. Fig.: A swelling or excitement of thought, feeling, or
energy; a tide; as, waves of enthusiasm.
{Wave front} (Physics), the surface of initial displacement
of the particles in a medium, as a wave of vibration
advances.
{Wave length} (Physics), the space, reckoned in the direction
of propagation, occupied by a complete wave or undulation,
as of light, sound, etc.; the distance from a point or
phase in a wave to the nearest point at which the same
phase occurs.
{Wave line} (Shipbuilding), a line of a vessel's hull, shaped
in accordance with the wave-line system.
{Wave-line system}, {Wave-line theory} (Shipbuilding), a
system or theory of designing the lines of a vessel, which
takes into consideration the length and shape of a wave
which travels at a certain speed.
{Wave loaf}, a loaf for a wave offering. --Lev. viii. 27.
{Wave moth} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of small
geometrid moths belonging to {Acidalia} and allied genera;
-- so called from the wavelike color markings on the
wings.
{Wave offering}, an offering made in the Jewish services by
waving the object, as a loaf of bread, toward the four
cardinal points. --Num. xviii. 11.
{Wave of vibration} (Physics), a wave which consists in, or
is occasioned by, the production and transmission of a
vibratory state from particle to particle through a body.
{Wave surface}.
(a) (Physics) A surface of simultaneous and equal
displacement of the particles composing a wave of
vibration.
(b) (Geom.) A mathematical surface of the fourth order
which, upon certain hypotheses, is the locus of a wave
surface of light in the interior of crystals. It is
used in explaining the phenomena of double refraction.
See under {Refraction}.
{Wave theory}. (Physics) See {Undulatory theory}, under
{Undulatory}.
Waved \Waved\, a.
1. Exhibiting a wavelike form or outline; undulating;
intended; wavy; as, waved edge.
2. Having a wavelike appearance; marked with wavelike lines
of color; as, waved, or watered, silk.
3. (Her.) Having undulations like waves; -- said of one of
the lines in heraldry which serve as outlines to the
ordinaries, etc.
Waveless \Wave"less\, a.
Free from waves; undisturbed; not agitated; as, the waveless
sea.
Wavelet \Wave"let\, n.
A little wave; a ripple.
Wavellite \Wa"vel*lite\, n. [After Dr. Wm. Wavel, the
discoverer.] (Min.)
A hydrous phosphate of alumina, occurring usually in
hemispherical radiated forms varying in color from white to
yellow, green, or black.
Waver \Wa"ver\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wavered}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wavering}.] [OE. waveren, from AS. w[ae]fre wavering,
restless. See {Wave}, v. i.]
1. To play or move to and fro; to move one way and the other;
hence, to totter; to reel; to swing; to flutter.
With banners and pennons wavering with the wind.
--Ld. Berners.
Thou wouldst waver on one of these trees as a terror
to all evil speakers against dignities. --Sir W.
Scott.
2. To be unsettled in opinion; to vacillate; to be
undetermined; to fluctuate; as, to water in judgment.
Let us hold fast . . . without wavering. --Heb. x.
23.
In feeble hearts, propense enough before To waver,
or fall off and join with idols. --Milton.
Syn: To reel; totter; vacillate. See {Fluctuate}.
Waver \Wa"ver\, n. [From {Wave}, or {Waver}, v.]
A sapling left standing in a fallen wood. [Prov. Eng.]
--Halliwell.
Waverer \Wa"ver*er\, n.
One who wavers; one who is unsettled in doctrine, faith,
opinion, or the like. --Shak.
Waveringly \Wa"ver*ing*ly\, adv.
In a wavering manner.
Waveringness \Wa"ver*ing*ness\, n.
The quality or state of wavering.
Waveson \Wave"son\, n. [From {Wave}; cf. {Jetsam}.] (O. Eng.
Law)
Goods which, after shipwreck, appear floating on the waves,
or sea.
Waveworn \Wave"*worn`\, a.
Worn by the waves.
The shore that o'er his wave-worn basis bowed. --Shak.
Wavey \Wa"vey\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The snow goose. [Canadian, & Local U. S.]
Waviness \Wav"i*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being wavy.
Wavure \Wav"ure\, n.
See {Waivure}. [R.]
Wavy \Wav"y\, a.
1. Rising or swelling in waves; full of waves. ``The wavy
seas.'' --Chapman.
2. Playing to and fro; undulating; as, wavy flames.
Let her glad valleys smile with wavy corn. --Prior.
3. (Bot.) Undulating on the border or surface; waved.
Wawaskeesh \Wa*was"keesh\, n. [From an Indian name.] (Zo["o]l.)
The wapiti, or wapiti, or American elk.
Wave \Wave\, n. [See {Woe}.]
Woe. [Obs.]
Wawe \Wawe\, n. [OE. wawe, waghe; cf. Icel. v[=a]gr; akin to E.
wag; not the same word as wave.]
A wave. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Spenser.
Wawl \Wawl\, v. i.
See {Waul}. --Shak.
Wax \Wax\, v. i. [imp. {Waxed}; p. p. {Waxed}, and Obs. or
Poetic {Waxen}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Waxing}.] [AS. weaxan; akin
to OFries. waxa, D. wassen, OS. & OHG. wahsan, G. wachsen,
Icel. vaxa, Sw. v["a]xa, Dan. voxe, Goth. wahsjan, Gr. ? to
increase, Skr. waksh, uksh, to grow. ???. Cf. {Waist}.]
1. To increase in size; to grow bigger; to become larger or
fuller; -- opposed to wane.
The waxing and the waning of the moon. --Hakewill.
Truth's treasures . . . never shall wax ne wane.
--P. Plowman.
2. To pass from one state to another; to become; to grow; as,
to wax strong; to wax warmer or colder; to wax feeble; to
wax old; to wax worse and worse.
Your clothes are not waxen old upon you. --Deut.
xxix. 5.
Where young Adonis oft reposes, Waxing well of his
deep wound. --Milton.
{Waxing kernels} (Med.), small tumors formed by the
enlargement of the lymphatic glands, especially in the
groins of children; -- popularly so called, because
supposed to be caused by growth of the body. --Dunglison.
Wax \Wax\, n. [AS. weax; akin to OFries. wax, D. was, G. wachs,
OHG. wahs, Icel. & Sw. vax, Dan. vox, Lith. vaszkas, Russ.
vosk'.]
1. A fatty, solid substance, produced by bees, and employed
by them in the construction of their comb; -- usually
called beeswax. It is first excreted, from a row of
pouches along their sides, in the form of scales, which,
being masticated and mixed with saliva, become whitened
and tenacious. Its natural color is pale or dull yellow.
Note: Beeswax consists essentially of cerotic acid
(constituting the more soluble part) and of myricyl
palmitate (constituting the less soluble part).
2. Hence, any substance resembling beeswax in consistency or
appearance. Specifically:
(a) (Physiol.) Cerumen, or earwax. See {Cerumen}.
(b) A waxlike composition used for uniting surfaces, for
excluding air, and for other purposes; as, sealing
wax, grafting wax, etching wax, etc.
(c) A waxlike composition used by shoemakers for rubbing
their thread.
(d) (Zo["o]l.) A substance similar to beeswax, secreted by
several species of scale insects, as the Chinese wax.
See {Wax insect}, below.
(e) (Bot.) A waxlike product secreted by certain plants.
See {Vegetable wax}, under {Vegetable}.
(f) (Min.) A substance, somewhat resembling wax, found in
connection with certain deposits of rock salt and
coal; -- called also mineral wax, and ozocerite.
(g) Thick sirup made by boiling down the sap of the sugar
maple, and then cooling. [Local U. S.]
{Japanese wax}, a waxlike substance made in Japan from the
berries of certain species of {Rhus}, esp. {R.
succedanea}.
{Mineral wax}. (Min.) See {Wax}, 2
(f), above.
{Wax cloth}. See {Waxed cloth}, under {Waxed}.
{Wax end}. See {Waxed end}, under {Waxed}.
{Wax flower}, a flower made of, or resembling, wax.
{Wax insect} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of scale
insects belonging to the family {Coccid[ae]}, which
secrete from their bodies a waxlike substance, especially
the Chinese wax insect ({Coccus Sinensis}) from which a
large amount of the commercial Chinese wax is obtained.
Called also {pela}.
{Wax light}, a candle or taper of wax.
{Wax moth} (Zo["o]l.), a pyralid moth ({Galleria cereana})
whose larv[ae] feed upon honeycomb, and construct silken
galleries among the fragments. The moth has dusky gray
wings streaked with brown near the outer edge. The larva
is yellowish white with brownish dots. Called also {bee
moth}.
{Wax myrtle}. (Bot.) See {Bayberry}.
{Wax painting}, a kind of painting practiced by the ancients,
under the name of encaustic. The pigments were ground with
wax, and diluted. After being applied, the wax was melted
with hot irons and the color thus fixed.
{Wax palm}. (Bot.)
(a) A species of palm ({Ceroxylon Andicola}) native of the
Andes, the stem of which is covered with a secretion,
consisting of two thirds resin and one third wax,
which, when melted with a third of fat, makes
excellent candles.
(b) A Brazilian tree ({Copernicia cerifera}) the young
leaves of which are covered with a useful waxy
secretion.
{Wax paper}, paper prepared with a coating of white wax and
other ingredients.
{Wax plant} (Bot.), a name given to several plants, as:
(a) The Indian pipe (see under {Indian}).
(b) The {Hoya carnosa}, a climbing plant with polished,
fleshy leaves.
(c) Certain species of {Begonia} with similar foliage.
{Wax tree} (Bot.)
(a) A tree or shrub ({Ligustrum lucidum}) of China, on
which certain insects make a thick deposit of a
substance resembling white wax.
(b) A kind of sumac ({Rhus succedanea}) of Japan, the
berries of which yield a sort of wax.
(c) A rubiaceous tree ({El[ae]agia utilis}) of New
Grenada, called by the inhabitants ``arbol del cera.''
{Wax yellow}, a dull yellow, resembling the natural color of
beeswax.
Wax \Wax\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Waxed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Waxing}.]
To smear or rub with wax; to treat with wax; as, to wax a
thread or a table.
{Waxed cloth}, cloth covered with a coating of wax, used as a
cover, of tables and for other purposes; -- called also
{wax cloth}.
{Waxed end}, a thread pointed with a bristle and covered with
shoemaker's wax, used in sewing leather, as for boots,
shoes, and the like; -- called also {wax end}. --Brockett.
Waxberry \Wax"ber`ry\, n. (Bot.)
The wax-covered fruit of the wax myrtle, or bayberry. See
{Bayberry}, and {Candleberry tree}.
Waxbill \Wax"bill`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of numerous species of finchlike birds belonging to
{Estrelda} and allied genera, native of Asia, Africa, and
Australia. The bill is large, conical, and usually red in
color, resembling sealing wax. Several of the species are
often kept as cage birds.
Waxbird \Wax"bird`\, (Zo["o]l.)
The waxwing.
Waxen \Wax"en\, a.
1. Made of wax. ``The female bee, that . . . builds her waxen
cells.'' --Milton.
2. Covered with wax; waxed; as, a waxen tablet.
3. Resembling wax; waxy; hence, soft; yielding.
Men have marble, women waxen, minds. --Shak.
{Waxen chatterer} (Zo["o]l.), the Bohemian chatterer.
Waxiness \Wax"i*ness\, n.
Quality or state of being waxy.
Waxwing \Wax"wing`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of several species of small birds of the genus
{Ampelis}, in which some of the secondary quills are usually
tipped with small horny ornaments resembling red sealing wax.
The Bohemian waxwing (see under {Bohemian}) and the cedar
bird are examples. Called also {waxbird}.
Waxwork \Wax"work`\, n.
1. Work made of wax; especially, a figure or figures formed
or partly of wax, in imitation of real beings.
2. (Bot.) An American climbing shrub ({Celastrus scandens}).
It bears a profusion of yellow berrylike pods, which open
in the autumn, and display the scarlet coverings of the
seeds.
Waxworker \Wax"work`er\, n.
1. One who works in wax; one who makes waxwork.
2. A bee that makes or produces wax.
Waxy \Wax"y\, a.
Resembling wax in appearance or consistency; viscid;
adhesive; soft; hence, yielding; pliable; impressible. ``Waxy
to persuasion.'' --Bp. Hall.
{Waxy degeneration} (Med.), amyloid degeneration. See under
{Amyloid}.
{Waxy kidney}, {Waxy liver}, etc. (Med.), a kidney or liver
affected by waxy degeneration.
Way \Way\, adv. [Aphetic form of away.]
Away. [Obs. or Archaic] --Chaucer.
{To do way}, to take away; to remove. [Obs.] ``Do way your
hands.'' --Chaucer.
{To make way with}, to make away with. See under {Away}.
[Archaic]
Way \Way\, n. [OE. wey, way, AS. weg; akin to OS., D., OHG., &
G. weg, Icel. vegr, Sw. v["a]g, Dan. vei, Goth. wigs, L. via,
and AS. wegan to move, L. vehere to carry, Skr. vah.
[root]136. Cf. {Convex}, {Inveigh}, {Vehicle}, {Vex}, {Via},
{Voyage}, {Wag}, {Wagon}, {Wee}, {Weigh}.]
1. That by, upon, or along, which one passes or processes;
opportunity or room to pass; place of passing; passage;
road, street, track, or path of any kind; as, they built a
way to the mine. ``To find the way to heaven.'' --Shak.
I shall him seek by way and eke by street.
--Chaucer.
The way seems difficult, and steep to scale.
--Milton.
The season and ways were very improper for his
majesty's forces to march so great a distance.
--Evelyn.
2. Length of space; distance; interval; as, a great way; a
long way.
And whenever the way seemed long, Or his heart began
to fail. --Longfellow.
3. A moving; passage; procession; journey.
I prythee, now, lead the way. --Shak.
4. Course or direction of motion or process; tendency of
action; advance.
If that way be your walk, you have not far.
--Milton.
And let eternal justice take the way. --Dryden.
5. The means by which anything is reached, or anything is
accomplished; scheme; device; plan.
My best way is to creep under his gaberdine. --Shak.
By noble ways we conquest will prepare. --Dryden.
What impious ways my wishes took! --Prior.
6. Manner; method; mode; fashion; style; as, the way of
expressing one's ideas.
7. Regular course; habitual method of life or action; plan of
conduct; mode of dealing. ``Having lost the way of
nobleness.'' --Sir. P. Sidney.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths
are peace. --Prov. iii.
17.
When men lived in a grander way. --Longfellow.
8. Sphere or scope of observation. --Jer. Taylor.
The public ministers that fell in my way. --Sir W.
Temple.
9. Determined course; resolved mode of action or conduct; as,
to have one's way.
10. (Naut.)
(a) Progress; as, a ship has way.
(b) pl. The timbers on which a ship is launched.
11. pl. (Mach.) The longitudinal guides, or guiding surfaces,
on the bed of a planer, lathe, or the like, along which a
table or carriage moves.
12. (Law) Right of way. See below.
{By the way}, in passing; apropos; aside; apart from, though
connected with, the main object or subject of discourse.
{By way of}, for the purpose of; as being; in character of.
{Covert way}. (Fort.) See {Covered way}, under {Covered}.
{In the family way}. See under {Family}.
{In the way}, so as to meet, fall in with, obstruct, hinder,
etc.
{In the way with}, traveling or going with; meeting or being
with; in the presence of.
{Milky way}. (Astron.) See {Galaxy}, 1.
{No way}, {No ways}. See {Noway}, {Noways}, in the
Vocabulary.
{On the way}, traveling or going; hence, in process;
advancing toward completion; as, on the way to this
country; on the way to success.
{Out of the way}. See under {Out}.
{Right of way} (Law), a right of private passage over
another's ground. It may arise either by grant or
prescription. It may be attached to a house, entry, gate,
well, or city lot, as well as to a country farm. --Kent.
{To be under way}, or {To have way} (Naut.), to be in motion,
as when a ship begins to move.
{To give way}. See under {Give}.
{To go one's way}, or {To come one's way}, to go or come; to
depart or come along. --Shak.
{To go the way of all the earth}, to die.
{To make one's way}, to advance in life by one's personal
efforts.
{To make way}. See under {Make}, v. t.
{Ways and means}.
(a) Methods; resources; facilities.
(b) (Legislation) Means for raising money; resources for
revenue.
{Way leave}, permission to cross, or a right of way across,
land; also, rent paid for such right. [Eng]
{Way of the cross} (Eccl.), the course taken in visiting in
rotation the stations of the cross. See {Station}, n., 7
(c) .
{Way of the rounds} (Fort.), a space left for the passage of
the rounds between a rampart and the wall of a fortified
town.
{Way pane}, a pane for cartage in irrigated land. See {Pane},
n., 4. [Prov. Eng.]
{Way passenger}, a passenger taken up, or set down, at some
intermediate place between the principal stations on a
line of travel.
{Ways of God}, his providential government, or his works.
{Way station}, an intermediate station between principal
stations on a line of travel, especially on a railroad.
{Way train}, a train which stops at the intermediate, or way,
stations; an accommodation train.
{Way warden}, the surveyor of a road.
Syn: Street; highway; road.
Usage: {Way}, {Street}, {Highway}, {Road}. Way is generic,
denoting any line for passage or conveyance; a highway
is literally one raised for the sake of dryness and
convenience in traveling; a road is, strictly, a way
for horses and carriages; a street is, etymologically,
a paved way, as early made in towns and cities; and,
hence, the word is distinctively applied to roads or
highways in compact settlements.
All keep the broad highway, and take delight
With many rather for to go astray. --Spenser.
There is but one road by which to climb up.
--Addison.
When night Darkens the streets, then wander
forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence
and wine. --Milton.
Way \Way\, v. t.
To go or travel to; to go in, as a way or path. [Obs.] ``In
land not wayed.'' --Wyclif.
Way \Way\, v. i.
To move; to progress; to go. [R.]
On a time as they together wayed. --Spenser.
Waybill \Way"bill`\, n.
A list of passengers in a public vehicle, or of the baggage
or gods transported by a common carrier on a land route. When
the goods are transported by water, the list is called a bill
of lading.
Waybread \Way"bread`\, n. [AS. wegbr?de. See {Way}, and
{Broad}.] (Bot.)
The common dooryard plantain ({Plantago major}).
Waybung \Way"bung`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
An Australian insessorial bird ({Corcorax melanorhamphus})
noted for the curious actions of the male during the breeding
season. It is black with a white patch on each wing.
Wayed \Wayed\, a.
Used to the way; broken. [R.]
A horse that is not well wayed; he starts at every bird
that flies out the hedge. --Selden.
Wayfare \Way"fare`\, v. i. [Way + fare to go.]
To journey; to travel; to go to and fro. [Obs.]
A certain Laconian, as he wayfared, came unto a place
where there dwelt an old friend of his. --Holland.
Wayfare \Way"fare`\, n.
The act of journeying; travel; passage. [Obs.] --Holland.
Wayfarer \Way"far`er\, n.
One who travels; a traveler; a passenger.
Wayfaring \Way"far`ing\, a.
Traveling; passing; being on a journey. ``A wayfaring man.''
--Judg. xix. 17.
{Wayfaring tree} (Bot.), a European shrub ({Viburnum
lantana}) having large ovate leaves and dense cymes of
small white flowers.
{American wayfaring tree} (Bot.), the ({Viburnum
lantanoides}).
Waygate \Way"gate`\, n.
The tailrace of a mill. --Knight.
Way-going \Way"-go`ing\, a.
Going away; departing; of or pertaining to one who goes away.
{Way-going crop} (Law of Leases), a crop of grain to which
tenants for years are sometimes entitled by custom; grain
sown in the fall to be reaped at the next harvest; a crop
which will not ripen until after the termination of the
lease. --Burrill.
Way-goose \Way"-goose`\, n.
See {Wayz-goose}, n., 2. [Eng.]
Wayk \Wayk\, a.
Weak. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Waylay \Way"lay`\ (?; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Waylaid}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Waylaying}.] [Way + lay.]
To lie in wait for; to meet or encounter in the way;
especially, to watch for the passing of, with a view to
seize, rob, or slay; to beset in ambush.
Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshill shall rob those
men that we have already waylaid. --Shak.
She often contrived to waylay him in his walks. --Sir
W. Scott.
Waylayer \Way"lay`er\, n.
One who waylays another.
Wayless \Way"less\, a.
Having no road or path; pathless.
Wayleway \Way"le*way\, interj.
See {Welaway}. [Obs.]
Waymaker \Way"mak`er\, n.
One who makes a way; a precursor. [R.] --Bacon.
Waymark \Way"mark`\, n.
A mark to guide in traveling.
Wayment \Way"ment\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Waymented}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Waymenting}.] [OE. waymenten, OF. waimenter,
gaimenter, guaimenter, from wai, guai, woe! (of Teutonic
origin; see {Woe}) and L. lamentari to lament. See {Lament}.]
To lament; to grieve; to wail. [Written also {waiment}.]
[Obs.]
Thilke science . . . maketh a man to waymenten.
--Chaucer.
For what boots it to weep and wayment, When ill is
chanced? --Spenser.
Wayment \Way"ment\, n.
Grief; lamentation; mourning. [Written also {waiment}.]
[Obs.] --Spenser.
Way shaft \Way" shaft`\
1. (Mach.) A rock shaft.
2. (Mining) An interior shaft, usually one connecting two
levels. --Raymond.
-ways \-ways\
A suffix formed from way by the addition of the adverbial -s
(see {-wards}). It is often used interchangeably with wise;
as, endways or endwise; noways or nowise, etc.
Wayside \Way"side`\, n.
The side of the way; the edge or border of a road or path.
Wayside \Way"side`\, a.
Of or pertaining to the wayside; as, wayside flowers. ``A
wayside inn.'' --Longfellow.
Wayward \Way"ward\, a. [OE. weiward, for aweiward, i. e., turned
away. See {Away}, and {-ward}.]
Taking one's own way; disobedient; froward; perverse;
willful.
My wife is in a wayward mood. --Shak.
Wayward beauty doth not fancy move. --Fairfax.
Wilt thou forgive the wayward thought? --Keble.
-- {Way"ward*ly}, adv. -- {Way"ward*ness}, n.
Way-wise \Way"-wise`\, a.
Skillful in finding the way; well acquainted with the way or
route; wise from having traveled.
Waywiser \Way"wis`er\, n. [Cf. G. wegweiser a waymark, a guide;
weg way + weisen to show, direct.]
An instrument for measuring the distance which one has
traveled on the road; an odometer, pedometer, or
perambulator.
The waywiser to a coach, exactly measuring the miles,
and showing them by an index. --Evelyn.
Waywode \Way"wode\, n. [Russ. voevoda, or Pol. woiewoda;
properly, a leader of an army, a leader in war. Cf.
{Vaivode}.]
Originally, the title of a military commander in various
Slavonic countries; afterwards applied to governors of towns
or provinces. It was assumed for a time by the rulers of
Moldavia and Wallachia, who were afterwards called hospodars,
and has also been given to some inferior Turkish officers.
[Written also {vaivode}, {voivode}, {waiwode}, and
{woiwode}.]
Waywodeship \Way"wode*ship\, n.
The office, province, or jurisdiction of a waywode.
Wayworn \Way"worn`\, a.
Wearied by traveling.
Wayz-goose \Wayz"-goose`\, n. [Wase stubble + goose.]
1. A stubble goose. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
2. An annual feast of the persons employed in a printing
office. [Written also {way-goose}.] [Eng.]
We \We\ (w[=e]), pron.; pl. of I. [Poss. {Our} (our) or {Ours}
(ourz); obj. {Us} ([u^]s). See {I}.] [As. w[=e]; akin to OS.
w[=i], OFries. & LG. wi, D. wij, G. wir, Icel. v[=e]r, Sw. &
Dan. vi, Goth. weis, Skr. vayam. [root]190.]
The plural nominative case of the pronoun of the first
person; the word with which a person in speaking or writing
denotes a number or company of which he is one, as the
subject of an action expressed by a verb.
Note: We is frequently used to express men in general,
including the speaker. We is also often used by
individuals, as authors, editors, etc., in speaking of
themselves, in order to avoid the appearance of egotism
in the too frequent repetition of the pronoun I. The
plural style is also in use among kings and other
sovereigns, and is said to have been begun by King John
of England. Before that time, monarchs used the
singular number in their edicts. The German and the
French sovereigns followed the example of King John in
a. d. 1200.
Weak \Weak\ (w[=e]k), a. [Compar. {Weaker} (-[~e]r); superl.
{Weakest}.] [OE. weik, Icel. veikr; akin to Sw. vek, Dan. veg
soft, flexible, pliant, AS. w[=a]c weak, soft, pliant, D.
week, G. weich, OHG. weih; all from the verb seen in Icel.
v[=i]kja to turn, veer, recede, AS. w[=i]can to yield, give
way, G. weichen, OHG. w[=i]hhan, akin to Skr. vij, and
probably to E. week, L. vicis a change, turn, Gr. e'i`kein to
yield, give way. [root]132. Cf. {Week}, {Wink}, v. i.
{Vicissitude}.]
1. Wanting physical strength. Specifically:
(a) Deficient in strength of body; feeble; infirm; sickly;
debilitated; enfeebled; exhausted.
A poor, infirm, weak, and despised old man.
--Shak.
Weak with hunger, mad with love. --Dryden.
(b) Not able to sustain a great weight, pressure, or
strain; as, a weak timber; a weak rope.
(c) Not firmly united or adhesive; easily broken or
separated into pieces; not compact; as, a weak ship.
(d) Not stiff; pliant; frail; soft; as, the weak stalk of
a plant.
(e) Not able to resist external force or onset; easily
subdued or overcome; as, a weak barrier; as, a weak
fortress.
(f) Lacking force of utterance or sound; not sonorous;
low; small; feeble; faint.
A voice not soft, weak, piping, and womanish.
--Ascham.
(g) Not thoroughly or abundantly impregnated with the
usual or required ingredients, or with stimulating and
nourishing substances; of less than the usual
strength; as, weak tea, broth, or liquor; a weak
decoction or solution; a weak dose of medicine.
(h) Lacking ability for an appropriate function or office;
as, weak eyes; a weak stomach; a weak magistrate; a
weak regiment, or army.
2. Not possessing or manifesting intellectual, logical,
moral, or political strength, vigor, etc. Specifically:
(a) Feeble of mind; wanting discernment; lacking vigor;
spiritless; as, a weak king or magistrate.
To think every thing disputable is a proof of a
weak mind and captious temper. --Beattie.
Origen was never weak enough to imagine that
there were two Gods. --Waterland.
(b) Resulting from, or indicating, lack of judgment,
discernment, or firmness; unwise; hence, foolish.
If evil thence ensue, She first his weak
indulgence will accuse. --Milton.
(c) Not having full confidence or conviction; not decided
or confirmed; vacillating; wavering.
Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but
not to doubtful disputations. --Rom. xiv. 1.
(d) Not able to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion,
etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome;
accessible; vulnerable; as, weak resolutions; weak
virtue.
Guard thy heart On this weak side, where most
our nature fails. --Addison.
(e) Wanting in power to influence or bind; as, weak ties;
a weak sense of honor of duty.
(f) Not having power to convince; not supported by force
of reason or truth; unsustained; as, a weak argument
or case. ``Convinced of his weak arguing.'' --Milton.
A case so weak . . . hath much persisted in.
--Hooker.
(g) Wanting in point or vigor of expression; as, a weak
sentence; a weak style.
(h) Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be
prevalent; not potent; feeble. ``Weak prayers.''
--Shak.
(i) Lacking in elements of political strength; not
wielding or having authority or energy; deficient in
the resources that are essential to a ruler or nation;
as, a weak monarch; a weak government or state.
I must make fair weather yet awhile, Till Henry
be more weak, and I more strong. --Shak.
(k) (Stock Exchange) Tending towards lower prices; as, a
weak market.
3. (Gram.)
(a) Pertaining to, or designating, a verb which forms its
preterit (imperfect) and past participle by adding to
the present the suffix -ed, -d, or the variant form
-t; as in the verbs abash, abashed; abate, abated;
deny, denied; feel, felt. See {Strong}, 19
(a) .
(b) Pertaining to, or designating, a noun in Anglo-Saxon,
etc., the stem of which ends in -n. See {Strong}, 19
(b) .
Note: Weak is often used in the formation of self-explaining
compounds; as, weak-eyed, weak-handed, weak-hearted,
weak-minded, weak-spirited, and the like.
{Weak conjugation} (Gram.), the conjugation of weak verbs; --
called also {new, or regular, conjugation}, and
distinguished from the old, or irregular, conjugation.
{Weak declension} (Anglo-Saxon Gram.), the declension of weak
nouns; also, one of the declensions of adjectives.
{Weak side}, the side or aspect of a person's character or
disposition by which he is most easily affected or
influenced; weakness; infirmity.
{Weak sore} or {ulcer} (Med.), a sore covered with pale,
flabby, sluggish granulations.
Weak \Weak\, v. t. & i. [Cf. AS. w?can. w[=a]cian. See {Weak},
a.]
To make or become weak; to weaken. [R.]
Never to seek weaking variety. --Marston.
Weaken \Weak"en\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Weakened}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Weakening}.]
1. To make weak; to lessen the strength of; to deprive of
strength; to debilitate; to enfeeble; to enervate; as, to
weaken the body or the mind; to weaken the hands of a
magistrate; to weaken the force of an objection or an
argument.
Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it
be not done. --Neh. vi. 9.
2. To reduce in quality, strength, or spirit; as, to weaken
tea; to weaken any solution or decoction.
Weaken \Weak"en\, v. i.
To become weak or weaker; to lose strength, spirit, or
determination; to become less positive or resolute; as, the
patient weakened; the witness weakened on cross-examination.
``His notion weakens, his discernings are lethargied.''
--Shak.
Weakener \Weak"en*er\, n.
One who, or that which, weakens. ``[Fastings] weakeners of
sin.'' --South.
Weakfish \Weak"fish`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Any fish of the genus {Cynoscion}; a squeteague; -- so called
from its tender mouth. See {Squeteague}.
{Spotted weakfish} (Zo["o]l.), the spotted squeteague.
Weak-hearted \Weak"-heart`ed\, a.
Having little courage; of feeble spirit; dispirited;
faint-hearted. ``Weak-hearted enemies.'' --Shak.
Weakish \Weak"ish\, a.
Somewhat weak; rather weak.
Weakishness \Weak"ish*ness\, n.
Quality or state of being weakish.
Weak-kneed \Weak"-kneed`\, a.
Having weak knees; hence, easily yielding; wanting
resolution. --H. James.
Weakling \Weak"ling\, n. [Weak + -ling.]
A weak or feeble creature. --Shak. ``All looking on him as a
weakling, which would post to the grave.'' --Fuller.
We may not be weaklings because we have a strong enemy.
--Latimer.
Weakling \Weak"ling\, a.
Weak; feeble. --Sir T. North.
Weakly \Weak"ly\, adv.
In a weak manner; with little strength or vigor; feebly.
Weakly \Weak"ly\, a. [Compar. {Weaklier}; superl. {Weakliest}.]
Not strong of constitution; infirm; feeble; as, a weakly
woman; a man of a weakly constitution.
Weak-minded \Weak"-mind`ed\, a.
Having a weak mind, either naturally or by reason of disease;
feebleminded; foolish; idiotic. -- {Weak"-mind`ed*ness}, n.
Weakness \Weak"ness\, n.
1. The quality or state of being weak; want of strength or
firmness; lack of vigor; want of resolution or of moral
strength; feebleness.
2. That which is a mark of lack of strength or resolution; a
fault; a defect.
Many take pleasure in spreading abroad the weakness
of an exalted character. --Spectator.
Syn: Feebleness; debility; languor; imbecility; infirmness;
infirmity; decrepitude; frailty; faintness.
Weal \Weal\, n.
The mark of a stripe. See {Wale}.
Weal \Weal\, v. t.
To mark with stripes. See {Wale}.
Weal \Weal\, n. [OE. wele, AS. wela, weola, wealth, from wel
well. See {Well}, adv., and cf. {Wealth}.]
1. A sound, healthy, or prosperous state of a person or
thing; prosperity; happiness; welfare.
God . . . grant you wele and prosperity. --Chaucer.
As we love the weal of our souls and bodies.
--Bacon.
To him linked in weal or woe. --Milton.
Never was there a time when it more concerned the
public weal that the character of the Parliament
should stand high. --Macaulay.
2. The body politic; the state; common wealth. [Obs.]
The special watchmen of our English weal. --Shak.
Weal \Weal\, v. t.
To promote the weal of; to cause to be prosperous. [Obs.]
--Beau. & Fl.
Weal-balanced \Weal"-bal`anced\, a.
Balanced or considered with reference to public weal. [Obs.]
--Shak.
Weald \Weald\, n. [AS. See {Wold}.]
A wood or forest; a wooded land or region; also, an open
country; -- often used in place names.
Fled all night long by glimmering waste and weald, And
heard the spirits of the waste and weald Moan as she
fled. --Tennyson.
{Weald clay} (Geol.), the uppermost member of the Wealden
strata. See {Wealden}.
Wealden \Weald"en\ (?; 277), a. [AS. weald, wald, a forest, a
wood. So called because this formation occurs in the wealds,
or woods, of Kent and Sussex. See {Weald}.] (Geol.)
Of or pertaining to the lowest division of the Cretaceous
formation in England and on the Continent, which overlies the
O["o]litic series.
Wealden \Weald"en\, n. (Geol.)
The Wealden group or strata.
Wealdish \Weald"ish\, a.
Of or pertaining to a weald, esp. to the weald in the county
of Kent, England. [Obs.] --Fuller.
Wealful \Weal"ful\, a.
Weleful. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wealsman \Weals"man\, n.; pl. {Wealsmen}. [Weal + man.]
A statesman; a politician. [R.] --Shak.
Wealth \Wealth\, n. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde
luxury. See {Weal} prosperity.]
1. Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [Obs.] ``Let no man seek
his own, but every man another's wealth.'' --1 Cor. x. 24.
2. Large possessions; a comparative abundance of things which
are objects of human desire; esp., abundance of worldly
estate; affluence; opulence; riches.
I have little wealth to lose. --Shak.
Each day new wealth, without their care, provides.
--Dryden.
Wealth comprises all articles of value and nothing
else. --F. A.
Walker.
{Active wealth}. See under {Active}.
Syn: Riches; affluence; opulence; abundance.
Wealthful \Wealth"ful\, a.
Full of wealth; wealthy; prosperous. [R.] --Sir T. More. --
{Wealth"ful*ly}, adv. [R.]
Wealthily \Wealth"i*ly\, adv.
In a wealthy manner; richly.
I come to wive it wealthily in Padua. --Shak.
Wealthiness \Wealth"i*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being wealthy, or rich; richness;
opulence.
Wealthy \Wealth"y\, a. [Compar. {Wealthier}; superl.
{Wealthiest}.]
1. Having wealth; having large possessions, or larger than
most men, as lands, goods, money, or securities; opulent;
affluent; rich.
A wealthy Hebrew of my tribe. --Shak.
Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. --Ps.
lxvi. 12.
2. Hence, ample; full; satisfactory; abundant. [R.]
The wealthy witness of my pen. --B. Jonson.
Wean \Wean\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Weaned}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Weaning}.] [OE. wenen, AS. wenian, wennan, to accustom; akin
to D. wennen, G. gew["o]hnen, OHG. giwennan, Icel. venja, Sw.
v["a]nja, Dan. v[ae]nne, Icel. vanr accustomed, wont; cf. AS.
[=a]wenian to wean, G. entw["o]hnen. See {Wont}, a.]
1. To accustom and reconcile, as a child or other young
animal, to a want or deprivation of mother's milk; to take
from the breast or udder; to cause to cease to depend on
the mother nourishment.
And the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made
a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
--Gen. xxi. 8.
2. Hence, to detach or alienate the affections of, from any
object of desire; to reconcile to the want or loss of
anything. ``Wean them from themselves.'' --Shak.
The troubles of age were intended . . . to wean us
gradually from our fondness of life. --Swift.
Wean \Wean\, n.
A weanling; a young child.
I, being but a yearling wean. --Mrs.
Browning.
Weanedness \Wean"ed*ness\, n.
Quality or state of being weaned.
Weanel \Wean"el\, n.
A weanling. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Weanling \Wean"ling\,
a. & n. from {Wean}, v.
The weaning of the whelp is the great test of the skill
of the kennel man. --J. H. Walsh.
{Weaning brash}. (Med.) See under {Brash}.
Weanling \Wean"ling\, n. [Wean + -ling.]
A child or animal newly weaned; a wean.
Weanling \Wean"ling\, a.
Recently weaned. --Milton.
Weapon \Weap"on\ (?; 277), n. [OE. wepen, AS. w?pen; akin to OS.
w?pan, OFries. w?pin, w?pen, D. wapen, G. waffe, OHG. waffan,
w[=a]fan, Icel. v[=a]pn, Dan. vaaben, Sw. vapen, Goth. w?pna,
pl.; of uncertain origin. Cf. {Wapentake}.]
1. An instrument of offensive of defensive combat; something
to fight with; anything used, or designed to be used, in
destroying, defeating, or injuring an enemy, as a gun, a
sword, etc.
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. --2 Cor.
x. 4.
They, astonished, all resistance lost, All courage;
down their idle weapons dropped. --Milton.
2. Fig.: The means or instrument with which one contends
against another; as, argument was his only weapon.
``Woman's weapons, water drops.'' --Shak.
3. (Bot.) A thorn, prickle, or sting with which many plants
are furnished.
{Concealed weapons}. See under {Concealed}.
{Weapon salve}, a salve which was supposed to cure a wound by
being applied to the weapon that made it. [Obs.] --Boyle.
Weaponed \Weap"oned\, a.
Furnished with weapons, or arms; armed; equipped.
Weaponless \Weap"on*less\, a.
Having no weapon.
Weaponry \Weap"on*ry\, n.
Weapons, collectively; as, an array of weaponry. [Poetic]
Wear \Wear\ (?; 277), n.
Same as {Weir}.
Wear \Wear\, v. t. [Cf. {Veer}.] (Naut.)
To cause to go about, as a vessel, by putting the helm up,
instead of alee as in tacking, so that the vessel's bow is
turned away from, and her stern is presented to, the wind,
and, as she turns still farther, her sails fill on the other
side; to veer.
Wear \Wear\, v. t. [imp. {Wore}; p. p. {Worn}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wearing}. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the
imp. & p. p. being {Weared}.] [OE. weren, werien, AS. werian
to carry, to wear, as arms or clothes; akin to OHG. werien,
weren, to clothe, Goth. wasjan, L. vestis clothing, vestire
to clothe, Gr. ?, Skr. vas. Cf. {Vest}.]
1. To carry or bear upon the person; to bear upon one's self,
as an article of clothing, decoration, warfare, bondage,
etc.; to have appendant to one's body; to have on; as, to
wear a coat; to wear a shackle.
What compass will you wear your farthingale? --Shak.
On her white breast a sparkling cross s?? wore,
Which Jews might kiss, and infidels adore. --Pope.
2. To have or exhibit an appearance of, as an aspect or
manner; to bear; as, she wears a smile on her countenance.
``He wears the rose of youth upon him.'' --Shak.
His innocent gestures wear A meaning half divine.
--Keble.
3. To use up by carrying or having upon one's self; hence, to
consume by use; to waste; to use up; as, to wear clothes
rapidly.
4. To impair, waste, or diminish, by continual attrition,
scraping, percussion, on the like; to consume gradually;
to cause to lower or disappear; to spend.
That wicked wight his days doth wear. --Spenser.
The waters wear the stones. --Job xiv. 19.
5. To cause or make by friction or wasting; as, to wear a
channel; to wear a hole.
6. To form or shape by, or as by, attrition.
Trials wear us into a liking of what, possibly, in
the first essay, displeased us. --Locke.
{To wear away}, to consume; to impair, diminish, or destroy,
by gradual attrition or decay.
{To wear off}, to diminish or remove by attrition or slow
decay; as, to wear off the nap of cloth.
{To wear on or upon}, to wear. [Obs.] ``[I] weared upon my
gay scarlet gites [gowns.]'' --Chaucer.
{To wear out}.
(a) To consume, or render useless, by attrition or decay;
as, to wear out a coat or a book.
(b) To consume tediously. ``To wear out miserable days.''
--Milton.
(c) To harass; to tire. ``[He] shall wear out the saints
of the Most High.'' --Dan vii. 25.
(d) To waste the strength of; as, an old man worn out in
military service.
{To wear the breeches}. See under {Breeches}. [Colloq.]
Wear \Wear\, v. i.
1. To endure or suffer use; to last under employment; to bear
the consequences of use, as waste, consumption, or
attrition; as, a coat wears well or ill; -- hence,
sometimes applied to character, qualifications, etc.; as,
a man wears well as an acquaintance.
2. To be wasted, consumed, or diminished, by being used; to
suffer injury, loss, or extinction by use or time; to
decay, or be spent, gradually. ``Thus wore out night.''
--Milton.
Away, I say; time wears. --Shak.
Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and this
people that is with thee. --Ex. xviii.
18.
His stock of money began to wear very low. --Sir W.
Scott.
The family . . . wore out in the earlier part of the
century. --Beaconsfield.
{To wear off}, to pass away by degrees; as, the follies of
youth wear off with age.
{To wear on}, to pass on; as, time wears on. --G. Eliot.
{To wear weary}, to become weary, as by wear, long
occupation, tedious employment, etc.
Wear \Wear\, n.
1. The act of wearing, or the state of being worn;
consumption by use; diminution by friction; as, the wear
of a garment.
2. The thing worn; style of dress; the fashion.
Motley 's the only wear. --Shak.
{Wear and tear}, the loss by wearing, as of machinery in use;
the loss or injury to which anything is subjected by use,
accident, etc.
Wearable \Wear"a*ble\, a.
Capable of being worn; suitable to be worn.
Wearer \Wear"er\, n.
1. One who wears or carries as appendant to the body; as, the
wearer of a cloak, a sword, a crown, a shackle, etc.
Cowls, hoods, and habits, with their wearers,
tossed, And fluttered into rags. --Milton.
2. That which wastes or diminishes.
Weariable \Wea"ri*a*ble\, a.
That may be wearied.
Weariful \Wea"ri*ful\, a.
Abounding in qualities which cause weariness; wearisome. --
{Wea"ri*ful*ly}, adv.
Weariless \Wea"ri*less\, a.
Incapable of being wearied.
Wearily \Wea"ri*ly\, adv.
In a weary manner.
Weariness \Wea"ri*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being weary or tried; lassitude;
exhaustion of strength; fatigue.
With weariness and wine oppressed. --Dryden.
A man would die, though he were neither valiant nor
miserable, only upon a weariness to do the same thing
so oft over and over. --Bacon.
Wearing \Wear"ing\, n.
1. The act of one who wears; the manner in which a thing
wears; use; conduct; consumption.
Belike he meant to ward, and there to see his
wearing. --Latimer.
2. That which is worn; clothes; garments. [Obs.]
Give me my nightly wearing and adieu. --Shak.
Wearing \Wear"ing\, a.
Pertaining to, or designed for, wear; as, wearing apparel.
Wearish \Wear"ish\, a. [Etymol. uncertain, but perhaps akin to
weary.]
1. Weak; withered; shrunk. [Obs.] ``A wearish hand.'' --Ford.
A little, wearish old man, very melancholy by
nature. --Burton.
2. Insipid; tasteless; unsavory. [Obs.]
Wearish as meat is that is not well tasted.
--Palsgrave.
Wearisome \Wea"ri*some\, a.
Causing weariness; tiresome; tedious; weariful; as, a
wearisome march; a wearisome day's work; a wearisome book.
These high wild hills and rough uneven ways Draws out
our miles, and makes them wearisome. --Shak.
Syn: Irksome; tiresome; tedious; fatiguing; annoying;
vexatious. See {Irksome}. -- {Wea"ri*some*ly}, adv. --
{Wea"ri*some*ness}, n.
Weary \Wea"ry\, a. [Compar. {Wearier}; superl. {Weariest}.] [OE.
weri, AS. w?rig; akin to OS. w?rig, OHG. wu?rag; of uncertain
origin; cf. AS. w?rian to ramble.]
1. Having the strength exhausted by toil or exertion; worn
out in respect to strength, endurance, etc.; tired;
fatigued.
I care not for my spirits if my legs were not weary.
--Shak.
[I] am weary, thinking of your task. --Longfellow.
2. Causing weariness; tiresome. ``Weary way.'' --Spenser.
``There passed a weary time.'' --Coleridge.
3. Having one's patience, relish, or contentment exhausted;
tired; sick; -- with of before the cause; as, weary of
marching, or of confinement; weary of study.
Syn: Fatigued; tiresome; irksome; wearisome.
Weary \Wea"ry\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wearied}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wearying}.]
1. To reduce or exhaust the physical strength or endurance
of; to tire; to fatigue; as, to weary one's self with
labor or traveling.
So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers.
--Shak.
2. To make weary of anything; to exhaust the patience of, as
by continuance.
I stay too long by thee; I weary thee. --Shak.
3. To harass by anything irksome.
I would not cease To weary him with my assiduous
cries. --Milton.
{To weary out}, to subdue or exhaust by fatigue.
Syn: To jade; tire; fatigue; fag. See {Jade}.
Weary \Wea"ry\, v. i.
To grow tired; to become exhausted or impatient; as, to weary
of an undertaking.
Weasand \Wea"sand\, n. [OE. wesand, AS. w[=a]send; akin to
OFries. w[=a]sende, w[=a]sande; cf. OHG. weisunt.]
The windpipe; -- called also, formerly, {wesil}. [Formerly,
written also, {wesand}, and {wezand}.]
Cut his weasand with thy knife. --Shak.
Weasel \Wea"sel\, n. [OE. wesele, AS. wesle; akin to D. wezel,
G. wiesel, OHG. wisala, Icel. hreyiv[=i]sla, Dan. v["a]sel,
Sw. vessla; of uncertain origin; cf. Gr. ?, ?, cat, weasel.]
(Zo["o]l.)
Any one of various species of small carnivores belonging to
the genus {Putorius}, as the ermine and ferret. They have a
slender, elongated body, and are noted for the quickness of
their movements and for their bloodthirsty habit in
destroying poultry, rats, etc. The ermine and some other
species are brown in summer, and turn white in winter; others
are brown at all seasons.
{Malacca weasel}, the rasse.
{Weasel coot}, a female or young male of the smew; -- so
called from the resemblance of the head to that of a
weasel. Called also {weasel duck}.
{Weasel lemur}, a short-tailed lemur ({Lepilemur
mustelinus}). It is reddish brown above, grayish brown
below, with the throat white.
Weasel-faced \Wea"sel-faced`\, a.
Having a thin, sharp face, like a weasel.
Weaser \Wea"ser\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The American merganser; -- called also {weaser sheldrake}.
[Local, U. S.]
Weasiness \Wea"si*ness\, n.
Quality or state of being weasy; full feeding; sensual
indulgence. [Obs.] --Joye.
Weasy \Wea"sy\, a. [Cf. {Weasand}.]
Given to sensual indulgence; gluttonous. [Obs.] --Joye.
Weather \Weath"er\, n. [OE. weder, AS. weder; akin to OS. wedar,
OFries. weder, D. weder, we[^e]r, G. wetter, OHG. wetar,
Icel. ve[eth]r, Dan. veir, Sw. v["a]der wind, air, weather,
and perhaps to OSlav. vedro fair weather; or perhaps to Lith.
vetra storm, Russ. vieter', vietr', wind, and E. wind. Cf.
{Wither}.]
1. The state of the air or atmosphere with respect to heat or
cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or
cloudiness, or any other meteorological phenomena;
meteorological condition of the atmosphere; as, warm
weather; cold weather; wet weather; dry weather, etc.
Not amiss to cool a man's stomach this hot weather.
--Shak.
Fair weather cometh out of the north. --Job xxxvii.
22.
2. Vicissitude of season; meteorological change; alternation
of the state of the air. --Bacon.
3. Storm; tempest.
What gusts of weather from that gathering cloud My
thoughts presage! --Dryden.
4. A light rain; a shower. [Obs.] --Wyclif.
{Stress of weather}, violent winds; force of tempests.
{To make fair weather}, to flatter; to give flattering
representations. [R.]
{To make good}, or {bad}, {weather} (Naut.), to endure a gale
well or ill; -- said of a vessel. --Shak.
{Under the weather}, ill; also, financially embarrassed.
[Colloq. U. S.] --Bartlett.
{Weather box}. Same as {Weather house}, below. --Thackeray.
{Weather breeder}, a fine day which is supposed to presage
foul weather.
{Weather bureau}, a popular name for the signal service. See
{Signal service}, under {Signal}, a. [U. S.]
{Weather cloth} (Naut.), a long piece of canvas of tarpaulin
used to preserve the hammocks from injury by the weather
when stowed in the nettings.
{Weather door}. (Mining) See {Trapdoor}, 2.
{Weather gall}. Same as {Water gall}, 2. [Prov. Eng.]
--Halliwell.
{Weather house}, a mechanical contrivance in the form of a
house, which indicates changes in atmospheric conditions
by the appearance or retirement of toy images.
Peace to the artist whose ingenious thought Devised
the weather house, that useful toy! --Cowper.
{Weather molding}, or
{Weather moulding} (Arch.), a canopy or cornice over a door
or a window, to throw off the rain.
{Weather of a windmill sail}, the obliquity of the sail, or
the angle which it makes with its plane of revolution.
{Weather report}, a daily report of meteorological
observations, and of probable changes in the weather;
esp., one published by government authority.
{Weather spy}, a stargazer; one who foretells the weather.
[R.] --Donne.
{Weather strip} (Arch.), a strip of wood, rubber, or other
material, applied to an outer door or window so as to
cover the joint made by it with the sill, casings, or
threshold, in order to exclude rain, snow, cold air, etc.
Weather \Weath"er\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Weathered}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Weathering}.]
1. To expose to the air; to air; to season by exposure to
air.
[An eagle] soaring through his wide empire of the
air To weather his broad sails. --Spenser.
This gear lacks weathering. --Latimer.
2. Hence, to sustain the trying effect of; to bear up against
and overcome; to sustain; to endure; to resist; as, to
weather the storm.
For I can weather the roughest gale. --Longfellow.
You will weather the difficulties yet. --F. W.
Robertson.
3. (Naut.) To sail or pass to the windward of; as, to weather
a cape; to weather another ship.
4. (Falconry) To place (a hawk) unhooded in the open air.
--Encyc. Brit.
{To weather a point}.
(a) (Naut.) To pass a point of land, leaving it on the lee
side.
(b) Hence, to gain or accomplish anything against
opposition.
{To weather out}, to encounter successfully, though with
difficulty; as, to weather out a storm.
Weather \Weath"er\, v. i.
To undergo or endure the action of the atmosphere; to suffer
meteorological influences; sometimes, to wear away, or alter,
under atmospheric influences; to suffer waste by weather.
The organisms . . . seem indestructible, while the hard
matrix in which they are imbedded has weathered from
around them. --H. Miller.
Weather \Weath"er\, a. (Naut.)
Being toward the wind, or windward -- opposed to lee; as,
weather bow, weather braces, weather gauge, weather lifts,
weather quarter, weather shrouds, etc.
{Weather gauge}.
(a) (Naut.) The position of a ship to the windward of
another.
(b) Fig.: A position of advantage or superiority; advantage
in position.
To veer, and tack, and steer a cause Against the
weather gauge of laws. --Hudibras.
{Weather helm} (Naut.), a tendency on the part of a sailing
vessel to come up into the wind, rendering it necessary to
put the helm up, that is, toward the weather side.
{Weather shore} (Naut.), the shore to the windward of a ship.
--Totten.
{Weather tide} (Naut.), the tide which sets against the lee
side of a ship, impelling her to the windward. --Mar.
Dict.
Weather-beaten \Weath"er-beat`en\, a.
Beaten or harassed by the weather; worn by exposure to the
weather, especially to severe weather. --Shak.
Weather-bit \Weath"er-bit`\, n. (Naut.)
A turn of the cable about the end of the windlass, without
the bits.
Weatherbit \Weath"er*bit`\, v. t. (Naut.)
To take another turn with, as a cable around a windlass.
--Totten.
Weather-bitten \Weath"er-bit`ten\, a.
Eaten into, defaced, or worn, by exposure to the weather.
--Coleridge.
Weatherboard \Weath"er*board`\, n.
1. (Naut.)
(a) That side of a vessel which is toward the wind; the
windward side.
(b) A piece of plank placed in a porthole, or other
opening, to keep out water.
2.
(a) (Arch.) A board extending from the ridge to the eaves
along the slope of the gable, and forming a close
junction between the shingling of a roof and the side
of the building beneath.
(b) A clapboard or feather-edged board used in
weatherboarding.
Weather-board \Weath"er-board`\, v. t. (Arch.)
To nail boards upon so as to lap one over another, in order
to exclude rain, snow, etc. --Gwilt.
Weatherboarding \Weath"er*board`ing\, n. (Arch.)
(a) The covering or siding of a building, formed of boards
lapping over one another, to exclude rain, snow, etc.
(b) Boards adapted or intended for such use.
Weather-bound \Weath"er-bound`\, a.
Kept in port or at anchor by storms; delayed by bad weather;
as, a weather-bound vessel.
Weathercock \Weath"er*cock`\, n.
1. A vane, or weather vane; -- so called because originally
often in the figure of a cock, turning on the top of a
spire with the wind, and showing its direction. ``As a
wedercok that turneth his face with every wind.''
--Chaucer.
Noisy weathercocks rattled and sang of mutation.
--Longfellow.
2. Hence, any thing or person that turns easily and
frequently; one who veers with every change of current
opinion; a fickle, inconstant person.
Weathercock \Weath"er*cock`\, v. t.
To supply with a weathercock; to serve as a weathercock for.
Whose blazing wyvern weathercock the spire. --Tennyson.
Weather-driven \Weath"er-driv`en\, a.
Driven by winds or storms; forced by stress of weather.
--Carew.
Weathered \Weath"ered\, a.
1. (Arch.) Made sloping, so as to throw off water; as, a
weathered cornice or window sill.
2. (Geol.) Having the surface altered in color, texture, or
composition, or the edges rounded off by exposure to the
elements.
Weather-fend \Weath"er-fend`\, v. t.
To defend from the weather; to shelter. --Shak.
[We] barked the white spruce to weather-fend the roof.
--Emerson.
Weatherglass \Weath"er*glass`\, n.
An instrument to indicate the state of the atmosphere,
especially changes of atmospheric pressure, and hence changes
of weather, as a barometer or baroscope.
{Poor man's weatherglass}. (Bot.) See under {Poor}.
Weathering \Weath"er*ing\, n. (Geol.)
The action of the elements on a rock in altering its color,
texture, or composition, or in rounding off its edges.
Weatherliness \Weath"er*li*ness\, n. (Naut.)
The quality of being weatherly.
Weatherly \Weath"er*ly\, a. (Naut.)
Working, or able to sail, close to the wind; as, a weatherly
ship. --Cooper.
Weathermost \Weath"er*most`\, a. (Naut.)
Being farthest to the windward.
Weatherproof \Weath"er*proof`\, a.
Proof against rough weather.
Weatherwise \Weath"er*wise`\, a.
Skillful in forecasting the changes of the weather.
--Hakluyt.
Weatherwiser \Weath"er*wis`er\, n. [Cf. {Waywiser}.]
Something that foreshows the weather. [Obs.] --Derham.
Weatherworn \Weath"er*worn`\, a.
Worn by the action of, or by exposure to, the weather.
Weave \Weave\, v. t. [imp. {Wove}; p. p. {Woven}, {Wove}; p. pr.
& vb. n. {Weaving}. The regular imp. & p. p. {Weaved}, is
rarely used.] [OE. weven, AS. wefan; akin to D. weven, G.
weben, OHG. weban, Icel. vefa, Sw. v["a]fva, Dan. v[ae]ve,
Gr. ?, v., ? web, Skr. ?r?av[=a]bhi spider, lit., wool
weaver. Cf. {Waper}, {Waffle}, {Web}, {Weevil}, {Weft},
{Woof}.]
1. To unite, as threads of any kind, in such a manner as to
form a texture; to entwine or interlace into a fabric; as,
to weave wool, silk, etc.; hence, to unite by close
connection or intermixture; to unite intimately.
This weaves itself, perforce, into my business.
--Shak.
That in their green shops weave the smooth-haired
silk To deck her sons. --Milton.
And for these words, thus woven into song. --Byron.
2. To form, as cloth, by interlacing threads; to compose, as
a texture of any kind, by putting together textile
materials; as, to weave broadcloth; to weave a carpet;
hence, to form into a fabric; to compose; to fabricate;
as, to weave the plot of a story.
When she weaved the sleided silk. --Shak.
Her starry wreaths the virgin jasmin weaves. --Ld.
Lytton.
Weave \Weave\, v. i.
1. To practice weaving; to work with a loom.
2. To become woven or interwoven.
Weave \Weave\, n.
A particular method or pattern of weaving; as, the cassimere
weave.
Weaver \Weav"er\, n.
1. One who weaves, or whose occupation is to weave. ``Weavers
of linen.'' --P. Plowman.
2. (Zo["o]l.) A weaver bird.
3. (Zo["o]l.) An aquatic beetle of the genus {Gyrinus}. See
{Whirling}.
{Weaver bird} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
Asiatic, Fast Indian, and African birds belonging to
{Ploceus} and allied genera of the family {Ploceid[ae]}.
Weaver birds resemble finches and sparrows in size,
colors, and shape of the bill. They construct pensile
nests composed of interlaced grass and other similar
materials. In some of the species the nest is
retort-shaped, with the opening at the bottom of the tube.
{Weavers' shuttle} (Zo["o]l.), an East Indian marine univalve
shell ({Radius volva}); -- so called from its shape. See
Illust. of {Shuttle shell}, under {Shuttle}.
Weaverfish \Weav"er*fish`\, n. [See {Weever}.] (Zo["o]l.)
See {Weever}.
Weaving \Weav"ing\, n.
1. The act of one who, or that which, weaves; the act or art
of forming cloth in a loom by the union or intertexture of
threads.
2. (Far.) An incessant motion of a horse's head, neck, and
body, from side to side, fancied to resemble the motion of
a hand weaver in throwing the shuttle. --Youatt.
Weazand \Wea"zand\, n.
See {Weasand}. [Obs.]
Weazen \Wea"zen\, a. [See {Wizen}.]
Thin; sharp; withered; wizened; as, a weazen face.
They were weazen and shriveled. --Dickens.
Weazeny \Wea"zen*y\, a.
Somewhat weazen; shriveled. [Colloq.] ``Weazeny, baked
pears.'' --Lowell.
Web \Web\, n. [OE. webbe, AS. webba. See {Weave}.]
A weaver. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Web \Web\, n. [OE. web, AS. webb; akin to D. web, webbe, OHG.
weppi, G. gewebe, Icel. vefr, Sw. v["a]f, Dan. v[ae]v. See
{Weave}.]
1. That which is woven; a texture; textile fabric; esp.,
something woven in a loom.
Penelope, for her Ulysses' sake, Devised a web her
wooers to deceive. --Spenser.
Not web might be woven, not a shuttle thrown, or
penalty of exile. --Bancroft.
2. A whole piece of linen cloth as woven.
3. The texture of very fine thread spun by a spider for
catching insects at its prey; a cobweb. ``The smallest
spider's web.'' --Shak.
4. Fig.: Tissue; texture; complicated fabrication.
The somber spirit of our forefathers, who wove their
web of life with hardly a . . . thread of rose-color
or gold. --Hawthorne.
Such has been the perplexing ingenuity of
commentators that it is difficult to extricate the
truth from the web of conjectures. --W. Irving.
5. (Carriages) A band of webbing used to regulate the
extension of the hood.
6. A thin metal sheet, plate, or strip, as of lead.
And Christians slain roll up in webs of lead.
--Fairfax.
Specifically:
(a) The blade of a sword. [Obs.]
The sword, whereof the web was steel, Pommel
rich stone, hilt gold. --Fairfax.
(b) The blade of a saw.
(c) The thin, sharp part of a colter.
(d) The bit of a key.
7. (Mach. & Engin.) A plate or thin portion, continuous or
perforated, connecting stiffening ribs or flanges, or
other parts of an object. Specifically:
(a) The thin vertical plate or portion connecting the
upper and lower flanges of an lower flanges of an iron
girder, rolled beam, or railroad rail.
(b) A disk or solid construction serving, instead of
spokes, for connecting the rim and hub, in some kinds
of car wheels, sheaves, etc.
(c) The arm of a crank between the shaft and the wrist.
(d) The part of a blackmith's anvil between the face and
the foot.
8. (Med.) Pterygium; -- called also {webeye}. --Shak.
9. (Anat.) The membrane which unites the fingers or toes,
either at their bases, as in man, or for a greater part of
their length, as in many water birds and amphibians.
10. (Zo["o]l.) The series of barbs implanted on each side of
the shaft of a feather, whether stiff and united together
by barbules, as in ordinary feathers, or soft and
separate, as in downy feathers. See {Feather}.
{Pin and web} (Med.), two diseases of the eye, caligo and
pterygium; -- sometimes wrongly explained as one disease.
See {Pin}, n., 8, and {Web}, n., 8. ``He never yet had
pinne or webbe, his sight for to decay.'' --Gascoigne.
{Web member} (Engin.), one of the braces in a web system.
{Web press}, a printing press which takes paper from a roll
instead of being fed with sheets.
{Web system} (Engin.), the system of braces connecting the
flanges of a lattice girder, post, or the like.
Web \Web\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Webbed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Webbing}.]
To unite or surround with a web, or as if with a web; to
envelop; to entangle.
Webbed \Webbed\, a.
1. Provided with a web.
2. (Zo["o]l.) Having the toes united by a membrane, or web;
as, the webbed feet of aquatic fowls.
Webber \Web"ber\, n.
One who forms webs; a weaver; a webster. [Obs.]
Webbing \Web"bing\, n.
A woven band of cotton or flax, used for reins, girths, bed
bottoms, etc.
Webby \Web"by\, a.
Of or pertaining to a web or webs; like a web; filled or
covered with webs.
Bats on their webby wings in darkness move. --Crabbe.
Weber \We"ber\, n. [From the name of Professor Weber, a German
electrician.] (Elec.)
The standard unit of electrical quantity, and also of
current. See {Coulomb}, and {Amp?re}. [Obs.]
Webeye \Web"eye`\, n. (Med.)
See {Web}, n., 8.
Web-fingered \Web"-fin`gered\, a.
Having the fingers united by a web for a considerable part of
their length.
Webfoot \Web"foot`\, n.; pl. {Webfeet}.
1. A foot the toes of which are connected by a membrane.
2. (Zo["o]l.) Any web-footed bird.
Web-footed \Web"-foot`ed\, a.
Having webbed feet; palmiped; as, a goose or a duck is a
web-footed fowl.
Webster \Web"ster\, n. [AS. webbestre. See {Web}, {Weave}, and
{-ster}.]
A weaver; originally, a female weaver. [Obs.] --Brathwait.
Websterite \Web"ster*ite\, n. [So named after Webster, the
geologist.] (Min.)
A hydrous sulphate of alumina occurring in white reniform
masses.
Web-toed \Web"-toed`\, a.
Having the toes united by a web for a considerable part of
their length.
Webform \Web"form`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of various species of moths whose gregarious larv[ae]
eat the leaves of trees, and construct a large web to which
they retreat when not feeding.
Note: The most destructive webworms belong to the family
{Bombycid[ae]}, as the fall webworm ({Hyphantria
textor}), which feeds on various fruit and forest
trees, and the common tent caterpillar, which feeds on
various fruit trees (see {Tent caterpillar}, under
{Tent}.) The grapevine webworm is the larva of a
geometrid moth (see {Vine inchworm}, under {Vine}).
Wed \Wed\ (w[e^]d), n. [AS. wedd; akin to OFries. wed, OD.
wedde, OHG, wetti, G. wette a wager, Icel. ve[eth] a pledge,
Sw. vad a wager, an appeal, Goth. wadi a pledge, Lith.
vad[*u]ti to redeem (a pledge), LL. vadium, L. vas, vadis,
bail, security, vadimonium security, and Gr. ?, ? a prize.
Cf. {Athlete}, {Gage} a pledge, {Wage}.]
A pledge; a pawn. [Obs.] --Gower. Piers Plowman.
Let him be ware, his neck lieth to wed [i. e., for a
security]. --Chaucer.
Wed \Wed\, v. t. [imp. {Wedded}; p. p. {Wedded} or {Wed}; p. pr.
& vb. n. {Wedding}.] [OE. wedden, AS. weddian to covenant,
promise, to wed, marry; akin to OFries. weddia to promise, D.
wedden to wager, to bet, G. wetten, Icel. ve[eth]ja, Dan.
vedde, Sw. v["a]dja to appeal, Goth. gawadj[=o]n to betroth.
See {Wed}, n.]
1. To take for husband or for wife by a formal ceremony; to
marry; to espouse.
With this ring I thee wed. --Bk. of Com.
Prayer.
I saw thee first, and wedded thee. --Milton.
2. To join in marriage; to give in wedlock.
And Adam, wedded to another Eve, Shall live with
her. --Milton.
3. Fig.: To unite as if by the affections or the bond of
marriage; to attach firmly or indissolubly.
Thou art wedded to calamity. --Shak.
Men are wedded to their lusts. --Tillotson.
[Flowers] are wedded thus, like beauty to old age.
--Cowper.
4. To take to one's self and support; to espouse. [Obs.]
They positively and concernedly wedded his cause.
--Clarendon.
Wed \Wed\, v. i.
To contact matrimony; to marry. ``When I shall wed.'' --Shak.
Weddahs \Wed"dahs\, n. pl. (Ethnol.)
See {Veddahs}.
Wedded \Wed"ded\, a.
1. Joined in wedlock; married.
Let w?alth, let honor, wait the wedded dame. --Pope.
2. Of or pertaining to wedlock, or marriage. ``Wedded love.''
--Milton.
Wedder \Wed"der\, n.
See {Wether}. --Sir W. Scott.
Wedding \Wed"ding\, n. [AS. wedding.]
Nuptial ceremony; nuptial festivities; marriage; nuptials.
Simple and brief was the wedding, as that of Ruth and
of Boaz. --Longfellow.
Note: Certain anniversaries of an unbroken marriage have
received fanciful, and more or less appropriate, names.
Thus, the fifth anniversary is called the wooden
wedding; the tenth, the tin wedding; the fifteenth, the
crystal wedding; the twentieth, the china wedding; the
twenty-fifth, the silver wedding; the fiftieth, the
golden wedding; the sixtieth, the diamond wedding.
These anniversaries are often celebrated by appropriate
presents of wood, tin, china, silver, gold, etc., given
by friends.
Note: Wedding is often used adjectively; as, wedding cake,
wedding cards, wedding clothes, wedding day, wedding
feast, wedding guest, wedding ring, etc.
Let her beauty be her wedding dower. --Shak.
{Wedding favor}, a marriage favor. See under {Marriage}.
Weder \Wed"er\, n.
Weather. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wedge \Wedge\, n. [OE. wegge, AS. wecg; akin to D. wig, wigge,
OHG. wecki, G. weck a (wedge-shaped) loaf, Icel. veggr, Dan.
v[ae]gge, Sw. vigg, and probably to Lith. vagis a peg. Cf.
{Wigg}.]
1. A piece of metal, or other hard material, thick at one
end, and tapering to a thin edge at the other, used in
splitting wood, rocks, etc., in raising heavy bodies, and
the like. It is one of the six elementary machines called
the mechanical powers. See Illust. of {Mechanical powers},
under {Mechanical}.
2. (Geom.) A solid of five sides, having a rectangular base,
two rectangular or trapezoidal sides meeting in an edge,
and two triangular ends.
3. A mass of metal, especially when of a wedgelike form.
``Wedges of gold.'' --Shak.
4. Anything in the form of a wedge, as a body of troops drawn
up in such a form.
In warlike muster they appear, In rhombs, and
wedges, and half-moons, and wings. --Milton.
5. The person whose name stands lowest on the list of the
classical tripos; -- so called after a person (Wedgewood)
who occupied this position on the first list of 1828.
[Cant, Cambridge Univ., Eng.] --C. A. Bristed.
{Fox wedge}. (Mach. & Carpentry) See under {Fox}.
{Spherical wedge} (Geom.), the portion of a sphere included
between two planes which intersect in a diameter.
Wedge \Wedge\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wedged}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wedging}.]
1. To cleave or separate with a wedge or wedges, or as with a
wedge; to rive. ``My heart, as wedged with a sigh, would
rive in twain.'' --Shak.
2. To force or drive as a wedge is driven.
Among the crowd in the abbey where a finger Could
not be wedged in more. --Shak.
He 's just the sort of man to wedge himself into a
snug berth. --Mrs. J. H.
Ewing.
3. To force by crowding and pushing as a wedge does; as, to
wedge one's way. --Milton.
4. To press closely; to fix, or make fast, in the manner of a
wedge that is driven into something.
Wedged in the rocky shoals, and sticking fast.
--Dryden.
5. To fasten with a wedge, or with wedges; as, to wedge a
scythe on the snath; to wedge a rail or a piece of timber
in its place.
6. (Pottery) To cut, as clay, into wedgelike masses, and work
by dashing together, in order to expel air bubbles, etc.
--Tomlinson.
Wedgebill \Wedge"bill`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
An Australian crested insessorial bird ({Sphenostoma
cristatum}) having a wedge-shaped bill. Its color is dull
brown, like the earth of the plains where it lives.
Wedge-formed \Wedge"-formed`\, a.
Having the form of a wedge; cuneiform.
{Wedge-formed characters}. See {Arrow-headed characters},
under {Arrowheaded}.
Wedge-shaped \Wedge"-shaped`\, a.
1. Having the shape of a wedge; cuneiform.
2. (Bot.) Broad and truncate at the summit, and tapering down
to the base; as, a wedge-shaped leaf.
Wedge-shell \Wedge"-shell`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of numerous species of small marine bivalves
belonging to {Donax} and allied genera in which the shell is
wedge-shaped.
Wedge-tailed \Wedge"-tailed"\, a. (Zo["o]l.)
Having a tail which has the middle pair of feathers longest,
the rest successively and decidedly shorter, and all more or
less attenuate; -- said of certain birds. See Illust. of
{Wood hoopoe}, under {Wood}.
{Wedge-tailed eagle}, an Australian eagle ({Aquila audax})
which feeds on various small species of kangaroos, and on
lambs; -- called also {mountain eagle}, {bold eagle}, and
{eagle hawk}.
{Wedge-tailed gull}, an arctic gull ({Rhodostethia rosea}) in
which the plumage is tinged with rose; -- called also
{Ross's gull}.
Wedgewise \Wedge"wise`\, adv.
In the manner of a wedge.
Wedgwood ware \Wedg"wood` ware`\ [From the name of the inventor,
Josiah Wedgwood, of England.]
A kind of fine pottery, the most remarkable being what is
called {jasper}, either white, or colored throughout the
body, and capable of being molded into the most delicate
forms, so that fine and minute bas-reliefs like cameos were
made of it, fit even for being set as jewels.
Wedgy \Wedg"y\, a.
Like a wedge; wedge-shaped.
Wedlock \Wed"lock\, n. [AS. wedl[=a]c a pledge, be trothal; wedd
a pledge + l[=a]c a gift, an offering. See {Wed}, n., and cf.
{Lake}, v. i., {Knowledge}.]
1. The ceremony, or the state, of marriage; matrimony. ``That
blissful yoke . . . that men clepeth [call] spousal, or
wedlock.'' --Chaucer.
For what is wedlock forced but a hell, An age of
discord or continual strife? --Shak.
2. A wife; a married woman. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.
Syn: See {Marriage}.
Wedlock \Wed"lock\, v. t.
To marry; to unite in marriage; to wed. [R.] ``Man thus
wedlocked.'' --Milton.
Wednesday \Wednes"day\ (?; 48), n. [OE. wednesdai, wodnesdei,
AS. W[=o]dnes d[ae]g, i. e., Woden's day (a translation of L.
dies Mercurii); fr. W[=o]den the highest god of the Teutonic
peoples, but identified with the Roman god Mercury; akin to
OS. W[=o]dan, OHG. Wuotan, Icel. O[eth]inn, D. woensdag
Wednesday, Icel. [=o][eth]insdagr, Dan. & Sw. onsdag. See
{Day}, and cf. {Woden}, {Wood}, a.]
The fourth day of the week; the next day after Tuesday.
{Ash Wednesday}. See in the Vocabulary.
Wee \Wee\, n. [OE. we a bit, in a little we, probably originally
meaning, a little way, the word we for wei being later taken
as synonymous with little. See {Way}.]
A little; a bit, as of space, time, or distance. [Obs. or
Scot.]
Wee \Wee\, a.
Very small; little. [Colloq. & Scot.]
A little wee face, with a little yellow beard. --Shak.
Weech-elm \Weech"-elm`\, n. (Bot.)
The wych-elm. [Obs.] --Bacon.
Weed \Weed\, n. [OE. wede, AS. w?de, w?d; akin to OS. w[=a]di,
giw[=a]di, OFries, w?de, w?d, OD. wade, OHG. w[=a]t, Icel.
v[=a]?, Zend vadh to clothe.]
1. A garment; clothing; especially, an upper or outer
garment. ``Low?ly shepherd's weeds.'' --Spenser. ``Woman's
weeds.'' --Shak. ``This beggar woman's weed.'' --Tennyson.
He on his bed sat, the soft weeds he wore Put off.
--Chapman.
2. An article of dress worn in token of grief; a mourning
garment or badge; as, he wore a weed on his hat;
especially, in the plural, mourning garb, as of a woman;
as, a widow's weeds.
In a mourning weed, with ashes upon her head, and
tears abundantly flowing. --Milton.
Weed \Weed\, n.
A sudden illness or relapse, often attended with fever, which
attacks women in childbed. [Scot.]
Weed \Weed\, n. [OE. weed, weod, AS. we['o]d, wi['o]d, akin to
OS. wiod, LG. woden the stalks and leaves of vegetables D.
wieden to weed, OS. wiod[=o]n.]
1. Underbrush; low shrubs. [Obs. or Archaic]
One rushing forth out of the thickest weed.
--Spenser.
A wild and wanton pard . . . Crouched fawning in the
weed. --Tennyson.
2. Any plant growing in cultivated ground to the injury of
the crop or desired vegetation, or to the disfigurement of
the place; an unsightly, useless, or injurious plant.
Too much manuring filled that field with weeds.
--Denham.
Note: The word has no definite application to any particular
plant, or species of plants. Whatever plants grow among
corn or grass, in hedges, or elsewhere, and are useless
to man, injurious to crops, or unsightly or out of
place, are denominated weeds.
3. Fig.: Something unprofitable or troublesome; anything
useless.
4. (Stock Breeding) An animal unfit to breed from.
5. Tobacco, or a cigar. [Slang]
{Weed hook}, a hook used for cutting away or extirpating
weeds. --Tusser.
Weed \Weed\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Weeded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Weeding}.] [AS. we['o]dian. See 3d {Weed}.]
1. To free from noxious plants; to clear of weeds; as, to
weed corn or onions; to weed a garden.
2. To take away, as noxious plants; to remove, as something
hurtful; to extirpate. ``Weed up thyme.'' --Shak.
Wise fathers . . . weeding from their children ill
things. --Ascham.
Revenge is a kind of wild justice, which the more
man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it
out. --Bacon.
3. To free from anything hurtful or offensive.
He weeded the kingdom of such as were devoted to
Elaiana. --Howell.
4. (Stock Breeding) To reject as unfit for breeding purposes.
Weeder \Weed"er\, n.
One who, or that which, weeds, or frees from anything
noxious.
Weedery \Weed"er*y\, n.
Weeds, collectively; also, a place full of weeds or for
growing weeds. [R.] --Dr. H. More.
Weeding \Weed"ing\,
a. & n. from {Weed}, v.
{Weeding chisel}, a tool with a divided chisel-like end, for
cutting the roots of large weeds under ground.
{Weeding forceps}, an instrument for taking up some sorts of
plants in weeding.
{Weeding fork}, a strong, three-pronged fork, used in
clearing ground of weeds; -- called also {weeding iron}.
{Weeding hook}. Same as {Weed hook}, under 3d {Weed}.
{Weeding iron}. See {Weeding fork}, above.
{Weeding tongs}. Same as {Weeding forceps}, above.
Weeding-rhim \Weed"ing-rhim`\, n. [Cf. Prov. E. rim to remove.]
A kind of implement used for tearing up weeds esp. on summer
fallows. [Prov. Eng.]
Weedless \Weed"less\, a.
Free from weeds or noxious matter.
Weedy \Weed"y\, a. [Compar. {Weedier}; superl. {Weediest}.]
1. Of or pertaining to weeds; consisting of weeds. ``Weedy
trophies.'' --Shak.
2. Abounding with weeds; as, weedy grounds; a weedy garden;
weedy corn.
See from the weedy earth a rivulet break. --Bryant.
3. Scraggy; ill-shaped; ungainly; -- said of colts or horses,
and also of persons. [Colloq.]
Weedy \Weed"y\, a.
Dressed in weeds, or mourning garments. [R. or Colloq.]
She was as weedy as in the early days of her mourning.
--Dickens.
Week \Week\, n. [OE. weke, wike, woke, wuke AS. weocu, wicu,
wucu; akin to OS. wika, OFries. wike, D. week, G. woche, OHG.
wohha, wehha, Icel. vika, Sw. vecka, Dan. uge, Goth. wik?,
probably originally meaning, a succession or change, and akin
to G. wechsel change, L. vicis turn, alternation, and E.
weak. Cf. {Weak}.]
A period of seven days, usually that reckoned from one
Sabbath or Sunday to the next.
I fast twice in the week. --Luke xviii.
12.
Note: Although it [the week] did not enter into the calendar
of the Greeks, and was not introduced at Rome till
after the reign of Theodesius, it has been employed
from time immemorial in almost all Eastern countries.
--Encyc. Brit.
{Feast of Weeks}. See {Pentecost}, 1.
{Prophetic week}, a week of years, or seven years. --Dan. ix.
24.
{Week day}. See under {Day}.
Weekly \Week"ly\, a.
1. Of or pertaining to a week, or week days; as, weekly
labor.
2. Coming, happening, or done once a week; hebdomadary; as, a
weekly payment; a weekly gazette.
Weekly \Week"ly\, n.; pl. {Weeklies}.
A publication issued once in seven days, or appearing once a
week.
Weekly \Week"ly\, adv.
Once a week; by hebdomadal periods; as, each performs service
weekly.
Weekwam \Week"wam\, n.
See {Wigwam}. [R.]
Weel \Weel\, a. & adv.
Well. [Obs. or Scot.]
Weel \Weel\, n. [AS. w[=ae]l. [root]147.]
A whirlpool. [Obs.]
Weel \Weel\, Weely \Weel"y\, [Prov. E. weel, weal, a wicker
basket to catch eels; prob. akin to willow, and so called as
made of willow twigs.]
A kind of trap or snare for fish, made of twigs. [Obs.]
--Carew.
Ween \Ween\, v. i. [OE. wenen, AS. w?nan, fr. w?n hope,
expectation, opinion; akin to D. waan, OFries. w?n, OS. &
OHG. w[=a]n, G. wahn delusion, Icel. v[=a]n hope,
expectation, Goth. w?ns, and D. wanen to fancy, G. w["a]hnen,
Icel. v[=a]na to hope, Goth. w?njan, and perhaps to E.
winsome, wish.]
To think; to imagine; to fancy. [Obs. or Poetic] --Spenser.
Milton.
I have lost more than thou wenest. --Chaucer.
For well I ween, Never before in the bowers of light
Had the form of an earthly fay been seen. --J. R.
Drake.
Though never a dream the roses sent Of science or
love's compliment, I ween they smelt as sweet. --Mrs.
Browning.
Weep \Weep\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The lapwing; the wipe; -- so called from its cry.
Weep \Weep\, obs.
imp. of {Weep}, for wept. --Chaucer.
Weep \Weep\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wept}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Weeping}.] [OE. wepen, AS. w?pan, from w?p lamentation; akin
to OFries. w?pa to lament, OS. w?p lamentation, OHG. wuof,
Icel. ?p a shouting, crying, OS. w?pian to lament, OHG.
wuoffan, wuoffen, Icel. ?pa, Goth. w?pjan. ????.]
1. Formerly, to express sorrow, grief, or anguish, by outcry,
or by other manifest signs; in modern use, to show grief
or other passions by shedding tears; to shed tears; to
cry.
And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck.
--Acts xx. 37.
Phocion was rarely seen to weep or to laugh.
--Mitford.
And eyes that wake to weep. --Mrs. Hemans.
And they wept together in silence. --Longfellow.
2. To lament; to complain. ``They weep unto me, saying, Give
us flesh, that we may eat.'' --Num. xi. 13.
3. To flow in drops; to run in drops.
The blood weeps from my heart. --Shak.
4. To drop water, or the like; to drip; to be soaked.
5. To hang the branches, as if in sorrow; to be pendent; to
droop; -- said of a plant or its branches.
Weep \Weep\, v. t.
1. To lament; to bewail; to bemoan. ``I weep bitterly the
dead.'' --A. S. Hardy.
We wandering go Through dreary wastes, and weep each
other's woe. --Pope.
2. To shed, or pour forth, as tears; to shed drop by drop, as
if tears; as, to weep tears of joy.
Tears, such as angels weep, burst forth. --Milton.
Groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm.
--Milton.
Weeper \Weep"er\, n.
1. One who weeps; esp., one who sheds tears.
2. A white band or border worn on the sleeve as a badge of
mourning. --Goldsmith.
3. (Zo["o]l.) The capuchin. See {Capuchin}, 3
(a) .
Weepful \Weep"ful\, a.
Full of weeping or lamentation; grieving. [Obs.] --Wyclif.
Weeping \Weep"ing\, n.
The act of one who weeps; lamentation with tears; shedding of
tears.
Weeping \Weep"ing\, a.
1. Grieving; lamenting; shedding tears. ``Weeping eyes.''
--I. Watts.
2. Discharging water, or other liquid, in drops or very
slowly; surcharged with water. ``Weeping grounds.''
--Mortimer.
3. Having slender, pendent branches; -- said of trees; as,
weeping willow; a weeping ash.
4. Pertaining to lamentation, or those who weep.
{Weeping cross}, a cross erected on or by the highway,
especially for the devotions of penitents; hence, to
return by the weeping cross, to return from some
undertaking in humiliation or penitence.
{Weeping rock}, a porous rock from which water gradually
issues.
{Weeping sinew}, a ganglion. See {Ganglion}, n., 2. [Colloq.]
{Weeping spring}, a spring that discharges water slowly.
{Weeping willow} (Bot.), a species of willow ({Salix
Babylonica}) whose branches grow very long and slender,
and hang down almost perpendicularly.
Weepingly \Weep"ing*ly\, adv.
In a weeping manner.
Weeping-ripe \Weep"ing-ripe`\, a.
Ripe for weeping; ready to weep. [Obs.] --Shak.
Weerish \Weer"ish\, a.
See {Wearish}. [Obs.]
Weesel \Wee"sel\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Weasel}.
Weet \Weet\, a. & n.
Wet. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Weet \Weet\, v. i. [imp. {Wot}.] [See {Wit} to know.]
To know; to wit. [Obs.] --Tyndale. Spenser.
Weet-bird \Weet"-bird`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The wryneck; -- so called from its cry. [Prov. Eng.]
Weetingly \Weet"ing*ly\, adv.
Knowingly. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Weetless \Weet"less\, a.
Unknowing; also, unknown; unmeaning. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Weet-weet \Weet"-weet`\, n. [So called from its piping cry when
disturbed.] (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The common European sandpiper.
(b) The chaffinch. [Prov. Eng.]
Weever \Wee"ver\, n. [Probably from F. vive, OF. vivre, a kind
of fish, L. vipera viper. Cf. {Viper}.] (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of several species of edible marine fishes belonging
to the genus {Trachinus}, of the family {Trachinid[ae]}. They
have a broad spinose head, with the eyes looking upward. The
long dorsal fin is supported by numerous strong, sharp spines
which cause painful wounds.
Note: The two British species are the great, or greater,
weever ({Trachinus draco}), which becomes a foot long
(called also {gowdie}, {sea cat}, {stingbull}, and
{weaverfish}), and the lesser weever ({T. vipera}),
about half as large (called also {otter pike}, and
{stingfish}).
Weevil \Wee"vil\, n. [OE. wivel, wevil, AS. wifel, wibil; akin
to OD. wevel, OHG. wibil, wibel, G. wiebel, wibel, and
probably to Lith. vabalas beetle, and E. weave. See {Weave}.]
(Zo["o]l.)
Any one of numerous species of snout beetles, or
Rhynchophora, in which the head is elongated and usually
curved downward. Many of the species are very injurious to
cultivated plants. The larv[ae] of some of the species live
in nuts, fruit, and grain by eating out the interior, as the
plum weevil, or curculio, the nut weevils, and the grain
weevil (see under {Plum}, {Nut}, and {Grain}). The larv[ae]
of other species bore under the bark and into the pith of
trees and various other plants, as the pine weevils (see
under {Pine}). See also {Pea weevil}, {Rice weevil}, {Seed
weevil}, under {Pea}, {Rice}, and {Seed}.
Weeviled \Wee"viled\, a.
Infested by weevils; as, weeviled grain. [Written also
{weevilled}.]
Weevily \Wee"vil*y\, a.
Having weevils; weeviled. [Written also {weevilly}.]
Weezel \Wee"zel\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Weasel}.
Weft \Weft\, obs.
imp. & p. p. of {Wave}.
Weft \Weft\, n. [Cf. {Waif}.]
A thing waved, waived, or cast away; a waif. [Obs.] ``A
forlorn weft.'' --Spenser.
Weft \Weft\, n. [AS. weft, wefta, fr. wefan, to weave. See
{Weave}.]
1. The woof of cloth; the threads that cross the warp from
selvage to selvage; the thread carried by the shuttle in
weaving.
2. A web; a thing woven.
Weftage \Weft"age\, n.
Texture. [Obs.] --Grew.
Wegotism \We"go*tism\, n. [From we, in imitation of egotism.]
Excessive use of the pronoun we; -- called also {weism}.
[Colloq. or Cant]
Wehrgeld \Wehr"geld`\, Wehrgelt \Wehr"gelt`\, n. (O. Eng. Law)
See {Weregild}.
Wehrwolf \Wehr"wolf`\, n.
See {Werewolf}.
Weigela \Wei"gel*a\, Weigelia \Wei*ge"li*a\, n. [NL. So named
after C. E. Weigel, a German naturalist.] (Bot.)
A hardy garden shrub ({Diervilla Japonica}) belonging to the
Honeysuckle family, with white or red flowers. It was
introduced from China.
Weigh \Weigh\ (w[=a]), n. (Naut.)
A corruption of {Way}, used only in the phrase {under weigh}.
An expedition was got under weigh from New York.
--Thackeray.
The Athenians . . . hurried on board and with
considerable difficulty got under weigh. --Jowett
(Thucyd.).
Weigh \Weigh\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Weighed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Weighing}.] [OE. weien, weyen, weghen, AS. wegan to bear,
move; akin to D. wegen to weigh, G. w["a]gen, wiegen, to
weigh, bewegen to move, OHG. wegan, Icel. vega to move,
carry, lift, weigh, Sw. v["a]ga to weigh, Dan. veie, Goth.
gawigan to shake, L. vehere to carry, Skr. vah. ????. See
{Way}, and cf. {Wey}.]
1. To bear up; to raise; to lift into the air; to swing up;
as, to weigh anchor. ``Weigh the vessel up.'' --Cowper.
2. To examine by the balance; to ascertain the weight of,
that is, the force with which a thing tends to the center
of the earth; to determine the heaviness, or quantity of
matter of; as, to weigh sugar; to weigh gold.
Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found
wanting. --Dan. v. 27.
3. To be equivalent to in weight; to counterbalance; to have
the heaviness of. ``A body weighing divers ounces.''
--Boyle.
4. To pay, allot, take, or give by weight.
They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
--Zech. xi.
12.
5. To examine or test as if by the balance; to ponder in the
mind; to consider or examine for the purpose of forming an
opinion or coming to a conclusion; to estimate
deliberately and maturely; to balance.
A young man not weighed in state affairs. --Bacon.
Had no better weighed The strength he was to cope
with, or his own. --Milton.
Regard not who it is which speaketh, but weigh only
what is spoken. --Hooker.
In nice balance, truth with gold she weighs. --Pope.
Without sufficiently weighing his expressions. --Sir
W. Scott.
6. To consider as worthy of notice; to regard. [Obs. or
Archaic] ``I weigh not you.'' --Shak.
All that she so dear did weigh. --Spenser.
{To weigh down}.
(a) To overbalance.
(b) To oppress with weight; to overburden; to depress.
``To weigh thy spirits down.'' --Milton.
Weigh \Weigh\, v. i.
1. To have weight; to be heavy. ``They only weigh the
heavier.'' --Cowper.
2. To be considered as important; to have weight in the
intellectual balance.
Your vows to her and me . . . will even weigh.
--Shak.
This objection ought to weigh with those whose
reading is designed for much talk and little
knowledge. --Locke.
3. To bear heavily; to press hard.
Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff
Which weighs upon the heart. --Shak.
4. To judge; to estimate. [R.]
Could not weigh of worthiness aright. --Spenser.
{To weigh down}, to sink by its own weight.
Weigh \Weigh\, n. [See {Wey}.]
A certain quantity estimated by weight; an English measure of
weight. See {Wey}.
Weighable \Weigh"a*ble\, a.
Capable of being weighed.
Weighage \Weigh"age\ (?; 48), n.
A duty or toil paid for weighing merchandise. --Bouvier.
Weighbeam \Weigh"beam`\, n.
A kind of large steelyard for weighing merchandise; -- also
called {weighmaster's beam}.
Weighboard \Weigh"board`\, n. (Mining)
Clay intersecting a vein. --Weale.
Weighbridge \Weigh"bridge`\, n.
A weighing machine on which loaded carts may be weighed;
platform scales.
Weigher \Weigh"er\, n.
One who weighs; specifically, an officer whose duty it is to
weigh commodities.
Weigh-house \Weigh"-house`\, n.; pl. {Weigh-houses}.
A building at or within which goods, and the like, are
weighed.
Weighing \Weigh"ing\,
a. & n. from {Weigh}, v.
{Weighing cage}, a cage in which small living animals may be
conveniently weighed.
{Weighing house}. See {Weigh-house}.
{Weighing machine}, any large machine or apparatus for
weighing; especially, platform scales arranged for
weighing heavy bodies, as loaded wagons.
Weighlock \Weigh"lock`\, n.
A lock, as on a canal, in which boats are weighed and their
tonnage is settled.
Weighmaster \Weigh"mas`ter\, n.
One whose business it is to weigh ore, hay, merchandise,
etc.; one licensed as a public weigher.
Weight \Weight\, n. [OE. weght, wight, AS. gewiht; akin to D.
gewigt, G. gewicht, Icel. v[ae]tt, Sw. vigt, Dan. v[ae]gt.
See {Weigh}, v. t.]
1. The quality of being heavy; that property of bodies by
which they tend toward the center of the earth; the effect
of gravitative force, especially when expressed in certain
units or standards, as pounds, grams, etc.
Note: Weight differs from gravity in being the effect of
gravity, or the downward pressure of a body under the
influence of gravity; hence, it constitutes a measure
of the force of gravity, and being the resultant of all
the forces exerted by gravity upon the different
particles of the body, it is proportional to the
quantity of matter in the body.
2. The quantity of heaviness; comparative tendency to the
center of the earth; the quantity of matter as estimated
by the balance, or expressed numerically with reference to
some standard unit; as, a mass of stone having the weight
of five hundred pounds.
For sorrow, like a heavy-hanging bell, Once set on
ringing, with his own weight goes. --Shak.
3. Hence, pressure; burden; as, the weight of care or
business. ``The weight of this said time.'' --Shak.
For the public all this weight he bears. --Milton.
[He] who singly bore the world's sad weight.
--Keble.
4. Importance; power; influence; efficacy; consequence;
moment; impressiveness; as, a consideration of vast
weight.
In such a point of weight, so near mine honor.
--Shak.
5. A scale, or graduated standard, of heaviness; a mode of
estimating weight; as, avoirdupois weight; troy weight;
apothecaries' weight.
6. A ponderous mass; something heavy; as, a clock weight; a
paper weight.
A man leapeth better with weights in his hands.
--Bacon.
7. A definite mass of iron, lead, brass, or other metal, to
be used for ascertaining the weight of other bodies; as,
an ounce weight.
8. (Mech.) The resistance against which a machine acts, as
opposed to the power which moves it. [Obs.]
{Atomic weight}. (Chem.) See under {Atomic}, and cf.
{Element}.
{Dead weight}, {Feather weight}, {Heavy weight}, {Light
weight}, etc. See under {Dead}, {Feather}, etc.
{Weight of observation} (Astron. & Physics), a number
expressing the most probable relative value of each
observation in determining the result of a series of
observations of the same kind.
Syn: Ponderousness; gravity; heaviness; pressure; burden;
load; importance; power; influence; efficacy;
consequence; moment; impressiveness.
Weight \Weight\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Weighted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Weighting}.]
1. To load with a weight or weights; to load down; to make
heavy; to attach weights to; as, to weight a horse or a
jockey at a race; to weight a whip handle.
The arrows of satire, . . . weighted with sense.
--Coleridge.
2. (Astron. & Physics) To assign a weight to; to express by a
number the probable accuracy of, as an observation. See
{Weight of observations}, under {Weight}.
Weightily \Weight"i*ly\, adv.
In a weighty manner.
Weightiness \Weight"i*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being weighty; weight; force;
importance; impressiveness.
Weightless \Weight"less\, a.
Having no weight; imponderable; hence, light. --Shak.
Weighty \Weight"y\, a. [Compar. {Weightier}; superl.
{Weightiest}.]
1. Having weight; heavy; ponderous; as, a weighty body.
2. Adapted to turn the balance in the mind, or to convince;
important; forcible; serious; momentous. ``For sundry
weighty reasons.'' --Shak.
Let me have your advice in a weighty affair.
--Swift.
3. Rigorous; severe; afflictive. [R.] ``Attend our weightier
judgment.'' --Shak.
Syn: Heavy; ponderous; burdensome; onerous; forcible;
momentous; efficacious; impressive; cogent.
Weir \Weir\ (w[=e]r), Wear \Wear\,n. [OE. wer, AS. wer; akin to
G. wehr, AS. werian to defend, protect, hinder, G. wehren,
Goth. warjan; and perhaps to E. wary; or cf. Skr. v[.r] to
check, hinder. [root]142. Cf. {Garret}.]
1. A dam in a river to stop and raise the water, for the
purpose of conducting it to a mill, forming a fish pond,
or the like.
2. A fence of stakes, brushwood, or the like, set in a
stream, tideway, or inlet of the sea, for taking fish.
3. A long notch with a horizontal edge, as in the top of a
vertical plate or plank, through which water flows, --
used in measuring the quantity of flowing water.
Weird \Weird\ (w[=e]rd), n. [OE. wirde, werde, AS. wyrd fate,
fortune, one of the Fates, fr. weor[eth]an to be, to become;
akin to OS. wurd fate, OHG. wurt, Icel. ur[eth]r. [root]143.
See {Worth} to become.]
1. Fate; destiny; one of the Fates, or Norns; also, a
prediction. [Obs. or Scot.]
2. A spell or charm. [Obs. or Scot.] --Sir W. Scott.
Weird \Weird\, a.
1. Of or pertaining to fate; concerned with destiny.
2. Of or pertaining to witchcraft; caused by, or suggesting,
magical influence; supernatural; unearthly; wild; as, a
weird appearance, look, sound, etc.
Myself too had weird seizures. --Tennyson.
Those sweet, low tones, that seemed like a weird
incantation. --Longfellow.
{Weird sisters}, the Fates. [Scot.] --G. Douglas.
Note: Shakespeare uses the term for the three witches in
Macbeth.
The weird sisters, hand in hand, Posters of the
sea and land. --Shak.
Weird \Weird\, v. t.
To foretell the fate of; to predict; to destine to. [Scot.]
--Jamieson.
Weirdness \Weird"ness\, n.
The quality or state of being weird.
Weism \We"ism\, n.
Same as {Wegotism}.
Weive \Weive\, v. t.
See {Waive}. [Obs.] --Gower.
Weka \We"ka\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A New Zealand rail ({Ocydromus australis}) which has wings so
short as to be incapable of flight.
Wekau \We"kau\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A small New Zealand owl ({Sceloglaux albifacies}). It has
short wings and long legs, and lives chiefly on the ground.
Wekeen \We*keen"\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The meadow pipit. [Prov. Eng.]
Welaway \Wel"a*way\, interj. [OE. welaway, walaway, weilawey;
wei wo! (Icel. vei) + la lo! (AS. l[=a]) + wei wo!; cf. AS.
w[=a] l[=a] w[=a]. See {Woe}.]
Alas! [Obs.]
Then welaway, for she undone was clean. --Wyatt.
Wel-begone \Wel"-be*gone`\, a. [OE. wel-begon. See {Well}, and
{Begone}.]
Surrounded with happiness or prosperity. [Obs.]
Fair and rich and young and wel-begone. --Chaucer.
Welch \Welch\, a.
See {Welsh}. [R.]
Welcher \Welch"er\, n.
See {Welsher}.
Welchman \Welch"man\, n.
See {Welshman}. [R.]
Welcome \Wel"come\, a. [OE. welcome, welcume, wilcume, AS.
wilcuma a welcome guest, from wil-, as a prefix, akin to
willa will + cuma a comer, fr. cuman to come; hence,
properly, one who comes so as to please another's will; cf.
Icel. velkominn welcome, G. willkommen. See {Will}, n., and
Come.]
1. Received with gladness; admitted willingly to the house,
entertainment, or company; as, a welcome visitor.
When the glad soul is made Heaven's welcome guest.
--Cowper.
2. Producing gladness; grateful; as, a welcome present;
welcome news. ``O, welcome hour!'' --Milton.
3. Free to have or enjoy gratuitously; as, you are welcome to
the use of my library.
Note: Welcome is used elliptically for you are welcome.
``Welcome, great monarch, to your own.'' --Dryden.
{Welcome-to-our-house} (Bot.), a kind of spurge ({Euphorbia
Cyparissias}). --Dr. Prior.
Welcome \Wel"come\, n.
1. Salutation to a newcomer. ``Welcome ever smiles.'' --Shak.
2. Kind reception of a guest or newcomer; as, we entered the
house and found a ready welcome.
His warmest welcome at an inn. --Shenstone.
Truth finds an entrance and a welcome too. --South.
{To bid welcome}, to receive with professions of kindness.
To thee and thy company I bid A hearty welcome.
--Shak.
Welcome \Wel"come\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Welcomed}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Welcoming}.] [AS. wilcumian.]
To salute with kindness, as a newcomer; to receive and
entertain hospitably and cheerfully; as, to welcome a
visitor; to welcome a new idea. ``I welcome you to land.''
--Addison.
Thus we salute thee with our early song, And welcome
thee, and wish thee long. --Milton.
Welcomely \Wel"come*ly\, adv.
In a welcome manner.
Welcomeness \Wel"come*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being welcome; gratefulness;
agreeableness; kind reception.
Welcomer \Wel"com*er\, n.
One who welcomes; one who salutes, or receives kindly, a
newcomer. --Shak.
Weld \Weld\, v. t.
To wield. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Weld \Weld\, n. [OE. welde; akin to Scot. wald, Prov. G. waude,
G. wau, Dan. & Sw. vau, D. wouw.]
1. (Bot.) An herb ({Reseda luteola}) related to mignonette,
growing in Europe, and to some extent in America; dyer's
broom; dyer's rocket; dyer's weed; wild woad. It is used
by dyers to give a yellow color. [Written also {woald},
{wold}, and {would}.]
2. Coloring matter or dye extracted from this plant.
Weld \Weld\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Welded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Welding}.] [Probably originally the same word as well to
spring up, to gush; perhaps from the Scand.; cf. Sw. v["a]lla
to weld, uppv["a]lla to boil up, to spring up, Dan. v[ae]lde
to gush, G. wellen to weld. See {Well} to spring.]
1. To press or beat into intimate and permanent union, as two
pieces of iron when heated almost to fusion.
Note: Very few of the metals, besides iron and platinum. are
capable of being welded. Horn and tortoise shell
possess this useful property.
2. Fig.: To unite closely or intimately.
Two women faster welded in one love. --Tennyson.
Weld \Weld\, n.
The state of being welded; the joint made by welding.
{Butt weld}. See under {Butt}.
{Scarf weld}, a joint made by overlapping, and welding
together, the scarfed ends of two pieces.
Weldable \Weld"a*ble\, a.
Capable of being welded.
Welder \Weld"er\, n.
One who welds, or unites pieces of iron, etc., by welding.
Welder \Weld"er\, n.
1. One who welds, or wields. [Obs.]
2. A manager; an actual occupant. [Ireland. Obs.] ``The
welder . . . who . . . lives miserably.'' --Swift.
Weldon's process \Wel"don's proc"ess\, (Chem.)
A process for the recovery or regeneration of manganese
dioxide in the manufacture of chlorine, by means of milk of
lime and the oxygen of the air; -- so called after the
inventor.
Wele \Wele\, n. [See {Weal} prosperity.]
Prosperity; happiness; well-being; weal. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Weleful \Wele"ful\, a.
Producing prosperity or happiness; blessed. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Welew \We"lew\, v. t.
To welk, or wither. [Obs.]
Welfare \Wel"fare`\, n. [Well + fare to go, to proceed, to
happen.]
Well-doing or well-being in any respect; the enjoyment of
health and the common blessings of life; exemption from any
evil or calamity; prosperity; happiness.
How to study for the people's welfare. --Shak.
In whose deep eyes Men read the welfare of the times to
come. --Emerson.
Welfaring \Wel"far`ing\, a.
Faring well; prosperous; thriving. [Obs.] ``A welfaring
person.'' --Chaucer.
Welk \Welk\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Welked}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Welking}.] [OE. welken; cf. D. & G. welken to wither, G.
welk withered, OHG. welc moist. See {Welkin}, and cf.
{Wilt}.]
To wither; to fade; also, to decay; to decline; to wane.
[Obs.]
When ruddy Ph?bus 'gins to welk in west. --Spenser.
The church, that before by insensible degrees welked
and impaired, now with large steps went down hill
decaying. --Milton.
Welk \Welk\, v. t.
1. To cause to wither; to wilt. [Obs.]
Mot thy welked neck be to-broke [broken]. --Chaucer.
2. To contract; to shorten. [Obs.]
Now sad winter welked hath the day. --Spenser.
3. To soak; also, to beat severely. [Prov. Eng.]
Welk \Welk\, n.
A pustule. See 2d {Whelk}.
Welk \Welk\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A whelk. [R.]
Welked \Welked\, v. t.
See {Whelked}.
Welkin \Wel"kin\, n. [OE. welken, welkene, welkne, wolcne,
weolcne, AS. wolcen, pl. wolcnu, a cloud; akin to D. wolk,
OFries. wolken, OS. wolkan, G. wolke, OHG. wolchan, and
probably to G. welk withered, OHG. welc moist, Russ. & OSlav.
vlaga moisture, Lith. vilgyti to moisten.]
The visible regions of the air; the vault of heaven; the sky.
On the welkne shoon the sterres lyght. --Chaucer.
The fair welkin foully overcast. --Spenser.
When storms the welkin rend. --Wordsworth.
Note: Used adjectively by Shakespeare in the phase, ``Your
welkin eye,'' with uncertain meaning.
Well \Well\, n. [OE. welle, AS. wella, wylla, from weallan to
well up, surge, boil; akin to D. wel a spring or fountain.
????. See {Well}, v. i.]
1. An issue of water from the earth; a spring; a fountain.
Begin, then, sisters of the sacred well. --Milton.
2. A pit or hole sunk into the earth to such a depth as to
reach a supply of water, generally of a cylindrical form,
and often walled with stone or bricks to prevent the earth
from caving in.
The woman said unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to
draw with, and the well is deep. --John iv. 11.
3. A shaft made in the earth to obtain oil or brine.
4. Fig.: A source of supply; fountain; wellspring. ``This
well of mercy.'' --Chaucer.
Dan Chaucer, well of English undefiled. --Spenser.
A well of serious thought and pure. --Keble.
5. (Naut.)
(a) An inclosure in the middle of a vessel's hold, around
the pumps, from the bottom to the lower deck, to
preserve the pumps from damage and facilitate their
inspection.
(b) A compartment in the middle of the hold of a fishing
vessel, made tight at the sides, but having holes
perforated in the bottom to let in water for the
preservation of fish alive while they are transported
to market.
(c) A vertical passage in the stern into which an
auxiliary screw propeller may be drawn up out of
water.
(d) A depressed space in the after part of the deck; --
often called the cockpit.
6. (Mil.) A hole or excavation in the earth, in mining, from
which run branches or galleries.
7. (Arch.) An opening through the floors of a building, as
for a staircase or an elevator; a wellhole.
8. (Metal.) The lower part of a furnace, into which the metal
falls.
{Artesian well}, {Driven well}. See under {Artesian}, and
{Driven}.
{Pump well}. (Naut.) See {Well}, 5
(a), above.
{Well boring}, the art or process of boring an artesian well.
{Well drain}.
(a) A drain or vent for water, somewhat like a well or
pit, serving to discharge the water of wet land.
(b) A drain conducting to a well or pit.
{Well room}.
(a) A room where a well or spring is situated; especially,
one built over a mineral spring.
(b) (Naut.) A depression in the bottom of a boat, into
which water may run, and whence it is thrown out with
a scoop.
{Well sinker}, one who sinks or digs wells.
{Well sinking}, the art or process of sinking or digging
wells.
{Well staircase} (Arch.), a staircase having a wellhole (see
{Wellhole}
(b) ), as distinguished from one which occupies the whole
of the space left for it in the floor.
{Well sweep}. Same as {Sweep}, n., 12.
{Well water}, the water that flows into a well from
subterraneous springs; the water drawn from a well.
Well \Well\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Welled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Welling}.] [OE. wellen, AS. wyllan, wellan, fr. weallan;
akin to OFries. walla, OS. & OHG. wallan, G. wallen, Icel.
vella, G. welle, wave, OHG. wella, walm, AS. wylm; cf. L.
volvere to roll, Gr. ? to inwrap, ? to roll. Cf. {Voluble},
{Wallop} to boil, {Wallow}, {Weld} of metal.]
To issue forth, as water from the earth; to flow; to spring.
``[Blood] welled from out the wound.'' --Dryden. ``[Yon
spring] wells softly forth.'' --Bryant.
From his two springs in Gojam's sunny realm, Pure
welling out, he through the lucid lake Of fair Dambea
rolls his infant streams. --Thomson.
Well \Well\, v. t.
To pour forth, as from a well. --Spenser.
Well \Well\, adv. [Compar. and superl. wanting, the deficiency
being supplied by better and best, from another root.] [OE.
wel, AS. wel; akin to OS., OFries., & D. wel, G. wohl, OHG.
wola, wela, Icel. & Dan. vel, Sw. v["a]l, Goth. wa['i]la;
originally meaning, according to one's will or wish. See
{Will}, v. t., and cf. {Wealth}.]
1. In a good or proper manner; justly; rightly; not ill or
wickedly.
If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.
--Gen. iv. 7.
2. Suitably to one's condition, to the occasion, or to a
proposed end or use; suitably; abundantly; fully;
adequately; thoroughly.
Lot . . . beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it
was well watered everywhere. --Gen. xiii.
10.
WE are wellable to overcome it. --Num. xiii.
30.
She looketh well to the ways of her household.
--Prov. xxxi.
27.
Servant of God, well done! well hast thou fought The
better fight. --Milton.
3. Fully or about; -- used with numbers. [Obs.] ``Well a ten
or twelve.'' --Chaucer.
Well nine and twenty in a company. --Chaucer.
4. In such manner as is desirable; so as one could wish;
satisfactorily; favorably; advantageously; conveniently.
``It boded well to you.'' --Dryden.
Know In measure what the mind may well contain.
--Milton.
All the world speaks well of you. --Pope.
5. Considerably; not a little; far.
Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age.
--Gen. xviii.
11.
Note: Well is sometimes used elliptically for it is well, as
an expression of satisfaction with what has been said
or done, and sometimes it expresses concession, or is
merely expletive; as, well, the work is done; well, let
us go; well, well, be it so.
Note: Well, like above, ill, and so, is used before many
participial adjectives in its usual adverbial senses,
and subject to the same custom with regard to the use
of the hyphen (see the Note under {Ill}, adv.); as, a
well-affected supporter; he was well affected toward
the project; a well-trained speaker; he was well
trained in speaking; well-educated, or well educated;
well-dressed, or well dressed; well-appearing;
well-behaved; well-controlled; well-designed;
well-directed; well-formed; well-meant; well-minded;
well-ordered; well-performed; well-pleased;
well-pleasing; well-seasoned; well-steered;
well-tasted; well-told, etc. Such compound epithets
usually have an obvious meaning, and since they may be
formed at will, only a few of this class are given in
the Vocabulary.
{As well}. See under {As}.
{As well as}, and also; together with; not less than; one as
much as the other; as, a sickness long, as well as severe;
London is the largest city in England, as well as the
capital.
{Well enough}, well or good in a moderate degree; so as to
give satisfaction, or so as to require no alteration.
{Well off}, in good condition; especially, in good condition
as to property or any advantages; thriving; prosperous.
{Well to do}, well off; prosperous; -- used also adjectively.
``The class well to do in the world.'' --J. H. Newman.
{Well to live}, in easy circumstances; well off; well to do.
--Shak.
Well \Well\, a.
1. Good in condition or circumstances; desirable, either in a
natural or moral sense; fortunate; convenient;
advantageous; happy; as, it is well for the country that
the crops did not fail; it is well that the mistake was
discovered.
It was well with us in Egypt. --Num. xi. 18.
2. Being in health; sound in body; not ailing, diseased, or
sick; healthy; as, a well man; the patient is perfectly
well. ``Your friends are well.'' --Shak.
Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake?
--Gen. xliii.
27.
3. Being in favor; favored; fortunate.
He followed the fortunes of that family, and was
well with Henry the Fourth. --Dryden.
4. (Marine Insurance) Safe; as, a chip warranted well at a
certain day and place. --Burrill.
Welladay \Well"a*day\, interj. [Corrupted from wela way.]
Alas! Welaway! --Shak.
Wellat \Wel"lat\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The king parrakeet See under {King}.
Well-being \Well"-be`ing\, n.
The state or condition of being well; welfare; happiness;
prosperity; as, virtue is essential to the well-being of men
or of society.
Well-born \Well"-born`\, a.
Born of a noble or respect able family; not of mean birth.
Well-bred \Well"-bred`\, a.
Having good breeding; refined in manners; polite; cultivated.
I am as well-bred as the earl's granddaughter.
--Thackera?.
Welldoer \Well"do`er\, n.
One who does well; one who does good to another; a
benefactor.
Welldoing \Well"do`ing\, n.
A doing well; right performance of duties. Also used
adjectively.
Welldrain \Well"drain`\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Welldrained}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Well-draining}.]
To drain, as land; by means of wells, or pits, which receive
the water, and from which it is discharged by machinery.
Wellfare \Well"fare`\, n.
See {Welfare}. [Obs.]
Well-favored \Well"-fa"vored\, a.
Handsome; wellformed; beautiful; pleasing to the eye.
Rachel was beautiful and well-favored. --Gen. xxix.
17.
Wellhead \Well"head`\, n.
A source, spring, or fountain.
At the wellhead the purest streams arise. --Spenser.
Our public-school and university life is a great
wellhead of new and irresponsible words. --Earle.
Wellhole \Well"hole`\, n.
1. (Arch.)
(a) The open space in a floor, to accommodate a staircase.
(b) The open space left beyond the ends of the steps of a
staircase.
2. A cavity which receives a counterbalancing weight in
certain mechanical contrivances, and is adapted also for
other purposes. --W. M. Buchanan.
Well-informed \Well`-in*formed"\, a.
Correctly informed; provided with information; well furnished
with authentic knowledge; intelligent.
Wellingtonia \Wel`ling*to"ni*a\, n. [NL. So named after the Duke
of Wellington.] (Bot.)
A name given to the ``big trees'' ({Sequoia gigantea}) of
California, and still used in England. See {Sequoia}.
Wellingtons \Wel"ling*tons\, n. pl. [After the Duke of
Wellington.]
A kind of long boots for men.
Well-intentioned \Well`-in*ten"tioned\, a.
Having upright intentions or honorable purposes.
Dutchmen who had sold themselves to France, as the
wellintentioned party. --Macaulay.
Well-known \Well"-known`\, a.
Fully known; generally known or acknowledged.
A church well known with a well-known rite. --M.
Arnold.
Well-liking \Well"-lik`ing\, a.
Being in good condition. [Obs. or Archaic]
They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age,
and shall be fat and well-liking. --Bk. of Com.
Prayer (Ps.
xcii.).
Well-mannered \Well`-man"nered\, a.
Polite; well-bred; complaisant; courteous. --Dryden.
Well-meaner \Well"-mean`er\, n.
One whose intention is good. ``Well-meaners think no harm.''
--Dryden.
Well-meaning \Well"-mean`ing\, a.
Having a good intention.
Well-natured \Well`-na"tured\, a.
Good-natured; kind.
Well-natured, temperate, and wise. --Denham.
Well-nigh \Well"-nigh`\, adv.
Almost; nearly. --Chaucer.
Well-plighted \Well"-plight`ed\, a.
Being well folded. [Obs.] ``Her well-plighted frock.''
--Spenser.
Well-read \Well"-read`\, a.
Of extensive reading; deeply versed; -- often followed by in.
Well-seen \Well"-seen`\, a.
Having seen much; hence, accomplished; experienced. [Obs.]
--Beau. & Fl.
Well-seen in arms and proved in many a fight.
--Spenser.
Well-set \Well"-set`\, a.
1. Properly or firmly set.
2. Well put together; having symmetry of parts.
Well-sped \Well"-sped`\, a.
Having good success.
Well-spoken \Well"-spo`ken\, a. [Well + speak.]
1. Speaking well; speaking with fitness or grace; speaking
kindly. ``A knight well-spoken.'' --Shak.
2. Spoken with propriety; as, well-spoken words.
Wellspring \Well"spring`\, n.
A fountain; a spring; a source of continual supply.
Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that
hath it; but the instruction of fools is folly. --Prov.
xvi. 22.
Well-willer \Well"-will`er\, n.
One who wishes well, or means kindly. [R.] ``A well-willer of
yours.'' --Brydges.
Well-wish \Well"-wish`\, n.
A wish of happiness. ``A well-wish for his friends.''
--Addison.
Wellwisher \Well"wish`er\, n.
One who wishes another well; one who is benevolently or
friendlily inclined.
We'll \We'll\
Contraction for we will or we shall. ``We'll follow them.''
--Shak.
Wels \Wels\, n. [G.] (Zo["o]l.)
The sheatfish; -- called also {waller}.
Welsh \Welsh\, a. [AS. w[ae]lisc, welisc, from wealh a stranger,
foreigner, not of Saxon origin, a Welshman, a Celt, Gael;
akin to OHG. walh, whence G. w["a]lsch or welsch, Celtic,
Welsh, Italian, French, Foreign, strange, OHG. walhisc; from
the name of a Celtic tribe. See {Walnut}.]
Of or pertaining to Wales, or its inhabitants. [Sometimes
written also {Welch}.]
{Welsh flannel}, a fine kind of flannel made from the fleece
of the flocks of the Welsh mountains, and largely
manufactured by hand.
{Welsh glaive}, or {Welsh hook}, a weapon of war used in
former times by the Welsh, commonly regarded as a kind of
poleax. --Fairholt. --Craig.
{Welsh mortgage} (O. Eng. Law), a species of mortgage, being
a conveyance of an estate, redeemable at any time on
payment of the principal, with an understanding that the
profits in the mean time shall be received by the
mortgagee without account, in satisfaction of interest.
--Burrill.
{Welsh mutton}, a choice and delicate kind of mutton obtained
from a breed of small sheep in Wales.
{Welsh onion} (Bot.), a kind of onion ({Allium fistulosum})
having hollow inflated stalks and leaves, but scarcely any
bulb, a native of Siberia. It is said to have been
introduced from Germany, and is supposed to have derived
its name from the German term w["a]lsch foreign.
{Welsh parsley}, hemp, or halters made from hemp. [Obs. &
Jocular] --J. Fletcher.
{Welsh rabbit}. See under {Rabbit}.
Welsh \Welsh\, n.
1. The language of Wales, or of the Welsh people.
2. pl. The natives or inhabitants of Wales.
Note: The Welsh call themselves Cymry, in the plural, and a
Welshman Cymro, and their country Cymru, of which the
adjective is Cymreig, and the name of their language
Cymraeg. They are a branch of the Celtic family, and a
relic of the earliest known population of England,
driven into the mountains of Wales by the Anglo-Saxon
invaders.
Welsher \Welsh"er\, n.
One who cheats at a horse race; one who bets, without a
chance of being able to pay; one who receives money to back
certain horses and absconds with it. [Written also
{welcher}.] [Slang, Eng.]
Welshman \Welsh"man\, n.; pl. {Welshmen}.
1. A native or inhabitant of Wales; one of the Welsh.
2. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A squirrel fish.
(b) The large-mouthed black bass. See {Black bass}.
[Southern U. S.]
Welsome \Wel"some\, a.
Prosperous; well. [Obs.] --Wyclif. -- {Wel"some*ly}, adv.
Wyclif.
Welt \Welt\, n. [OE. welte, probably fr. W. gwald a hem, a welt,
gwaldu to welt or to hem.]
1. That which, being sewed or otherwise fastened to an edge
or border, serves to guard, strengthen, or adorn it; as;
(a) A small cord covered with cloth and sewed on a seam or
border to strengthen it; an edge of cloth folded on
itself, usually over a cord, and sewed down.
(b) A hem, border, or fringe. [Obs.]
(c) In shoemaking, a narrow strip of leather around a
shoe, between the upper leather and sole.
(d) In steam boilers and sheet-iron work, a strip riveted
upon the edges of plates that form a butt joint.
(e) In carpentry, a strip of wood fastened over a flush
seam or joint, or an angle, to strengthen it.
(f) In machine-made stockings, a strip, or flap, of which
the heel is formed.
2. (Her.) A narrow border, as of an ordinary, but not
extending around the ends.
{Welt joint}, a joint, as of plates, made with a welt,
instead of by overlapping the edges. See {Weld}, n., 1
(d) .
Welt \Welt\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Welted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Welting}.]
To furnish with a welt; to sew or fasten a welt on; as, to
welt a boot or a shoe; to welt a sleeve.
Welt \Welt\, v. t.
To wilt. [R.]
Welte \Welte\, obs.
imp. of {Weld}, to wield. --Chaucer.
Welter \Wel"ter\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Weltered}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Weltering}.] [Freq. of OE. walten to roll over, AS.
wealtan; akin to LG. weltern, G. walzen to roll, to waltz,
sich w["a]lzen to welter, OHG. walzan to roll, Icel. velta,
Dan. v[ae]lte, Sw. v["a]ltra, v["a]lta; cf. Goth. waltjan;
probably akin to E. wallow, well, v. i. ????. See {Well}, v.
i., and cf. {Waltz}.]
1. To roll, as the body of an animal; to tumble about,
especially in anything foul or defiling; to wallow.
When we welter in pleasures and idleness, then we
eat and drink with drunkards. --Latimer.
These wizards welter in wealth's waves. --Spenser.
He must not float upon his watery bier Unwept, and
welter to the parching wind, Without the meed of
some melodious tear. --Milton.
The priests at the altar . . . weltering in their
blood. --Landor.
2. To rise and fall, as waves; to tumble over, as billows.
``The weltering waves.'' --Milton.
Waves that, hardly weltering, die away.
--Wordsworth.
Through this blindly weltering sea. --Trench.
Welter \Wel"ter\, v. t. [Cf. {Wilt}, v. i.]
To wither; to wilt. [R.]
Weltered hearts and blighted . . . memories. --I.
Taylor.
Welter \Wel"ter\, a. (Horse Racing)
Of, pertaining to, or designating, the most heavily weighted
race in a meeting; as, a welter race; the welter stakes.
Welter \Wel"ter\, n.
1. That in which any person or thing welters, or wallows;
filth; mire; slough.
The foul welter of our so-called religious or other
controversies. --Carlyle.
2. A rising or falling, as of waves; as, the welter of the
billows; the welter of a tempest.
Welwitschia \Wel*witsch"i*a\, n. [NL. So named after the
discoverer, Dr. Friedrich Welwitsch.] (Bot.)
An African plant ({Welwitschia mirabilis}) belonging to the
order {Gnetace[ae]}. It consists of a short, woody, topshaped
stem, and never more than two leaves, which are the
cotyledons enormously developed, and at length split into
diverging segments.
Wem \Wem\, n. [Cf. {Womb}.]
The abdomen; the uterus; the womb. [Obs.]
Wem \Wem\, n. [AS. wam, wamm.]
Spot; blemish; harm; hurt. [Obs.] --Wyclif.
Withouten wem of you, through foul and fair. --Chaucer.
Wem \Wem\, v. t. [AS. wemman.]
To stain; to blemish; to harm; to corrupt. [Obs.]
Wemless \Wem"less\, a.
Having no wem, or blemish; spotless. [Obs.] ``Virgin
wemless.'' --Chaucer.
Wem \Wem\, n. [AS. wenn; akin to D. wen, LG. wenne.] (Med.)
An indolent, encysted tumor of the skin; especially, a
sebaceous cyst.
Wench \Wench\, n. [OE. wenche, for older wenchel a child,
originally, weak, tottering; cf. AS. wencle a maid, a
daughter, wencel a pupil, orphan, wincel, winclu, children,
offspring, wencel weak, wancol unstable, OHG. wanchol;
perhaps akin to E. wink. See {Wink}.]
1. A young woman; a girl; a maiden. --Shak.
Lord and lady, groom and wench. --Chaucer.
That they may send again My most sweet wench, and
gifts to boot. --Chapman.
He was received by the daughter of the house, a
pretty, buxom, blue-eyed little wench. --W. Black.
2. A low, vicious young woman; a drab; a strumpet.
She shall be called his wench or his leman.
--Chaucer.
It is not a digression to talk of bawds in a
discourse upon wenches. --Spectator.
3. A colored woman; a negress. [U. S.]
Wench \Wench\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wenched}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wenching}.]
To frequent the company of wenches, or women of ill fame.
Wencher \Wench"er\, n.
One who wenches; a lewd man.
Wenchless \Wench"less\, a.
Being without a wench. -- Shak.
Wend \Wend\, obs.
p. p. of {Wene}. --Chaucer.
Wend \Wend\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wended}, Obs. {Went}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Wending}.] [AS. wendan to turn, to go, caus. of
windan to wind; akin to OS. wendian, OFries. wenda, D. wenden
to turn, G. wenden, Icel. venda, Sw. v["a]nda, Dan. vende,
Goth. wandjan. See {Wind} to turn, and cf. {Went}.]
1. To go; to pass; to betake one's self. ``To Canterbury they
wend.'' --Chaucer.
To Athens shall the lovers wend. --Shak.
2. To turn round. [Obs.] --Sir W. Raleigh.
Wend \Wend\, v. t.
To direct; to betake; -- used chiefly in the phrase to wend
one's way. Also used reflexively. ``Great voyages to wend.''
--Surrey.
Wend \Wend\, n. (O. Eng. Law)
A large extent of ground; a perambulation; a circuit. [Obs.]
--Burrill.
Wende \Wende\, obs.
imp. of {Wene}. --Chaucer.
Wendic \Wend"ic\, Wendish \Wend"ish\, a.
Of or pertaining the Wends, or their language.
Wendic \Wend"ic\, n.
The language of the Wends.
Wends \Wends\, n. pl.; sing. {Wend}. (Ethnol.)
A Slavic tribe which once occupied the northern and eastern
parts of Germany, of which a small remnant exists.
Wene \Wene\, v. i.
To ween. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wenlock group \Wen"lock group`\, (Geol.)
The middle subdivision of the Upper Silurian in Great
Britain; -- so named from the typical locality in Shropshire.
Wennel \Wen"nel\, n.
See {Weanel}. [Obs.] --Tusser.
Wennish \Wen"nish\, Wenny \Wen"ny\, a. [From {Wen}.]
Having the nature of a wen; resembling a wen; as, a wennish
excrescence.
Wenona \We*no"na\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A sand snake ({Charina plumbea}) of Western North America, of
the family {Erycid[ae]}.
Went \Went\,
imp. & p. p. of {Wend}; -- now obsolete except as the
imperfect of go, with which it has no etymological
connection. See {Go}.
To the church both be they went. --Chaucer.
Went \Went\, n.
Course; way; path; journey; direction. [Obs.] ``At a turning
of a wente.'' --Chaucer.
But here my weary team, nigh overspent, Shall breathe
itself awhile after so long a went. --Spenser.
He knew the diverse went of mortal ways. --Spenser.
Wentletrap \Wen"tle*trap`\, n. [D. wenteltrap a winding
staircase; cf. G. wendeltreppe.] [Obs.]
Any one of numerous species of elegant, usually white, marine
shells of the genus Scalaria, especially {Scalaria pretiosa},
which was formerly highly valued; -- called also {staircase
shell}. See {Scalaria}.
Wep \Wep\, obs.
imp. of {Weep}.
Wepen \Wep"en\, n.
Weapon. [Obs.]
Wept \Wept\,
imp. & p. p. of {Weep}.
Werche \Werche\, v. t. & i.
To work. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Were \Were\, v. t. & i.
To wear. See 3d {Wear}. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Were \Were\, n.
A weir. See {Weir}. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Sir P. Sidney.
Were \Were\, v. t. [AS. werian.]
To guard; to protect. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Were \Were\ (w[~e]r; 277). [AS. w[=ae]re (thou) wast, w[=ae]ron
(we, you, they) were, w[=ae]re imp. subj. See {Was}.]
The imperfect indicative plural, and imperfect subjunctive
singular and plural, of the verb be. See {Be}.
Were \Were\ (w[=e]r), n. [AS. wer; akin to OS. & OHG. wer, Goth.
wa['i]r, L. vir, Skr. v[=i]ra. Cf. {Weregild}, and
{Werewolf}.]
1. A man. [Obs.]
2. A fine for slaying a man; the money value set upon a man's
life; weregild. [Obs.]
Every man was valued at a certain sum, which was
called his were. --Bosworth.
Weregild \Were"gild`\, n. [AS. wergild; wer a man, value set on
a man's life + gild payment of money; akin to G. wehrgeld.
[root]285. See {Were} a man, and {Geld}, n.] (O. Eng. Law)
The price of a man's head; a compensation paid of a man
killed, partly to the king for the loss of a subject, partly
to the lord of a vassal, and partly to the next of kin. It
was paid by the murderer. [Written also {weregeld},
{weregelt}, etc.] --Blackstone.
Werewolf \Were"wolf`\, n.; pl. {Werewolves}. [AS. werwulf; wer a
man + wulf a wolf; cf. G. w["a]rwolf, w["a]hrwolf, wehrwolf,
a werewolf, MHG. werwolf. [root]285. See {Were} a man, and
{Wolf}, and cf. {Virile}, {World}.]
A person transformed into a wolf in form and appetite, either
temporarily or permanently, whether by supernatural
influences, by witchcraft, or voluntarily; a lycanthrope.
Belief in werewolves, formerly general, is not now extinct.
The werwolf went about his prey. --William of
Palerne.
The brutes that wear our form and face, The werewolves
of the human race. --Longfellow.
Werk \Werk\, n., Werke \Werke\, v.
See {Work}. [Obs.]
Wern \Wern\, v. t. [See 1st {Warn}.]
To refuse. [Obs.]
He is too great a niggard that will wern A man to light
a candle at his lantern. --Chaucer.
Wernerian \Wer*ne"ri*an\, a.
Of or pertaining to A. G. Werner, The German mineralogist and
geologist, who classified minerals according to their
external characters, and advocated the theory that the strata
of the earth's crust were formed by depositions from water;
designating, or according to, Werner's system.
Wernerite \Wer"ner*ite\, n. [See {Wernerian}.] (Min.)
The common grayish or white variety of soapolite.
Weroole \We*roo"le\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
An Australian lorikeet ({Ptilosclera versicolor}) noted for
the variety of its colors; -- called also {varied lorikeet}.
Werre \Werre\, n.
War. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Werrey \Wer"rey\ (w[~e]r"r[=a]), v. t.
To warray. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Werst \Werst\ (w[~e]rst), n.
See {Verst}.
Wert \Wert\ (w[~e]rt),
The second person singular, indicative and subjunctive moods,
imperfect tense, of the verb be. It is formed from were, with
the ending -t, after the analogy of wast. Now used only in
solemn or poetic style.
Wert \Wert\, n.
A wart. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Weryangle \Wer`y*an"gle\, n.
See {Wariangle}. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wesand \We"sand\, n.
See {Weasand}. [Obs.]
Wesh \Wesh\, obs. imp. of {Wash}.
Washed. --Chaucer.
Wesil \We"sil\, n.
See {Weasand}. [Obs.]
Wesleyan \Wes"ley*an\, a. [See {Wesleyanism}.]
Of or pertaining to Wesley or Wesleyanism.
Wesleyan \Wes"ley*an\, n. (Eccl.)
One who adopts the principles of Wesleyanism; a Methodist.
Wesleyanism \Wes"ley*an*ism\, n. (Eccl.)
The system of doctrines and church polity inculcated by John
Wesley (b. 1703; d. 1791), the founder of the religious sect
called Methodist; Methodism. See {Methodist}, n., 2.
West \West\, n. [AS. west, adv.; akin to D. west, G. west,
westen, OHG. westan, Icel. vestr, Sw. vest, vester, vestan,
Dan. vest, vesten, and perhaps to L. vesper evening, Gr. ?.
????. Cf. {Vesper}, {Visigoth}.]
1. The point in the heavens where the sun is seen to set at
the equinox; or, the corresponding point on the earth;
that one of the four cardinal points of the compass which
is in a direction at right angles to that of north and
south, and on the left hand of a person facing north; the
point directly opposite to east.
And fresh from the west is the free wind's breath.
--Bryant.
2. A country, or region of country, which, with regard to
some other country or region, is situated in the direction
toward the west.
3. Specifically:
(a) The Westen hemisphere, or the New World so called, it
having been discovered by sailing westward from
Europe; the Occident.
(b) (U. S. Hist. & Geog.) Formerly, that part of the
United States west of the Alleghany mountains; now,
commonly, the whole region west of the Mississippi
river; esp., that part which is north of the Indian
Territory, New Mexico, etc. Usually with the definite
article.
{West by north}, {West by south}, according to the notation
of the mariner's compass, that point which lies 111/4[deg]
to the north or south, respectively, of the point due
west.
{West northwest}, {West southwest}, that point which lies
221/2[deg] to the north or south of west, or halfway
between west and northwest or southwest, respectively. See
Illust. of {Compass}.
West \West\, a.
Lying toward the west; situated at the west, or in a western
direction from the point of observation or reckoning;
proceeding toward the west, or coming from the west; as, a
west course is one toward the west; an east and west line; a
west wind blows from the west.
This shall be your west border. --Num. xxxiv.
6.
{West end}, the fashionable part of London, commencing from
the east, at Charing Cross.
West \West\, adv. [AS. west.]
Westward.
West \West\, v. i.
1. To pass to the west; to set, as the sun. [Obs.] ``The hot
sun gan to west.'' --Chaucer.
2. To turn or move toward the west; to veer from the north or
south toward the west.
Westering \West"er*ing\, a.
Passing to the west.
Toward heaven's descent had sloped his westering wheel.
--Milton.
Westerly \West"er*ly\, a.
Of or pertaining to the west; toward the west; coming from
the west; western.
Westerly \West"er*ly\, adv.
Toward the west; westward.
Western \West"ern\, a.
1. Of or pertaining to the west; situated in the west, or in
the region nearly in the direction of west; being in that
quarter where the sun sets; as, the western shore of
France; the western ocean.
Far o'er the glowing western main. --Keble.
2. Moving toward the west; as, a ship makes a western course;
coming from the west; as, a western breeze.
{Western Church}. See {Latin Church}, under {Latin}.
{Western empire} (Hist.), the western portion of the Roman
empire, as divided, by the will of Theodosius the Great,
between his sons Honorius and Arcadius, a. d. 395.
Westerner \West"ern*er\, n.
A native or inhabitant of the west.
Westernmost \West"ern*most`\, a.
Situated the farthest towards the west; most western.
West India \West` In"di*a\, West Indian \West` In"di*an\
Belonging or relating to the West Indies.
{West India tea} (Bot.), a shrubby plant ({Capraria biflora})
having oblanceolate toothed leaves which are sometimes
used in the West Indies as a substitute for tea.
West Indian \West` In"di*an\
A native of, or a dweller in, the West Indies.
Westing \West"ing\, n. (Naut. & Surv.)
The distance, reckoned toward the west, between the two
meridians passing through the extremities of a course, or
portion of a ship's path; the departure of a course which
lies to the west of north.
Westling \West"ling\, n.
A westerner. [R.]
Westminster Assembly \West"min`ster As*sem"bly\
See under {Assembly}.
Westmost \West"most`\, a.
Lying farthest to the west; westernmost.
Westward \West"ward\, Westwards \West"wards\, adv. [AS.
westweard. See {West}, and {-ward}. ]
Toward the west; as, to ride or sail westward.
Westward the course of empire takes its way.
--Berkeley.
Westward \West"ward\, a.
Lying toward the west.
Yond same star that's westward from the pole. --Shak.
Westward \West"ward\, n.
The western region or countries; the west.
Westwardly \West"ward*ly\, adv.
In a westward direction.
Westy \West"y\, a.
Dizzy; giddy. [Prov. Eng.]
Wet \Wet\ (w[e^]t), a. [Compar. {Wetter}; superl. {Wettest}.]
[OE. wet, weet, AS. w[=ae]t; akin to OFries. w[=e]t, Icel.
v[=a]tr, Sw. v[*a]t, Dan. vaad, and E. water. [root]137. See
{Water}.]
1. Containing, or consisting of, water or other liquid;
moist; soaked with a liquid; having water or other liquid
upon the surface; as, wet land; a wet cloth; a wet table.
``Wet cheeks.'' --Shak.
2. Very damp; rainy; as, wet weather; a wet season. ``Wet
October's torrent flood.'' --Milton.
3. (Chem.) Employing, or done by means of, water or some
other liquid; as, the wet extraction of copper, in
distinction from dry extraction in which dry heat or
fusion is employed.
4. Refreshed with liquor; drunk. [Slang] --Prior.
{Wet blanket}, {Wet dock}, etc. See under {Blanket}, {Dock},
etc.
{Wet goods}, intoxicating liquors. [Slang]
Syn: Nasty; humid; damp; moist. See {Nasty}.
Wet \Wet\, n. [AS. w[=ae]ta. See {Wet}, a.]
1. Water or wetness; moisture or humidity in considerable
degree.
Have here a cloth and wipe away the wet. --Chaucer.
Now the sun, with more effectual beams, Had cheered
the face of earth, and dried the wet From drooping
plant. --Milton.
2. Rainy weather; foggy or misty weather.
3. A dram; a drink. [Slang]
Wet \Wet\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wet} (rarely {Wetted}); p. pr. &
vb. n. {Wetting}.] [AS. w[=ae]tan.]
To fill or moisten with water or other liquid; to sprinkle;
to cause to have water or other fluid adherent to the
surface; to dip or soak in a liquid; as, to wet a sponge; to
wet the hands; to wet cloth. ``[The scene] did draw tears
from me and wetted my paper.'' --Burke.
Ye mists and exhalations, that now rise . . . Whether
to deck with clouds the uncolored sky, Or wet the
thirsty earth with falling showers. --Milton.
{To wet one's whistle}, to moisten one's throat; to drink a
dram of liquor. [Colloq.]
Let us drink the other cup to wet our whistles.
--Walton.
Wetbird \Wet"bird`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The chaffinch, whose cry is thought to foretell rain. [Prov.
Eng.]
Wether \Weth"er\, n. [OE. wether, AS. we[eth]er; akin to OS.
wethar, withar, a ram, D. weder, G. widder, OHG. widar, Icel.
ve[eth]r, Sw. v["a]dur, Dan. v[ae]dder, Goth. wi[thorn]rus a
lamb, L. vitulus calf, Skr. vatsa, L. vetus old, Gr. 'e`tos
year; -- originally meaning, a yearling. Cf. {Veal},
{Veteran}.]
A castrated ram.
Westness \West"ness\, n.
1. The quality or state of being wet; moisture; humidity; as,
the wetness of land; the wetness of a cloth.
2. A watery or moist state of the atmosphere; a state of
being rainy, foggy, or misty; as, the wetness of weather
or the season.
Note: Wetness generally implies more water or liquid than is
implied by humidness or moisture.
Wet nurse \Wet" nurse`\
A nurse who suckles a child, especially the child of another
woman. Cf. {Dry nurse}.
Wet-shod \Wet"-shod`\, a.
Having the feet, or the shoes on the feet, wet.
Wettish \Wet"tish\, a.
Somewhat wet; moist; humid.
Wevil \We"vil\, n.
See {Weevil}.
Wex \Wex\, v. t. & i.
To grow; to wax. [Obs.] --Chaucer. ``Each wexing moon.''
--Dryden.
Wex \Wex\, obs. imp. of {Wex}.
Waxed. --Chaucer.
Wex \Wex\, n.
Wax. [Obs.] ``Yelwe as wex.'' --Chaucer.
Wey \Wey\, n.
Way; road; path. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wey \Wey\, v. t. & i.
To weigh. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wey \Wey\, n. [OE. weye, AS. w?ge weight. ????. See {Weight}.]
A certain measure of weight. [Eng.] ``A weye of Essex
cheese.'' --Piers Plowman.
Note: A wey is 6? tods, or 182 pounds, of wool; a load, or
five quarters, of wheat, 40 bushels of salt, each
weighing 56 pounds; 32 cloves of cheese, each weighing
seven pounds; 48 bushels of oats and barley; and from
two cwt. to three cwt. of butter. --Simmonds.
Weyle \Weyle\, v. t. & i.
To wail. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Weyleway \Wey"le*way\, interj.
See {Welaway}. [Obs.]
Weyve \Weyve\, v. t.
To waive. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wezand \We"zand\, n.
See {Weasand}. [Obs.]
Whaap \Whaap\, n. [So called from one of its notes.] (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The European curlew; -- called also {awp}, {whaup},
{great whaup}, and {stock whaup}.
(b) The whimbrel; -- called also {May whaup}, {little whaup},
and {tang whaup}. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
Whack \Whack\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whacked}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whacking}.] [Cf. {Thwack}.]
To strike; to beat; to give a heavy or resounding blow to; to
thrash; to make with whacks. [Colloq.]
Rodsmen were whackingtheir way through willow brakes.
--G. W. Cable.
Whack \Whack\, v. i.
To strike anything with a smart blow.
{To whack away}, to continue striking heavy blows; as, to
whack away at a log. [Colloq.]
Whack \Whack\, n.
A smart resounding blow. [Colloq.]
Whacker \Whack"er\, n.
1. One who whacks. [Colloq.]
2. Anything very large; specif., a great lie; a whapper.
[Colloq.]
--Halliwell.
Whacking \Whack"ing\, a.
Very large; whapping. [Colloq.]
Whahoo \Wha*hoo"\, n. (Bot.)
An American tree, the winged elm. ({Ulmus alata}).
Whala \Whala\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whaled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whaling}.] [Cf. {Wale}. ]
To lash with stripes; to wale; to thrash; to drub. [Prov.
Eng. & Colloq. U. S.] --Halliwell. Bartlett.
Whale \Whale\, n. [OE. whal, AS. hw[ae]l; akin to D. walvisch,
G. wal, walfisch, OHG. wal, Icel. hvalr, Dan. & Sw. hval,
hvalfisk. Cf. {Narwhal}, {Walrus}.] (Zo["o]l.)
Any aquatic mammal of the order {Cetacea}, especially any one
of the large species, some of which become nearly one hundred
feet long. Whales are hunted chiefly for their oil and
baleen, or whalebone.
Note: The existing whales are divided into two groups: the
toothed whales ({Odontocete}), including those that
have teeth, as the cachalot, or sperm whale (see {Sperm
whale}); and the baleen, or whalebone, whales
({Mysticete}), comprising those that are destitute of
teeth, but have plates of baleen hanging from the upper
jaw, as the right whales. The most important species of
whalebone whales are the bowhead, or Greenland, whale
(see Illust. of {Right whale}), the Biscay whale, the
Antarctic whale, the gray whale (see under {Gray}), the
humpback, the finback, and the rorqual.
{Whale bird}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) Any one of several species of large Antarctic petrels
which follow whaling vessels, to feed on the blubber and
floating oil; especially, {Prion turtur} (called also
{blue petrel}), and {Pseudoprion desolatus}.
(b) The turnstone; -- so called because it lives on the
carcasses of whales. [Canada]
{Whale fin} (Com.), whalebone. --Simmonds.
{Whale fishery}, the fishing for, or occupation of taking,
whales.
{Whale louse} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of
degraded amphipod crustaceans belonging to the genus
{Cyamus}, especially {C. ceti}. They are parasitic on
various cetaceans.
{Whale's bone}, ivory. [Obs.]
{Whale shark}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The basking, or liver, shark.
(b) A very large harmless shark ({Rhinodon typicus}) native
of the Indian Ocean. It sometimes becomes sixty feet
long.
{Whale shot}, the name formerly given to spermaceti.
{Whale's tongue} (Zo["o]l.), a balanoglossus.
Whaleboat \Whale"boat`\, n. (Naut.)
A long, narrow boat, sharp at both ends, used by whalemen.
Whalebone \Whale"bone`\, n.
A firm, elastic substance resembling horn, taken from the
upper jaw of the right whale; baleen. It is used as a
stiffening in stays, fans, screens, and for various other
purposes. See {Baleen}.
Note: Whalebone is chiefly obtained from the bowhead, or
Greenland, whale, the Biscay whale, and the Antarctic,
or southern, whale. It is prepared for manufacture by
being softened by boiling, and dyed black.
Whaleman \Whale"man\, n.; pl. {Whalemen}.
A man employed in the whale fishery.
Whaler \Whal"er\, n.
A vessel or person employed in the whale fishery.
Whaler \Whal"er\, n.
One who whales, or beats; a big, strong fellow; hence,
anything of great or unusual size. [Colloq. U. S.]
Whaling \Whal"ing\, n.
The hunting of whales.
Whaling \Whal"ing\, a.
Pertaining to, or employed in, the pursuit of whales; as, a
whaling voyage; a whaling vessel.
Whall \Whall\, n. [See {Wall-eye}.]
A light color of the iris in horses; wall-eye. [Written also
{whaul}.]
Whally \Whall"y\, a.
Having the iris of light color; -- said of horses. ``Whally
eyes.'' --Spenser.
Whame \Whame\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A breeze fly.
Whammel \Wham"mel\, v. t. [Cf. {Whelm}.]
To turn over. [Prov. Eng.]
Whan \Whan\, adv.
When. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Whang \Whang\, n. [Cf. {Thong}.]
A leather thong. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]
Whang \Whang\, v. t.
To beat. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]
Whanghee \Whang*hee"\, n. (Bot.)
See {Wanghee}.
Whap \Whap\, Whop \Whop\, v. i. [Cf. OE. quappen to palpitate,
E. quob, quaver, wabble, awhape, wap.]
To throw one's self quickly, or by an abrupt motion; to turn
suddenly; as, she whapped down on the floor; the fish whapped
over. --Bartlett.
Note: This word is used adverbially in the north of England,
as in the United States, when anything vanishes, or is
gone suddenly; as, whap went the cigar out of my mouth.
Whap \Whap\, Whop \Whop\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whapped}; p. pr.
& vb. n. {Whapping}.]
To beat or strike.
Whap \Whap\, Whop \Whop\, n.
A blow, or quick, smart stroke.
Whapper \Whap"per\, Whopper \Whop"per\, n. [See {Whap}.]
Something uncommonly large of the kind; something
astonishing; -- applied especially to a bold lie. [Colloq.]
Whapping \Whap"ping\, Whopping \Whop"ping\, a.
Very large; monstrous; astonishing; as, a whapping story.
[Colloq.]
Wharf \Wharf\, n.; pl. {Wharfs}or {Wharves}. [AS. hwerf, hwearf,
a returning, a change, from hweorfan to turn, turn about, go
about; akin to D. werf a wharf, G. werft, Sw. varf a
shipbuilder's yard, Dan. verft wharf, dockyard, G. werben to
enlist, to engage, woo, OHG. werban to turn about, go about,
be active or occupied, Icel. hverfa to turn, Goth.
hwa['i]rban, hwarb[=o]n, to walk. Cf. {Whirl}.]
1. A structure or platform of timber, masonry, iron, earth,
or other material, built on the shore of a harbor, river,
canal, or the like, and usually extending from the shore
to deep water, so that vessels may lie close alongside to
receive and discharge cargo, passengers, etc.; a quay; a
pier.
Commerce pushes its wharves into the sea.
--Bancroft.
Out upon the wharfs they came, Knight and burgher,
lord and dame. --Tennyson.
Note: The plural of this word is generally written wharves in
the United States, and wharfs in England; but many
recent English writers use wharves.
2. [AS. hwearf.] The bank of a river, or the shore of the
sea. [Obs.] ``The fat weed that roots itself in ease on
Lethe wharf.'' --Shak.
{Wharf boat}, a kind of boat moored at the bank of a river,
and used for a wharf, in places where the height of the
water is so variable that a fixed wharf would be useless.
[U. S.] --Bartlett.
{Wharf rat}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The common brown rat.
(b) A neglected boy who lives around the wharfs. [Slang]
Wharf \Wharf\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wharfed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wharfing}.]
1. To guard or secure by a firm wall of timber or stone
constructed like a wharf; to furnish with a wharf or
wharfs.
2. To place upon a wharf; to bring to a wharf.
Wharfage \Wharf"age\, n.
1. The fee or duty paid for the privilege of using a wharf
for loading or unloading goods; pierage, collectively;
quayage.
2. A wharf or wharfs, collectively; wharfing.
Wharfing \Wharf"ing\, n.
1. Wharfs, collectively.
2. (Hydraul. Engin.) A mode of facing sea walls and
embankments with planks driven as piles and secured by
ties. --Knight.
Wharfinger \Wharf"in*ger\, n. [For wharfager.]
A man who owns, or has the care of, a wharf.
Wharl \Wharl\, Wharling \Wharl"ing\, n.
A guttural pronunciation of the letter r; a burr. See {Burr},
n., 6.
A strange, uncouth wharling in their speech. --Fuller.
Wharp \Wharp\, n.
A kind of fine sand from the banks of the Trent, used as a
polishing powder. [Eng.]
What \What\, pron., a., & adv. [AS. hw[ae]t, neuter of hw[=a]
who; akin to OS. hwat what, OFries. hwet, D. & LG. wat, G.
was, OHG. waz, hwaz, Icel. hvat, Sw. & Dan. hvad, Goth. hwa.
[root]182. See {Who}.]
1. As an interrogative pronoun, used in asking questions
regarding either persons or things; as, what is this? what
did you say? what poem is this? what child is lost?
What see'st thou in the ground? --Shak.
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? --Ps.
viii. 4.
What manner of man is this, that even the winds and
the sea obey him! --Matt. viii.
27.
Note: Originally, what, when, where, which, who, why, etc.,
were interrogatives only, and it is often difficult to
determine whether they are used as interrogatives or
relatives. What in this sense, when it refers to
things, may be used either substantively or
adjectively; when it refers to persons, it is used only
adjectively with a noun expressed, who being the
pronoun used substantively.
2. As an exclamatory word:
(a) Used absolutely or independently; -- often with a
question following. ``What welcome be thou.''
--Chaucer.
What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
--Matt. xxvi.
40.
(b) Used adjectively, meaning how remarkable, or how
great; as, what folly! what eloquence! what courage!
What a piece of work is man! --Shak.
O what a riddle of absurdity! --Young.
Note: What in this use has a or an between itself and its
noun if the qualitative or quantitative importance of
the object is emphasized.
(c) Sometimes prefixed to adjectives in an adverbial
sense, as nearly equivalent to how; as, what happy
boys!
What partial judges are our love and hate!
--Dryden.
3. As a relative pronoun:
(a) Used substantively with the antecedent suppressed,
equivalent to that which, or those [persons] who, or
those [things] which; -- called a compound relative.
With joy beyond what victory bestows. --Cowper.
I'm thinking Captain Lawton will count the noses
of what are left before they see their
whaleboats. --Cooper.
What followed was in perfect harmony with this
beginning. --Macaulay.
I know well . . . how little you will be
disposed to criticise what comes to you from me.
--J. H.
Newman.
(b) Used adjectively, equivalent to the . . . which; the
sort or kind of . . . which; rarely, the . . . on, or
at, which.
See what natures accompany what colors. --Bacon.
To restrain what power either the devil or any
earthly enemy hath to work us woe. --Milton.
We know what master laid thy keel, What workmen
wrought thy ribs of steel. --Longfellow.
(c) Used adverbially in a sense corresponding to the
adjectival use; as, he picked what good fruit he saw.
4. Whatever; whatsoever; what thing soever; -- used
indefinitely. ``What after so befall.'' --Chaucer.
Whether it were the shortness of his foresight, the
strength of his will, . . . or what it was. --Bacon.
5. Used adverbially, in part; partly; somewhat; -- with a
following preposition, especially, with, and commonly with
repetition.
What for lust [pleasure] and what for lore.
--Chaucer.
Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what
with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am custom
shrunk. --Shak.
The year before he had so used the matter that what
by force, what by policy, he had taken from the
Christians above thirty small castles. --Knolles.
Note: In such phrases as I tell you what, what anticipates
the following statement, being elliptical for what I
think, what it is, how it is, etc. ``I tell thee what,
corporal Bardolph, I could tear her.'' --Shak. Here
what relates to the last clause, ``I could tear her;''
this is what I tell you. What not is often used at the
close of an enumeration of several particulars or
articles, it being an abbreviated clause, the verb of
which, being either the same as that of the principal
clause or a general word, as be, say, mention,
enumerate, etc., is omitted. ``Men hunt, hawk, and what
not.'' --Becon. ``Some dead puppy, or log, orwhat
not.'' --C. Kingsley. ``Battles, tournaments, hunts,
and what not.'' --De Quincey. Hence, the words are
often used in a general sense with the force of a
substantive, equivalent to anything you please, a
miscellany, a variety, etc. From this arises the name
whatnot, applied to an ['e]tag[`e]re, as being a piece
of furniture intended for receiving miscellaneous
articles of use or ornament.
But what is used for but that, usually after a negative, and
excludes everything contrary to the assertion in the following
sentence. ``Her needle is not so absolutely perfect in tent and
cross stitch but what my superintendence is advisable.'' --Sir
W. Scott. ``Never fear but what our kite shall fly as high.''
--Ld. Lytton.
{What ho!} an exclamation of calling.
{What if}, what will it matter if; what will happen or be the
result if. ``What if it be a poison?'' --Shak.
{What of this}? {that?} {it?} etc., what follows from this,
that, it, etc., often with the implication that it is of
no consequence. ``All this is so; but what of this, my
lord?'' --Shak. ``The night is spent, why, what of that?''
--Shak.
{What though}, even granting that; allowing that; supposing
it true that. ``What though the rose have prickles, yet't
is plucked.'' --Shak.
{What time}, or {What time as}, when. [Obs. or Archaic]
``What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.'' --Ps.
lvi. 3.
What time the morn mysterious visions brings.
--Pope.
What \What\, n.
Something; thing; stuff. [Obs.]
And gave him for to feed, Such homely what as serves
the simple ?lown. --Spenser.
What \What\, interrog. adv.
Why? For what purpose? On what account? [Obs.]
What should I tell the answer of the knight. --Chaucer.
But what do I stand reckoning upon advantages and gains
lost by the misrule and turbulency of the prelates?
What do I pick up so thriftily their scatterings and
diminishings of the meaner subject? --Milton.
Whate'er \What*e'er"\, pron.
A contraction of what-ever; -- used in poetry. ``Whate'er is
in his way.'' --Shak.
Whatever \What*ev"er\, pron.
Anything soever which; the thing or things of any kind; being
this or that; of one nature or another; one thing or another;
anything that may be; all that; the whole that; all
particulars that; -- used both substantively and adjectively.
Whatever fortune stays from his word. --Shak.
Whatever Earth, all-bearing mother, yields. --Milton.
Whatever be its intrinsic value. --J. H.
Newman.
Note: Whatever often follows a noun, being used elliptically.
``There being no room for any physical discovery
whatever'' [sc. it may be]. --Whately.
Whatnot \What"not\, n. [See the Note under {What}, pron., 5.]
A kind of stand, or piece of furniture, having shelves for
books, ornaments, etc.; an ['e]tag[`e]re.
Whatso \What"so\, indef. pron.
Whatsoever; whosoever; whatever; anything that. [Obs.]
Whatso he were, of high or low estate. --Chaucer.
Whatso the heaven in his wide vault contains.
--Spenser.
Whatsoe'er \What`so*e'er"\, pron.
A contraction of whatsoever; -- used in poetry. --Shak.
Whatsoever \What`so*ev"er\, pron. & a.
Whatever. ``In whatsoever shape he lurk.'' --Milton.
Whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do. --Gen. xxxi.
16.
Note: The word is sometimes divided by tmesis. ``What things
soever ye desire.'' --Mark xi. 24.
Whaul \Whaul\, n.
Same as {Whall}.
Whaup \Whaup\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Whaap}. [Prov. Eng.]
Wheal \Wheal\, n. [OE. whele, AS. hwele putrefaction, hwelian to
putrefy.]
A pustule; a whelk. --Wiseman.
Wheal \Wheal\, n. [Cf. {Wale}.]
1. A more or less elongated mark raised by a stroke; also, a
similar mark made by any cause; a weal; a wale.
2. Specifically (Med.), a flat, burning or itching eminence
on the skin, such as is produced by a mosquito bite, or in
urticaria.
Wheal \Wheal\, n. [Cornish hwel.] (Mining)
A mine.
Whealworm \Wheal"worm`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The harvest mite; -- so called from the wheals, caused by its
bite.
Wheat \Wheat\ (hw[=e]t), n. [OE. whete, AS. hw[=ae]te; akin to
OS. hw[=e]ti, D. weit, G. weizen, OHG. weizzi, Icel. hveiti,
Sw. hvete, Dan. hvede, Goth. hwaiteis, and E. white. See
{White}.] (Bot.)
A cereal grass ({Triticum vulgare}) and its grain, which
furnishes a white flour for bread, and, next to rice, is the
grain most largely used by the human race.
Note: Of this grain the varieties are numerous, as red wheat,
white wheat, bald wheat, bearded wheat, winter wheat,
summer wheat, and the like. Wheat is not known to exist
as a wild native plant, and all statements as to its
origin are either incorrect or at best only guesses.
{Buck wheat}. (Bot.) See {Buckwheat}.
{German wheat}. (Bot.) See 2d {Spelt}.
{Guinea wheat} (Bot.), a name for Indian corn.
{Indian wheat}, or {Tartary wheat} (Bot.), a grain
({Fagopyrum Tartaricum}) much like buckwheat, but only
half as large.
{Turkey wheat} (Bot.), a name for Indian corn.
{Wheat aphid}, or {Wheat aphis} (Zo["o]l.), any one of
several species of Aphis and allied genera, which suck the
sap of growing wheat.
{Wheat beetle}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A small, slender, rusty brown beetle ({Sylvanus
Surinamensis}) whose larv[ae] feed upon wheat, rice, and
other grains.
(b) A very small, reddish brown, oval beetle ({Anobium
paniceum}) whose larv[ae] eat the interior of grains of
wheat.
{Wheat duck} (Zo["o]l.), the American widgeon. [Western U.
S.]
{Wheat fly}. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Wheat midge}, below.
{Wheat grass} (Bot.), a kind of grass ({Agropyrum caninum})
somewhat resembling wheat. It grows in the northern parts
of Europe and America.
{Wheat jointworm}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Jointworm}.
{Wheat louse} (Zo["o]l.), any wheat aphid.
{Wheat maggot} (Zo["o]l.), the larva of a wheat midge.
{Wheat midge}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A small two-winged fly ({Diplosis tritici}) which is very
destructive to growing wheat, both in Europe and America.
The female lays her eggs in the flowers of wheat, and the
larv[ae] suck the juice of the young kernels and when
full grown change to pup[ae] in the earth.
(b) The Hessian fly. See under {Hessian}.
{Wheat moth} (Zo["o]l.), any moth whose larv[ae] devour the
grains of wheat, chiefly after it is harvested; a grain
moth. See {Angoumois Moth}, also {Grain moth}, under
{Grain}.
{Wheat thief} (Bot.), gromwell; -- so called because it is a
troublesome weed in wheat fields. See {Gromwell}.
{Wheat thrips} (Zo["o]l.), a small brown thrips ({Thrips
cerealium}) which is very injurious to the grains of
growing wheat.
{Wheat weevil}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The grain weevil.
(b) The rice weevil when found in wheat.
Wheatbird \Wheat"bird`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A bird that feeds on wheat, especially the chaffinch.
Wheatear \Wheat"ear`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A small European singing bird ({Saxicola [oe]nanthe}). The
male is white beneath, bluish gray above, with black wings
and a black stripe through each eye. The tail is black at the
tip and in the middle, but white at the base and on each
side. Called also {checkbird}, {chickell}, {dykehopper},
{fallow chat}, {fallow finch}, {stonechat}, and {whitetail}.
Wheaten \Wheat"en\, a. [AS. hw[ae]ten.]
Made of wheat; as, wheaten bread. --Cowper.
Wheatsel bird \Wheat"sel bird`\ (Zo["o]l.)
The male of the chaffinch. [Prov. Eng.]
Wheatstone's bridge \Wheat"stone's bridge`\ (Elec.)
See under {Bridge}.
Wheatworm \Wheat"worm`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A small nematode worm ({Anguillula tritici}) which attacks
the grains of wheat in the ear. It is found in wheat affected
with smut, each of the diseased grains containing a large
number of the minute young of the worm.
Wheder \Whed"er\, pron. & conj.
Whether. [Obs.]
Wheedle \Whee"dle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wheedled}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Wheedling}.] [Cf. G. wedeln to wag with the tail, as a
dog, wedel a fan, tail, brush, OHG. wadal; akin to G. wehen
to blow, and E. wind, n.]
1. To entice by soft words; to cajole; to flatter; to coax.
The unlucky art of wheedling fools. --Dryden.
And wheedle a world that loves him not. --Tennyson.
2. To grain, or get away, by flattery.
A deed of settlement of the best part of her estate,
which I wheedled out of her. --Congreve.
Wheedle \Whee"dle\, v. i.
To flatter; to coax; to cajole.
Wheel \Wheel\, n. [OE. wheel, hweol, AS. hwe['o]l, hweogul,
hweowol; akin to D. wiel, Icel. hv[=e]l, Gr. ky`klos, Skr.
cakra; cf. Icel. hj[=o]l, Dan. hiul, Sw. hjul. [root]218. Cf.
{Cycle}, {Cyclopedia}.]
1. A circular frame turning about an axis; a rotating disk,
whether solid, or a frame composed of an outer rim, spokes
or radii, and a central hub or nave, in which is inserted
the axle, -- used for supporting and conveying vehicles,
in machinery, and for various purposes; as, the wheel of a
wagon, of a locomotive, of a mill, of a watch, etc.
The gasping charioteer beneath the wheel Of his own
car. --Dryden.
2. Any instrument having the form of, or chiefly consisting
of, a wheel. Specifically:
(a) A spinning wheel. See under {Spinning}.
(b) An instrument of torture formerly used.
His examination is like that which is made by
the rack and wheel. --Addison.
Note: This mode of torture is said to have been first
employed in Germany, in the fourteenth century. The
criminal was laid on a cart wheel with his legs and
arms extended, and his limbs in that posture were
fractured with an iron bar. In France, where its use
was restricted to the most atrocious crimes, the
criminal was first laid on a frame of wood in the form
of a St. Andrew's cross, with grooves cut transversely
in it above and below the knees and elbows, and the
executioner struck eight blows with an iron bar, so as
to break the limbs in those places, sometimes finishing
by two or three blows on the chest or stomach, which
usually put an end to the life of the criminal, and
were hence called coups-de-grace -- blows of mercy. The
criminal was then unbound, and laid on a small wheel,
with his face upward, and his arms and legs doubled
under him, there to expire, if he had survived the
previous treatment. --Brande.
(c) (Naut.) A circular frame having handles on the
periphery, and an axle which is so connected with the
tiller as to form a means of controlling the rudder
for the purpose of steering.
(d) (Pottery) A potter's wheel. See under {Potter}.
Then I went down to the potter's house, and,
behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. --Jer.
xviii. 3.
Turn, turn, my wheel! This earthen jar A touch
can make, a touch can mar. --Longfellow.
(e) (Pyrotechny) A firework which, while burning, is
caused to revolve on an axis by the reaction of the
escaping gases.
(f) (Poetry) The burden or refrain of a song.
Note: ``This meaning has a low degree of authority, but is
supposed from the context in the few cases where the
word is found.'' --Nares.
You must sing a-down a-down, An you call him
a-down-a. O, how the wheel becomes it! --Shak.
3. A bicycle or a tricycle; a velocipede.
4. A rolling or revolving body; anything of a circular form;
a disk; an orb. --Milton.
5. A turn revolution; rotation; compass.
According to the common vicissitude and wheel of
things, the proud and the insolent, after long
trampling upon others, come at length to be trampled
upon themselves. --South.
[He] throws his steep flight in many an a["e]ry
wheel. --Milton.
{A wheel within a wheel}, or {Wheels within wheels}, a
complication of circumstances, motives, etc.
{Balance wheel}. See in the Vocab.
{Bevel wheel}, {Brake wheel}, {Cam wheel}, {Fifth wheel},
{Overshot wheel}, {Spinning wheel}, etc. See under {Bevel},
{Brake}, etc.
{Core wheel}. (Mach.)
(a) A mortise gear.
(b) A wheel having a rim perforated to receive wooden
cogs; the skeleton of a mortise gear.
{Measuring wheel}, an odometer, or perambulator.
{Wheel and axle} (Mech.), one of the elementary machines or
mechanical powers, consisting of a wheel fixed to an axle,
and used for raising great weights, by applying the power
to the circumference of the wheel, and attaching the
weight, by a rope or chain, to that of the axle. Called
also {axis in peritrochio}, and {perpetual lever}, -- the
principle of equilibrium involved being the same as in the
lever, while its action is continuous. See {Mechanical
powers}, under {Mechanical}.
{Wheel animal}, or {Wheel animalcule} (Zo["o]l.), any one of
numerous species of rotifers having a ciliated disk at the
anterior end.
{Wheel barometer}. (Physics) See under {Barometer}.
{Wheel boat}, a boat with wheels, to be used either on water
or upon inclined planes or railways.
{Wheel bug} (Zo["o]l.), a large North American hemipterous
insect ({Prionidus cristatus}) which sucks the blood of
other insects. So named from the curious shape of the
prothorax.
{Wheel carriage}, a carriage moving on wheels.
{Wheel chains}, or {Wheel ropes} (Naut.), the chains or ropes
connecting the wheel and rudder.
{Wheel cutter}, a machine for shaping the cogs of gear
wheels; a gear cutter.
{Wheel horse}, one of the horses nearest to the wheels, as
opposed to a leader, or forward horse; -- called also
{wheeler}.
{Wheel lathe}, a lathe for turning railway-car wheels.
{Wheel lock}.
(a) A letter lock. See under {Letter}.
(b) A kind of gunlock in which sparks were struck from a
flint, or piece of iron pyrites, by a revolving wheel.
(c) A kind of brake a carriage.
{Wheel ore} (Min.), a variety of bournonite so named from the
shape of its twin crystals. See {Bournonite}.
{Wheel pit} (Steam Engine), a pit in the ground, in which the
lower part of the fly wheel runs.
{Wheel plow}, or {Wheel plough}, a plow having one or two
wheels attached, to render it more steady, and to regulate
the depth of the furrow.
{Wheel press}, a press by which railway-car wheels are forced
on, or off, their axles.
{Wheel race}, the place in which a water wheel is set.
{Wheel rope} (Naut.), a tiller rope. See under {Tiller}.
{Wheel stitch} (Needlework), a stitch resembling a spider's
web, worked into the material, and not over an open space.
--Caulfeild & S. (Dict. of Needlework).
{Wheel tree} (Bot.), a tree ({Aspidosperma excelsum}) of
Guiana, which has a trunk so curiously fluted that a
transverse section resembles the hub and spokes of a
coarsely made wheel. See {Paddlewood}.
{Wheel urchin} (Zo["o]l.), any sea urchin of the genus
{Rotula} having a round, flat shell.
{Wheel window} (Arch.), a circular window having radiating
mullions arranged like the spokes of a wheel. Cf. {Rose
window}, under {Rose}.
Wheel \Wheel\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wheeled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wheeling}.]
1. To convey on wheels, or in a wheeled vehicle; as, to wheel
a load of hay or wood.
2. To put into a rotatory motion; to cause to turn or
revolve; to cause to gyrate; to make or perform in a
circle. ``The beetle wheels her droning flight.'' --Gray.
Now heaven, in all her glory, shone, and rolled Her
motions, as the great first mover's hand First
wheeled their course. --Milton.
Wheel \Wheel\, v. i.
1. To turn on an axis, or as on an axis; to revolve; to more
about; to rotate; to gyrate.
The moon carried about the earth always shows the
same face to us, not once wheeling upon her own
center. --Bentley.
2. To change direction, as if revolving upon an axis or
pivot; to turn; as, the troops wheeled to the right.
Being able to advance no further, they are in a fair
way to wheel about to the other extreme. --South.
3. To go round in a circuit; to fetch a compass.
Then wheeling down the steep of heaven he flies.
--Pope.
4. To roll forward.
Thunder mixed with hail, Hail mixed with fire, must
rend the Egyptian sky, And wheel on the earth,
devouring where it rolls. --Milton.
Wheelband \Wheel"band`\, n.
The tire of a wheel.
Wheelbarrow \Wheel"bar`row\, n.
A light vehicle for conveying small loads. It has two handles
and one wheel, and is rolled by a single person.
Wheelbird \Wheel"bird`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The European goatsucker. [Prov. Eng.]
Wheeled \Wheeled\, a.
Having wheels; -- used chiefly in composition; as, a
four-wheeled carriage.
Wheeler \Wheel"er\, n.
1. One who wheels, or turns.
2. A maker of wheels; a wheelwright. [Obs.]
3. A wheel horse. See under {Wheel}.
4. (Naut.) A steam vessel propelled by a paddle wheel or by
paddle wheels; -- used chiefly in the terms side-wheeler
and stern-wheeler.
5. A worker on sewed muslin. [Eng.]
6. (Zo["o]l.) The European goatsucker. [Prov. Eng.]
Wheelhouse \Wheel"house`\, n. (Naut.)
(a) A small house on or above a vessel's deck, containing
the steering wheel.
(b) A paddle box. See under {Paddle}.
Wheeling \Wheel"ing\, n.
1. The act of conveying anything, or traveling, on wheels, or
in a wheeled vehicle.
2. The act or practice of using a cycle; cycling.
3. Condition of a road or roads, which admits of passing on
wheels; as, it is good wheeling, or bad wheeling.
4. A turning, or circular movement.
Wheelman \Wheel"man\, n.; pl. {Wheelmen}.
One who rides a bicycle or tricycle; a cycler, or cyclist.
Wheel-shaped \Wheel"-shaped`\, a.
1. Shaped like a wheel.
2. (Bot.) Expanding into a flat, circular border at top, with
scarcely any tube; as, a wheel-shaped corolla.
Wheelswarf \Wheel"swarf`\, n.
See {Swarf}.
Wheelwork \Wheel"work`\, n. (Mach.)
A combination of wheels, and their connection, in a machine
or mechanism.
Wheel-worn \Wheel"-worn`\, a.
Worn by the action of wheels; as, a wheel-worn road.
Wheelwright \Wheel"wright`\, n.
A man whose occupation is to make or repair wheels and
wheeled vehicles, as carts, wagons, and the like.
Wheely \Wheel"y\, a.
Circular; suitable to rotation.
Wheen \Wheen\, n. [Cf. AS. hw?ne, hw?ne, a little, somewhat,
hw?n little, few.]
A quantity; a goodly number. [Scot.] ``A wheen other dogs.''
--Sir W. Scott.
Wheeze \Wheeze\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wheezed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wheezing}.] [OE. whesen, AS. hw?san (cf. Icel. hv[ae]sa to
hiss, Sw. hv["a]sa, Dan. hv[ae]se); akin to AS. hw?sta a
cough, D. hoest, G. husten, OHG. huosto, Icel. h?sti, Lith.
kosti to cough, Skr. k?s. [root]43. Cf. {Husky} hoarse.]
To breathe hard, and with an audible piping or whistling
sound, as persons affected with asthma. ``Wheezing lungs.''
--Shak.
Wheeze \Wheeze\, n.
1. A piping or whistling sound caused by difficult
respiration.
2. (Phon.) An ordinary whisper exaggerated so as to produce
the hoarse sound known as the ``stage whisper.'' It is a
forcible whisper with some admixture of tone.
Wheezy \Wheez"y\, a.
Breathing with difficulty and with a wheeze; wheezing. Used
also figuratively.
Wheft \Wheft\, n. (Naut.)
See {Waft}, n., 4.
Whelk \Whelk\, n. [OE. welk, wilk, AS. weoloc, weloc, wiloc. Cf.
{Whilk}, and {Wilk}.] (Zo["o]l.)
Any one numerous species of large marine gastropods belonging
to {Buccinum} and allied genera; especially, {Buccinum
undatum}, common on the coasts both of Europe and North
America, and much used as food in Europe.
{Whelk tingle}, a dog whelk. See under {Dog}.
Whelk \Whelk\, n. [OE. whelke, dim. of whele. See {Wheal} a
pustule.]
1. A papule; a pustule; acne. ``His whelks white.''
--Chaucer.
2. A stripe or mark; a ridge; a wale.
{Chin whelk} (Med.), sycosis.
{Rosy whelk} (Med.), grog blossom.
Whelked \Whelked\, a.
Having whelks; whelky; as, whelked horns. --Shak.
Whelky \Whelk"y\, a.
1. Having whelks, ridges, or protuberances; hence, streaked;
striated.
2. Shelly. ``Whelky pearls.'' --Spenser.
Whelm \Whelm\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whelmed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whelming}.] [OE. whelmen to turn over, akin to OE. whelven,
AS. whelfan, hwylfan, in ?whylfan, ?whelfan, to overwhelm,
cover over; akin to OS. bihwelbian, D. welven to arch, G.
w["o]lben, OHG. welben, Icel. hvelfa to overturn; cf. Gr. ?
bosom, a hollow, a gulf.]
1. To cover with water or other fluid; to cover by immersion
in something that envelops on all sides; to overwhelm; to
ingulf.
She is my prize, or ocean whelm them all! --Shak.
The whelming billow and the faithless oar. --Gay.
2. Fig.: To cover completely, as if with water; to immerse;
to overcome; as, to whelm one in sorrows. ``The whelming
weight of crime.'' --J. H. Newman.
3. To throw (something) over a thing so as to cover it.
[Obs.] --Mortimer.
Whelp \Whelp\, n. [AS. hwelp; akin to D. welp, G. & OHG. welf,
Icel. hvelpr, Dan. hvalp, Sw. valp.]
1. One of the young of a dog or a beast of prey; a puppy; a
cub; as, a lion's whelps. ``A bear robbed of her whelps.''
--2 Sam. xvii. 8.
2. A child; a youth; -- jocosely or in contempt.
That awkward whelp with his money bags would have
made his entrance. --Addison.
3. (Naut.) One of the longitudinal ribs or ridges on the
barrel of a capstan or a windless; -- usually in the
plural; as, the whelps of a windlass.
4. One of the teeth of a sprocket wheel.
Whelp \Whelp\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whelped}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whelping}.]
To bring forth young; -- said of the female of the dog and
some beasts of prey.
Whelp \Whelp\, v. t.
To bring forth, as cubs or young; to give birth to.
Unless she had whelped it herself, she could not have
loved a thing better. --B. Jonson.
Did thy foul fancy whelp so black a scheme? --Young.
When \When\, adv. [OE. when, whan, whenne, whanne, AS.
hw[ae]nne, hwanne, hwonne; akin to OS. hwan, OD. wan, OHG.
wanne, G. wann when, wenn if, when, Goth. hwan when, and to
E. who. ????. See {Who}.]
1. At what time; -- used interrogatively.
When shall these things be? --Matt. xxiv.
3.
Note: See the Note under {What}, pron., 1.
2. At what time; at, during, or after the time that; at or
just after, the moment that; -- used relatively.
Kings may Take their advantage when and how they
list. --Daniel.
Book lore ne'er served, when trial came, Nor gifts,
when faith was dead. --J. H.
Newman.
3. While; whereas; although; -- used in the manner of a
conjunction to introduce a dependent adverbial sentence or
clause, having a causal, conditional, or adversative
relation to the principal proposition; as, he chose to
turn highwayman when he might have continued an honest
man; he removed the tree when it was the best in the
grounds.
4. Which time; then; -- used elliptically as a noun.
I was adopted heir by his consent; Since when, his
oath is broke. --Shak.
Note: When was formerly used as an exclamation of surprise or
impatience, like what!
Come hither; mend my ruff: Here, when! thou art
such a tedious lady! --J. Webster.
{When as}, {When that}, at the time that; when. [Obs.]
When as sacred light began to dawn. --Milton.
When that mine eye is famished for a look. --Shak.
Whenas \When"as`\, conj.
Whereas; while [Obs.]
Whenas, if they would inquire into themselves, they
would find no such matter. --Barrow.
Whence \Whence\, adv. [OE. whennes, whens (with adverbial s,
properly a genitive ending; -- see {-wards}), also whenne,
whanene, AS. hwanan, hwanon, hwonan, hwanone; akin to D.
when. See {When}, and cf. {Hence}, {Thence}.]
1. From what place; hence, from what or which source, origin,
antecedent, premise, or the like; how; -- used
interrogatively.
Whence hath this man this wisdom? --Matt. xiii.
54.
Whence and what art thou? --Milton.
2. From what or which place, source, material, cause, etc.;
the place, source, etc., from which; -- used relatively.
Grateful to acknowledge whence his good Descends.
--Milton.
Note: All the words of this class, whence, where, whither,
whereabouts, etc., are occasionally used as pronouns by
a harsh construction.
O, how unlike the place from whence they fell?
--Milton.
Note: From whence, though a pleonasm, is fully authorized by
the use of good writers.
From whence come wars and fightings among you?
--James iv. 1.
Of whence, also a pleonasm, has become obsolete.
Whenceever \Whence*ev"er\, adv. & conj.
Whencesoever. [R.]
Whenceforth \Whence`forth"\, adv.
From, or forth from, what or which place; whence. [Obs.]
--Spenser.
Whencesoever \Whence`so*ev"er\, adv. & conj.
From what place soever; from what cause or source soever.
Any idea, whencesoever we have it. --Locke.
Whene'er \When*e'er\, adv. & conj.
Whenever.
Whenever \When*ev"er\, adv. & conj.
At whatever time. ``Whenever that shall be.'' --Milton.
Whennes \When"nes\, adv.
Whence. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Whensoever \When`so*ev"er\, adv. & conj.
At what time soever; at whatever time; whenever. --Mark xiv.
7.
Wher \Wher\, Where \Where\, pron. & conj. [See {Whether}.]
Whether. [Sometimes written {whe'r}.] [Obs.] --Piers Plowman.
Men must enquire (this is mine assent), Wher she be
wise or sober or dronkelewe. --Chaucer.
Where \Where\, adv. [OE. wher, whar, AS. hw?r; akin to D. waar,
OS. hw?r, OHG. hw[=a]r, w[=a]r, w[=a], G. wo, Icel. and Sw.
hvar, Dan. hvor, Goth. hwar, and E. who; cf. Skr. karhi when.
[root]182. See {Who}, and cf. {There}.]
1. At or in what place; hence, in what situation, position,
or circumstances; -- used interrogatively.
God called unto Adam, . . . Where art thou? --Gen.
iii. 9.
Note: See the Note under {What}, pron., 1.
2. At or in which place; at the place in which; hence, in the
case or instance in which; -- used relatively.
She visited that place where first she was so happy.
--Sir P.
Sidney.
Where I thought the remnant of mine age Should have
been cherished by her childlike duty. --Shak.
Where one on his side fights, thousands will fly.
--Shak.
But where he rode one mile, the dwarf ran four.
--Sir W.
Scott.
3. To what or which place; hence, to what goal, result, or
issue; whither; -- used interrogatively and relatively;
as, where are you going?
But where does this tend? --Goldsmith.
Lodged in sunny cleft, Where the gold breezes come
not. --Bryant.
Note: Where is often used pronominally with or without a
preposition, in elliptical sentences for a place in
which, the place in which, or what place.
The star . . . stood over where the young child
was. --Matt. ii. 9.
The Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
--Matt. viii.
20.
Within about twenty paces of where we were.
--Goldsmith.
Where did the minstrels come from? --Dickens.
Note: Where is much used in composition with preposition, and
then is equivalent to a pronoun. Cf. {Whereat},
{Whereby}, {Wherefore}, {Wherein}, etc.
{Where away} (Naut.), in what direction; as, where away is
the land?
Syn: See {Whither}.
Where \Where\, conj.
Whereas.
And flight and die is death destroying death; Where
fearing dying pays death servile breath. --Shak.
Where \Where\, n.
Place; situation. [Obs. or Colloq.]
Finding the nymph asleep in secret where. --Spenser.
Whereabout \Where"a*bout`\, Whereabouts \Where"a*bouts`\, adv.
1. About where; near what or which place; -- used
interrogatively and relatively; as, whereabouts did you
meet him?
Note: In this sense, whereabouts is the common form.
2. Concerning which; about which. ``The object whereabout
they are conversant.'' --Hooker.
Whereabout \Where"a*bout`\, Whereabouts \Where"a*bouts`\, n.
The place where a person or thing is; as, they did not know
his whereabouts. --Shak.
A puzzling notice of thy whereabout. --Wordsworth.
Whereas \Where*as"\, adv.
At which place; where. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
At last they came whereas that lady bode. --Spenser.
Whereas \Where*as"\, conj.
1. Considering that; it being the case that; since; -- used
to introduce a preamble which is the basis of
declarations, affirmations, commands, requests, or like,
that follow.
2. When in fact; while on the contrary; the case being in
truth that; although; -- implying opposition to something
that precedes; or implying recognition of facts, sometimes
followed by a different statement, and sometimes by
inferences or something consequent.
Are not those found to be the greatest zealots who
are most notoriously ignorant? whereas true zeal
should always begin with true knowledge. --Sprat.
Whereat \Where*at"\, adv.
1. At which; upon which; whereupon; -- used relatively.
They vote; whereat his speech he thus renews.
--Milton.
Whereat he was no less angry and ashamed than
desirous to obey Zelmane. --Sir P.
Sidney.
2. At what; -- used interrogatively; as, whereat are you
offended?
Whereby \Where*by"\, adv.
1. By which; -- used relatively. ``You take my life when you
take the means whereby I life.'' --Shak.
2. By what; how; -- used interrogatively.
Whereby shall I know this? --Luke i. 18.
Where'er \Wher*e'er"\, adv.
Wherever; -- a contracted and poetical form. --Cowper.
Wherefore \Where"fore\, adv. & conj. [Where + for.]
1. For which reason; so; -- used relatively.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
--Matt. vii.
20.
2. For what reason; why; -- used interrogatively.
But wherefore that I tell my tale. --Chaucer.
Wherefore didst thou doubt? --Matt. xiv.
31.
Wherefore \Where"fore\, n.
the reason why. [Colloq.]
Whereform \Where*form"\, adv. [Where + from.]
From which; from which or what place. --Tennyson.
Wherein \Where*in"\, adv.
1. In which; in which place, thing, time, respect, or the
like; -- used relatively.
Her clothes wherein she was clad. --Chaucer.
There are times wherein a man ought to be cautious
as well as innocent. --Swift.
2. In what; -- used interrogatively.
Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him! --Mal. ii.
17.
Whereinto \Where`in*to"\, adv.
1. Into which; -- used relatively.
Where is that palace whereinto foul things Sometimes
intrude not? --Shak.
The brook, whereinto he loved to look. --Emerson.
2. Into what; -- used interrogatively.
Whereness \Where"ness\, n.
The quality or state of having a place; ubiety; situation;
position. [R.]
A point hath no dimensions, but only a whereness, and
is next to nothing. --Grew.
Whereof \Where*of"\, adv.
1. Of which; of whom; formerly, also, with which; -- used
relatively.
I do not find the certain numbers whereof their
armies did consist. --Sir J.
Davies.
Let it work like Borgias' wine, Whereof his sire,
the pope, was poisoned. --Marlowe.
Edward's seven sons, whereof thyself art one.
--Shak.
2. Of what; -- used interrogatively.
Whereof was the house built? --Johnson.
Whereon \Where*on"\, adv.
1. On which; -- used relatively; as, the earth whereon we
live.
O fair foundation laid whereon to build. --Milton.
2. On what; -- used interrogatively; as, whereon do we stand?
Whereout \Where*out"\, adv.
Out of which. [R.]
The cleft whereout the lightning breaketh. --Holland.
Whereso \Where"so\, adv.
Wheresoever. [Obs.]
Wheresoe'er \Where`so*e'er"\, adv.
Wheresoever. [Poetic] ``Wheresoe'er they rove.'' --Milton.
Wheresoever \Where`so*ev"er\, adv.
In what place soever; in whatever place; wherever.
Wherethrough \Where*through"\, adv.
Through which. [R.] ``Wherethrough that I may know.''
--Chaucer.
Windows . . . wherethrough the sun Delights to peep, to
gaze therein on thee. --Shak.
Whereto \Where*to"\, adv.
1. To which; -- used relatively. ``Whereto we have already
attained.'' --Phil. iii. 16.
Whereto all bonds do tie me day by day. --Shak.
2. To what; to what end; -- used interrogatively.
Whereunto \Where`un*to"\, adv.
Same as {Whereto}.
Whereupon \Where`up*on"\, adv.
Upon which; in consequence of which; after which.
The townsmen mutinied and sent to Essex; whereupon he
came thither. --Clarendon.
Wherever \Wher*ev"er\, adv.
At or in whatever place; wheresoever.
He can not but love virtue wherever it is. --Atterbury.
Wherewith \Where*with"\, adv.
1. With which; -- used relatively.
The love wherewith thou hast loved me. --John xvii.
26.
2. With what; -- used interrogatively.
Wherewith shall I save Israel? --Judg. vi.
15.
Wherewith \Where*with"\, n.
The necessary means or instrument.
So shall I have wherewith to answer him. --Ps. cxix.
42.
The wherewith to meet excessive loss by radiation. --H.
Spencer.
Wherewithal \Where`with*al"\, adv. & n.
Wherewith. ``Wherewithal shall we be clothed?'' --Matt. vi.
31.
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? --Ps.
cxix. 9.
[The builders of Babel], still with vain design, New
Babels, had they wherewithal, would build. --Milton.
Whereret \Where"ret\, v. t. [From {Whir}.]
1. To hurry; to trouble; to tease. [Obs.] --Bickerstaff.
2. To box (one) on the ear; to strike or box. (the ear); as,
to wherret a child. [Obs.]
Wherret \Wher"ret\, n.
A box on the ear. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl.
Wherry \Wher"ry\, n.; pl. {Wherries}. [Cf. Icel. hverfr shifty,
crank, hverfa to turn, E. whirl, wharf.] (Naut.)
(a) A passenger barge or lighter plying on rivers; also, a
kind of light, half-decked vessel used in fishing. [Eng.]
(b) A long, narrow, light boat, sharp at both ends, for fast
rowing or sailing; esp., a racing boat rowed by one
person with sculls.
Wherry \Wher"ry\, n. [Cf. W. chwerw bitter.]
A liquor made from the pulp of crab apples after the verjuice
is expressed; -- sometimes called {crab wherry}. [Prov. Eng.]
--Halliwell.
Wherso \Wher"so\, adv.
Wheresoever. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Whet \Whet\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whetted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whetting}.] [AS. hwettan; akin to D. wetten, G. wetzen, OHG.
wezzen, Icel. hvetja, Sw. v["a]ttja, and AS. hw[ae]t
vigorous, brave, OS. hwat, OHG. waz, was, sharp, Icel. hvatr,
bold, active, Sw. hvass sharp, Dan. hvas, Goth. hwassaba
sharply, and probably to Skr. cud to impel, urge on.]
1. To rub or on with some substance, as a piece of stone, for
the purpose of sharpening; to sharpen by attrition; as, to
whet a knife.
The mower whets his scythe. --Milton.
Here roams the wolf, the eagle whets his beak.
--Byron.
2. To make sharp, keen, or eager; to excite; to stimulate;
as, to whet the appetite or the courage.
Since Cassius first did whet me against C[ae]sar, I
have not slept. --Shak.
{To whet on}, {To whet forward}, to urge on or forward; to
instigate. --Shak.
Whet \Whet\, n.
1. The act of whetting.
2. That which whets or sharpens; esp., an appetizer. ``Sips,
drams, and whets.'' --Spectator.
{Whet slate} (Min.), a variety of slate used for sharpening
cutting instruments; novaculite; -- called also {whetstone
slate}, and {oilstone}.
Whether \Wheth"er\, pron. [OE. whether, AS. hw[ae]?er; akin to
OS. hwe?ar, OFries. hweder, OHG. hwedar, wedar, G. weder,
conj., neither, Icel. hv[=a]rr whether, Goth. hwa?ar, Lith.
katras, L. uter, Gr. ?, ?, Skr. katara, from the
interrogatively pronoun, in AS. hw[=a] who. ????. See {Who},
and cf. {Either}, {Neither}, {Or}, conj.]
Which (of two); which one (of two); -- used interrogatively
and relatively. [Archaic]
Now choose yourself whether that you liketh. --Chaucer.
One day in doubt I cast for to compare Whether in
beauties' glory did exceed. --Spenser.
Whether of them twain did the will of his father?
--Matt. xxi.
31.
Whether \Wheth"er\, conj.
In case; if; -- used to introduce the first or two or more
alternative clauses, the other or others being connected by
or, or by or whether. When the second of two alternatives is
the simple negative of the first it is sometimes only
indicated by the particle not or no after the correlative,
and sometimes it is omitted entirely as being distinctly
implied in the whether of the first.
And now who knows But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours?
--Shak.
You have said; but whether wisely or no, let the forest
judge. --Shak.
For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether
we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live
therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. --Rom. xiv. 8.
But whether thus these things, or whether not; Whether
the sun, predominant in heaven, Rise on the earth, or
earth rise on the sun, . . . Solicit not thy thoughts
with matters hid. --Milton.
{Whether or no}, in either case; in any case; as, I will go
whether or no.
{Whether that}, whether. --Shak.
Whethering \Wheth"er*ing\, n.
The retention of the afterbirth in cows. --Gardner.
Whetile \Whet"ile\, n. [Cf. {Whitile}.] (Zo["o]l.)
The green woodpecker, or yaffle. See {Yaffle}. [Prov. Eng.]
Whetstone \Whet"stone`\, n. [AS. hwetst[=a]n.]
A piece of stone, natural or artificial, used for whetting,
or sharpening, edge tools.
The dullness of the fools is the whetstone of the wits.
--Shak.
Diligence is to the understanding as the whetstone to
the razor. --South.
Note: Some whetstones are used dry, others are moistened with
water, or lubricated with oil.
{To give the whetstone}, to give a premium for extravagance
in falsehood. [Obs.]
Whetter \Whet"ter\, n.
1. One who, or that which, whets, sharpens, or stimulates.
2. A tippler; one who drinks whets. [Obs.] --Steele.
Whettlebones \Whet"tle*bones\, n. pl.
The vertebr[ae] of the back. [Prov. Eng.] --Dunglison.
Whew \Whew\ (hw[=u]), n. & interj.
A sound like a half-formed whistle, expressing astonishment,
scorn, or dislike.
{Whew duck}, the European widgeon. [Prov. Eng.]
Whew \Whew\, v. i.
To whistle with a shrill pipe, like a plover. [Prov. Eng. &
Scot.]
Whewellite \Whew"ell*ite\, n. [So named after Prof. Whewell of
Cambridge, England.] (Min.)
Calcium oxalate, occurring in colorless or white monoclinic
crystals.
Whewer \Whew"er\, n. [Cf. W. chwiwell a widgeon, chwiws
widgeons, waterfowls; or cf. E. whew, v. i.] (Zo["o]l.)
The European widgeon. [Prov. Eng.]
Whey \Whey\, n. [AS. hw[ae]g; cf. D. wei, hui, Fries. weye, LG.
wey, waje. ]
The serum, or watery part, of milk, separated from the more
thick or coagulable part, esp. in the process of making
cheese.
Note: In this process, the thick part is called {curd}, and
the thin part whey.
Wheyey \Whey"ey\, a.
Of the nature of, or containing, whey; resembling whey;
wheyish. --Bacon.
Wheyface \Whey"face`\, n.
One who is pale, as from fear.
Whey-faced \Whey"-faced`\, a.
Having a pale or white face, as from fright. ``Whey-faced
cavaliers.'' --Aytoun.
Wheyish \Whey"ish\, a.
Somewhat like whey; wheyey. --J. Philips. -- {Whey"ish*ness},
n.
Which \Which\, pron. [OE. which, whilk, AS. hwilc, hwylc, hwelc,
from the root of hw[=a] who + l[=i]c body; hence properly, of
what sort or kind; akin to OS. hwilik which, OFries. hwelik,
D. welk, G. welch, OHG. wel[=i]h, hwel[=i]h, Icel.
hv[=i]l[=i]kr, Dan. & Sw. hvilken, Goth. hwileiks, hw?leiks;
cf. L. qualis. ????. See {Who}, and {Like}, a., and cf.
{Such}.]
1. Of what sort or kind; what; what a; who. [Obs.]
And which they weren and of what degree. --Chaucer.
2. A interrogative pronoun, used both substantively and
adjectively, and in direct and indirect questions, to ask
for, or refer to, an individual person or thing among
several of a class; as, which man is it? which woman was
it? which is the house? he asked which route he should
take; which is best, to live or to die? See the Note under
{What}, pron., 1.
Which of you convinceth me of sin? --John viii.
46.
3. A relative pronoun, used esp. in referring to an
antecedent noun or clause, but sometimes with reference to
what is specified or implied in a sentence, or to a
following noun or clause (generally involving a reference,
however, to something which has preceded). It is used in
all numbers and genders, and was formerly used of persons.
And when thou fail'st -- as God forbid the hour! --
Must Edward fall, which peril heaven forfend!
--Shak.
God . . . rested on the seventh day from all his
work which he had made. --Gen. ii. 2.
Our Father, which art in heaven. --Matt. vi. 9.
The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. --1
Cor. iii. 17.
4. A compound relative or indefinite pronoun, standing for
any one which, whichever, that which, those which, the . .
. which, and the like; as, take which you will.
Note: The which was formerly often used for which. The
expressions which that, which as, were also sometimes
used by way of emphasis.
Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the
which ye are called? --James ii. 7.
Note: Which, referring to a series of preceding sentences, or
members of a sentence, may have all joined to it
adjectively. ``All which, as a method of a
proclamation, is very convenient.'' --Carlyle.
Whichever \Which*ev"er\, Whichsoever \Which`so*ev"er\, pron. &
a.
Whether one or another; whether one or the other; which; that
one (of two or more) which; as, whichever road you take, it
will lead you to town.
Whidah bird \Whid"ah bird`\, (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of several species of finchlike birds belonging to
the genus {Vidua}, native of Asia and Africa. In the breeding
season the male has very long, drooping tail feathers. Called
also {vida finch}, {whidah finch}, {whydah bird}, {whydah
finch}, {widow bird}, and {widow finch}.
Note: Some of the species are often kept as cage birds,
especially {Vidua paradisea}, which is dark brownish
above, pale buff beneath, with a reddish collar around
the neck.
Whider \Whid"er\, adv.
Whither. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Whiff \Whiff\, n. [OE. weffe vapor, whiff, probably of imitative
origin; cf. Dan. vift a puff, gust, W. chwiff a whiff, puff.]
1. A sudden expulsion of air from the mouth; a quick puff or
slight gust, as of air or smoke.
But with the whiff and wind of his fell sword The
unnerved father falls. --Shak.
The skipper, he blew a whiff from his pipe, And a
scornful laugh laughed he. --Longfellow.
2. A glimpse; a hasty view. [Prov. Eng.]
3. (Zo["o]l.) The marysole, or sail fluke.
Whiff \Whiff\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whiffed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whiffing}.]
1. To throw out in whiffs; to consume in whiffs; to puff.
2. To carry or convey by a whiff, or as by a whiff; to puff
or blow away.
Old Empedocles, . . . who, when he leaped into Etna,
having a dry, sear body, and light, the smoke took
him, and whiffed him up into the moon. --B. Jonson.
Whiff \Whiff\, v. i.
To emit whiffs, as of smoke; to puff.
Whiffet \Whif"fet\, n.
A little whiff or puff.
Whiffing \Whiff"ing\, n.
1. The act of one who, or that which, whiffs.
2. A mode of fishing with a hand line for pollack, mackerel,
and the like.
Whiffle \Whif"fle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whiffled}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Whiffling}.] [Freq. of whiff to puff, perhaps influenced
by D. weifelen to waver.]
1. To waver, or shake, as if moved by gusts of wind; to
shift, turn, or veer about. --D?mpier.
2. To change from one opinion or course to another; to use
evasions; to prevaricate; to be fickle.
A person of whiffing and unsteady turn of mind can not
keep close to a point of controversy. --I. Watts.
Whiffle \Whif"fle\, v. t.
1. To disperse with, or as with, a whiff, or puff; to
scatter. [Obs.] --Dr. H. More.
2. To wave or shake quickly; to cause to whiffle.
Whiffle \Whif"fle\, n.
A fife or small flute. [Obs.] --Douce.
Whiffler \Whif"fler\, n.
1. One who whiffles, or frequently changes his opinion or
course; one who uses shifts and evasions in argument;
hence, a trifler.
Every whiffler in a laced coat who frequents the chocolate
house shall talk of the constitution. --Swift.
2. One who plays on a whiffle; a fifer or piper. [Obs.]
3. An officer who went before procession to clear the way by
blowing a horn, or otherwise; hence, any person who
marched at the head of a procession; a harbinger.
Which like a mighty whiffler 'fore the king, Seems
to prepare his way. --Shak.
Note: ``Whifflers, or fifers, generally went first in a
procession, from which circumstance the name was
transferred to other persons who succeeded to that
office, and at length was given to those who went
forward merely to clear the way for the procession. . .
. In the city of London, young freemen, who march at
the head of their proper companies on the Lord Mayor's
day, sometimes with flags, were called whifflers, or
bachelor whifflers, not because they cleared the way,
but because they went first, as whifflers did.''
--Nares.
4. (Zo["o]l) The golden-eye. [Local, U. S.]
Whiffletree \Whif"fle*tree`\, n.
Same as {Whippletree}.
Whig \Whig\, n. [See {Whey}.]
Acidulated whey, sometimes mixed with buttermilk and sweet
herbs, used as a cooling beverage. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Whig \Whig\, n. [Said to be from whiggam, a term used in
Scotland in driving horses, whiggamore one who drives horses
(a term applied to some western Scotchmen), contracted to
whig. In 1648, a party of these people marched to Edinburgh
to oppose the king and the duke of Hamilton (the Whiggamore
raid), and hence the name of Whig was given to the party
opposed to the court. Cf. Scot. whig to go quickly.]
1. (Eng. Politics) One of a political party which grew up in
England in the seventeenth century, in the reigns of
Charles I. and II., when great contests existed respecting
the royal prerogatives and the rights of the people. Those
who supported the king in his high claims were called
Tories, and the advocates of popular rights, of
parliamentary power over the crown, and of toleration to
Dissenters, were, after 1679, called Whigs. The terms
Liberal and Radical have now generally superseded Whig in
English politics. See the note under {Tory}.
2. (Amer. Hist.)
(a) A friend and supporter of the American Revolution; --
opposed to {Tory}, and {Royalist}.
(b) One of the political party in the United States from
about 1829 to 1856, opposed in politics to the
Democratic party.
Whig \Whig\, a.
Of or pertaining to the Whigs.
Whiggamore \Whig"ga*more\, n. [See {Whig}.]
A Whig; -- a cant term applied in contempt to Scotch
Presbyterians. [Scot.] --Sir W. Scott.
Whiggarchy \Whig"gar*chy\, n. [Whig + -archy.]
Government by Whigs. [Cont] --Swift.
Whiggery \Whig"ger*y\, n.
The principles or practices of the Whigs; Whiggism.
Whiggish \Whig"gish\, a.
Of or pertaining to Whigs; partaking of, or characterized by,
the principles of Whigs.
Whiggishly \Whig"gish*ly\, adv.
In a Whiggish manner.
Whiggism \Whig"gism\, n.
The principles of the Whigs.
Whigling \Whig"ling\, n.
A petty or inferior Whig; -- used in contempt. --Spectator.
While \While\, n. [AS. hw[=i]l; akin to OS. hw[=i]l, hw[=i]la,
OFries. hw[=i]le, D. wigl, G. weile, OHG. w[=i]la, hw[=i]la,
hw[=i]l, Icel. hv[=i]la a bed, hv[=i]ld rest, Sw. hvila, Dan.
hvile, Goth. hweila a time, and probably to L. quietus quiet,
and perhaps to Gr. ? the proper time of season. [root]20. Cf.
{Quiet}, {Whilom}.]
1. Space of time, or continued duration, esp. when short; a
time; as, one while we thought him innocent. ``All this
while.'' --Shak.
This mighty queen may no while endure. --Chaucer.
[Some guest that] hath outside his welcome while,
And tells the jest without the smile. --Coleridge.
I will go forth and breathe the air a while.
--Longfellow.
2. That which requires time; labor; pains. [Obs.]
Satan . . . cast him how he might quite her while.
--Chaucer.
{At whiles}, at times; at intervals.
And so on us at whiles it falls, to claim Powers
that we dread. --J. H.
Newman.
{The while}, {The whiles}, in or during the time that;
meantime; while. --Tennyson.
{Within a while}, in a short time; soon.
{Worth while}, worth the time which it requires; worth the
time and pains; hence, worth the expense; as, it is not
always worth while for a man to prosecute for small debts.
While \While\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whiled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whiling}.]
To cause to pass away pleasantly or without irksomeness or
disgust; to spend or pass; -- usually followed by away.
The lovely lady whiled the hours away. --Longfellow.
While \While\, v. i.
To loiter. [R.] --Spectator.
While \While\, conj.
1. During the time that; as long as; whilst; at the same time
that; as, while I write, you sleep. ``While I have time
and space.'' --Chaucer.
Use your memory; you will sensibly experience a
gradual improvement, while you take care not to
overload it. --I. Watts.
2. Hence, under which circumstances; in which case; though;
whereas.
{While as}, {While that}, during or at the time that. [Obs.]
While \While\, prep.
Until; till. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
I may be conveyed into your chamber; I'll lie under
your bed while midnight. --Beau. & Fl.
Whilere \Whil`ere"\, adv. [While + ere]
A little while ago; recently; just now; erewhile. [Obs.]
Helpeth me now as I did you whilere. --Chaucer.
He who, with all heaven's heraldry, whilere Entered the
world. --Milton.
Whiles \Whiles\, adv. [See {While}, n., and {-wards}.]
1. Meanwhile; meantime. [R.]
The good knight whiles humming to himself the lay of
some majored troubadour. --Sir. W.
Scott.
2. sometimes; at times. [Scot.] --Sir W. Scott.
{The whiles}. See under {While}, n.
Whiles \Whiles\, conj.
During the time that; while. [Archaic] --Chaucer. Fuller.
Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in
the way with him. --Matt. v. 25.
Whilk \Whilk\, n. [See {Whelk} a mollusk.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) A kind of mollusk, a whelk. [Prov. Eng.]
2. (Zo["o]l.) The scoter. [Prov. Eng.]
Whilk \Whilk\, pron.
Which. [Obs. or Scot.]
Note: Whilk is sometimes used in Chaucer to represent the
Northern dialect.
Whilom \Whi"lom\ (hw[imac]"l[u^]m), adv. [AS. hw[=i]lum,
properly, at times, dative pl. of hw[=i]l; akin to G. weiland
formerly, OHG. hw[=i]l[=o]m, See {While}, n.]
Formerly; once; of old; erewhile; at times. [Obs. or Poetic]
--Spenser.
Whilom, as olde stories tellen us, There was a duke
that highte Theseus. --Chaucer.
Whilst \Whilst\, adv. [From {Whiles}; cf. {Amongst}.]
While. [Archaic]
Whilst the emperor lay at Antioch. --Gibbon.
{The whilst}, in the meantime; while. [Archaic.] --Shak.
Whim \Whim\, n. [Cf. {Whimbrel}.] (Zo["o]l.)
The European widgeon. [Prov. Eng.]
Whim \Whim\, n. [Cf. Icel. hwima to wander with the eyes, vim
giddiness, Norw. kvima to whisk or flutter about, to trifle,
Dan. vimse to skip, whisk, jump from one thing to another,
dial. Sw. hvimsa to be unsteady, dizzy, W. chwimio to move
briskly.]
1. A sudden turn or start of the mind; a temporary
eccentricity; a freak; a fancy; a capricious notion; a
humor; a caprice.
Let every man enjoy his whim. --Churchill.
2. (Mining) A large capstan or vertical drum turned by horse
power or steam power, for raising ore or water, etc., from
mines, or for other purposes; -- called also {whim gin},
and {whimsey}.
{Whim gin} (Mining), a whim. See {Whim}, 2.
{Whim shaft} (Mining), a shaft through which ore, water,
etc., is raised from a mine by means of a whim.
Syn: Freak; caprice; whimsey; fancy.
Usage: {Whim}, {Freak}, {Caprice}. Freak denotes an
impulsive, inconsiderate change of mind, as by a child
or a lunatic. Whim is a mental eccentricity due to
peculiar processes or habits of thought. Caprice is
closely allied in meaning to freak, but implies more
definitely a quality of willfulness or wantonness.
Whim \Whim\, v. i.
To be subject to, or indulge in, whims; to be whimsical,
giddy, or freakish. [R.] --Congreve.
Whimbrel \Whim"brel\, n. [Cf. {Whimper}.] (Zo["o]l)
Any one of several species of small curlews, especially the
European species (Numenius ph[ae]opus), called also {Jack
curlew}, {half curlew}, {stone curlew}, and {tang whaup}. See
Illustration in {Appendix}.
{Hudsonian} or, {Eskimo}, {whimbreal}, the Hudsonian curlew.
Whimling \Whim"ling\, n. [Whim + -ling.]
One given to whims; hence, a weak, childish person; a child.
Go, whimling, and fetch two or three grating loaves.
--Beau. & Fl.
Whimmy \Whim"my\, a.
Full of whims; whimsical.
The study of Rabbinical literature either finds a man
whimmy or makes him so. --Coleridge.
Whimper \Whim"per\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whimpered}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Whimpering}.] [Cf. Scot. whimmer, G. wimmern.]
To cry with a low, whining, broken voice; to whine; to
complain; as, a child whimpers.
Was there ever yet preacher but there were gainsayers
that spurned, that winced, that whimpered against him?
--Latimer.
Whimper \Whim"per\, v. t.
To utter in alow, whining tone.
Whimper \Whim"per\, n.
A low, whining, broken cry; a low, whining sound, expressive
of complaint or grief.
Whimperer \Whim"per*er\, n.
One who whimpers.
Whimple \Whim"ple\, v. t.
See {Wimple}.
Whimple \Whim"ple\, v. i. [Cf. {Whiffle}.]
To whiffle; to veer.
Whimsey \Whim"sey\, Whimsy \Whimsy\, n.; pl. {Whimseys}or
{Whimsies}. [See {Whim}.]
1. A whim; a freak; a capricious notion, a fanciful or odd
conceit. ``The whimsies of poets and painters.'' --Ray.
Men's folly, whimsies, and inconstancy. --Swift.
Mistaking the whimseys of a feverish brain for the
calm revelation of truth. --Bancroft.
2. (Mining) A whim.
Whimsey \Whim"sey\, v. t.
To fill with whimseys, or whims; to make fantastic; to craze.
[R.]
To have a man's brain whimsied with his wealth. --J.
Fletcher.
Whimsical \Whim"si*cal\, a. [From {Whimsey}.]
1. Full of, or characterized by, whims; actuated by a whim;
having peculiar notions; queer; strange; freakish. ``A
whimsical insult.'' --Macaulay.
My neighbors call me whimsical. --Addison.
2. Odd or fantastic in appearance; quaintly devised;
fantastic. ``A whimsical chair.'' --Evelyn.
Syn: Quaint; capricious; fanciful; fantastic.
Whimsicality \Whim`si*cal"i*ty\, n.
The quality or state of being whimsical; whimsicalness.
Whimsically \Whim"si*cal*ly\, adv.
In a whimsical manner; freakishly.
Whimsicalness \Whim"si*cal*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being whimsical; freakishness;
whimsical disposition.
Whimsy \Whim"sy\, n.
A whimsey.
Whimwham \Whim"wham\, n. [Formed from whim by reduplication.]
1. A whimsical thing; an odd device; a trifle; a trinket; a
gimcrack. [R.]
They'll pull ye all to pieces for your whimwhams.
--Bear. & Fl.
2. A whim, or whimsey; a freak.
Whin \Whin\, n. [W. chwyn weeds, a single weed.]
1. (Bot.)
(a) Gorse; furze. See {Furze}.
Through the whins, and by the cairn. --Burns.
(b) Woad-waxed. --Gray.
2. Same as {Whinstone}. [Prov. Eng.]
{Moor whin} or {Petty whin} (Bot.), a low prickly shrub
({Genista Anglica}) common in Western Europe.
{Whin bruiser}, a machine for cutting and bruising whin, or
furze, to feed cattle on.
{Whin Sparrow} (Zo["o]l.), the hedge sparrow. [Prov. Eng.]
{Whin Thrush} (Zo["o]l.), the redwing. [Prov. Eng.]
Whinberry \Whin"ber*ry\, n. (Bot.)
The English bilberry; -- so called because it grows on moors
among the whins, or furze. --Dr. Prior.
Whinchat \Whin"chat`\, n. [So called because it frequents
whins.] (Zo["o]l.)
A small warbler ({Pratincola rubetra}) common in Europe; --
called also {whinchacker}, {whincheck}, {whin-clocharet}.
Whine \Whine\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whined}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whining}.] [OE. whinen, AS. hw[=i]nan to make a whistling,
whizzing sound; akin to Icel. hv[=i]na, Sw. hvina, Dan.
hvine, and probably to G. wiehern to neigh, OHG. wih[=o]n,
hweij[=o]n; perhaps of imitative origin. Cf. {Whinny}, v. i.]
To utter a plaintive cry, as some animals; to moan with a
childish noise; to complain, or to tell of sorrow, distress,
or the like, in a plaintive, nasal tone; hence, to complain
or to beg in a mean, unmanly way; to moan basely. ``Whining
plovers.'' --Spenser.
The hounds were . . . staying their coming, but with a
whining accent, craving liberty. --Sir P.
Sidney.
Dost thou come here to whine? --Shak.
Whine \Whine\, v. t.
To utter or express plaintively, or in a mean, unmanly way;
as, to whine out an excuse.
Whine \Whine\, n.
A plaintive tone; the nasal, childish tone of mean complaint;
mean or affected complaint.
Whiner \Whin"er\, n.
One who, or that which, whines.
Whinge \Whinge\, v. i.
To whine. [Scot.] --Burns.
Whinger \Whing"er\, n. [See {Whinyard}.]
A kind of hanger or sword used as a knife at meals and as a
weapon. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]
The chief acknowledged that he had corrected her with
his whinger. --Sir W.
Scott.
Whiningly \Whin"ing*ly\, adv.
In a whining manner; in a tone of mean complaint.
Whinner \Whin"ner\, v. i.
To whinny. [Colloq.]
Whinny \Whin"ny\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whinnied}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Whinnying}.] [From {Whine}]
To utter the ordinary call or cry of a horse; to neigh.
Whinny \Whin"ny\, n.; pl. {Whinnies}.
The ordinary cry or call of a horse; a neigh. ``The stately
horse . . . stooped with a low whinny.'' --Tennyson.
Whinny \Whin"ny\, a.
Abounding in whin, gorse, or furze.
A fine, large, whinny, . . . unimproved common.
--Sterne.
Whinock \Whin"ock\ (hw[i^]n"[u^]k), n. [Cf. Scot. whin, quhene,
a few, AS. hw[=e]ne, hw[=ae]ne, a little, hw[=o]n little,
few. Cf. {Wheen}.]
The small pig of a litter. [Local, U. S.]
Whinstone \Whin"stone"\, n. [Whin + stone; cf. Scot.
quhynstane.]
A provincial name given in England to basaltic rocks, and
applied by miners to other kind of dark-colored unstratified
rocks which resist the point of the pick. -- for example, to
masses of chert. Whin-dikes, and whin-sills, are names
sometimes given to veins or beds of basalt.
Whinyard \Whin"yard\, n. [Cf. Prov. E. & Scot. whingar, whinger;
perhaps from AS. winn contention, war + geard, gyrd, a staff,
rod, yard; or cf. AS. hw[=i]nan to whistle, E. whine.]
1. A sword, or hanger. [Obs.]
2. [From the shape of the bill.] (Zo["o]l)
(a) The shoveler. [Prov. Eng.]
(b) The poachard. [Prov. Eng.]
Whip \Whip\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whipped}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whipping}.] [OE. whippen to overlay, as a cord, with other
cords, probably akin to G. & D. wippen to shake, to move up
and down, Sw. vippa, Dan. vippe to swing to and fro, to
shake, to toss up, and L. vibrare to shake. Cf. {Vibrate}.]
1. To strike with a lash, a cord, a rod, or anything slender
and lithe; to lash; to beat; as, to whip a horse, or a
carpet.
2. To drive with lashes or strokes of a whip; to cause to
rotate by lashing with a cord; as, to whip a top.
3. To punish with a whip, scourge, or rod; to flog; to beat;
as, to whip a vagrant; to whip one with thirty nine
lashes; to whip a perverse boy.
Who, for false quantities, was whipped at school.
--Dryden.
4. To apply that which hurts keenly to; to lash, as with
sarcasm, abuse, or the like; to apply cutting language to.
They would whip me with their fine wits. --Shak.
5. To thrash; to beat out, as grain, by striking; as, to whip
wheat.
6. To beat (eggs, cream, or the like) into a froth, as with a
whisk, fork, or the like.
7. To conquer; to defeat, as in a contest or game; to beat;
to surpass. [Slang, U. S.]
8. To overlay (a cord, rope, or the like) with other cords
going round and round it; to overcast, as the edge of a
seam; to wrap; -- often with about, around, or over.
Its string is firmly whipped about with small gut.
--Moxon.
9. To sew lightly; specifically, to form (a fabric) into
gathers by loosely overcasting the rolled edge and drawing
up the thread; as, to whip a ruffle.
In half-whipped muslin needles useless lie. --Gay.
10. To take or move by a sudden motion; to jerk; to snatch;
-- with into, out, up, off, and the like.
She, in a hurry, whips up her darling under her
arm. --L'Estrange.
He whips out his pocketbook every moment, and
writes descriptions of everything he sees.
--Walpole.
11. (Naut.)
(a) To hoist or purchase by means of a whip.
(b) To secure the end of (a rope, or the like) from
untwisting by overcasting it with small stuff.
12. To fish (a body of water) with a rod and artificial fly,
the motion being that employed in using a whip.
Whipping their rough surface for a trout.
--Emerson.
{To whip in}, to drive in, or keep from scattering, as hounds
in a hurt; hence, to collect, or to keep together, as
member of a party, or the like.
{To whip the cat}.
(a) To practice extreme parsimony. [Prov. Eng.] --Forby.
(b) To go from house to house working by the day, as
itinerant tailors and carpenters do. [Prov. & U. S.]
Whip \Whip\, v. i.
To move nimbly; to start or turn suddenly and do something;
to whisk; as, he whipped around the corner.
With speed from thence he whipped. --Sackville.
Two friends, traveling, met a bear upon the way; the
one whips up a tree, and the other throws himself flat
upon the ground. --L'Estrange.
Whip \Whip\, n. [OE. whippe. See {Whip}, v. t.]
1. An instrument or driving horses or other animals, or for
correction, consisting usually of a lash attached to a
handle, or of a handle and lash so combined as to form a
flexible rod. ``[A] whip's lash.'' --Chaucer.
In his right hand he holds a whip, with which he is
supposed to drive the horses of the sun. --Addison.
2. A coachman; a driver of a carriage; as, a good whip.
--Beaconsfield.
3. (Mach.)
(a) One of the arms or frames of a windmill, on which the
sails are spread.
(b) The length of the arm reckoned from the shaft.
4. (Naut.)
(a) A small tackle with a single rope, used to hoist light
bodies.
(b) The long pennant. See {Pennant}
(a)
5. A huntsman who whips in the hounds; whipper-in.
6. (Eng. Politics)
(a) A person (as a member of Parliament) appointed to
enforce party discipline, and secure the attendance of
the members of a Parliament party at any important
session, especially when their votes are needed.
(b) A call made upon members of a Parliament party to be
in their places at a given time, as when a vote is to
be taken.
{Whip and spur}, with the utmost haste.
{Whip crane}, or {Whip purchase}, a simple form of crane
having a small drum from which the load is suspended,
turned by pulling on a rope wound around larger drum on
the same axle.
{Whip gin}. See {Gin block}, under 5th {Gin}.
{Whip grafting}. See under {Grafting}.
{Whip hand}, the hand with which the whip is used; hence,
advantage; mastery; as, to have or get the whip hand of a
person. --Dryden.
{Whip ray} (Zo["o]l.), the European eagle ray. See under
{Ray}.
{Whip roll} (Weaving), a roll or bar, behind the reeds in a
loom, on which the warp threads rest.
{Whip scorpion} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
arachnids belonging to {Thelyphonus} and allied genera.
They somewhat resemble true scorpions, but have a long,
slender bristle, or lashlike organ, at the end of the
body, instead of a sting.
{Whip snake} (Zo["o]l.), any one of various species of
slender snakes. Specifically:
(a) A bright green South American tree snake ({Philodryas
viridissimus}) having a long and slender body. It is
not venomous. Called also {emerald whip snake}.
(b) The coachwhip snake.
Whipcord \Whip"cord`\, n.
A kind of hard-twisted or braided cord, sometimes used for
making whiplashes.
Whipgraft \Whip"graft`\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whipgrafted}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Whipgrafting}.]
To graft by cutting the scion and stock in a certain manner.
See {Whip grafting}, under {Grafting}.
Whiplash \Whip"lash`\, n.
The lash of a whip, -- usually made of thongs of leather, or
of cords, braided or twisted.
Whipparee \Whip`pa*ree"\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A large sting ray ({Dasybatis, or Trygon, Sayi}) native
of the Southern United States. It is destitute of large
spines on the body and tail.
(b) A large sting ray ({Rhinoptera bonasus}, or {R.
quadriloba}) of the Atlantic coast of the United States.
Its snout appears to be four-lobed when viewed in front,
whence it is also called {cow-nosed ray}.
Whipper \Whip"per\, n.
1. One who whips; especially, an officer who inflicts the
penalty of legal whipping.
2. One who raises coal or merchandise with a tackle from a
chip's hold. [Eng.]
3. (Spinning) A kind of simple willow.
Whipperin \Whip"per*in`\, n.
1. A huntsman who keeps the hounds from wandering, and whips
them in, if necessary, to the of chase.
2. Hence, one who enforces the discipline of a party, and
urges the attendance and support of the members on all
necessary occasions.
Whippersnapper \Whip"per*snap`per\, n.
A diminutive, insignificant, or presumptuous person.
[Colloq.] ``Little whippersnappers like you.'' --T. Hughes.
Whipping \Whip"ping\,
a & n. from {Whip}, v.
{Whipping post}, a post to which offenders are tied, to be
legally whipped.
Whippletree \Whip"ple*tree`\, n. [See {Whip}, and cf.
{Whiffletree}.]
1. The pivoted or swinging bar to which the traces, or tugs,
of a harness are fastened, and by which a carriage, a
plow, or other implement or vehicle, is drawn; a
whiffletree; a swingletree; a singletree. See
{Singletree}.
[People] cut their own whippletree in the woodlot.
--Emerson.
2. (Bot.) The cornel tree. --Chaucer.
Whip-poor-will \Whip"-poor-will`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
An American bird ({Antrostomus vociferus}) allied to the
nighthawk and goatsucker; -- so called in imitation of the
peculiar notes which it utters in the evening. [Written also
{whippowil}.]
Whipsaw \Whip"saw`\, n.
A saw for dividing timber lengthwise, usually set in a frame,
and worked by two persons; also, a fret saw.
Whip-shaped \Whip"-shaped`\, a.
Shaped like the lash of a whip; long, slender, round, and
tapering; as, a whip-shaped root or stem.
Whipstaff \Whip"staff`\, n. (Naut.)
A bar attached to the tiller, for convenience in steering.
Whipstalk \Whip"stalk`\, n.
A whipstock.
Whipster \Whip"ster\, n. [Whip + -ster.]
A nimble little fellow; a whippersnapper.
Every puny whipster gets my sword. --Shak.
Whipstick \Whip"stick`\, n.
Whip handle; whipstock.
Whipstitch \Whip"stitch`\, n.
1. A tailor; -- so called in contempt.
2. Anything hastily put or stitched together; hence, a hasty
composition. [R.] --Dryden.
3. (Agric.) The act or process of whipstitching.
Whipstitch \Whip"stitch`\, v. t. (Agric.)
To rafter; to plow in ridges, as land. [Eng.]
Whipstock \Whip"stock`\, n.
The rod or handle to which the lash of a whip is fastened.
Whipt \Whipt\, imp. & p. p. of {Whip}.
Whipped.
Whip-tom-kelly \Whip"-tom`-kel"ly\, n. [So called in imitation
of its notes.] (Zo["o]l.)
A vireo ({Vireo altiloquus}) native of the West Indies and
Florida; -- called also {black-whiskered vireo}.
Whipworm \Whip"worm`\, n. [So called from its shape.] (Zo["o]l.)
A nematode worm ({Trichocephalus dispar}) often found
parasitic in the human intestine. Its body is thickened
posteriorly, but is very long and threadlike anteriorly.
Whir \Whir\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whirred}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whirring}.] [Perhaps of imitative origin; cf. D. hvirre to
whirl, and E. hurr, hurry, whirl. ???.]
To whirl round, or revolve, with a whizzing noise; to fly or
more quickly with a buzzing or whizzing sound; to whiz.
The partridge bursts away on whirring wings. --Beattie.
Whir \Whir\, v. t. [See {Whir} to whiz.]
To hurry a long with a whizzing sound. [R.]
This world to me is like a lasting storm, Whirring me
from my friends. --Shak.
Whir \Whir\, n.
A buzzing or whizzing sound produced by rapid or whirling
motion; as, the whir of a partridge; the whir of a spinning
wheel.
Whirl \Whirl\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whirled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whirling}.] [OE. whirlen, probably from the Scand.; cf.
Icel. & Sw. hvirfla, Dan. hvirvle; akin to D. wervelen, G.
wirbeln, freq. of the verb seen in Icel. hverfa to turn.
[root]16. See {Wharf}, and cf. {Warble}, {Whorl}.]
1. To turn round rapidly; to cause to rotate with velocity;
to make to revolve.
He whirls his sword around without delay. --Dryden.
2. To remove or carry quickly with, or as with, a revolving
motion; to snatch; to harry. --Chaucer.
See, see the chariot, and those rushing wheels, That
whirled the prophet up at Chebar flood. --Milton.
The passionate heart of the poet is whirl'd into
folly. --Tennyson.
Whirl \Whirl\, v. i.
1. To be turned round rapidly; to move round with velocity;
to revolve or rotate with great speed; to gyrate. ``The
whirling year vainly my dizzy eyes pursue.'' --J. H.
Newman.
The wooden engine flies and whirls about. --Dryden.
2. To move hastily or swiftly.
But whirled away to shun his hateful sight.
--Dryden.
Whirl \Whirl\, n. [Cf. Dan. hvirvel, Sw. hvirfvel, Icel.
hvirfill the crown of the head, G. wirbel whirl, crown of the
head, D. wervel. See {Whirl}, v. t.]
1. A turning with rapidity or velocity; rapid rotation or
circumvolution; quick gyration; rapid or confusing motion;
as, the whirl of a top; the whirl of a wheel. ``In no
breathless whirl.'' --J. H. Newman.
The rapid . . . whirl of things here below interrupt
not the inviolable rest and calmness of the noble
beings above. --South.
2. Anything that moves with a whirling motion.
He saw Falmouth under gray, iron skies, and whirls
of March dust. --Carlyle.
3. A revolving hook used in twisting, as the hooked spindle
of a rope machine, to which the threads to be twisted are
attached.
4. (Bot. & Zo["o]l.) A whorl. See {Whorl}.
Whirlabout \Whirl"a*bout`\, n.
Something that whirls or turns about in a rapid manner; a
whirligig.
Whirlbat \Whirl"bat`\, n.
Anything moved with a whirl, as preparatory for a blow, or to
augment the force of it; -- applied by poets to the cestus of
ancient boxers.
The whirlbat and the rapid race shall be Reserved for
C[ae]sar. --Dryden.
Whirl-blast \Whirl"-blast`\, n.
A whirling blast or wind.
A whirl-blast from behind the hill. --Wordsworth.
Whirlbone \Whirl"bone`\, n. (Anat.)
(a) The huckle bone. [Obs.]
(b) The patella, or kneepan. [Obs.] --Ainsworth.
Whirler \Whirl"er\, n.
One who, or that which, whirls.
Whirlicote \Whirl"i*cote\, n.
An open car or chariot. [Obs.]
Of old time coaches were not known in this island, but
chariots, or whirlicotes. --Stow.
Whirligig \Whirl"i*gig\, n. [Whirl + gig.]
1. A child's toy, spun or whirled around like a wheel upon an
axis, or like a top. --Johnson.
2. Anything which whirls around, or in which persons or
things are whirled about, as a frame with seats or wooden
horses.
With a whirligig of jubilant mosquitoes spinning
about each head. --G. W. Cable.
3. A medi[ae]val instrument for punishing petty offenders,
being a kind of wooden cage turning on a pivot, in which
the offender was whirled round with great velocity.
4. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of beetles
belonging to {Gyrinus} and allied genera. The body is
firm, oval or boatlike in form, and usually dark colored
with a bronzelike luster. These beetles live mostly on the
surface of water, and move about with great celerity in a
gyrating, or circular, manner, but they are also able to
dive and swim rapidly. The larva is aquatic. Called also
{weaver}, {whirlwig}, and {whirlwig beetle}.
Whirling \Whirl"ing\,
a. & n. from {Whirl}, v. t.
{Whirling table}.
(a) (Physics) An apparatus provided with one or more
revolving disks, with weights, pulleys, and other
attachments, for illustrating the phenomena and laws of
centrifugal force, and the like.
(b) A potter's wheel.
Whirlpit \Whirl"pit`\, n.
A whirlpool. [Obs.] ``Raging whirlpits.'' --Sandys.
Whirlpool \Whirl"pool`\, n.
1. An eddy or vortex of water; a place in a body of water
where the water moves round in a circle so as to produce a
depression or cavity in the center, into which floating
objects may be drawn; any body of water having a more or
less circular motion caused by its flowing in an irregular
channel, by the coming together of opposing currents, or
the like.
2. A sea monster of the whale kind. [Obs.] --Spenser.
The Indian Sea breedeth the most and the biggest
fishes that are; among which the whales and
whirlpools, called ``bal[ae]n[ae],'' take up in
length as much as four . . . arpents of land.
--Holland.
Whirlwig \Whirl"wig`\, n. [Cf. {Earwig}.] (Zo["o]l.)
A whirligig.
Whirlwind \Whirl"wind`\, n. [Cf. Icel. hvirfilvindr, Sw.
hvirfvelvind, Dan. hvirvelvind, G. wirbelwind. See {Whirl},
and {Wind}, n.]
1. A violent windstorm of limited extent, as the tornado,
characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air with
an upward current in the center; a vortex of air. It
usually has a rapid progressive motion.
The swift dark whirlwind that uproots the woods. And
drowns the villages. --Bryant.
Note: Some meteorologists apply the word whirlwind to the
larger rotary storm also, such as cyclones.
2. Fig.: A body of objects sweeping violently onward. ``The
whirlwind of hounds and hunters.'' --Macaulay.
Whirry \Whir"ry\, v. i.
To whir. [Obs.]
Whirtle \Whir"tle\, n. (Mech.)
A perforated steel die through which wires or tubes are drawn
to form them.
Whisk \Whisk\, n. [See {Whist}, n.]
A game at cards; whist. [Obs.] --Taylor (1630).
Whisk \Whisk\, n. [Probably for wisk, and of Scand. origin; cf.
Icel. visk a wisp; akin to Dan. visk, Sw. viska, D. wisch,
OHG. wisc, G. wisch. See {Wisp}.]
1. The act of whisking; a rapid, sweeping motion, as of
something light; a sudden motion or quick puff.
This first sad whisk Takes off thy dukedom; thou art
but an earl. --J. Fletcher.
2. A small bunch of grass, straw, twigs, hair, or the like,
used for a brush; hence, a brush or small besom, as of
broom corn.
3. A small culinary instrument made of wire, or the like, for
whisking or beating eggs, cream, etc. --Boyle.
4. A kind of cape, forming part of a woman's dress.
My wife in her new lace whisk. --Pepys.
5. An impertinent fellow. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
6. A plane used by coopers for evening chines.
Whisk \Whisk\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whisked}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whisking}.] [Cf. Dan. viske, Sw. viska, G. wischen, D.
wisschen. See {Whisk}, n.]
1. To sweep, brush, or agitate, with a light, rapid motion;
as, to whisk dust from a table; to whisk the white of eggs
into a froth.
2. To move with a quick, sweeping motion.
He that walks in gray, whisking his riding rod. --J.
Fletcher.
I beg she would not impale worms, nor whisk carp out
of one element into another. --Walpole.
Whisk \Whisk\, v. i.
To move nimbly at with velocity; to make a sudden agile
movement.
Whisker \Whisk"er\, n.
1. One who, or that which, whisks, or moves with a quick,
sweeping motion.
2. Formerly, the hair of the upper lip; a mustache; --
usually in the plural.
Hoary whiskers and a forky beard. --Pope.
3. pl. That part of the beard which grows upon the sides of
the face, or upon the chin, or upon both; as, side
whiskers; chin whiskers.
4. A hair of the beard.
5. One of the long, projecting hairs growing at the sides of
the mouth of a cat, or other animal.
6. pl. (Naut.) Iron rods extending on either side of the
bowsprit, to spread, or guy out, the stays, etc.
Whiskered \Whisk"ered\, a.
1. Formed into whiskers; furnished with whiskers; having or
wearing whiskers.
Our forefathers, a grave, whiskered race. --Cowper.
2. (Zo["o]l.) Having elongated hairs, feathers, or bristles
on the cheeks.
The whiskered vermin race. --Grainger.
Whiskerless \Whisk"er*less\, a.
Being without whiskers.
Whisket \Whis"ket\, n. [Cf. {Wisket}.]
1. A basket; esp., a straw provender basket. [Prov. Eng.]
--Halliwell.
2. (Mach.) A small lathe for turning wooden pins.
Whiskey \Whis"key\, n.
Same as {Whisky}, a liquor.
Whiskey \Whis"key\, Whisky \Whis"ky\, n.; pl. {Whiskeys}or
{Whiskies}. [See {Whisk}, v. t. & n.]
A light carriage built for rapid motion; -- called also
{tim-whiskey}.
Whiskin \Whisk"in\, n.
A shallow drinking bowl. [Prov. Eng.] --Ray.
Whisking \Whisk"ing\, a.
1. Sweeping along lightly.
2. Large; great. [Prov. Eng.]
Whisky \Whis"ky\, Whiskey \Whis"key\, n. [Ir. or Gael. uisge
water (perhaps akin to E. wash, water) in uisgebeatha
whiskey, properly, water of life. Cf. {Usquebaugh}.]
An intoxicating liquor distilled from grain, potatoes, etc.,
especially in Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. In
the United States, whisky is generally distilled from maize,
rye, or wheat, but in Scotland and Ireland it is often made
from malted barley.
{Bourbon whisky}, corn whisky made in Bourbon County,
Kentucky.
{Crooked whisky}. See under {Crooked}.
{Whisky Jack} (Zo["o]l.), the Canada jay ({Perisoreus
Canadensis}). It is noted for its fearless and familiar
habits when it frequents the camps of lumbermen in the
winter season. Its color is dull grayish blue, lighter
beneath. Called also {moose bird}.
Whiskyfied \Whis"ky*fied\, Whiskeyfied \Whis"key*fied\, a.
[Whisky + -fy.]
Drunk with whisky; intoxicated. [Humorous] --Thackeray.
Whisp \Whisp\, n.
See {Wisp}.
Whisp \Whisp\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A flock of snipe.
Whisper \Whis"per\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whispered}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Whispering}.] [AS. hwisprian; akin to G. wispern,
wispeln, OHG. hwispal?n, Icel. hv[=i]skra, Sw. hviska, Dan.
hviske; of imitative origin. Cf. {Whistle}.]
1. To speak softly, or under the breath, so as to be heard
only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant
breath; to talk without that vibration in the larynx which
gives sonorous, or vocal, sound. See {Whisper}, n.
2. To make a low, sibilant sound or noise.
The hollow, whispering breeze. --Thomson.
3. To speak with suspicion, or timorous caution; to converse
in whispers, as in secret plotting.
All that hate me whisper together against me. --Ps.
xli. 7.
Whisper \Whis"per\, v. t.
1. To utter in a low and nonvocal tone; to say under the
breath; hence, to mention privately and confidentially, or
in a whisper.
They might buzz and whisper it one to another.
--Bentley.
2. To address in a whisper, or low voice. [Archaic]
And whisper one another in the ear. --Shak.
Where gentlest breezes whisper souls distressed.
--Keble.
3. To prompt secretly or cautiously; to inform privately.
[Obs.] ``He came to whisper Wolsey.'' --Shak.
Whisper \Whis"per\, n.
1. A low, soft, sibilant voice or utterance, which can be
heard only by those near at hand; voice or utterance that
employs only breath sound without tone, friction against
the edges of the vocal cords and arytenoid cartilages
taking the place of the vibration of the cords that
produces tone; sometimes, in a limited sense, the sound
produced by such friction as distinguished from breath
sound made by friction against parts of the mouth. See
{Voice}, n., 2, and Guide to Pronunciation, [sect][sect]
5, 153, 154.
The inward voice or whisper can not give a tone.
--Bacon.
Soft whispers through the assembly went. --Dryden.
2. A cautious or timorous speech. --South.
3. Something communicated in secret or by whispering; a
suggestion or insinuation.
4. A low, sibilant sound. ``The whispers of the leaves.''
--Tennyson.
Whisperer \Whis"per*er\, n.
1. One who whispers.
2. A tattler; one who tells secrets; a conveyer of
intelligence secretly; hence; a backbiter; one who
slanders secretly. --Prov. xvi. 28.
Whispering \Whis"per*ing\,
a. & n. from {Whisper}. v. t.
{Whispering gallery}, or {Whispering dome}, one of such a
form that sounds produced in certain parts of it are
concentrated by reflection from the walls to another part,
so that whispers or feeble sounds are audible at a much
greater distance than under ordinary circumstances.
Whisperingly \Whis"per*ing*ly\, adv.
In a whisper, or low voice; in a whispering manner; with
whispers. --Tennyson.
Whisperously \Whis"per*ous*ly\, adv.
Whisperingly. [R.]
Whist \Whist\, interj. [Cf. G. st! pst! bst! ???. Cf. {Hist}.]
Be silent; be still; hush; silence.
Whist \Whist\, n. [From {Whist}, interj.]
A certain game at cards; -- so called because it requires
silence and close attention. It is played by four persons
(those who sit opposite each other being partners) with a
complete pack of fifty-two cards. Each player has thirteen
cards, and when these are played out, he hand is finished,
and the cards are again shuffled and distributed.
Note: Points are scored for the tricks taken in excess of
six, and for the honors held. In long whist, now seldom
played, ten points make the game; in short whist, now
usually played in England, five points make the game.
In American whist, so-called, honors are not counted,
and seven points by tricks make the game.
Whist \Whist\, v. t. [From {Whist}, interj.]
To hush or silence. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Whist \Whist\, v. i.
To be or become silent or still; to be hushed or mute. [R.]
--Surrey.
Whist \Whist\, a. [Properly p. p. of whist, v.]
Not speaking; not making a noise; silent; mute; still; quiet.
``So whist and dead a silence.'' --Sir J. Harrington.
The winds, with wonder whist, Smoothly the waters
kissed. --Milton.
Note: This adjective generally follows its noun, or is used
predicatively.
Whistle \Whis"tle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whistled}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Whistling}.] [AS. hwistlian; akin to Sw. hvissla, Dan.
hvisle, Icel. hv[=i]sla to whisper, and E. whisper. [root]43.
See {Whisper}.]
1. To make a kind of musical sound, or series of sounds, by
forcing the breath through a small orifice formed by
contracting the lips; also, to emit a similar sound, or
series of notes, from the mouth or beak, as birds.
The weary plowman leaves the task of day, And,
trudging homeward, whistles on the way. --Gay.
2. To make a shrill sound with a wind or steam instrument,
somewhat like that made with the lips; to blow a sharp,
shrill tone.
3. To sound shrill, or like a pipe; to make a sharp, shrill
sound; as, a bullet whistles through the air.
The wild winds whistle, and the billows roar.
--Pope.
Whistle \Whis"tle\, v. t.
1. To form, utter, or modulate by whistling; as, to whistle a
tune or an air.
2. To send, signal, or call by a whistle.
He chanced to miss his dog; we stood still till he
had whistled him up. --Addison.
{To whistle off}.
(a) To dismiss by a whistle; -- a term in hawking. ``AS a
long-winged hawk when he is first whistled off the
fist, mounts aloft.'' --Burton.
(b) Hence, in general, to turn loose; to abandon; to
dismiss.
I 'ld whistle her off, and let her down the wind
To prey at fortune. --Shak.
Note: ``A hawk seems to have been usually sent off in this
way, against the wind when sent in search of prey; with
or down the wind, when turned loose, and abandoned.''
--Nares.
Whistle \Whis"tle\, n. [AS. hwistle a pipe, flute, whistle. See
{Whistle}, v. i.]
1. A sharp, shrill, more or less musical sound, made by
forcing the breath through a small orifice of the lips, or
through or instrument which gives a similar sound; the
sound used by a sportsman in calling his dogs; the shrill
note of a bird; as, the sharp whistle of a boy, or of a
boatswain's pipe; the blackbird's mellow whistle.
Might we but hear The folded flocks, penned in their
wattled cotes, . . . Or whistle from the lodge.
--Milton.
The countryman could not forbear smiling, . . . and
by that means lost his whistle. --Spectator.
They fear his whistle, and forsake the seas.
--Dryden.
2. The shrill sound made by wind passing among trees or
through crevices, or that made by bullet, or the like,
passing rapidly through the air; the shrill noise (much
used as a signal, etc.) made by steam or gas escaping
through a small orifice, or impinging against the edge of
a metallic bell or cup.
3. An instrument in which gas or steam forced into a cavity,
or against a thin edge, produces a sound more or less like
that made by one who whistles through the compressed lips;
as, a child's whistle; a boatswain's whistle; a steam
whistle (see {Steam whistle}, under {Steam}).
The bells she jingled, and the whistle blew. --Pope.
4. The mouth and throat; -- so called as being the organs of
whistling. [Colloq.]
So was her jolly whistle well ywet. --Chaucer.
Let's drink the other cup to wet our whistles.
--Walton.
{Whistle duck} (Zo["o]l.), the American golden-eye.
Whistlefish \Whis"tle*fish`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A gossat, or rockling; -- called also {whistler},
{three-bearded rockling}, {sea loach}, and {sorghe}.
Whistler \Whis"tler\, n. [AS. hwistlere.]
1. One who, or that which, whistles, or produces or a
whistling sound.
2. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The ring ousel.
(b) The widgeon. [Prov. Eng.]
(c) The golden-eye.
(d) The golden plover and the gray plover.
3. (Zo["o]l.) The hoary, or northern, marmot ({Arctomys
pruinosus}).
4. (Zo["o]l.) The whistlefish.
Whistlewing \Whis"tle*wing`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The American golden-eye.
Whistlewood \Whis"tle*wood`\, n. (Bot.)
The moosewood, or striped maple. See {Maple}.
Whistling \Whis"tling\,
a. & n. from {Whistle}, v.
{Whistling buoy}. (Naut.) See under {Buoy}.
{Whistling coot} (Zo["o]l.), the American black scoter.
{Whistling Dick}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) An Australian shrike thrush ({Colluricincla Selbii}).
(b) The song thrush. [Prov. Eng.]
{Whistling duck}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The golden-eye.
(b) A tree duck.
{Whistling eagle} (Zo["o]l.), a small Australian eagle
({Haliastur sphenurus}); -- called also {whistling hawk},
and {little swamp eagle}.
{Whistling plover}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The golden plover.
(b) The black-bellied, or gray, plover.
{Whistling snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the American woodcock.
{Whistling swan}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The European whooper swan; -- called also {wild swan},
and {elk}.
(b) An American swan ({Olor columbianus}). See under {Swan}.
{Whistling teal} (Zo["o]l.), a tree duck, as {Dendrocygna
awsuree} of India.
{Whistling thrush}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) Any one of several species of singing birds of the genus
{Myiophonus}, native of Asia, Australia, and the East
Indies. They are generally black, glossed with blue, and
have a patch of bright blue on each shoulder. Their note
is a loud and clear whistle.
(b) The song thrush. [Prov. Eng.]
Whistlingly \Whis"tling*ly\, adv.
In a whistling manner; shrilly.
Whistly \Whist"ly\, adv.
In a whist manner; silently. [Obs.]
Whit \Whit\, n. [OE. wight, wiht, AS. wiht a creature, a thing.
See {Wight}, and cf. {Aught}, {Naught}.]
The smallest part or particle imaginable; a bit; a jot; an
iota; -- generally used in an adverbial phrase in a negative
sentence. ``Samuel told him every whit.'' --1 Sam. iii. 18.
``Every whit as great.'' --South.
So shall I no whit be behind in duty. --Shak.
It does not me a whit displease. --Cowley.
White \White\, a. [Compar. {Whiter}; superl. {Whitest}.] [OE.
whit, AS. hw?t; akin to OFries. and OS. hw[=i]t, D. wit, G.
weiss, OHG. w[=i]z, hw[=i]z, Icel. hv[=i]tr, Sw. hvit, Dan.
hvid, Goth. hweits, Lith. szveisti, to make bright, Russ.
sviet' light, Skr. ?v?ta white, ?vit to be bright. ???. Cf.
{Wheat}, {Whitsunday}.]
1. Reflecting to the eye all the rays of the spectrum
combined; not tinted with any of the proper colors or
their mixtures; having the color of pure snow; snowy; --
the opposite of {black} or {dark}; as, white paper; a
white skin. ``Pearls white.'' --Chaucer.
White as the whitest lily on a stream. --Longfellow.
2. Destitute of color, as in the cheeks, or of the tinge of
blood color; pale; pallid; as, white with fear.
Or whispering with white lips, ``The foe! They come!
they come!'' --Byron.
3. Having the color of purity; free from spot or blemish, or
from guilt or pollution; innocent; pure.
White as thy fame, and as thy honor clear. --Dryden.
No whiter page than Addison's remains. --Pope.
4. Gray, as from age; having silvery hair; hoary.
Your high engendered battles 'gainst a head So old
and white as this. --Shak.
5. Characterized by freedom from that which disturbs, and the
like; fortunate; happy; favorable.
On the whole, however, the dominie reckoned this as
one of the white days of his life. --Sir W.
Scott.
6. Regarded with especial favor; favorite; darling.
Come forth, my white spouse. --Chaucer.
I am his white boy, and will not be gullet. --Ford.
Note: White is used in many self-explaining compounds, as
white-backed, white-bearded, white-footed.
{White alder}. (Bot.) See {Sweet pepper bush}, under
{Pepper}.
{White ant} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of social
pseudoneuropterous insects of the genus {Termes}. These
insects are very abundant in tropical countries, and form
large and complex communities consisting of numerous
asexual workers of one or more kinds, of large-headed
asexual individuals called soldiers, of one or more queens
(or fertile females) often having the body enormously
distended by the eggs, and, at certain seasons of numerous
winged males, together with the larv[ae] and pup[ae] of
each kind in various stages of development. Many of the
species construct large and complicated nests, sometimes
in the form of domelike structures rising several feet
above the ground and connected with extensive subterranean
galleries and chambers. In their social habits they
closely resemble the true ants. They feed upon animal and
vegetable substances of various kinds, including timber,
and are often very destructive to buildings and furniture.
{White arsenic} (Chem.), arsenious oxide, {As2O3}, a
substance of a white color, and vitreous adamantine
luster, having an astringent, sweetish taste. It is a
deadly poison.
{White bass} (Zo["o]l.), a fresh-water North American bass
({Roccus chrysops}) found in the Great Likes.
{White bear} (Zo["o]l.), the polar bear. See under {Polar}.
{White blood cell}. (Physiol.) See {Leucocyte}.
{White brand} (Zo["o]l.), the snow goose.
{White brass}, a white alloy of copper; white copper.
{White campion}. (Bot.)
(a) A kind of catchfly ({Silene stellata}) with white
flowers.
(b) A white-flowered Lychnis ({Lychnis vespertina}).
{White canon} (R. C. Ch.), a Premonstratensian.
{White caps}, the members of a secret organization in various
of the United States, who attempt to drive away or reform
obnoxious persons by lynch-law methods. They appear masked
in white.
{White cedar} (Bot.), an evergreen tree of North America
({Thuja occidentalis}), also the related {Cupressus
thyoides}, or {Cham[ae]cyparis sph[ae]roidea}, a slender
evergreen conifer which grows in the so-called cedar
swamps of the Northern and Atlantic States. Both are much
valued for their durable timber. In California the name is
given to the {Libocedrus decurrens}, the timber of which
is also useful, though often subject to dry rot.
--Goodale. The white cedar of Demerara, Guiana, etc., is a
lofty tree ({Icica, or Bursera, altissima}) whose fragrant
wood is used for canoes and cabinetwork, as it is not
attacked by insect.
{White cell}. (Physiol.) See {Leucocyte}.
{White cell-blood} (Med.), leucocyth[ae]mia.
{White clover} (Bot.), a species of small perennial clover
bearing white flowers. It furnishes excellent food for
cattle and horses, as well as for the honeybee. See also
under {Clover}.
{White copper}, a whitish alloy of copper. See {German
silver}, under {German}.
{White copperas} (Min.), a native hydrous sulphate of iron;
coquimbite.
{White coral} (Zo["o]l.), an ornamental branched coral
({Amphihelia oculata}) native of the Mediterranean.
{White corpuscle}. (Physiol.) See {Leucocyte}.
{White cricket} (Zo["o]l.), the tree cricket.
{White crop}, a crop of grain which loses its green color, or
becomes white, in ripening, as wheat, rye, barley, and
oats, as distinguished from a green crop, or a root crop.
{White currant} (Bot.), a variety of the common red currant,
having white berries.
{White daisy} (Bot.), the oxeye daisy. See under {Daisy}.
{White damp}, a kind of poisonous gas encountered in coal
mines. --Raymond.
{White elephant} (Zo["o]l.), a whitish, or albino, variety of
the Asiatic elephant.
{White elm} (Bot.), a majestic tree of North America ({Ulmus
Americana}), the timber of which is much used for hubs of
wheels, and for other purposes.
{White ensign}. See {Saint George's ensign}, under {Saint}.
{White feather}, a mark or symbol of cowardice. See {To show
the white feather}, under {Feather}, n.
{White fir} (Bot.), a name given to several coniferous trees
of the Pacific States, as {Abies grandis}, and {A.
concolor}.
{White flesher} (Zo["o]l.), the ruffed grouse. See under
{Ruffed}. [Canada]
{White frost}. See {Hoarfrost}.
{White game} (Zo["o]l.), the white ptarmigan.
{White garnet} (Min.), leucite.
{White grass} (Bot.), an American grass ({Leersia Virginica})
with greenish-white pale[ae].
{White grouse}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The white ptarmigan.
(b) The prairie chicken. [Local, U. S.]
{White grub} (Zo["o]l.), the larva of the June bug and other
allied species. These grubs eat the roots of grasses and
other plants, and often do much damage.
{White hake} (Zo["o]l.), the squirrel hake. See under
{Squirrel}.
{White hawk}, or {kite} (Zo["o]l.), the hen harrier.
{White heat}, the temperature at which bodies become
incandescent, and appear white from the bright light which
they emit.
{White hellebore} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Veratrum}
({V. album}) See {Hellebore}, 2.
{White herring}, a fresh, or unsmoked, herring, as
distinguished from a red, or cured, herring. [R.] --Shak.
{White hoolet} (Zo["o]l.), the barn owl. [Prov. Eng.]
{White horses} (Naut.), white-topped waves; whitecaps.
{The White House}. See under {House}.
{White ibis} (Zo["o]l.), an American ibis ({Guara alba})
having the plumage pure white, except the tips of the
wings, which are black. It inhabits tropical America and
the Southern United States. Called also {Spanish curlew}.
{White iron}.
(a) Thin sheets of iron coated with tin; tinned iron.
(b) A hard, silvery-white cast iron containing a large
proportion of combined carbon.
{White iron pyrites} (Min.), marcasite.
{White land}, a tough clayey soil, of a whitish hue when dry,
but blackish after rain. [Eng.]
{White lark} (Zo["o]l.), the snow bunting.
{White lead}.
(a) A carbonate of lead much used in painting, and for
other purposes; ceruse.
(b) (Min.) Native lead carbonate; cerusite.
{White leather}, buff leather; leather tanned with alum and
salt.
{White leg} (Med.), milk leg. See under {Milk}.
{White lettuce} (Bot.), rattlesnake root. See under
{Rattlesnake}.
{White lie}. See under {Lie}.
{White light}.
(a) (Physics) Light having the different colors in the
same proportion as in the light coming directly from
the sun, without having been decomposed, as by passing
through a prism. See the Note under {Color}, n., 1.
(b) A kind of firework which gives a brilliant white
illumination for signals, etc.
{White lime}, a solution or preparation of lime for
whitewashing; whitewash.
{White line} (Print.), a void space of the breadth of a line,
on a printed page; a blank line.
{White meat}.
(a) Any light-colored flesh, especially of poultry.
(b) Food made from milk or eggs, as butter, cheese, etc.
Driving their cattle continually with them, and
feeding only upon their milk and white meats.
--Spenser.
{White merganser} (Zo["o]l.), the smew.
{White metal}.
(a) Any one of several white alloys, as pewter, britannia,
etc.
(b) (Metal.) A fine grade of copper sulphide obtained at a
certain stage in copper smelting.
{White miller}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The common clothes moth.
(b) A common American bombycid moth ({Spilosoma
Virginica}) which is pure white with a few small black
spots; -- called also {ermine moth}, and {virgin
moth}. See {Woolly bear}, under {Woolly}.
{White money}, silver money.
{White mouse} (Zo["o]l.), the albino variety of the common
mouse.
{White mullet} (Zo["o]l.), a silvery mullet ({Mugil curema})
ranging from the coast of the United States to Brazil; --
called also {blue-back mullet}, and {liza}.
{White nun} (Zo["o]l.), the smew; -- so called from the white
crest and the band of black feathers on the back of its
head, which give the appearance of a hood.
{White oak}. (Bot.) See under {Oak}.
{White owl}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The snowy owl.
(b) The barn owl.
{White partridge} (Zo["o]l.), the white ptarmigan.
{White perch}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A North American fresh-water bass ({Morone Americana})
valued as a food fish.
(b) The croaker, or fresh-water drum.
(c) Any California surf fish.
{White pine}. (Bot.) See the Note under {Pine}.
{White poplar} (Bot.), a European tree ({Populus alba}) often
cultivated as a shade tree in America; abele.
{White poppy} (Bot.), the opium-yielding poppy. See {Poppy}.
{White powder}, a kind of gunpowder formerly believed to
exist, and to have the power of exploding without noise.
[Obs.]
A pistol charged with white powder. --Beau. & Fl.
{White precipitate}. (Old Chem.) See under {Precipitate}.
{White rabbit}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The American northern hare in its winter pelage.
(b) An albino rabbit.
{White rent},
(a) (Eng. Law) Formerly, rent payable in silver; --
opposed to black rent. See {Blackmail}, n., 3.
(b) A rent, or duty, of eight pence, payable yearly by
every tinner in Devon and Cornwall to the Duke of
Cornwall, as lord of the soil. [Prov. Eng.]
{White rhinoceros}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The one-horned, or Indian, rhinoceros ({Rhinoceros
Indicus}). See {Rhinoceros}.
(b) The umhofo.
{White ribbon}, the distinctive badge of certain
organizations for the promotion of temperance or of moral
purity; as, the White-ribbon Army.
{White rope} (Naut.), untarred hemp rope.
{White rot}. (Bot.)
(a) Either of several plants, as marsh pennywort and
butterwort, which were thought to produce the disease
called rot in sheep.
(b) A disease of grapes. See {White rot}, under {Rot}.
{White sage} (Bot.), a white, woolly undershrub ({Eurotia
lanata}) of Western North America; -- called also {winter
fat}.
{White salmon} (Zo["o]l.), the silver salmon.
{White salt}, salt dried and calcined; decrepitated salt.
{White scale} (Zo["o]l.), a scale insect ({Aspidiotus Nerii})
injurious to the orange tree. See {Orange scale}, under
{Orange}.
{White shark} (Zo["o]l.), a species of man-eating shark. See
under {Shark}.
{White softening}. (Med.) See {Softening of the brain}, under
{Softening}.
{White spruce}. (Bot.) See {Spruce}, n., 1.
{White squall} (Naut.), a sudden gust of wind, or furious
blow, which comes up without being marked in its approach
otherwise than by whitecaps, or white, broken water, on
the surface of the sea.
{White staff}, the badge of the lord high treasurer of
England. --Macaulay.
{White stork} (Zo["o]l.), the common European stork.
{White sturgeon}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Shovelnose}
(d) .
{White sucker}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The common sucker.
(b) The common red horse ({Moxostoma macrolepidotum}).
{White swelling} (Med.), a chronic swelling of the knee,
produced by a strumous inflammation of the synovial
membranes of the kneejoint and of the cancellar texture of
the end of the bone forming the kneejoint; -- applied also
to a lingering chronic swelling of almost any kind.
{White tombac}. See {Tombac}.
{White trout} (Zo["o]l.), the white weakfish, or silver
squeteague ({Cynoscion nothus}), of the Southern United
States.
{White vitriol} (Chem.), hydrous sulphate of zinc. See {White
vitriol}, under {Vitriol}.
{White wagtail} (Zo["o]l.), the common, or pied, wagtail.
{White wax}, beeswax rendered white by bleaching.
{White whale} (Zo["o]l.), the beluga.
{White widgeon} (Zo["o]l.), the smew.
{White wine}. any wine of a clear, transparent color,
bordering on white, as Madeira, sherry, Lisbon, etc.; --
distinguished from wines of a deep red color, as port and
Burgundy. ``White wine of Lepe.'' --Chaucer.
{White witch}, a witch or wizard whose supernatural powers
are supposed to be exercised for good and beneficent
purposes. --Addison. --Cotton Mather.
{White wolf}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A light-colored wolf ({Canis laniger}) native of
Thibet; -- called also {chanco}, {golden wolf}, and
{Thibetan wolf}.
(b) The albino variety of the gray wolf.
{White wren} (Zo["o]l.), the willow warbler; -- so called
from the color of the under parts.
White \White\, n.
1. The color of pure snow; one of the natural colors of
bodies, yet not strictly a color, but a composition of all
colors; the opposite of black; whiteness. See the Note
under {Color}, n., 1.
Finely attired in a of white. --Shak.
2. Something having the color of snow; something white, or
nearly so; as, the white of the eye.
3. Specifically, the central part of the butt in archery,
which was formerly painted white; the center of a mark at
which a missile is shot.
'T was I won the wager, though you hit the white.
--Shak.
4. A person with a white skin; a member of the white, or
Caucasian, races of men.
5. A white pigment; as, Venice white.
6. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of butterflies
belonging to {Pieris}, and allied genera in which the
color is usually white. See {Cabbage butterfly}, under
{Cabbage}.
{Black and white}. See under {Black}.
{Flake white}, {Paris white}, etc. See under {Flack},
{Paris}, etc.
{White of a seed} (Bot.), the albumen. See {Albumen}, 2.
{White of egg}, the viscous pellucid fluid which surrounds
the yolk in an egg, particularly in the egg of a fowl. In
a hen's egg it is alkaline, and contains about 86 per cent
of water and 14 per cent of solid matter, the greater
portion of which is egg albumin. It likewise contains a
small amount of globulin, and traces of fats and sugar,
with some inorganic matter. Heated above 60[deg] C. it
coagulates to a solid mass, owing to the albumin which it
contains. --Parr.
{White of the eye} (Anat.), the white part of the ball of the
eye surrounding the transparent cornea.
White \White\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whited}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whiting}.] [AS. hw[=i]tan.]
To make white; to whiten; to whitewash; to bleach.
Whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful
outward, but are within full of . . . uncleanness.
--Matt. xxiii.
27.
So as no fuller on earth can white them. --Mark. ix. 3.
Whiteback \White"back`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The canvasback.
Whitebait \White"bait`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The young of several species of herrings, especially of
the common herring, esteemed a great delicacy by epicures
in England.
(b) A small translucent fish ({Salanx Chinensis}) abundant at
certain seasons on the coasts of China and Japan, and
used in the same manner as the European whitebait.
Whitebeam \White"beam`\, n. (Bot.)
The common beam tree of England ({Pyrus Aria}); -- so called
from the white, woolly under surface of the leaves.
Whitebeard \White"beard`\, n.
An old man; a graybeard.
Whitebelly \White"bel`ly\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The American widgeon, or baldpate.
(b) The prairie chicken.
Whitebill \White"bill`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The American coot.
White-blaze \White"-blaze`\, n.
See {White-face}.
Whiteblow \White"blow`\, n. (Bot.)
Same as {Whitlow grass}, under {Whitlow}.
Whiteboy \White"boy`\, n.
1. A favorite. [Obs.] See {White}, a., 6. ``One of God's
whiteboys.'' --Bunyan.
2. One of an association of poor Roman catholics which arose
in Ireland about 1760, ostensibly to resist the collection
of tithes, the members of which were so called from the
white shirts they wore in their nocturnal raids.
Whiteboyism \White"boy`ism\, n.
The conduct or principle of the Whiteboys.
Whitecap \White"cap`\, n.
1. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The European redstart; -- so called from its white
forehead.
(b) The whitethroat; -- so called from its gray head.
(c) The European tree sparrow.
2. A wave whose crest breaks into white foam, as when the
wind is freshening.
Whitecoat \White"coat`\, n.
The skin of a newborn seal; also, the seal itself. [Sealers'
Cant]
White-ear \White"-ear`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The wheatear.
White-eye \White"-eye`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of several species of small Old World singing of the
genus {Zosterops}, as {Zosterops palpebrosus} of India, and
{Z. c[oe]rulescens} of Australia. The eyes are encircled by a
ring of white feathers, whence the name. Called also {bush
creeper}, and {white-eyed tit}.
White-face \White"-face`\, n.
A white mark in the forehead of a horse, descending almost to
the nose; -- called also {white-blaze}.
Whitefish \White"fish`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) Any one of several species of {Coregonus}, a genus of
excellent food fishes allied to the salmons. They inhabit
the lakes of the colder parts of North America, Asia, and
Europe. The largest and most important American species
({C. clupeiformis}) is abundant in the Great Lakes, and
in other lakes farther north. Called also {lake
whitefish}, and {Oswego bass}.
(b) The menhaden.
(c) The beluga, or white whale.
Note: Various other fishes are locally called whitefish, as
the silver salmon, the whiting
(a), the yellowtail, and the young of the bluefish
({Pomatomus saltatrix}).
Whiteflaw \White"flaw`\, n. [See {Whitlow}.] (Med.)
A whitlow. [Obs.] --Holland.
White-foot \White"-foot`\, n. (Far.)
A white mark on the foot of a horse, between the fetlock and
the coffin.
White friar \White" fri`ar\ (Eccl.)
A mendicant monk of the Carmelite order, so called from the
white cloaks worn by the order. See {Carmelite}.
White-fronted \White`-front"ed\, a.
Having a white front; as, the white-fronted lemur.
{White-fronted goose} (Zo["o]l.), the white brant, or snow
goose. See {Snow goose}, under {Snow}.
Whitehead \White"head`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The blue-winged snow goose.
(b) The surf scoter.
White-heart \White"-heart`\, n. (Bot.)
A somewhat heart-shaped cherry with a whitish skin.
White-hot \White"-hot`\, a.
White with heat; heated to whiteness, or incandescence.
White-limed \White"-limed`\, a.
Whitewashed or plastered with lime. ``White-limed walls.''
--Shak.
White-livered \White"-liv`ered\, a.
Having a pale look; feeble; hence, cowardly; pusillanimous;
dastardly.
They must not be milksops, nor white-livered knights.
--Latimer.
Whitely \White"ly\, a.
Like, or coming near to, white. [Obs.]
Whiten \Whit"en\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whitened}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Whitening}.] [OE. whitenen; cf. Icel. hv[=i]tna.]
To grow white; to turn or become white or whiter; as, the
hair whitens with age; the sea whitens with foam; the trees
in spring whiten with blossoms.
Whiten \Whit"en\, v. t.
To make white; to bleach; to blanch; to whitewash; as, to
whiten a wall; to whiten cloth.
The broad stream of the Foyle then whitened by vast
flocks of wild swans. --Macaulay.
Syn: See {Blanch}.
Whitener \Whit"en*er\, n.
One who, or that which, whitens; a bleacher; a blancher; a
whitewasher.
Whiteness \White"ness\, n. [AS. hw[=i]tness.]
1. The quality or state of being white; white color, or
freedom from darkness or obscurity on the surface.
--Chaucer.
2. Want of a sanguineous tinge; paleness; as from terror,
grief, etc. ``The whiteness in thy cheek.'' --Shak.
3. Freedom from stain or blemish; purity; cleanness.
He had kept The whiteness of his soul, and thus men
o'er him wept. --Byron.
4. Nakedness. [Obs.] --Chapman.
5. (Zo["o]l.) A flock of swans.
Whitening \Whit"en*ing\, n.
1. The act or process of making or becoming white.
2. That which is used to render white; whiting. [R.]
{Whitening stone}, a sharpening and polishing stone used by
cutlers; also, a finishing grindstone of fine texture.
White-pot \White"-pot`\, n.
A kind of food made of milk or cream, eggs, sugar, bread,
etc., baked in a pot. --King.
Whiterump \White"rump`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The American black-tailed godwit.
Whites \Whites\, n. pl.
1. (Med.) Leucorrh?a.
2. The finest flour made from white wheat.
3. Cloth or garments of a plain white color.
Whiteside \White"side`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The golden-eye.
Whitesmith \White"smith`\, n.
1. One who works in tinned or galvanized iron, or white iron;
a tinsmith.
2. A worker in iron who finishes or polishes the work, in
distinction from one who forges it.
Whitester \White"ster\, n. [White + -ster.]
A bleacher of linen; a whitener; a whitster. [Prov. Eng.]
Whitetail \White"tail`\, n.
1. (Zo["o]l.) The Virginia deer.
2. (Zo["o]l.) The wheatear. [Prov. Eng.]
Whitethorn \White"thorn`\, n. (Bot.)
The hawthorn.
Whitethroat \White"throat`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of several species of Old World warblers, esp. the
common European species ({Sylvia cinerea}), called also
{strawsmear}, {nettlebird}, {muff}, and {whitecap}, the
garden whitethroat, or golden warbler ({S. hortensis}), and
the lesser whitethroat ({S. curruca}).
Whitetop \White"top`\, n. (Bot.)
Fiorin.
Whitewall \White"wall`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The spotted flycatcher; -- so called from the white color of
the under parts. [Prov. Eng.]
Whitewash \White"wash`\, n.
1. Any wash or liquid composition for whitening something, as
a wash for making the skin fair. --Addison.
2. A composition of line and water, or of whiting size, and
water, or the like, used for whitening walls, ceilings,
etc.; milk of lime.
Whitewash \White"wash`\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whitewashed}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Whitewashing}.]
1. To apply a white liquid composition to; to whiten with
whitewash.
2. To make white; to give a fair external appearance to; to
clear from imputations or disgrace; hence, to clear (a
bankrupt) from obligation to pay debts.
Whitewasher \White"wash`er\, n.
One who whitewashes.
White-water \White"-wa`ter\, n. (Far.)
A dangerous disease of sheep.
Whiteweed \White"weed`\, n. (Bot.)
A perennial composite herb ({Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum})
with conspicuous white rays and a yellow disk, a common weed
in grass lands and pastures; -- called also {oxeye daisy}.
Whitewing \White"wing`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The chaffinch; -- so called from the white bands on the
wing.
(b) The velvet duck.
Whitewood \White"wood`\, n.
The soft and easily-worked wood of the tulip tree
({Liriodendron}). It is much used in cabinetwork, carriage
building, etc.
Note: Several other kinds of light-colored wood are called
whitewood in various countries, as the wood of
{Bignonia leucoxylon} in the West Indies, of
{Pittosporum bicolor} in Tasmania, etc.
{Whitewood bark}. See the Note under {Canella}.
Whitewort \White"wort`\, n. (Bot.)
(a) Wild camomile.
(b) A kind of Solomon's seal ({Polygonum officinale}).
Whitflaw \Whit"flaw`\, n. [See {Whitlow}.]
Whitlow. [Obs.] ``The nails fallen off by whitflaws.''
--Herrick.
Whither \Whith"er\, adv. [OE. whider. AS. hwider; akin to E.
where, who; cf. Goth. hvadr[=e] whither. See {Who}, and cf.
{Hither}, {Thither}.]
1. To what place; -- used interrogatively; as, whither goest
thou? ``Whider may I flee?'' --Chaucer.
Sir Valentine, whither away so fast? --Shak.
2. To what or which place; -- used relatively.
That no man should know . . . whither that he went.
--Chaucer.
We came unto the land whither thou sentest us.
--Num. xiii.
27.
3. To what point, degree, end, conclusion, or design;
whereunto; whereto; -- used in a sense not physical.
Nor have I . . . whither to appeal. --Milton.
{Any whither}, to any place; anywhere. [Obs.] ``Any whither,
in hope of life eternal.'' --Jer. Taylor.
{No whither}, to no place; nowhere. [Obs.] --2 Kings v. 25.
Syn: Where.
Usage: {Whither}, {Where}. Whither properly implies motion to
place, and where rest in a place. Whither is now,
however, to a great extent, obsolete, except in
poetry, or in compositions of a grave and serious
character and in language where precision is required.
Where has taken its place, as in the question, ``Where
are you going?''
Whithersoever \Whith`er*so*ev"er\, adv. [Whither + soever.]
To whatever place; to what place soever; wheresoever; as, I
will go whithersoever you lead.
Whitherward \Whith"er*ward\, adv.
In what direction; toward what or which place. --R. of
Brunne.
Whitherward to turn for a good course of life was by no
means too apparent. --Carlyle.
Whitile \Whit"ile\, n. [Perhaps properly, the cutter (see
{Whittle}, v.), or cf. whitewall, witwal.] (Zo["o]l.)
The yaffle. [Prov. Eng.]
Whiting \Whit"ing\, n. [From {White}.]
1. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A common European food fish ({Melangus vulgaris}) of
the Codfish family; -- called also {fittin}.
(b) A North American fish ({Merlucius vulgaris}) allied to
the preceding; -- called also {silver hake}.
(c) Any one of several species of North American marine
sci[ae]noid food fishes belonging to genus
{Menticirrhus}, especially {M. Americanus}, found from
Maryland to Brazil, and {M. littoralis}, common from
Virginia to Texas; -- called also {silver whiting},
and {surf whiting}.
Note: Various other fishes are locally called whiting, as the
kingfish
(a), the sailor's choice
(b), the Pacific tomcod, and certain species of lake
whitefishes.
2. Chalk prepared in an impalpable powder by pulverizing and
repeated washing, used as a pigment, as an ingredient in
putty, for cleaning silver, etc.
{Whiting pollack}. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Pollack}.
{Whiting pout} (Zo["o]l.), the bib, 2.
Whiting-mop \Whit"ing-mop`\, n. [Obs.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) A young whiting. [Prov. Eng.]
2. A fair lass. ``This pretty whiting-mop.'' --Massinger.
Whitish \Whit"ish\, a. [From {White}.]
1. Somewhat white; approaching white; white in a moderate
degree.
2. (Bot.) Covered with an opaque white powder.
Whitishness \Whit"ish*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being whitish or somewhat white.
Whitleather \Whit"leath`er\, n. [White + leather.]
1. Leather dressed or tawed with alum, salt, etc., remarkable
for its pliability and toughness; white leather.
2. (Anat.) The paxwax. See {Paxwax}.
Whitling \Whit"ling\, n. [White + -ling.] (Zo["o]l.)
A young full trout during its second season. [Prov. Eng.]
Whitlow \Whit"low\, n. [Prov. E. whickflaw, for quickflaw, i.
e., a flaw or sore at the quick; cf. Icel. kvika the quick
under the nail or under a horse's hoof. See {Quick}, a., and
{Flaw}.]
1. (Med.) An inflammation of the fingers or toes, generally
of the last phalanx, terminating usually in suppuration.
The inflammation may occupy any seat between the skin and
the bone, but is usually applied to a felon or
inflammation of the periosteal structures of the bone.
2. (Far.) An inflammatory disease of the feet. It occurs
round the hoof, where an acrid matter is collected.
{Whitlow grass} (Bot.), name given to several inconspicuous
herbs, which were thought to be a cure for the whitlow, as
{Saxifraga tridactylites}, {Draba verna}, and several
species of {Paronychia}.
Whitlow-wort \Whit"low-wort`\, n. (Bot.)
Same as {Whitlow grass}, under {Whitlow}.
Whitmonday \Whit"mon`day\, n. (Eccl.)
The day following Whitsunday; -- called also {Whitsun
Monday}.
Whitneyite \Whit"ney*ite\, n. [So called after J.D. Whitney, an
American geologist.] (Min.)
an arsenide of copper from Lake Superior.
Whitson \Whit"son\, a.
See {Whitsun}. [Obs.]
Whitsour \Whit"sour`\, n. [White + sour.] (Bot.)
A sort of apple.
Whitster \Whit"ster\, n. [Contracted fr. whitester.]
A whitener; a bleacher; a whitester. [Obs.]
The whitsters in Datchet mead. --Shak.
Whitsun \Whit"sun\, a.
Of, pertaining to, or observed at, Whitsuntide; as, Whitsun
week; Whitsun Tuesday; Whitsun pastorals.
Whitsunday \Whit"sun*day\, n. [White + Sunday.]
1. (Eccl.) The seventh Sunday, and the fiftieth day, after
Easter; a festival of the church in commemoration of the
descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost;
Pentecost; -- so called, it is said, because, in the
primitive church, those who had been newly baptized
appeared at church between Easter and Pentecost in white
garments.
2. (Scots Law) See the Note under {Term}, n., 12.
Whitsuntide \Whit"sun*tide`\, n. [Whitsunday + tide.]
The week commencing with Whitsunday, esp. the first three
days -- Whitsunday, Whitsun Monday, and Whitsun Tuesday; the
time of Pentecost. --R. of Gloucester.
Whitten tree \Whit"ten tree`\ [Probably from white; cf. AS.
hwitingtre['o]w.] (Bot.)
Either of two shrubs ({Viburnum Lantana}, and {V. Opulus}),
so called on account of their whitish branches.
Whitterick \Whit"ter*ick\, n.
The curlew. [Prov. Eng.]
Whittle \Whit"tle\, n. [AS. hw[=i]tel, from hwit white; akin to
Icel. hv[=i]till a white bed cover. See {White}.]
(a) A grayish, coarse double blanket worn by countrywomen, in
the west of England, over the shoulders, like a cloak or
shawl. --C. Kingsley.
(b) Same as {Whittle shawl}, below.
{Whittle shawl}, a kind of fine woolen shawl, originally and
especially a white one.
Whittle \Whit"tle\, n. [OE. thwitel, fr. AS. pw[=i]tan to cut.
Cf. {Thwittle}, {Thwaite} a piece of ground.]
A knife; esp., a pocket, sheath, or clasp knife. ``A
butcher's whittle.'' --Dryden. ``Rude whittles.'' --
Macaulay.
He wore a Sheffield whittle in his hose. --Betterton.
Whittle \Whit"tle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whittled}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Whittling}.]
1. To pare or cut off the surface of with a small knife; to
cut or shape, as a piece of wood held in the hand, with a
clasp knife or pocketknife.
2. To edge; to sharpen; to render eager or excited; esp., to
excite with liquor; to inebriate. [Obs.]
``In vino veritas.'' When men are well whittled,
their tongues run at random. --Withals.
Whittle \Whit"tle\, v. i.
To cut or shape a piece of wood with am small knife; to cut
up a piece of wood with a knife.
Dexterity with a pocketknife is a part of a Nantucket
education; but I am inclined to think the propensity is
national. Americans must and will whittle. --Willis.
Whittlings \Whit"tlings\, n. pl.
Chips made by one who whittles; shavings cut from a stick
with a knife.
Whittret \Whit"tret\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A weasel. [Scot.]
Whittuesday \Whit"tues`day\, n. (Eccl.)
The day following Whitmonday; -- called also {Whitsun
Tuesday}.
Whitwall \Whit"wall`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Same as {Whetile}.
Whitworth ball \Whit"worth ball`\ (Gun.)
A prejectile used in the Whitworth gun.
Whitworth gun \Whit"worth gun`\ (Gun.)
A form of rifled cannon and small arms invented by Sir Joseph
Whitworth, of Manchester, England.
Note: In Mr. Whitworth's system, the bore of the gun has a
polygonal section, and the twist is rapid. The ball,
which is pointed in front, is made to fit the bore
accurately, and is very much elongated, its length
being about three and one half times as great as its
diameter. --H. L. Scott.
Whity-brown \Whit"y-brown`\, a.
Of a color between white and brown. --Pegge.
Whiz \Whiz\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whizzed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whizzing}.] [Of imitative origin. ???. Cf. {Whistle}, and
{Hiss}.]
To make a humming or hissing sound, like an arrow or ball
flying through the air; to fly or move swiftly with a sharp
hissing or whistling sound. [Written also {whizz}.]
It flew, and whizzing, cut the liquid way. --Dryden.
Whiz \Whiz\, n.
A hissing and humming sound.
Like the whiz of my crossbow. --Coleridge.
Whizzingly \Whiz"zing*ly\, adv.
With a whizzing sound.
Who \Who\, pron. [Possess. {whose}; object. {Whom}.] [OE. who,
wha, AS. hw[=a], interrogative pron., neut. hw[ae]t; akin to
OFries. hwa, neut. hwet, OS. hw[=e], neut. hwat, D. wie,
neut. wat, G. wer, neut. was, OHG. wer, hwer, neut. waz,
hwaz, Icel. hvat, neut., Dan. hvo, neut. hvad, Sw. ho, hvem,
neut. hvad, Goth. hwas, fem. hw[=o], neut. hwa, Lith. kas,
Ir. & Gael. co, W. pwy, L. quod, neuter of qui, Gr. po`teros
whether, Skr. kas. [root]182. Cf. {How}, {Quantity},
{Quorum}, {Quote}, {Ubiquity}, {What}, {When}, {Where},
{Whether}, {Which}, {Whither}, {Whom}, {Why}.]
1. Originally, an interrogative pronoun, later, a relative
pronoun also; -- used always substantively, and either as
singular or plural. See the Note under {What}, pron., 1.
As interrogative pronouns, who and whom ask the question:
What or which person or persons? Who and whom, as relative
pronouns (in the sense of that), are properly used of
persons (corresponding to which, as applied to things),
but are sometimes, less properly and now rarely, used of
animals, plants, etc. Who and whom, as compound relatives,
are also used especially of persons, meaning the person
that; the persons that; the one that; whosoever. ``Let who
will be President.'' --Macaulay.
[He] should not tell whose children they were.
--Chaucer.
There thou tell'st of kings, and who aspire; Who
fall, who rise, who triumph, who do moan. --Daniel.
Adders who with cloven tongues Do hiss into madness.
--Shak.
Whom I could pity thus forlorn. --Milton.
How hard is our fate, who serve in the state.
--Addison.
Who cheapens life, abates the fear of death.
--Young.
The brace of large greyhounds, who were the
companions of his sports. --Sir W.
Scott.
2. One; any; one. [Obs., except in the archaic phrase, as who
should say.]
As who should say, it were a very dangerous matter
if a man in any point should be found wiser than his
forefathers were. --Robynson
(More's
Utopia).
Whoa \Whoa\, interj.
Stop; stand; hold. See {Ho}, 2.
Whobub \Who"bub\, n.
Hubbub. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl.
Whoever \Who*ev"er\, pron.
Whatever person; any person who; be or she who; any one who;
as, he shall be punished, whoever he may be. ``Whoever envies
or repines.'' --Milton. ``Whoever the king favors.'' --Shak.
Whole \Whole\, a. [OE. hole, hol, hal, hool, AS. h[=a]l well,
sound, healthy; akin to OFries. & OS. h?l, D. heel, G. heil,
Icel. heill, Sw. hel whole, Dan. heel, Goth. hails well,
sound, OIr. c?l augury. Cf. {Hale}, {Hail} to greet, {Heal}
to cure, {Health}, {Holy}.]
1. Containing the total amount, number, etc.; comprising all
the parts; free from deficiency; all; total; entire; as,
the whole earth; the whole solar system; the whole army;
the whole nation. ``On their whole host I flew unarmed.''
--Milton.
The whole race of mankind. --Shak.
2. Complete; entire; not defective or imperfect; not broken
or fractured; unimpaired; uninjured; integral; as, a whole
orange; the egg is whole; the vessel is whole.
My life is yet whole in me. --2 Sam. i. 9.
3. Possessing, or being in a state of, heath and soundness;
healthy; sound; well.
[She] findeth there her friends hole and sound.
--Chaucer.
They that be whole need not a physician. --Matt. ix.
12.
When Sir Lancelot's deadly hurt was whole.
--Tennyson.
{Whole blood}. (Law of Descent) See under {Blood}, n., 2.
{Whole note} (Mus.), the note which represents a note of
longest duration in common use; a semibreve.
{Whole number} (Math.), a number which is not a fraction or
mixed number; an integer.
{Whole snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the common snipe, as distinguished
from the smaller jacksnipe. [Prov. Eng.]
Syn: All; total; complete; entire; integral; undivided;
uninjured; unimpaired; unbroken; healthy.
Usage: {Whole}, {Total}, {Entire}, {Complete}. When we use
the word whole, we refer to a thing as made up of
parts, none of which are wanting; as, a whole week; a
whole year; the whole creation. When we use the word
total, we have reference to all as taken together, and
forming a single totality; as, the total amount; the
total income. When we speak of a thing as entire, we
have no reference to parts at all, but regard the
thing as an integer, i. e., continuous or unbroken;
as, an entire year; entire prosperity. When we speak
of a thing as complete, there is reference to some
progress which results in a filling out to some end or
object, or a perfected state with no deficiency; as,
complete success; a complete victory.
All the whole army stood agazed on him. --Shak.
One entire and perfect chrysolite. --Shak.
Lest total darkness should by night regain Her
old possession, and extinguish life. --Milton.
So absolute she seems, And in herself complete.
--Milton.
Whole \Whole\, n.
1. The entire thing; the entire assemblage of parts;
totality; all of a thing, without defect or exception; a
thing complete in itself.
``This not the whole of life to live, Nor all of
death to die. --J.
Montgomery.
2. A regular combination of parts; a system.
Parts answering parts shall slide into a whole.
--Pope.
{Committee of the whole}. See under {Committee}.
{Upon the whole}, considering all things; taking everything
into account; in view of all the circumstances or
conditions.
Syn: Totality; total; amount; aggregate; gross.
Whole-hoofed \Whole"-hoofed`\, a.
Having an undivided hoof, as the horse.
Whole-length \Whole"-length`\, a.
Representing the whole figure; -- said of a picture or
statue. -- n. A portrait or statue representing the whole
figure.
Wholeness \Whole"ness\, n.
The quality or state of being whole, entire, or sound;
entireness; totality; completeness.
Wholesale \Whole"sale`\, n.
Sale of goods by the piece or large quantity, as
distinguished from retail.
{By wholesale}, in the mass; in large quantities; without
distinction or discrimination.
Some, from vanity or envy, despise a valuable book,
and throw contempt upon it by wholesale. --I. Watts.
Wholesale \Whole"sale`\, a.
1. Pertaining to, or engaged in, trade by the piece or large
quantity; selling to retailers or jobbers rather than to
consumers; as, a wholesale merchant; the wholesale price.
2. Extensive and indiscriminate; as, wholesale slaughter. ``A
time for wholesale trust.'' --Mrs. Humphry Ward.
Wholesome \Whole"some\, a. [Compar. {Wholesomer}; superl.
{Wholesomest}.] [Whole + some; cf. Icel. heilsamr, G.
heilsam, D. heilzaam.]
1. Tending to promote health; favoring health; salubrious;
salutary.
Wholesome thirst and appetite. --Milton.
From which the industrious poor derive an agreeable
and wholesome variety of food. --A Smith.
2. Contributing to the health of the mind; favorable to
morals, religion, or prosperity; conducive to good;
salutary; sound; as, wholesome advice; wholesome
doctrines; wholesome truths; wholesome laws.
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life. --Prov. xv. 4.
I can not . . . make you a wholesome answer; my
wit's diseased. --Shak.
A wholesome suspicion began to be entertained. --Sir
W. Scott.
3. Sound; healthy. [Obs.] --Shak. -- {Whole"some*ly}, adv. --
{Whole"some*ness}, n.
Whole-souled \Whole"-souled`\, a.
Thoroughly imbued with a right spirit; noble-minded; devoted.
Wholly \Whol"ly\, adv.
1. In a whole or complete manner; entirely; completely;
perfectly.
Nor wholly overcome, nor wholly yield. --Dryden.
2. To the exclusion of other things; totally; fully.
They employed themselves wholly in domestic life.
--Addison.
Whom \Whom\, pron. [OE. wham, AS. dative hw[=a]m, hw?m. See
{Who}.]
The objective case of who. See {Who}.
Note: In Old English, whom was also commonly used as a
dative. Cf. {Him}.
And every grass that groweth upon root She shall
eke know, and whom it will do boot. --Chaucer.
Whomsoever \Whom`so*ev"er\, pron.
The objective of whosoever. See {Whosoever}.
The Most High ruleth in the kingdow of men, and giveth
it to whomsoever he will. --Dan. iv. 17.
Whoobub \Whoo"bub\, n.
Hubbub. [Obs.] --Shak.
Whoop \Whoop\, n. [See Hoopoe.] (Zo["o]l.)
The hoopoe.
Whoop \Whoop\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whooped}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whooping}.] [OE. houpen. See {Hoop}, v. i.]
1. To utter a whoop, or loud cry, as eagerness, enthusiasm,
or enjoyment; to cry out; to shout; to halloo; to utter a
war whoop; to hoot, as an owl.
Each whooping with a merry shout. --Wordsworth.
When naught was heard but now and then the howl Of
some vile cur, or whooping of the owl. --W. Browne.
2. To cough or breathe with a sonorous inspiration, as in
whooping cough.
Whoop \Whoop\, v. t.
To insult with shouts; to chase with derision.
And suffered me by the voice of slaves to be Whooped
out of Rome. --Shak.
Whoop \Whoop\, n.
1. A shout of pursuit or of war; a very of eagerness,
enthusiasm, enjoyment, vengeance, terror, or the like; an
halloo; a hoot, or cry, as of an owl.
A fox, crossing the road, drew off a considerable
detachment, who clapped spurs to their horses, and
pursued him with whoops and halloos. --Addison.
The whoop of the crane. --Longfellow.
2. A loud, shrill, prolonged sound or sonorous inspiration,
as in whooping cough.
Whooper \Whoop"er\, n.
One who, or that which, whooops.
{Woopher swan}. (Zo["o]l.) See the Note under {Swan}.
Whooping \Whoop"ing\,
a. & n. from {Whoop}, v. t.
{Whooping cough} (Med.), a violent, convulsive cough,
returning at longer or shorter intervals, and consisting
of several expirations, followed by a sonorous
inspiration, or whoop; chin cough; hooping cough.
--Dunglison.
{Whooping crane} (Zo["o]l.), a North American crane ({Crus
Americana}) noted for the loud, whooplike note which it
utters.
{Whooping swan} (Zo["o]l.), the whooper swan. See the Note
under {Swan}.
Whoot \Whoot\, v. i. [See {Hoot}.]
To hoot. [Obs.]
Whop \Whop\, v. t.
Same as {Whap}. --Forby.
Whop \Whop\, n.
Same as {Whap}.
Whopper \Whop"per\, n. [Cf. {Whapper}.]
1. One who, or that which, whops.
2. Same as {Whapper}.
Whore \Whore\, n. [OE. hore, AS. h?re; akin to D. hoer, hoere,
G. hure, OHG. huora, huorra, Icel. h?ra, Dan. hore, Sw. hora,
Goth. h?rs an adulterer, AS. h?r adultery, OHG. huor, and
probably to L. carus dear. Cf. {Charity}.]
A woman who practices unlawful sexual commerce with men,
especially one who prostitutes her body for hire; a
prostitute; a harlot. --Wyclif.
Syn: Harlot; courtesan; prostitute; strumpet.
Whore \Whore\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whored}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whoring}.] [Cf. Icel. h?ra. See {Whore}, n.]
1. To have unlawful sexual intercourse; to practice lewdness.
2. (Script.) To worship false and impure gods.
Whore \Whore\, v. t.
To corrupt by lewd intercourse; to make a whore of; to
debauch. [R.] --Congreve.
Whoredom \Whore"dom\, n. [OE. hordom; cf. Icel. h?rd?mr.]
1. The practice of unlawful intercourse with the other sex;
fornication; lewdness.
2. (Script.) The sin of worshiping idols; idolatry.
O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is
defiled; they will not . . . turn unto their God.
--Hos. v. 3,
4.
Wheremaster \Where"mas`ter\, n.
1. A man who practices lewdness; a lecher; a whoremonger.
2. One keeps or procures whores for others; a pimp; a
procurer.
Whoremasterly \Whore"mas`ter*ly\, a.
Having the character of a whoremaster; lecherous; libidinous.
Whoremonger \Whore"mon`ger\, n.
A whoremaster; a lecher; a man who frequents the society of
whores.
Whoreson \Whore"son\, n.
A bastard; colloquially, a low, scurvy fellow; -- used
generally in contempt, or in coarse humor. Also used
adjectively. [Archaic] --Shak.
Whorish \Whor"ish\, a.
Resembling a whore in character or conduct; addicted to
unlawful pleasures; incontinent; lewd; unchaste. --
{Whor"ish*ly}, adv. -- {Whor"ish*ness}, n.
Whorl \Whorl\, n. [OE. whorvil the whirl of a spindle; akin to
AS. hweorfa the whirl of a spindle, hweorfan to turn; cf. OD.
worvel the whirl of a spindle. See {Whirl}, n. & v.]
1. (Bot.) A circle of two or more leaves, flowers, or other
organs, about the same part or joint of a stem.
2. (Zo["o]l.) A volution, or turn, of the spire of a univalve
shell.
3. (Spinning) The fly of a spindle.
Whorled \Whorled\, a.
Furnished with whorls; arranged in the form of a whorl or
whorls; verticillate; as, whorled leaves.
Whorler \Whorl"er\, n.
A potter's wheel.
Whort \Whort\, n. [See {Whortleberry}.] (Bot.)
The whortleberry, or bilberry. See {Whortleberry}
(a) .
Whortle \Whor"tle\, n. (Bot.)
The whortleberry, or bilberry.
[He] looked ahead of him from behind a tump of
whortles. --R. D.
Blackmore.
Whortleberry \Whor"tle*ber`ry\, n. [AS. wyrtil a small shrub
(dim. of wyrt wort) + E. berry. See {Wort}, and cf.
{Huckleberry}, {Hurtleberry}.] (Bot.)
(a) In England, the fruit of {Vaccinium Myrtillus}; also, the
plant itself. See {Bilberry}, 1.
(b) The fruit of several shrubby plants of the genus
{Gaylussacia}; also, any one of these plants. See
{Huckleberry}.
Whose \Whose\ (h[=oo]z), pron. [OE. whos, whas, AS. hw[ae]s,
gen. of hw[=a]. See {Who}.]
The possessive case of who or which. See {Who}, and {Which}.
Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee. --Gen.
xxiv. 23.
The question whose solution I require. --Dryden.
Whosesoever \Whose`so*ev"er\ (-s[-o]*[e^]v"[~e]r), pron.
The possessive of whosoever. See {Whosoever}.
Whoso \Who"so\, pron.
Whosoever. -- Piers Plowman.
Whoso shrinks or falters now, . . . Brand the craven on
his brow! --Whittier.
Whosoever \Who`so*ev"er\ (h[=oo]`s[-o]*[e^]v"[~e]r), pron.
Whatsoever person; any person whatever that; whoever.
Whosoever will, let him take . . . freely. --Rev. xxii.
17.
Whot \Whot\, a.
Hot. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Whur \Whur\, v. i. [Probably of imitative origin. Cf. {Hurr},
{Hurry}, {Whir}.]
1. To make a rough, humming sound, like one who pronounces
the letter r with too much force; to whir; to birr.
2. To snarl or growl, as a dog. --Halliwell.
Whur \Whur\, n.
A humming or whirring sound, like that of a body moving
through the air with velocity; a whir.
Whurry \Whur"ry\, v. t. [See {Hurry}.]
To whisk along quickly; to hurry. [R.]
Whurrying the chariot with them to the shore. --Vicars.
Whurt \Whurt\, n. (Bot.)
See {Whort}.
Why \Why\, adv. [OE. whi, why, AS. hw[=i], hw?, instrumental
case of hw[=a], hw[ae]t; akin to Icel. hv[=i] why, Dan. & Sw.
hvi; cf. Goth. hw?. ?. See {Who}.]
1. For what cause, reason, or purpose; on what account;
wherefore; -- used interrogatively. See the Note under
{What}, pron., 1.
Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will
ye die, O house of Israel? --Ezek.
xxxiii. 11.
2. For which; on account of which; -- used relatively.
No ground of enmity between us known Why he should
mean me ill or seek to harm. --Milton.
Turn the discourse; I have a reason why I would not
have you speak so tenderly. --Dryden.
3. The reason or cause for which; that on account of which;
on what account; as, I know not why he left town so
suddenly; -- used as a compound relative.
Note: Why is sometimes used as an interjection or an
expletive in expression of surprise or content at a
turn of affairs; used also in calling. ``Why,
Jessica!'' --Shak.
If her chill heart I can not move, Why, I'll
enjoy the very love. --Cowley.
Sometimes, also, it is used as a noun.
The how and the why and the where. --Goldsmith.
{For why}, because; why. See {Forwhy}. [Obs. or Colloq.]
Why \Why\, n.
A young heifer. [Prov. Eng.] --Grose.
Whydah bird \Whyd"ah bird`\, or Whydah finch \Whyd"ah finch`\
(Zo["o]l.)
The whidah bird.
Why-not \Why"-not`\, n.
A violent and peremptory procedure without any assigned
reason; a sudden conclusive happening. [Obs.]
When the church Was taken with a why-not in the lurch.
--Hudibras.
This game . . . was like to have been lost with a
why-not. --Nug[ae]
Antiq.
Wich \Wich\, n.
A variant of 1st {Wick}.
Wichitas \Wich"i*tas\, n. pl.; sing. {Wichita}. (Ethnol.)
A tribe of Indians native of the region between the Arkansas
and Red rivers. They are related to the Pawnees. See
{Pawnees}.
Wick \Wick\, or Wich \Wich\, n. [AS. w[=i]c village, fr. L.
vicus. In some names of places, perhaps fr. Icel. v[=i]k an
inlet, creek, bay. See {Vicinity}, and cf. {Villa}.]
1. A street; a village; a castle; a dwelling; a place of
work, or exercise of authority; -- now obsolete except in
composition; as, bailiwick, Warwick, Greenwick. --Stow.
2. (Curling) A narrow port or passage in the rink or course,
flanked by the stones of previous players.
Wick \Wick\, n. [OE. wicke, weyke, weke, AS. weoca or wecca; cf.
D. wiek a roll of lint, Prov. G. wicke, and wieche, OHG.
wiohha, Sw. veke, Dan. v[ae]ge; of uncertain origin.]
A bundle of fibers, or a loosely twisted or braided cord,
tape, or tube, usually made of soft spun cotton threads,
which by capillary attraction draws up a steady supply of the
oil in lamps, the melted tallow or wax in candles, or other
material used for illumination, in small successive portions,
to be burned.
But true it is, that when the oil is spent The light
goes out, and wick is thrown away. --Spenser.
Wick \Wick\, v. i. (Curling)
To strike a stone in an oblique direction. --Jamieson.
Wicke \Wick"e\, a.
Wicked. [Obs.] --Piers Plowman. ``With full wikke intent.''
--Chaucer.
Wicked \Wicked\, a.
Having a wick; -- used chiefly in composition; as, a
two-wicked lamp.
Wicked \Wick"ed\, a. [OE. wicked, fr. wicke wicked; probably
originally the same word as wicche wizard, witch. See
{Witch}.]
1. Evil in principle or practice; deviating from morality;
contrary to the moral or divine law; addicted to vice or
sin; sinful; immoral; profligate; -- said of persons and
things; as, a wicked king; a wicked woman; a wicked deed;
wicked designs.
Hence, then, and evil go with thee along, Thy
offspring, to the place of evil, hell, Thou and thy
wicked crew! --Milton.
Never, never, wicked man was wise. --Pope.
2. Cursed; baneful; hurtful; bad; pernicious; dangerous.
[Obs.] ``Wicked dew.'' --Shak.
This were a wicked way, but whoso had a guide. --P.
Plowman.
3. Ludicrously or sportively mischievous; disposed to
mischief; roguish. [Colloq.]
Pen looked uncommonly wicked. --Thackeray.
Syn: Iniquitous; sinful; criminal; guilty; immoral; unjust;
unrighteous; unholy; irreligious; ungodly; profane;
vicious; pernicious; atrocious; nefarious; heinous;
flagrant; flagitious; abandoned. See {Iniquitous}.
Wickedly \Wick"ed*ly\, adv.
In a wicked manner; in a manner, or with motives and designs,
contrary to the divine law or the law of morality; viciously;
corruptly; immorally.
I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. --2 Sam. xxiv.
17.
Wickedness \Wick"ed*ness\, n.
1. The quality or state of being wicked; departure from the
rules of the divine or the moral law; evil disposition or
practices; immorality; depravity; sinfulness.
God saw that the wickedness of man was great. --Gen.
vi. 5.
Their inward part is very wickedness. --Ps. v. 9.
2. A wicked thing or act; crime; sin; iniquity.
I'll never care what wickedness I do, If this man
comes to good. --Shak.
Wicken tree \Wick"en tree`\
Same as {Quicken tree}.
Wicker \Wick"er\, n. [OE. wiker, wikir, osier, probably akin to
AS. w[=i]can to give way. Cf. {Weak}.]
1. A small pliant twig or osier; a rod for making basketwork
and the like; a withe.
2. Wickerwork; a piece of wickerwork, esp. a basket.
Then quick did dress His half milk up for cheese,
and in a press Of wicker pressed it. --Chapman.
3. Same as 1st {Wike}. [Prov. Eng.]
Wicker \Wick"er\, a.
Made of, or covered with, twigs or osiers, or wickerwork.
Each one a little wicker basket had, Made of fine
twigs, entrail['e]d curiously. --Spenser.
Wickered \Wick"ered\, a.
Made of, secured by, or covered with, wickers or wickerwork.
Ships of light timber, wickered with osier between, and
covered over with leather. --Milton.
Wickerwork \Wick"er*work`\, n.
A texture of osiers, twigs, or rods; articles made of such a
texture.
Wicket \Wick"et\, n. [OE. wiket, OF. wiket, guichet, F. quichet;
probably of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. v?k a small creek,
inlet, bay, vik a corner.]
1. A small gate or door, especially one forming part of, or
placed near, a larger door or gate; a narrow opening or
entrance cut in or beside a door or gate, or the door
which is used to close such entrance or aperture. Piers
Plowman. ``Heaven's wicket.'' --Milton.
And so went to the high street, . . . and came to
the great tower, but the gate and wicket was fast
closed. --Ld. Berners.
The wicket, often opened, knew the key. --Dryden.
2. A small gate by which the chamber of canal locks is
emptied, or by which the amount of water passing to a
water wheel is regulated.
3. (Cricket)
(a) A small framework at which the ball is bowled. It
consists of three rods, or stumps, set vertically in
the ground, with one or two short rods, called bails,
lying horizontally across the top.
(b) The ground on which the wickets are set.
4. A place of shelter made of the boughs of trees, -- used by
lumbermen, etc. [Local, U. S.] --Bartlett.
5. (Mining) The space between the pillars, in postand-stall
working. --Raymond.
{Wicket door}, {Wicket gate}, a small door or gate; a wicket.
See def. 1, above. --Bunyan.
{Wicket keeper} (Cricket), the player who stands behind the
wicket to catch the balls and endeavor to put the batsman
out.
Wicking \Wick"ing\, n.
the material of which wicks are made; esp., a loosely braided
or twisted cord or tape of cotton.
Wiclifite \Wic"lif*ite\, Wickliffite \Wick"liff*ite\, n.
See {Wyclifite}.
Wicopy \Wic"o*py\, n. (Bot.)
See {Leatherwood}.
Widdy \Wid"dy\, n. [Cf. {Withy}.]
A rope or halter made of flexible twigs, or withes, as of
birch. [Scot.]
Wide \Wide\ (w[imac]d), a. [Compar. {Wider} (-[~e]r); superl.
{Widest}.] [OE. wid, wyde, AS. w[=i]d; akin to OFries. & OS.
w[=i]d, D. wijd, G. weit, OHG. w[=i]t, Icel. v[=i][eth]r, Sw.
& Dan. vid; of uncertain origin.]
1. Having considerable distance or extent between the sides;
spacious across; much extended in a direction at right
angles to that of length; not narrow; broad; as, wide
cloth; a wide table; a wide highway; a wide bed; a wide
hall or entry.
The chambers and the stables weren wyde. --Chaucer.
Wide is the gate . . . that leadeth to destruction.
--Matt. vii.
18.
2. Having a great extent every way; extended; spacious;
broad; vast; extensive; as, a wide plain; the wide ocean;
a wide difference. ``This wyde world.'' --Chaucer.
For sceptered cynics earth were far too wide a den.
--Byron.
When the wide bloom, on earth that lies, Seems of a
brighter world than ours. --Bryant.
3. Of large scope; comprehensive; liberal; broad; as, wide
views; a wide understanding.
Men of strongest head and widest culture. --M.
Arnold.
4. Of a certain measure between the sides; measuring in a
direction at right angles to that of length; as, a table
three feet wide.
5. Remote; distant; far.
The contrary being so wide from the truth of
Scripture and the attributes of God. --Hammond.
6. Far from truth, from propriety, from necessity, or the
like. ``Our wide expositors.'' --Milton.
It is far wide that the people have such judgments.
--Latimer.
How wide is all this long pretense ! --Herbert.
7. On one side or the other of the mark; too far side-wise
from the mark, the wicket, the batsman, etc.
Surely he shoots wide on the bow hand. --Spenser.
I was but two bows wide. --Massinger.
8. (Phon.) Made, as a vowel, with a less tense, and more open
and relaxed, condition of the mouth organs; -- opposed to
primary as used by Mr. Bell, and to narrow as used by Mr.
Sweet. The effect, as explained by Mr. Bell, is due to the
relaxation or tension of the pharynx; as explained by Mr.
Sweet and others, it is due to the action of the tongue.
The wide of [=e] ([=e]ve) is [i^] ([i^]ll); of [=a]
([=a]te) is [e^] ([e^]nd), etc. See Guide to
Pronunciation, [sect] 13-15.
Note: Wide is often prefixed to words, esp. to participles
and participial adjectives, to form self-explaining
compounds; as, wide-beaming, wide-branched,
wide-chopped, wide-echoing, wide-extended,
wide-mouthed, wide-spread, wide-spreading, and the
like.
{Far and wide}. See under {Far}.
{Wide gauge}. See the Note under {Cauge}, 6.
Wide \Wide\, adv. [As. w[imac]de.]
1. To a distance; far; widely; to a great distance or extent;
as, his fame was spread wide.
[I] went wyde in this world, wonders to hear.
--Piers
Plowman.
2. So as to leave or have a great space between the sides; so
as to form a large opening. --Shak.
3. So as to be or strike far from, or on one side of, an
object or purpose; aside; astray.
Wide \Wide\, n.
1. That which is wide; wide space; width; extent. ``The waste
wide of that abyss.'' --Tennyson.
2. That which goes wide, or to one side of the mark.
Wide-awake \Wide`-a*wake"\ (w[imac]d`[.a]*w[=a]k"), a.
Fully awake; not drowsy or dull; hence, knowing; keen; alert.
--Dickens.
Wide-awake \Wide`-a*wake"\, n.
A broad-brimmed, low-crowned felt hat.
Widegap \Wide"gap`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The angler; -- called also {widegab}, and {widegut}.
Widely \Wide"ly\, adv.
1. In a wide manner; to a wide degree or extent; far;
extensively; as, the gospel was widely disseminated by the
apostles.
2. Very much; to a great degree or extent; as, to differ
widely in opinion.
Widen \Wid"en\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Widened}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Widening}.]
To make wide or wider; to extend in breadth; to increase the
width of; as, to widen a field; to widen a breach; to widen a
stocking.
Widen \Wid"en\, v. i.
To grow wide or wider; to enlarge; to spread; to extend.
Arches widen, and long aisles extend. --Pope.
Wideness \Wide"ness\, n.
1. The quality or state of being wide; breadth; width; great
extent from side to side; as, the wideness of a room. ``I
landed in a small creek about the wideness of my canoe.''
--Swift.
2. Large extent in all directions; broadness; greatness; as,
the wideness of the sea or ocean.
Widespread \Wide"spread`\, a.
Spread to a great distance; widely extended; extending far
and wide; as, widespread wings; a widespread movement.
Widewhere \Wide"where`\, adv. [See {Wide}, and {Where}.]
Widely; far and wide. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Widgeon \Widg"eon\, n. [Probably from an old French form of F.
vigeon, vingeon, gingeon; of uncertain origin; cf. L. vipio,
-onis, a kind of small crane.] (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of several species of fresh-water ducks, especially
those belonging to the subgenus {Mareca}, of the genus
{Anas}. The common European widgeon ({Anas penelope}) and the
American widgeon ({A. Americana}) are the most important
species. The latter is called also {baldhead}, {baldpate},
{baldface}, {baldcrown}, {smoking duck}, {wheat}, {duck}, and
{whitebelly}.
{Bald-faced}, or {Green-headed}, widgeon, the American
widgeon.
{Black widgeon}, the European tufted duck.
{Gray widgeon}.
(a) The gadwall.
(b) The pintail duck.
{Great headed widgeon}, the poachard.
{Pied widgeon}.
(a) The poachard.
(b) The goosander.
{Saw-billed widgeon}, the merganser.
{Sea widgeon}. See in the Vocabulary.
{Spear widgeon}, the goosander. [Prov. Eng.]
{Spoonbilled widgeon}, the shoveler.
{White widgeon}, the smew.
{Wood widgeon}, the wood duck.
Widish \Wid"ish\, a.
Moderately wide. --Tyndall.
Widmanstatten figures \Wid"man*st["a]t`ten fig"ures\ (Min.)
Certain figures appearing on etched meteoric iron; -- so
called after A. B. Widmanst["a]tten, of Vienna, who first
described them in 1808. See the Note and Illust. under
{Meteorite}.
Widow \Wid"ow\, n. [OE. widewe, widwe, AS. weoduwe, widuwe,
wuduwe; akin to OFries. widwe, OS. widowa, D. weduwe, G.
wittwe, witwe, OHG. wituwa, witawa, Goth. widuw?, Russ.
udova, OIr. fedb, W. gweddw, L. vidua, Skr. vidhav[=a]; and
probably to Skr. vidh to be empty, to lack; cf. Gr. ? a
bachelor. ????. Cf. {Vidual}.]
A woman who has lost her husband by death, and has not
married again; one living bereaved of a husband. ``A poor
widow.'' --Chaucer.
{Grass widow}. See under {Grass}.
{Widow bewitched}, a woman separated from her husband; a
grass widow. [Colloq.]
{Widow-in-mourning} (Zo["o]l.), the macavahu.
{Widow monkey} (Zo["o]l.), a small South American monkey
({Callithrix lugens}); -- so called on account of its
color, which is black except the dull whitish arms, neck,
and face, and a ring of pure white around the face.
{Widow's chamber} (Eng. Law), in London, the apparel and
furniture of the bedchamber of the widow of a freeman, to
which she was formerly entitled.
Widow \Wid"ow\, a.
Widowed. ``A widow woman.'' --1 Kings xvii. 9. ``This widow
lady.'' --Shak.
Widow \Wid"ow\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Widowed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Widowing}.]
1. To reduce to the condition of a widow; to bereave of a
husband; -- rarely used except in the past participle.
Though in thus city he Hath widowed and unchilded
many a one, Which to this hour bewail the injury.
--Shak.
2. To deprive of one who is loved; to strip of anything
beloved or highly esteemed; to make desolate or bare; to
bereave.
The widowed isle, in mourning, Dries up her tears.
--Dryden.
Tress of their shriveled fruits Are widowed, dreary
storms o'er all prevail. --J. Philips.
Mourn, widowed queen; forgotten Sion, mourn.
--Heber.
3. To endow with a widow's right. [R.] --Shak.
4. To become, or survive as, the widow of. [Obs.]
Let me be married to three kings in a forenoon, and
widow them all. --Shak.
Widow bird \Wid"ow bird`\ (Zo["o]l.)
See {Whidan bird}.
Widower \Wid"ow*er\, n.
A man who has lost his wife by death, and has not married
again. --Shak.
Widowerhood \Wid"ow*er*hood\, n.
The state of being a widower.
Widowhood \Wid"ow*hood\, n.
1. The state of being a widow; the time during which a woman
is widow; also, rarely, the state of being a widower.
Johnson clung to her memory during a widowhood of
more than thirty years. --Leslie
Stephen.
2. Estate settled on a widow. [Obs.] ``I 'll assure her of
her widowhood . . . in all my lands.'' --Shak.
Widow-hunter \Wid"ow-hunt`er\, n.
One who courts widows, seeking to marry one with a fortune.
--Addison.
Widowly \Wid"ow*ly\, a.
Becoming or like a widow.
Widow-maker \Wid"ow-mak`er\, n.
One who makes widows by destroying husbands. [R.] --Shak.
Widow-wail \Wid"ow-wail`\, n. (Bot.)
A low, narrowleaved evergreen shrub ({Cneorum tricoccon})
found in Southern Europe.
Width \Width\, n. [From {Wide}.]
The quality of being wide; extent from side to side; breadth;
wideness; as, the width of cloth; the width of a door.
Widual \Wid"u*al\, a.
Of or pertaining to a widow; vidual. [Obs.] --Bale.
Widwe \Wid"we\, n.
A widow. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wield \Wield\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wielded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wielding}.] [OE. welden to govern, to have power over, to
possess, AS. geweldan, gewyldan, from wealdan; akin to OS.
waldan, OFries. walda, G. walten, OHG. waltan, Icel. valda,
Sw. v[*a]lla to occasion, to cause, Dan. volde, Goth. waldan
to govern, rule, L. valere to be strong. Cf. {Herald},
{Valiant}.]
1. To govern; to rule; to keep, or have in charge; also, to
possess. [Obs.]
When a strong armed man keepeth his house, all
things that he wieldeth ben in peace. --Wyclif (Luke
xi. 21).
Wile [ne will] ye wield gold neither silver ne money
in your girdles. --Wyclif
(Matt. x. 9.)
2. To direct or regulate by influence or authority; to
manage; to control; to sway.
The famous orators . . . whose resistless eloquence
Wielded at will that fierce democraty. --Milton.
Her newborn power was wielded from the first by
unprincipled and ambitions men. --De Quincey.
3. To use with full command or power, as a thing not too
heavy for the holder; to manage; to handle; hence, to use
or employ; as, to wield a sword; to wield the scepter.
Base Hungarian wight! wilt thou the spigot wield!
--Shak.
Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed.
--Milton.
Nothing but the influence of a civilized power could
induce a savage to wield a spade. --S. S. Smith.
{To wield the scepter}, to govern with supreme command.
Wieldable \Wield"a*ble\, a.
Capable of being wielded.
Wieldance \Wield"ance\, n.
The act or power of wielding. [Obs.] ``Our weak wieldance.''
--Bp. Hall.
Wielder \Wield"er\, n.
One who wields or employs; a manager; a controller.
A wielder of the great arm of the war. --Milton.
Wielding \Wield"ing\, n.
Power; authority; rule. [Obs.]
To have them in your might and in your wielding.
--Chaucer.
Wieldless \Wield"less\, a.
Not to be wielded; unmanageable; unwieldy. [R.] ``Wieldless
might.'' --Spenser.
Wieldsome \Wield"some\, a.
Admitting of being easily wielded or managed. [Obs.]
--Golding.
Wieldy \Wield"y\, a.
Capable of being wielded; manageable; wieldable; -- opposed
to unwieldy. [R.] --Johnson.
Wier \Wier\, n.
Same as {Weir}.
Wierangle \Wier`an"gle\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Same as {Wariangle}. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Wiery \Wier"y\, a. [Cf. {Wearish}.]
Wet; moist; marshy. [Obs.]
Wiery \Wi"er*y\, a. [From {Wire}; cf. {Fiery}.]
Wiry. [Obs.] ``Wiery gold.'' --Peacham.
Wife \Wife\, n.; pl. {Wives}. [OE. wif, AS. wif; akin to OFries.
& OS. wif, D. wijf, G. weib, OHG. w[=i]b, Icel. v[=i]f, Dan.
viv; and perhaps to Skr. vip excited, agitated, inspired, vip
to tremble, L. vibrare to vibrate, E. vibrate. Cf. Tacitus,
[`` Germania'' 8]: Inesse quin etiam sanctum aliquid et
providum putant, nec aut consilia earum aspernantur aut
responsa neglegunt. Cf. {Hussy} a jade, {Woman}.]
1. A woman; an adult female; -- now used in literature only
in certain compounds and phrases, as alewife, fishwife,
goodwife, and the like. `` Both men and wives.'' --Piers
Plowman.
On the green he saw sitting a wife. --Chaucer.
2. The lawful consort of a man; a woman who is united to a
man in wedlock; a woman who has a husband; a married
woman; -- correlative of husband. `` The husband of one
wife.'' --1 Tin. iii. 2.
Let every one you . . . so love his wife even as
himself, and the wife see that she reverence her
husband. --Eph. v. 33.
{To give to wife}, {To take to wife}, to give or take (a
woman) in marriage.
{Wife's equity} (Law), the equitable right or claim of a
married woman to a reasonable and adequate provision, by
way of settlement or otherwise, out of her choses in
action, or out of any property of hers which is under the
jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery, for the support of
herself and her children. --Burrill.
Wifehood \Wife"hood\, n. [AS. wifh[=a]d.]
1. Womanhood. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
2. The state of being a wife; the character of a wife.
Wifeless \Wife"less\, a.
Without a wife; unmarried. --Chaucer.
Wifelike \Wife"like`\, a.
Of, pertaining to, or like, a wife or a woman. `` Wifelike
government.'' --Shak.
Wifely \Wife"ly\, a. [AS. w[=i]flic.]
Becoming or life; of or pertaining to a wife. ``Wifely
patience.'' --Chaucer.
With all the tenderness of wifely love. --Dryden.
Wig \Wig\, n. [Abbreviation from periwig.]
1. A covering for the head, consisting of hair interwoven or
united by a kind of network, either in imitation of the
natural growth, or in abundant and flowing curls, worn to
supply a deficiency of natural hair, or for ornament, or
according to traditional usage, as a part of an official
or professional dress, the latter especially in England by
judges and barristers.
2. An old seal; -- so called by fishermen.
{Wig tree}. (Bot.) See {Smoke tree}, under {Smoke}.
Wig \Wig\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wigged}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wigging}.]
To censure or rebuke; to hold up to reprobation; to scold.
[Slang]
Wigan \Wig"an\, n.
A kind of canvaslike cotton fabric, used to stiffen and
protect the lower part of trousers and of the skirts of
women's dresses, etc.; -- so called from Wigan, the name of a
town in Lancashire, England.
Wigeon \Wi"geon\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A widgeon. [R.]
Wigg \Wigg\, Wig \Wig\, n. [Cf. D. wegge a sort of bread, G.
weck, orig., a wedge-shaped loaf or cake. See {Wedge}.]
A kind of raised seedcake. ``Wiggs and ale.'' --Pepys.
Wigged \Wigged\, a.
Having the head covered with a wig; wearing a wig.
Wiggery \Wig"ger*y\, n.
1. A wig or wigs; false hair. [R.] --A. Trollope.
2. Any cover or screen, as red-tapism. [R.]
Fire peels the wiggeries away from them [facts.]
--Carlyle.
Wiggle \Wig"gle\, v. t. & i. [Cf. {Wag}, v. t., {Waggle}.]
To move to and fro with a quick, jerking motion; to bend
rapidly, or with a wavering motion, from side to side; to
wag; to squirm; to wriggle; as, the dog wiggles his tail; the
tadpole wiggles in the water. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]
Wiggle \Wig"gle\, n.
Act of wiggling; a wriggle. [Colloq.]
Wiggler \Wig"gler\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The young, either larva or pupa, of the mosquito; -- called
also {wiggletail}.
Wigher \Wig"her\, v. i. [Cf. G. wiehern, E. whine.]
To neigh; to whinny. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl.
Wight \Wight\, n.
Weight. [Obs.]
Wight \Wight\, n. [OE. wight, wiht, a wight, a whit, AS. wiht,
wuht, a creature, a thing; skin to D. wicht a child, OS. &
OHG. wiht a creature, thing, G. wicht a creature, Icel.
v[ae]tt? a wight, v[ae]tt? a whit, Goth. wa['i]hts, wa['i]ht,
thing; cf. Russ. veshche a thing. ?. Cf. {Whit}.]
1. A whit; a bit; a jot. [Obs.]
She was fallen asleep a little wight. --Chaucer.
2. A supernatural being. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
3. A human being; a person, either male or female; -- now
used chiefly in irony or burlesque, or in humorous
language. ``Worst of all wightes.'' --Chaucer.
Every wight that hath discretion. --Chaucer.
Oh, say me true if thou wert mortal wight. --Milton.
Wight \Wight\, a. [OE. wight, wiht, probably of Scand. origin;
cf. Icel. v[=i]gr in fighting condition, neut. v[=i]gh ???
v[=i]g war, akin to AS. w[=i]g See {Vanquish}.]
Swift; nimble; agile; strong and active. [Obs. or Poetic]
'T is full wight, God wot, as is a roe. --Chaucer.
He was so wimble and so wight. --Spenser.
They were Night and Day, and Day and Night, Pilgrims
wight with steps forthright. --Emerson.
Wightly \Wight"ly\, adv.
Swiftly; nimbly; quickly. [Obs.]
Wigless \Wig"less\, a.
Having or wearing no wig.
Wigwag \Wig"wag`\, v. i. [See {Wag}, v. t.] (Naut.)
To signal by means of a flag waved from side to side
according to a code adopted for the purpose. [Colloq.]
Wigwam \Wig"wam\, n. [From the Algonquin or Massachusetts Indian
word w[=e]k, ``his house,'' or ``dwelling place;'' with
possessive and locative affixes, w[=e]-kou-om-ut, ``in his
(or their) house,'' contracted by the English to weekwam, and
wigwam.]
An Indian cabin or hut, usually of a conical form, and made
of a framework of poles covered with hides, bark, or mats; --
called also {tepee}. [Sometimes written also {weekwam}.]
Very spacious was the wigwam, Made of deerskin dressed
and whitened, With the gods of the Dacotahs Drawn and
painted on its curtains. --Longfellow.
Note: ``The wigwam, or Indian house, of a circular or oval
shape, was made of bark or mats laid over a framework
of branches of trees stuck in the ground in such a
manner as to converge at the top, where was a central
aperture for the escape of smoke from the fire beneath.
The better sort had also a lining of mats. For entrance
and egress, two low openings were left on opposite
sides, one or the other of which was closed with bark
or mats, according to the direction of the wind.''
--Palfrey.
Wike \Wike\, n.
A temporary mark or boundary, as a bough of a tree set up in
marking out or dividing anything, as tithes, swaths to be
mowed in common ground, etc.; -- called also {wicker}. [Prov.
Eng.]
Wike \Wike\, n. [AS. wic. See {Wick} a village.]
A home; a dwelling. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Wikke \Wik"ke\, a.
Wicked. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wild \Wild\, a. [Compar. {Wilder}; superl. {Wildest}.] [OE.
wilde, AS. wilde; akin to OFries. wilde, D. wild, OS. & OHG.
wildi, G. wild, Sw. & Dan. vild, Icel. villr wild,
bewildered, astray, Goth. wilpeis wild, and G. & OHG. wild
game, deer; of uncertain origin.]
1. Living in a state of nature; inhabiting natural haunts, as
the forest or open field; not familiar with, or not easily
approached by, man; not tamed or domesticated; as, a wild
boar; a wild ox; a wild cat.
Winter's not gone yet, if the wild geese fly that
way. --Shak.
2. Growing or produced without culture; growing or prepared
without the aid and care of man; native; not cultivated;
brought forth by unassisted nature or by animals not
domesticated; as, wild parsnip, wild camomile, wild
strawberry, wild honey.
The woods and desert caves, With wild thyme and
gadding vine o'ergrown. --Milton.
3. Desert; not inhabited or cultivated; as, wild land. ``To
trace the forests wild.'' --Shak.
4. Savage; uncivilized; not refined by culture; ferocious;
rude; as, wild natives of Africa or America.
5. Not submitted to restraint, training, or regulation;
turbulent; tempestuous; violent; ungoverned; licentious;
inordinate; disorderly; irregular; fanciful; imaginary;
visionary; crazy. ``Valor grown wild by pride.'' --Prior.
``A wild, speculative project.'' --Swift.
What are these So withered and so wild in their
attire ? --Shak.
With mountains, as with weapons, armed; which makes
Wild work in heaven. --Milton.
The wild winds howl. --Addison.
Search then the ruling passion, there, alone The
wild are constant, and the cunning known. --Pope.
6. Exposed to the wind and sea; unsheltered; as, a wild
roadstead.
7. Indicating strong emotion, intense excitement, or
?ewilderment; as, a wild look.
8. (Naut.) Hard to steer; -- said of a vessel.
Note: Many plants are named by prefixing wild to the names of
other better known or cultivated plants to which they a
bear a real or fancied resemblance; as, wild allspice,
wild pink, etc. See the Phrases below.
{To run wild}, to go unrestrained or untamed; to live or
untamed; to live or grow without culture or training.
{To sow one's wild oats}. See under {Oat}.
{Wild allspice}. (Bot.), spicewood.
{Wild balsam apple} (Bot.), an American climbing
cucurbitaceous plant ({Echinocystis lobata}).
{Wild basil} (Bot.), a fragrant labiate herb ({Calamintha
Clinopodium}) common in Europe and America.
{Wild bean} (Bot.), a name of several leguminous plants,
mostly species of {Phaseolus} and {Apios}.
{Wild bee} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
undomesticated social bees, especially the domestic bee
when it has escaped from domestication and built its nest
in a hollow tree or among rocks.
{Wild bergamot}. (Bot.) See under {Bergamot}.
{Wild boar} (Zo["o]l.), the European wild hog ({Sus scrofa}),
from which the common domesticated swine is descended.
{Wild brier} (Bot.), any uncultivated species of brier. See
{Brier}.
{Wild bugloss} (Bot.), an annual rough-leaved plant
({Lycopsis arvensis}) with small blue flowers.
{Wild camomile} (Bot.), one or more plants of the composite
genus {Matricaria}, much resembling camomile.
{Wild cat}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A European carnivore ({Felis catus}) somewhat
resembling the domestic cat, but larger stronger, and
having a short tail. It is destructive to the smaller
domestic animals, such as lambs, kids, poultry, and
the like.
(b) The common American lynx, or bay lynx.
(c) (Naut.) A wheel which can be adjusted so as to revolve
either with, or on, the shaft of a capstan. --Luce.
{Wild celery}. (Bot.) See {Tape grass}, under {Tape}.
{Wild cherry}. (Bot.)
(a) Any uncultivated tree which bears cherries. The wild
red cherry is {Prunus Pennsylvanica}. The wild black
cherry is {P. serotina}, the wood of which is much
used for cabinetwork, being of a light red color and a
compact texture.
(b) The fruit of various species of {Prunus}.
{Wild cinnamon}. See the Note under {Canella}.
{Wild comfrey} (Bot.), an American plant ({Cynoglossum
Virginicum}) of the Borage family. It has large bristly
leaves and small blue flowers.
{Wild cumin} (Bot.), an annual umbelliferous plant
({Lag[oe]cia cuminoides}) native in the countries about
the Mediterranean.
{Wild drake} (Zo["o]l.) the mallard.
{Wild elder} (Bot.), an American plant ({Aralia hispida}) of
the Ginseng family.
{Wild fowl} (Zo["o]l.) any wild bird, especially any of those
considered as game birds.
{Wild goose} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of
undomesticated geese, especially the Canada goose ({Branta
Canadensis}), the European bean goose, and the graylag.
See {Graylag}, and {Bean goose}, under {Bean}.
{Wild goose chase}, the pursuit of something unattainable, or
of something as unlikely to be caught as the wild goose.
--Shak.
{Wild honey}, honey made by wild bees, and deposited in
trees, rocks, the like.
{Wild hyacinth}. (Bot.) See {Hyacinth}, 1
(b) .
{Wild Irishman} (Bot.), a thorny bush ({Discaria Toumatou})
of the Buckthorn family, found in New Zealand, where the
natives use the spines in tattooing.
{Wild land}.
(a) Land not cultivated, or in a state that renders it
unfit for cultivation.
(b) Land which is not settled and cultivated.
{Wild licorice}. (Bot.) See under {Licorice}.
{Wild mammee} (Bot.), the oblong, yellowish, acid fruit of a
tropical American tree ({Rheedia lateriflora}); -- so
called in the West Indies.
{Wild marjoram} (Bot.), a labiate plant ({Origanum vulgare})
much like the sweet marjoram, but less aromatic.
{Wild oat}. (Bot.)
(a) A tall, oatlike kind of soft grass ({Arrhenatherum
avenaceum}).
(b) See {Wild oats}, under {Oat}.
{Wild pieplant} (Bot.), a species of dock ({Rumex
hymenosepalus}) found from Texas to California. Its acid,
juicy stems are used as a substitute for the garden
rhubarb.
{Wild pigeon}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The rock dove.
(b) The passenger pigeon.
{Wild pink} (Bot.), an American plant ({Silene
Pennsylvanica}) with pale, pinkish flowers; a kind of
catchfly.
{Wild plantain} (Bot.), an arborescent endogenous herb
({Heliconia Bihai}), much resembling the banana. Its
leaves and leaf sheaths are much used in the West Indies
as coverings for packages of merchandise.
{Wild plum}. (Bot.)
(a) Any kind of plum growing without cultivation.
(b) The South African prune. See under {Prune}.
{Wild rice}. (Bot.) See {Indian rice}, under {Rice}.
{Wild rosemary} (Bot.), the evergreen shrub {Andromeda
polifolia}. See {Marsh rosemary}, under {Rosemary}.
{Wild sage}. (Bot.) See {Sagebrush}.
{Wild sarsaparilla} (Bot.), a species of ginseng ({Aralia
nudicaulis}) bearing a single long-stalked leaf.
{Wild sensitive plant} (Bot.), either one of two annual
leguminous herbs ({Cassia Cham[ae]crista}, and {C.
nictitans}), in both of which the leaflets close quickly
when the plant is disturbed.
{Wild service}.(Bot.) See {Sorb}.
{Wild Spaniard} (Bot.), any one of several umbelliferous
plants of the genus {Aciphylla}, natives of New Zealand.
The leaves bear numerous bayonetlike spines, and the
plants form an impenetrable thicket.
{Wild turkey}. (Zo["o]l.) See 2d {Turkey}.
Wild \Wild\, n.
An uninhabited and uncultivated tract or region; a forest or
desert; a wilderness; a waste; as, the wilds of America; the
wilds of Africa.
then Libya first, of all her moisture drained, Became a
barren waste, a wild of sand. --Addison.
Wild \Wild\, adv.
Wildly; as, to talk wild. --Shak.
Wild-cat \Wild"-cat`\, a.
1. Unsound; worthless; irresponsible; unsafe; -- said to have
been originally applied to the notes of an insolvent bank
in Michigan upon which there was the figure of a panther.
2. (Railroad) Running without control; running along the line
without a train; as, a wild-cat locomotive.
Wildebeest \Wilde"beest`\, n. [D. wild wild + beeste beast.]
(Zo["o]l.)
The gnu.
Wilded \Wild"ed\, a.
Become wild. [R.]
An old garden plant escaped and wilded. --J. Earle.
Wilder \Wil"der\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wildered}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Wildering}.] [Akin to E. wild, Dan. forvilde to bewilder,
Icel. villr bewildered, villa to bewilder; cf. AS. wildor a
wild animal. See {Wild}, a., and cf. {Wilderness}.]
To bewilder; to perplex.
Long lost and wildered in the maze of fate. --Pope.
Again the wildered fancy dreams Of spouting fountains,
frozen as they rose. --Bryant.
Wildering \Wild"er*ing\, n. (Bot.)
A plant growing in a state of nature; especially, one which
has run wild, or escaped from cultivation.
Wilderment \Wil"der*ment\, n.
The state of being bewildered; confusion; bewilderment.
And snatched her breathless from beneath This
wilderment of wreck and death. --Moore.
Wilderness \Wil"der*ness\, n. [OE. wildernesse,
wilderne,probably from AS. wildor a wild beast; cf. D.
wildernis wilderness. See {Wilder}, v. t.]
1. A tract of land, or a region, uncultivated and uninhabited
by human beings, whether a forest or a wide, barren plain;
a wild; a waste; a desert; a pathless waste of any kind.
The wat'ry wilderness yields no supply. --Waller.
2. A disorderly or neglected place. --Cowper.
3. Quality or state of being wild; wildness. [Obs.]
These paths and bowers doubt not but our joint
hands. Will keep from wilderness with ease.
--Milton.
Wildfire \Wild"fire\, n.
1. A composition of inflammable materials, which, kindled, is
very hard to quench; Greek fire.
Brimstone, pitch, wildfire . . . burn cruelly, and
hard to quench. --Bacon.
2. (Med.)
(a) An old name for erysipelas.
(b) A disease of sheep, attended with inflammation of the
skin.
3. A sort of lightning unaccompanied by thunder. [R.]
Wildgrave \Wild"grave`\, n. [G. wildgraf or D. wildgraaf. See
{Wild}, and cf. {Margrave}.]
A waldgrave, or head forest keeper. See {Waldgrave}.
The wildgrave winds his bugle horn. --Sir W.
Scott.
Wilding \Wild"ing\, n. (Bot.)
A wild or uncultivated plant; especially, a wild apple tree
or crab apple; also, the fruit of such a plant. --Spenser.
Ten ruddy wildings in the wood I found. --Dryden.
The fruit of the tree . . . is small, of little juice,
and bad quality. I presume it to be a wilding.
--Landor.
Wilding \Wild"ing\, a.
Not tame, domesticated, or cultivated; wild. [Poetic]
``Wilding flowers.'' --Tennyson.
The ground squirrel gayly chirps by his den, And the
wilding bee hums merrily by. --Bryant.
Wildish \Wild"ish\, a.
Somewhat wild; rather wild. ``A wildish destiny.''
--Wordsworth.
Wildly \Wild"ly\, adv.
In a wild manner; without cultivation; with disorder; rudely;
distractedly; extravagantly.
Wildness \Wild"ness\, n.
The quality or state of being wild; an uncultivated or
untamed state; disposition to rove or go unrestrained;
rudeness; savageness; irregularity; distraction.
Wildwood \Wild"wood\, n.
A wild or unfrequented wood. Also used adjectively; as,
wildwood flowers; wildwood echoes. --Burns.
Wile \Wile\, n. [OE. wile, AS. w[=i]l; cf. Icel. v?l, v[ae]l.
Cf. {Guile}.]
A trick or stratagem practiced for insnaring or deception; a
sly, insidious; artifice; a beguilement; an allurement.
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to
stand against the wiles of the devil. --Eph. vi. 11.
Not more almighty to resist our might, Than wise to
frustrate all our plots and wiles. --Milton.
Wile \Wile\, v. t.
1. To practice artifice upon; to deceive; to beguile; to
allure. [R.] --Spenser.
2. To draw or turn away, as by diversion; to while or while
away; to cause to pass pleasantly. --Tennyson.
Wileful \Wile"ful\, a.
Full of wiles; trickish; deceitful.
Wilful \Wil"ful\, a., Wilfully \Wil"ful*ly\, adv., Wilfulness
\Wil"ful*ness\, n.
See {Willful}, {Willfully}, and {Willfulness}.
Wiliness \Wi"li*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being wily; craftiness; cunning;
guile.
Wilk \Wilk\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Whelk}. [Obs.]
Will \Will\, n. [OE. wille, AS. willa; akin to OFries. willa,
OS. willeo, willio, D. wil, G. wille, Icel. vili, Dan.
villie, Sw. vilja, Goth wilja. See {Will}, v.]
1. The power of choosing; the faculty or endowment of the
soul by which it is capable of choosing; the faculty or
power of the mind by which we decide to do or not to do;
the power or faculty of preferring or selecting one of two
or more objects.
It is necessary to form a distinct notion of what is
meant by the word ``volition'' in order to
understand the import of the word will, for this
last word expresses the power of mind of which
``volition'' is the act. --Stewart.
Will is an ambiguous word, being sometimes put for
the faculty of willing; sometimes for the act of
that faculty, besides [having] other meanings. But
``volition'' always signifies the act of willing,
and nothing else. --Reid.
Appetite is the will's solicitor, and the will is
appetite's controller; what we covet according to
the one, by the other we often reject. --Hooker.
The will is plainly that by which the mind chooses
anything. --J. Edwards.
2. The choice which is made; a determination or preference
which results from the act or exercise of the power of
choice; a volition.
The word ``will,'' however, is not always used in
this its proper acceptation, but is frequently
substituted for ``volition'', as when I say that my
hand mover in obedience to my will. --Stewart.
3. The choice or determination of one who has authority; a
decree; a command; discretionary pleasure.
Thy will be done. --Matt. vi.
10.
Our prayers should be according to the will of God.
--Law.
4. Strong wish or inclination; desire; purpose.
Note: ``Inclination is another word with which will is
frequently confounded. Thus, when the apothecary says,
in Romeo and Juliet,
My poverty, but not my will, consents; . . . Put
this in any liquid thing you will, And drink it
off. the word will is plainly used as, synonymous
with inclination; not in the strict logical sense, as
the immediate antecedent of action. It is with the same
latitude that the word is used in common conversation,
when we speak of doing a thing which duty prescribes,
against one's own will; or when we speak of doing a
thing willingly or unwillingly.'' --Stewart.
5. That which is strongly wished or desired.
What's your will, good friar? --Shak.
The mariner hath his will. --Coleridge.
6. Arbitrary disposal; power to control, dispose, or
determine.
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies.
--Ps. xxvii.
12.
7. (Law) The legal declaration of a person's mind as to the
manner in which he would have his property or estate
disposed of after his death; the written instrument,
legally executed, by which a man makes disposition of his
estate, to take effect after his death; testament; devise.
See the Note under {Testament}, 1.
Note: Wills are written or nuncupative, that is, oral. See
{Nuncupative will}, under {Nuncupative}.
{At will} (Law), at pleasure. To hold an estate at the will
of another, is to enjoy the possession at his pleasure,
and be liable to be ousted at any time by the lessor or
proprietor. An estate at will is at the will of both
parties.
{Good will}. See under {Good}.
{Ill will}, enmity; unfriendliness; malevolence.
{To have one's will}, to obtain what is desired; to do what
one pleases.
{Will worship}, worship according to the dictates of the will
or fancy; formal worship. [Obs.]
{Will worshiper}, one who offers will worship. [Obs.] --Jer.
Taylor.
{With a will}, with willingness and zeal; with all one's
heart or strength; earnestly; heartily.
Will \Will\, v. t. & auxiliary. [imp. {Would}. Indic. present, I
will (Obs. I wol), thou wilt, he will (Obs. he wol); we, ye,
they will.] [OE. willen, imp. wolde; akin to OS. willan,
OFries. willa, D. willen, G. wollen, OHG. wollan, wellan,
Icel. & Sw. vilja, Dan. ville, Goth. wiljan, OSlav. voliti,
L. velle to wish, volo I wish; cf. Skr. v[.r] to choose, to
prefer. Cf. {Voluntary}, {Welcome}, {Well}, adv.]
1. To wish; to desire; to incline to have.
A wife as of herself no thing ne sholde [should]
Wille in effect, but as her husband wolde [would].
--Chaucer.
Caleb said unto her, What will thou ? --Judg. i. 14.
They would none of my counsel. --Prov. i. 30.
2. As an auxiliary, will is used to denote futurity dependent
on the verb. Thus, in first person, ``I will'' denotes
willingness, consent, promise; and when ``will'' is
emphasized, it denotes determination or fixed purpose; as,
I will go if you wish; I will go at all hazards. In the
second and third persons, the idea of distinct volition,
wish, or purpose is evanescent, and simple certainty is
appropriately expressed; as, ``You will go,'' or ``He will
go,'' describes a future event as a fact only. To
emphasize will denotes (according to the tone or context)
certain futurity or fixed determination.
Note: Will, auxiliary, may be used elliptically for will go.
``I'll to her lodgings.'' --Marlowe.
Note: As in shall (which see), the second and third persons
may be virtually converted into the first, either by
question or indirect statement, so as to receive the
meaning which belongs to will in that person; thus,
``Will you go?'' (answer, ``I will go'') asks assent,
requests, etc.; while ``Will he go?'' simply inquires
concerning futurity; thus, also,``He says or thinks he
will go,'' ``You say or think you will go,'' both
signify willingness or consent.
Note: Would, as the preterit of will, is chiefly employed in
conditional, subjunctive, or optative senses; as, he
would go if he could; he could go if he would; he said
that he would go; I would fain go, but can not; I would
that I were young again; and other like phrases. In the
last use, the first personal pronoun is often omitted;
as, would that he were here; would to Heaven that it
were so; and, omitting the to in such an adjuration.
``Would God I had died for thee.'' Would is used for
both present and future time, in conditional
propositions, and would have for past time; as, he
would go now if he were ready; if it should rain, he
would not go; he would have gone, had he been able.
Would not, as also will not, signifies refusal. ``He
was angry, and would not go in.'' --Luke xv. 28. Would
is never a past participle.
Note: In Ireland, Scotland, and the United States, especially
in the southern and western portions of the United
States, shall and will, should and would, are often
misused, as in the following examples:
I am able to devote as much time and attention to
other subjects as I will [shall] be under the
necessity of doing next winter. --Chalmers.
A countryman, telling us what he had seen,
remarked that if the conflagration went on, as it
was doing, we would [should] have, as our next
season's employment, the Old Town of Edinburgh to
rebuild. --H. Miller.
I feel assured that I will [shall] not have the
misfortune to find conflicting views held by one
so enlightened as your excellency. --J. Y. Mason.
Will \Will\, v. i.
To be willing; to be inclined or disposed; to be pleased; to
wish; to desire.
And behold, there came a leper and worshiped him,
saying, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus . . . touched him, saying, I will; be thou
clean. --Matt. viii.
2, 3.
Note: This word has been confused with will, v. i., to
choose, which, unlike this, is of the weak conjugation.
{Will I, nill I}, or {Will ye, hill ye}, or {Will he, nill
he}, whether I, you, or he will it or not; hence, without
choice; compulsorily; -- sometimes corrupted into willy
nilly. ``If I must take service willy nilly.'' --J. H.
Newman. ``Land for all who would till it, and reading and
writing will ye, nill ye.'' --Lowell.
Will \Will\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Willed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Willing}. Indic. present I will, thou willeth, he wills; we,
ye, they will.] [Cf. AS. willian. See {Will}, n.]
1. To form a distinct volition of; to determine by an act of
choice; to ordain; to decree. ``What she will to do or
say.'' --Milton.
By all law and reason, that which the Parliament
will not, is no more established in this kingdom.
--Milton.
Two things he [God] willeth, that we should be good,
and that we should be happy. --Barrow.
2. To enjoin or command, as that which is determined by an
act of volition; to direct; to order. [Obs. or R.]
They willed me say so, madam. --Shak.
Send for music, And will the cooks to use their best
of cunning To please the palate. --Beau. & Fl.
As you go, will the lord mayor . . . To attend our
further pleasure presently. --J. Webster.
3. To give or direct the disposal of by testament; to
bequeath; to devise; as, to will one's estate to a child;
also, to order or direct by testament; as, he willed that
his nephew should have his watch.
Will \Will\, v. i.
To exercise an act of volition; to choose; to decide; to
determine; to decree.
At Winchester he lies, so himself willed. --Robert of
Brunne.
He that shall turn his thoughts inward upon what passes
in his own mind when he wills. --Locke.
I contend for liberty as it signifies a power in man to
do as he wills or pleases. --Collins.
Willemite \Wil"lem*ite\, n. [From Willem I., king of the
Netherlands.] (Min.)
A silicate of zinc, usually occurring massive and of a
greenish yellow color, also in reddish crystals (troostite)
containing manganese.
Willer \Will"er\, n.
One who wills.
Willet \Wil"let\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A large North American snipe ({Symphemia semipalmata}); --
called also {pill-willet}, {will-willet}, {semipalmated
tattler}, or {snipe}, {duck snipe}, and {stone curlew}.
{Carolina willet}, the Hudsonian godwit.
Willful \Will"ful\, a. [Will + full.] [Written also wilful.]
1. Of set purpose; self-determined; voluntary; as, willful
murder. --Foxe.
In willful poverty chose to lead his life.
--Chaucer.
Thou to me Art all things under heaven, all places
thou, Who, for my willful crime, art banished hence.
--Milton.
2. Governed by the will without yielding to reason;
obstinate; perverse; inflexible; stubborn; refractory; as,
a willful man or horse. -- {Will"ful*ly}, adv. --
{Will"ful*ness}, n.
Willier \Wil"li*er\, n.
One who works at a willying machine.
Willing \Will"ing\, a. [From {Will}, v. t.]
1. Free to do or to grant; having the mind inclined; not
opposed in mind; not choosing to refuse; disposed; not
averse; desirous; consenting; complying; ready.
Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left
Paul bound. --Acts xxiv.
27.
With wearied wings and willing feet. --Milton.
[Fruit] shaken in August from the willing boughs.
--Bryant.
2. Received of choice, or without reluctance; submitted to
voluntarily; chosen; desired.
[They] are held, with his melodious harmony, In
willing chains and sweet captivity. --Milton.
3. Spontaneous; self-moved. [R.]
No spouts of blood run willing from a tree.
--Dryden.
Willingly \Will"ing*ly\, adv.
In a willing manner; with free will; without reluctance;
cheerfully. --Chaucer.
The condition of that people is not so much to be
envied as some would willingly represent it. --Addison.
Willingness \Will"ing*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being willing; free choice or consent
of the will; freedom from reluctance; readiness of the mind
to do or forbear.
Sweet is the love which comes with willingness.
--Dryden.
Williwaw \Wil"li*waw\, Willywaw \Wil"ly*waw\, n. (Naut.)
A whirlwind, or whirlwind squall, encountered in the Straits
of Magellan. --W. C. Russell.
Willock \Wil"lock\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The common guillemot.
(b) The puffin. [Prov. Eng.]
Will-o'-the-wisp \Will"-o'-the-wisp`\, n.
See {Ignis fatuus}.
Willow \Wil"low\, n. [OE. wilowe, wilwe, AS. wilig, welig; akin
to OD. wilge, D. wilg, LG. wilge. Cf. {Willy}.]
1. (Bot.) Any tree or shrub of the genus {Salix}, including
many species, most of which are characterized often used
as an emblem of sorrow, desolation, or desertion. ``A
wreath of willow to show my forsaken plight.'' --Sir W.
Scott. Hence, a lover forsaken by, or having lost, the
person beloved, is said to wear the willow.
And I must wear the willow garland For him that's
dead or false to me. --Campbell.
2. (Textile Manuf.) A machine in which cotton or wool is
opened and cleansed by the action of long spikes
projecting from a drum which revolves within a box studded
with similar spikes; -- probably so called from having
been originally a cylindrical cage made of willow rods,
though some derive the term from winnow, as denoting the
winnowing, or cleansing, action of the machine. Called
also {willy}, {twilly}, {twilly devil}, and {devil}.
{Almond willow}, {Pussy willow}, {Weeping willow}. (Bot.) See
under {Almond}, {Pussy}, and {Weeping}.
{Willow biter} (Zo["o]l.) the blue tit. [Prov. Eng.]
{Willow fly} (Zo["o]l.), a greenish European stone fly
({Chloroperla viridis}); -- called also {yellow Sally}.
{Willow gall} (Zo["o]l.), a conical, scaly gall produced on
willows by the larva of a small dipterous fly ({Cecidomyia
strobiloides}).
{Willow grouse} (Zo["o]l.), the white ptarmigan. See
{ptarmigan}.
{Willow lark} (Zo["o]l.), the sedge warbler. [Prov. Eng.]
{Willow ptarmigan} (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The European reed bunting, or black-headed bunting.
See under {Reed}.
(b) A sparrow ({Passer salicicolus}) native of Asia,
Africa, and Southern Europe.
{Willow tea}, the prepared leaves of a species of willow
largely grown in the neighborhood of Shanghai, extensively
used by the poorer classes of Chinese as a substitute for
tea. --McElrath.
{Willow thrush} (Zo["o]l.), a variety of the veery, or
Wilson's thrush. See {Veery}.
{Willow warbler} (Zo["o]l.), a very small European warbler
({Phylloscopus trochilus}); -- called also {bee bird},
{haybird}, {golden wren}, {pettychaps}, {sweet William},
{Tom Thumb}, and {willow wren}.
Willow \Wil"low\, v. t.
To open and cleanse, as cotton, flax, or wool, by means of a
willow. See {Willow}, n., 2.
Willowed \Wil"lowed\, a.
Abounding with willows; containing willows; covered or
overgrown with willows. ``Willowed meads.'' --Collins.
Willower \Wil"low*er\, n.
A willow. See {Willow}, n., 2.
Willow-herb \Wil"low-herb`\, n. (Bot.)
A perennial herb ({Epilobium spicatum}) with narrow
willowlike leaves and showy rose-purple flowers. The name is
sometimes made to include other species of the same genus.
{Spiked willow-herb}, a perennial herb ({Lythrum Salicaria})
with willowy leaves and spiked purplish flowers.
Willowish \Wil"low*ish\, a.
Having the color of the willow; resembling the willow;
willowy. --Walton.
Willow-thorn \Wil"low-thorn`\, n. (Bot.)
A thorny European shrub ({Hippopha["e] rhamnoides})
resembling a willow.
Willow-weed \Wil"low-weed`\, n. (Bot.)
(a) A European species of loosestrife ({Lysimachia
vulgaris}).
(b) Any kind of Polygonum with willowlike foliage.
Willow-wort \Wil"low-wort`\, n. (Bot.)
(a) Same as {Willow-weed}.
(b) Any plant of the order {Salicace[ae]}, or the Willow
family.
Willowy \Wil"low*y\, a.
1. Abounding with willows.
Where willowy Camus lingers with delight. --Gray.
2. Resembling a willow; pliant; flexible; pendent; drooping;
graceful.
Willsome \Will"some\, a. [Written also wilsome.]
1. Willful; obstinate. [Obs.]
2. Fat; indolent. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
3. Doubtful; uncertain. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell. --
{Will"some*ness}, n. [Obs.]
Willy \Wil"ly\, n. [Cf. {Willow}.]
1. A large wicker basket. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
2. (Textile Manuf.) Same as 1st {Willow}, 2.
Willying \Wil"ly*ing\, n.
The process of cleansing wool, cotton, or the like, with a
willy, or willow.
{Willying machine}. Same as 1st {Willow}, 2.
Willy nilly \Wil"ly nil"ly\
See {Will I, nill I}, etc., under 3d {Will}.
Wilne \Wil"ne\, v. t. [AS. wilnian.]
To wish; to desire. [Obs.] ``He willneth no destruction.''
--Chaucer.
Wilt \Wilt\,
2d pers. sing. of {Will}.
Wilt \Wilt\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wilting}.] [Written also welt,
a modification of welk.]
To begin to wither; to lose freshness and become flaccid, as
a plant when exposed when exposed to drought, or to great
heat in a dry day, or when separated from its root; to
droop;. to wither. [Prov. Eng. & U. S.]
Wilt \Wilt\, v. t.
1. To cause to begin to wither; to make flaccid, as a green
plant. [Prov. Eng. U. S.]
2. Hence, to cause to languish; to depress or destroy the
vigor and energy of. [Prov. Eng. & U. S.]
Despots have wilted the human race into sloth and
imbecility. --Dr. T.
Dwight.
Wilton carpet \Wil"ton car`pet\
A kind of carpet woven with loops like the Brussels, but
differing from it in having the loops cut so as to form an
elastic velvet pile; -- so called because made originally at
Wilton, England.
Wilwe \Wil"we\, n.
Willow. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wily \Wil"y\, a. [Compar. {Wilier}; superl. {Wiliest}.] [From
{Wile}.]
Full of wiles, tricks, or stratagems; using craft or
stratagem to accomplish a purpose; mischievously artful;
subtle. ``Wily and wise.'' --Chaucer. ``The wily snake.''
--Milton.
This false, wily, doubling disposition of mind.
--South.
Syn: Cunning; artful; sly; crafty. See {Cunning}.
Wimble \Wim"ble\, n. [OE. wimbil; akin to Dan. vimmel, OD.
wemelen to bore. Cf. {Gimlet}.]
An instrument for boring holes, turned by a handle.
Specifically:
(a) A gimlet. `` It is but like the little wimble, to let in
the greater auger.'' --Selden.
(b) A stonecutter's brace for boring holes in stone.
(c) An auger used for boring in earth.
Wimble \Wim"ble\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wimbled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wimbling}.]
To bore or pierce, as with a wimble. ``A foot soldier . . .
wimbled also a hole through said coffin.'' --Wood.
Wimble \Wim"ble\, a. [Cf. Sw. vimmelkantig giddy, whimsical,
dial. Sw. vimmla to be giddy or skittish, and E. whim.]
Active; nimble.[Obs.] --Spenser.
Wimbrel \Wim"brel\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The whimbrel.
Wimple \Wim"ple\, n. [OE. wimpel, AS. winpel; akin to D. & G.
wimpel a pennant, streamer, OHG. wimpal a veil, Icel.
vimpill, Dan. & Sw. vimpel a pennant, streamer; of uncertain
origin. Cf. {Gimp}.]
1. A covering of silk, linen, or other material, for the neck
and chin, formerly worn by women as an outdoor protection,
and still retained in the dress of nuns.
Full seemly her wympel ipinched is. --Chaucer.
For she had laid her mournful stole aside, And
widowlike sad wimple thrown away. --Spenser.
Then Vivian rose, And from her brown-locked head the
wimple throws. --M. Arnold.
2. A flag or streamer. --Weale.
Wimple \Wim"ple\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wimpled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wimpling}.]
1. To clothe with a wimple; to cover, as with a veil; hence,
to hoodwink. ``She sat ywympled well.'' --Chaucer.
This wimpled, whining, purblind, wayward boy.
--Shak.
2. To draw down, as a veil; to lay in folds or plaits, as a
veil.
3. To cause to appear as if laid in folds or plaits; to cause
to ripple or undulate; as, the wind wimples the surface of
water.
Wimple \Wim"ple\, v. i.
To lie in folds; also, to appear as if laid in folds or
plaits; to ripple; to undulate. ``Wimpling waves.''
--Longfellow.
For with a veil, that wimpled everywhere, Her head and
face was hid. --Spenser.
With me through . . . meadows stray, Where wimpling
waters make their way. --Ramsay.
Win \Win\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Won}, Obs. {Wan}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Winning}.] [OE. winnen, AS. winnan to strive, labor,
fight, endure; akin to OFries. winna, OS. winnan, D. winnen
to win, gain, G. gewinnen, OHG. winnan to strive, struggle,
Icel. vinna to labor, suffer, win, Dan. vinde to win, Sw.
vinna, Goth. winnan to suffer, Skr. van to wish, get, gain,
conquer. [root]138. Cf. {Venerate}, {Winsome}, {Wish},
{Wont}, a.]
1. To gain by superiority in competition or contest; to
obtain by victory over competitors or rivals; as, to win
the prize in a gate; to win money; to win a battle, or to
win a country. ``This city for to win.'' --Chaucer. ``Who
thus shall Canaan win.'' --Milton.
Thy well-breathed horse Impels the flying car, and
wins the course. --Dryden.
2. To allure to kindness; to bring to compliance; to gain or
obtain, as by solicitation or courtship.
Thy virtue wan me; with virtue preserve me. --Sir P.
Sidney.
She is a woman; therefore to be won. --Shak.
3. To gain over to one's side or party; to obtain the favor,
friendship, or support of; to render friendly or
approving; as, to win an enemy; to win a jury.
4. To come to by toil or effort; to reach; to overtake.
[Archaic]
Even in the porch he him did win. --Spenser.
And when the stony path began, By which the naked
peak they wan, Up flew the snowy ptarmigan. --Sir W.
Scott.
5. (Mining) To extract, as ore or coal. --Raymond.
Syn: To gain; get; procure; earn. See {Gain}.
Win \Win\, v. i.
To gain the victory; to be successful; to triumph; to
prevail.
Nor is it aught but just That he, who in debate of
truth hath won, should win in arms. --Milton.
{To win of}, to be conqueror over. [Obs.] --Shak.
{To win on} or {upon}.
(a) To gain favor or influence with. ``You have a softness
and beneficence winning on the hearts of others.''
--Dryden.
(b) To gain ground on. ``The rabble . . . will in time win
upon power.'' --Shak.
Wince \Wince\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Winced}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wincing}.] [OE. wincen, winchen, OF. quencir, guenchir,
guenchier, giencier, guinchier, and (assumed) winchier,
winchir, to give way, to turn aside, fr. OHG. wankjan,
wenken, to give way, to waver, fr. winchan to turn aside, to
nod, akin to E. wink. See {Wink}.]
1. To shrink, as from a blow, or from pain; to flinch; to
start back.
I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word.
--Shak.
2. To kick or flounce when unsteady, or impatient at a rider;
as, a horse winces.
Wince \Wince\, n.
The act of one who winces.
Wince \Wince\, n. [See {Winch}.] (Dyeing & Calico Printing)
A reel used in dyeing, steeping, or washing cloth; a winch.
It is placed over the division wall between two wince pits so
as to allow the cloth to descend into either compartment. at
will.
{Wince pit}, {Wince pot}, a tank or a pit where cloth in the
process of dyeing or manufacture is washed, dipped in a
mordant, or the like.
Wincer \Win"cer\, n.
One who, or that which, winces, shrinks, or kicks.
Wincey \Win"cey\, n.
Linsey-woolsey.
Winch \Winch\, v. i. [See {Wince}.]
To wince; to shrink; to kick with impatience or uneasiness.
Winch \Winch\, n.
A kick, as of a beast, from impatience or uneasiness.
--Shelton.
Winch \Winch\, n. [OE. winche, AS. wince a winch, a reel to wind
thread upon. Cf. {Wink}.]
1. A crank with a handle, for giving motion to a machine, a
grindstone, etc.
2. An instrument with which to turn or strain something
forcibly.
3. An axle or drum turned by a crank with a handle, or by
power, for raising weights, as from the hold of a ship,
from mines, etc.; a windlass.
4. A wince.
Wincing \Win"cing\, n.
The act of washing cloth, dipping it in dye, etc., with a
wince.
{Wincing machine}.
(a) A wince. --Ure.
(b) A succession of winces. See {Wince}. --Knight.
Wincopipe \Win"co*pipe\, n. (Bot.)
A little red flower, no doubt the pimpernel, which, when it
opens in the morning, is supposed to bode a fair day. See
{Pimpernel}.
There is small red flower in the stubble fields, which
country people call the wincopipe; which if it opens in
the morning, you may be sure a fair day will follow.
--Bacon.
Wind \Wind\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wound} (wound) (rarely
{Winded}); p. pr. & vb. n. {Winding}.] [OE. winden, AS.
windan; akin to OS. windan, D. & G. winden, OHG. wintan,
Icel. & Sw. vinda, Dan. vinde, Goth. windan (in comp.). Cf.
{Wander}, {Wend}.]
1. To turn completely, or with repeated turns; especially, to
turn about something fixed; to cause to form convolutions
about anything; to coil; to twine; to twist; to wreathe;
as, to wind thread on a spool or into a ball.
Whether to wind The woodbine round this arbor.
--Milton.
2. To entwist; to infold; to encircle.
Sleep, and I will wind thee in arms. --Shak.
3. To have complete control over; to turn and bend at one's
pleasure; to vary or alter or will; to regulate; to
govern. ``To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus.'' --Shak.
In his terms so he would him wind. --Chaucer.
Gifts blind the wise, and bribes do please And wind
all other witnesses. --Herrick.
Were our legislature vested in the prince, he might
wind and turn our constitution at his pleasure.
--Addison.
4. To introduce by insinuation; to insinuate.
You have contrived . . . to wind Yourself into a
power tyrannical. --Shak.
Little arts and dexterities they have to wind in
such things into discourse. --Gov. of
Tongue.
5. To cover or surround with something coiled about; as, to
wind a rope with twine.
{To wind off}, to unwind; to uncoil.
{To wind out}, to extricate. [Obs.] --Clarendon.
{To wind up}.
(a) To coil into a ball or small compass, as a skein of
thread; to coil completely.
(b) To bring to a conclusion or settlement; as, to wind up
one's affairs; to wind up an argument.
(c) To put in a state of renewed or continued motion, as a
clock, a watch, etc., by winding the spring, or that
which carries the weight; hence, to prepare for
continued movement or action; to put in order anew.
``Fate seemed to wind him up for fourscore years.''
--Dryden. ``Thus they wound up his temper to a
pitch.'' --Atterbury.
(d) To tighten (the strings) of a musical instrument, so
as to tune it. ``Wind up the slackened strings of thy
lute.'' --Waller.
Wind \Wind\, v. i.
1. To turn completely or repeatedly; to become coiled about
anything; to assume a convolved or spiral form; as, vines
wind round a pole.
So swift your judgments turn and wind. --Dryden.
2. To have a circular course or direction; to crook; to bend;
to meander; as, to wind in and out among trees.
And where the valley winded out below, The murmuring
main was heard, and scarcely heard, to flow.
--Thomson.
He therefore turned him to the steep and rocky path
which . . . winded through the thickets of wild
boxwood and other low aromatic shrubs. --Sir W.
Scott.
3. To go to the one side or the other; to move this way and
that; to double on one's course; as, a hare pursued turns
and winds.
The lowing herd wind ?lowly o'er the lea. --Gray.
To wind out, to extricate one's self; to escape.
Long struggling underneath are they could wind Out
of such prison. --Milton.
Wind \Wind\, n.
The act of winding or turning; a turn; a bend; a twist; a
winding.
Wind \Wind\ (w[i^]nd, in poetry and singing often w[imac]nd;
277), n. [AS. wind; akin to OS., OFries., D., & G. wind, OHG.
wint, Dan. & Sw. vind, Icel. vindr, Goth winds, W. gwynt, L.
ventus, Skr. v[=a]ta (cf. Gr. 'ah`ths a blast, gale, 'ah^nai
to breathe hard, to blow, as the wind); originally a p. pr.
from the verb seen in Skr. v[=a] to blow, akin to AS.
w[=a]wan, D. waaijen, G. wehen, OHG. w[=a]en, w[=a]jen, Goth.
waian. [root]131. Cf. {Air}, {Ventail}, {Ventilate},
{Window}, {Winnow}.]
1. Air naturally in motion with any degree of velocity; a
current of air.
Except wind stands as never it stood, It is an ill
wind that turns none to good. --Tusser.
Winds were soft, and woods were green. --Longfellow.
2. Air artificially put in motion by any force or action; as,
the wind of a cannon ball; the wind of a bellows.
3. Breath modulated by the respiratory and vocal organs, or
by an instrument.
Their instruments were various in their kind, Some
for the bow, and some for breathing wind. --Dryden.
4. Power of respiration; breath.
If my wind were but long enough to say my prayers, I
would repent. --Shak.
5. Air or gas generated in the stomach or bowels; flatulence;
as, to be troubled with wind.
6. Air impregnated with an odor or scent.
A pack of dogfish had him in the wind. --Swift.
7. A direction from which the wind may blow; a point of the
compass; especially, one of the cardinal points, which are
often called the four winds.
Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon
these slain. --Ezek.
xxxvii. 9.
Note: This sense seems to have had its origin in the East.
The Hebrews gave to each of the four cardinal points
the name of wind.
8. (Far.) A disease of sheep, in which the intestines are
distended with air, or rather affected with a violent
inflammation. It occurs immediately after shearing.
9. Mere breath or talk; empty effort; idle words.
Nor think thou with wind Of airy threats to awe.
--Milton.
10. (Zo["o]l.) The dotterel. [Prov. Eng.]
Note: Wind is often used adjectively, or as the first part of
compound words.
{All in the wind}. (Naut.) See under {All}, n.
{Before the wind}. (Naut.) See under {Before}.
{Between wind and water} (Naut.), in that part of a ship's
side or bottom which is frequently brought above water by
the rolling of the ship, or fluctuation of the water's
surface. Hence, colloquially, (as an injury to that part
of a vessel, in an engagement, is particularly dangerous)
the vulnerable part or point of anything.
{Cardinal winds}. See under {Cardinal}, a.
{Down the wind}.
(a) In the direction of, and moving with, the wind; as,
birds fly swiftly down the wind.
(b) Decaying; declining; in a state of decay. [Obs.] ``He
went down the wind still.'' --L'Estrange.
{In the wind's eye} (Naut.), directly toward the point from
which the wind blows.
{Three sheets in the wind}, unsteady from drink. [Sailors'
Slang]
{To be in the wind}, to be suggested or expected; to be a
matter of suspicion or surmise. [Colloq.]
{To carry the wind} (Man.), to toss the nose as high as the
ears, as a horse.
{To raise the wind}, to procure money. [Colloq.]
{To} {take, or have}, {the wind}, to gain or have the
advantage. --Bacon.
{To take the wind out of one's sails}, to cause one to stop,
or lose way, as when a vessel intercepts the wind of
another. [Colloq.]
{To take wind}, or {To get wind}, to be divulged; to become
public; as, the story got wind, or took wind.
{Wind band} (Mus.), a band of wind instruments; a military
band; the wind instruments of an orchestra.
{Wind chest} (Mus.), a chest or reservoir of wind in an
organ.
{Wind dropsy}. (Med.)
(a) Tympanites.
(b) Emphysema of the subcutaneous areolar tissue.
{Wind egg}, an imperfect, unimpregnated, or addled egg.
{Wind furnace}. See the Note under {Furnace}.
{Wind gauge}. See under {Gauge}.
{Wind gun}. Same as {Air gun}.
{Wind hatch} (Mining), the opening or place where the ore is
taken out of the earth.
{Wind instrument} (Mus.), an instrument of music sounded by
means of wind, especially by means of the breath, as a
flute, a clarinet, etc.
{Wind pump}, a pump moved by a windmill.
{Wind rose}, a table of the points of the compass, giving the
states of the barometer, etc., connected with winds from
the different directions.
{Wind sail}.
(a) (Naut.) A wide tube or funnel of canvas, used to
convey a stream of air for ventilation into the lower
compartments of a vessel.
(b) The sail or vane of a windmill.
{Wind shake}, a crack or incoherence in timber produced by
violent winds while the timber was growing.
{Wind shock}, a wind shake.
{Wind side}, the side next the wind; the windward side. [R.]
--Mrs. Browning.
{Wind rush} (Zo["o]l.), the redwing. [Prov. Eng.]
{Wind wheel}, a motor consisting of a wheel moved by wind.
{Wood wind} (Mus.), the flutes and reed instruments of an
orchestra, collectively.
Wind \Wind\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Winded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Winding}.]
1. To expose to the wind; to winnow; to ventilate.
2. To perceive or follow by the scent; to scent; to nose; as,
the hounds winded the game.
3.
(a) To drive hard, or force to violent exertion, as a
horse, so as to render scant of wind; to put out of
breath.
(b) To rest, as a horse, in order to allow the breath to
be recovered; to breathe.
{To wind a ship} (Naut.), to turn it end for end, so that the
wind strikes it on the opposite side.
Wind \Wind\, v. t. [From {Wind}, moving air, but confused in
sense and in conjugation with wind to turn.] [imp. & p. p.
{Wound} (wound), R. {Winded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Winding}.]
To blow; to sound by blowing; esp., to sound with prolonged
and mutually involved notes. ``Hunters who wound their
horns.'' --Pennant.
Ye vigorous swains, while youth ferments your blood, .
. . Wind the shrill horn. --Pope.
That blast was winded by the king. --Sir W.
Scott.
Windage \Wind"age\, n. [From {Wind} air in motion.]
1. (Gun.) The difference between the diameter of the bore of
a gun and that of the shot fired from it.
2. The sudden compression of the air caused by a projectile
in passing close to another body.
Windas \Wind"as\, n.
See 3d {Windlass}. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Windbore \Wind"bore`\, n.
The lower, or bottom, pipe in a lift of pumps in a mine.
--Ansted.
Windbound \Wind"bound`\, a. (Naut.)
prevented from sailing, by a contrary wind. See
{Weatherbound}.
Wind-break \Wind"-break`\, v. t.
To break the wind of; to cause to lose breath; to exhaust.
[R.]
'T would wind-break a mule to vie burdens with her.
--Ford.
Wind-break \Wind"-break`\, n.
A clump of trees serving for a protection against the force
of wind. [Local, U. S.]
Wind-broken \Wind"-bro`ken\, a.
Having the power of breathing impaired by the rupture,
dilatation, or running together of air cells of the lungs, so
that while the inspiration is by one effort, the expiration
is by two; affected with pulmonary emphysema or with heaves;
-- said of a horse. --Youatt.
Winder \Wind"er\, n. [From {Wind} to turn.]
1. One who, or that which, winds; hence, a creeping or
winding plant.
2. An apparatus used for winding silk, cotton, etc., on
spools, bobbins, reels, or the like.
3. (Arch.) One in a flight of steps which are curved in plan,
so that each tread is broader at one end than at the
other; -- distinguished from flyer.
Winder \Wind"er\, v. t. & i. [Prov. E. winder a fan, and to
winnow. ?. Cf. {Winnow}.]
To fan; to clean grain with a fan. [Prov. Eng.]
Winder \Wind"er\, n.
A blow taking away the breath. [Slang]
Winder \Wind"er\, v. i.
To wither; to fail. [Obs.] --Holland.
Windfall \Wind"fall`\, n.
1. Anything blown down or off by the wind, as fruit from a
tree, or the tree itself, or a portion of a forest
prostrated by a violent wind, etc. ``They became a
windfall upon the sudden.'' --Bacon.
2. An unexpected legacy, or other gain.
He had a mighty windfall out of doubt. --B. Jonson.
Windfallen \Wind"fall`en\, a.
Blown down by the wind.
Wind-fertilized \Wind"-fer`ti*lized\, a. (Bot.)
Anemophilous; fertilized by pollen borne by the wind.
Windflower \Wind"flow`er\, n. (Bot.)
The anemone; -- so called because formerly supposed to open
only when the wind was blowing. See {Anemone}.
Windgall \Wind"gall`\, n. (Far.)
A soft tumor or synovial swelling on the fetlock joint of a
horse; -- so called from having formerly been supposed to
contain air.
Windhover \Wind"hov`er\, n. [From its habit of hovering over one
spot.] (Zo["o]l.)
The kestrel; -- called also {windbibber}, {windcuffer},
{windfanner}. [Prov. Eng.]
Windiness \Wind"i*ness\, n.
1. The quality or state of being windy or tempestuous; as,
the windiness of the weather or the season.
2. Fullness of wind; flatulence.
3. Tendency to generate wind or gas; tendency to produce
flatulence; as, the windiness of vegetables.
4. Tumor; puffiness.
The swelling windiness of much knowledge.
--Brerewood.
Winding \Wind"ing\, n. [From {Wind} to blow.] (Naut.)
A call by the boatswain's whistle.
Winding \Wind"ing\, a. [From {Wind} to twist.]
Twisting from a direct line or an even surface; circuitous.
--Keble.
Winding \Wind"ing\, n.
A turn or turning; a bend; a curve; flexure; meander; as, the
windings of a road or stream.
To nurse the saplings tall, and curl the grove With
ringlets quaint, and wanton windings wove. --Milton.
{Winding engine}, an engine employed in mining to draw up
buckets from a deep pit; a hoisting engine.
{Winding sheet}, a sheet in which a corpse is wound or
wrapped.
{Winding tackle} (Naut.), a tackle consisting of a fixed
triple block, and a double or triple movable block, used
for hoisting heavy articles in or out of a vessel.
--Totten.
Windingly \Wind"ing*ly\, adv.
In a winding manner.
Windlace \Wind"lace\, n. & v.
See {Windlass}. [Obs.]
Two arblasts, . . . with windlaces and quarrels. --Sir
W. Scott.
Windlass \Wind"lass\, n.[Perhaps from wind to turn + lace.]
A winding and circuitous way; a roundabout course; a shift.
Windlass \Wind"lass\, v. i.
To take a roundabout course; to work warily or by indirect
means. [Obs.] --Hammond.
Windlass \Wind"lass\, n. [OE. windelas, windas, Icel.
vindil[=a]ss, vind[=a]s, fr. vinda to wind + [=a]ss a pole;
cf. Goth. ans a beam. See {Wind} to turn.]
1. A machine for raising weights, consisting of a horizontal
cylinder or roller moving on its axis, and turned by a
crank, lever, or similar means, so as to wind up a rope or
chain attached to the weight. In vessels the windlass is
often used instead of the capstan for raising the anchor.
It is usually set upon the forecastle, and is worked by
hand or steam.
2. An apparatus resembling a winch or windlass, for bending
the bow of an arblast, or crossbow. [Obs.] --Shak.
{Chinese windlass}. See {Differential windlass}, under
{Differential}.
Windlass \Wind"lass\, v. t. & i.
To raise with, or as with, a windlass; to use a windlass.
--The Century.
Windle \Win"dle\, n. [From {Wind} to turn.]
1. A spindle; a kind of reel; a winch.
2. (Zo["o]l.) The redwing. [Prov. Eng.]
Windless \Wind"less\, a.
1. Having no wind; calm.
2. Wanting wind; out of breath.
Windlestrae \Win"dle*strae`\, Windlestraw \Win"dle*straw`\, n.
(Bot.)
A grass used for making ropes or for plaiting, esp. {Agrostis
Spica-ventis}. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] --Shelley.
Windmill \Wind"mill`\, n.
A mill operated by the power of the wind, usually by the
action of the wind upon oblique vanes or sails which radiate
from a horizontal shaft. --Chaucer.
Windore \Win"dore\, n. [A corrupt. of window; or perh. coined on
the wrong assumption that window is from wind + door.]
A window. [Obs.] --Hudibras.
Window \Win"dow\, n. [OE. windowe, windoge, Icel. vindauga
window, properly, wind eye; akin to Dan. vindue. ????. See
{Wind}, n., and {Eye}.]
1. An opening in the wall of a building for the admission of
light and air, usually closed by casements or sashes
containing some transparent material, as glass, and
capable of being opened and shut at pleasure.
I leaped from the window of the citadel. --Shak.
Then to come, in spite of sorrow, And at my window
bid good morrow. --Milton.
2. (Arch.) The shutter, casement, sash with its fittings, or
other framework, which closes a window opening.
3. A figure formed of lines crossing each other. [R.]
Till he has windows on his bread and butter. --King.
{French window} (Arch.), a casement window in two folds,
usually reaching to the floor; -- called also {French
casement}.
{Window back} (Arch.), the inside face of the low, and
usually thin, piece of wall between the window sill and
the floor below.
{Window blind}, a blind or shade for a window.
{Window bole}, part of a window closed by a shutter which can
be opened at will. [Scot.]
{Window box}, one of the hollows in the sides of a window
frame for the weights which counterbalance a lifting sash.
{Window frame}, the frame of a window which receives and
holds the sashes or casement.
{Window glass}, panes of glass for windows; the kind of glass
used in windows.
{Window martin} (Zo["o]l.), the common European martin.
[Prov. Eng.]
{Window oyster} (Zo["o]l.), a marine bivalve shell ({Placuna
placenta}) native of the East Indies and China. Its valves
are very broad, thin, and translucent, and are said to
have been used formerly in place of glass.
{Window pane}.
(a) (Arch.) See {Pane}, n., 3
(b) .
(b) (Zo["o]l.) See {Windowpane}, in the Vocabulary.
{Window sash}, the sash, or light frame, in which panes of
glass are set for windows.
{Window seat}, a seat arranged in the recess of a window. See
{Window stool}, under {Stool}.
{Window shade}, a shade or blind for a window; usually, one
that is hung on a roller.
{Window shell} (Zo["o]l.), the window oyster.
{Window shutter}, a shutter or blind used to close or darken
windows.
{Window sill} (Arch.), the flat piece of wood, stone, or the
like, at the bottom of a window frame.
{Window swallow} (Zo["o]l.), the common European martin.
[Prov. Eng.]
{Window tax}, a tax or duty formerly levied on all windows,
or openings for light, above the number of eight in houses
standing in cities or towns. [Eng.]
Window \Win"dow\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Windowed}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Windowing}.]
1. To furnish with windows.
2. To place at or in a window. [R.]
Wouldst thou be windowed in great Rome and see Thy
master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down His
corrigible neck? --Shak.
Windowed \Win"dowed\, a.
Having windows or openings. [R.] ``Looped and windowed
raggedness.'' --Shak.
Windowless \Win"dow*less\, a.
Destitute of a window. --Carlyle.
Windowpane \Win"dow*pane`\, n.
1. (Arch.) See {Pane}, n., (3)
b . [In this sense, written also {window pane}.]
2. (Zo["o]l.) A thin, spotted American turbot ({Pleuronectes
maculatus}) remarkable for its translucency. It is not
valued as a food fish. Called also {spotted turbot},
{daylight}, {spotted sand flounder}, and {water flounder}.
Windowy \Win"dow*y\, a.
Having little crossings or openings like the sashes of a
window. [R.] --Donne.
Windpipe \Wind"pipe`\, n. (Anat.)
The passage for the breath from the larynx to the lungs; the
trachea; the weasand. See Illust. under {Lung}.
Wind-plant \Wind"-plant`\, n. (Bot.)
A windflower.
Wind-rode \Wind"-rode`\, a. (Naut.)
Caused to ride or drive by the wind in opposition to the
course of the tide; -- said of a vessel lying at anchor, with
wind and tide opposed to each other. --Totten.
Windrow \Wind"row`\, n. [Wind + row.]
1. A row or line of hay raked together for the purpose of
being rolled into cocks or heaps.
2. Sheaves of grain set up in a row, one against another,
that the wind may blow between them. [Eng.]
3. The green border of a field, dug up in order to carry the
earth on other land to mend it. [Eng.]
Windrow \Wind"row\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Windrowed}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Windrowing}.]
To arrange in lines or windrows, as hay when newly made.
--Forby.
Windsor \Wind"sor\, n.
A town in Berkshire, England.
{Windsor bean}. (Bot.) See under {Bean}.
{Windsor chair}, a kind of strong, plain, polished, wooden
chair. --Simmonds.
{Windsor soap}, a scented soap well known for its excellence.
Windstorm \Wind"storm\, n.
A storm characterized by high wind with little or no rain.
Wind-sucker \Wind"-suck`er\, n.
1. (Far.) A horse given to wind-sucking --Law.
2. (Zo["o]l.) The kestrel. --B. Jonson.
Wind-sucking \Wind"-suck`ing\, n. (Far.)
A vicious habit of a horse, consisting in the swallowing of
air; -- usually associated with crib-biting, or cribbing. See
{Cribbing}, 4.
Windtight \Wind"tight`\, a.
So tight as to prevent the passing through of wind. --Bp.
Hall.
Windward \Wind"ward\, n.
The point or side from which the wind blows; as, to ply to
the windward; -- opposed to {leeward}.
{To lay an anchor to the windward}, a figurative expression,
signifying to adopt precautionary or anticipatory measures
for success or security.
Windward \Wind"ward\, a.
Situated toward the point from which the wind blows; as, the
Windward Islands.
Windward \Wind"ward\, adv.
Toward the wind; in the direction from which the wind blows.
Windy \Wind"y\, a. [Compar. {Windier}; superl. {Windiest}.] [AS.
windig.]
1. Consisting of wind; accompanied or characterized by wind;
exposed to wind. ``The windy hill.'' --M. Arnold.
Blown with the windy tempest of my heart. --Shak.
2. Next the wind; windward.
It keeps on the windy side of care. --Shak.
3. Tempestuous; boisterous; as, windy weather.
4. Serving to occasion wind or gas in the intestines;
flatulent; as, windy food.
5. Attended or caused by wind, or gas, in the intestines. ``A
windy colic.'' --Arbuthnot.
6. Fig.: Empty; airy. ``Windy joy.'' --Milton.
Here's that windy applause, that poor, transitory
pleasure, for which I was dishonored. --South.
Wine \Wine\, n. [OE. win, AS. win, fr. L. vinum (cf. Icel.
v[=i]n; all from the Latin); akin to Gr. o'i^nos, ?, and E.
withy. Cf. {Vine}, {Vineyard}, {Vinous}, {Withy}.]
1. The expressed juice of grapes, esp. when fermented; a
beverage or liquor prepared from grapes by squeezing out
their juice, and (usually) allowing it to ferment. ``Red
wine of Gascoigne.'' --Piers Plowman.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and
whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. --Prov.
xx. 1.
Bacchus, that first from out the purple grape
Crushed the sweet poison of misused wine. --Milton.
Note: Wine is essentially a dilute solution of ethyl alcohol,
containing also certain small quantities of ethers and
ethereal salts which give character and bouquet.
According to their color, strength, taste, etc., wines
are called {red}, {white}, {spirituous}, {dry},
{light}, {still}, etc.
2. A liquor or beverage prepared from the juice of any fruit
or plant by a process similar to that for grape wine; as,
currant wine; gooseberry wine; palm wine.
3. The effect of drinking wine in excess; intoxication.
Noah awoke from his wine. --Gen. ix. 24.
{Birch wine}, {Cape wine}, etc. See under {Birch}, {Cape},
etc.
{Spirit of wine}. See under {Spirit}.
{To have drunk wine of ape} or {wine ape}, to be so drunk as
to be foolish. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
{Wine acid}. (Chem.) See {Tartaric acid}, under {Tartaric}.
[Colloq.]
{Wine apple} (Bot.), a large red apple, with firm flesh and a
rich, vinous flavor.
{Wine bag}, a wine skin.
{Wine biscuit}, a kind of sweet biscuit served with wine.
{Wine cask}, a cask for holding wine, or which holds, or has
held, wine.
{Wine cellar}, a cellar adapted or used for storing wine.
{Wine cooler}, a vessel of porous earthenware used to cool
wine by the evaporation of water; also, a stand for wine
bottles, containing ice.
{Wine fly} (Zo["o]l.), small two-winged fly of the genus
{Piophila}, whose larva lives in wine, cider, and other
fermented liquors.
{Wine grower}, one who cultivates a vineyard and makes wine.
{Wine measure}, the measure by which wines and other spirits
are sold, smaller than beer measure.
{Wine merchant}, a merchant who deals in wines.
{Wine of opium} (Pharm.), a solution of opium in aromatized
sherry wine, having the same strength as ordinary
laudanum; -- also {Sydenham's laudanum}.
{Wine press}, a machine or apparatus in which grapes are
pressed to extract their juice.
{Wine skin}, a bottle or bag of skin, used, in various
countries, for carrying wine.
{Wine stone}, a kind of crust deposited in wine casks. See
1st {Tartar}, 1.
{Wine vault}.
(a) A vault where wine is stored.
(b) A place where wine is served at the bar, or at tables;
a dramshop. --Dickens.
{Wine vinegar}, vinegar made from wine.
{Wine whey}, whey made from milk coagulated by the use of
wine.
Wineberry \Wine"ber`ry\, n. (Bot.)
(a) The red currant.
(b) The bilberry.
(c) A peculiar New Zealand shrub ({Coriaria ruscifolia}),
in which the petals ripen and afford an abundant
purple juice from which a kind of wine is made. The
plant also grows in Chili.
Winebibber \Wine"bib`ber\, n.
One who drinks much wine. --Prov. xxiii. 20. --
{Wine"bib`bing}, n.
Wineglass \Wine"glass`\, n.
A small glass from which to drink wine.
Wineglassful \Wine"glass`ful\;, n. pl. {Wineglassfuls}.
As much as a wineglass will hold; enough to fill a wineglass.
It is usually reckoned at two fluid ounces, or four
tablespoonfuls.
Wineless \Wine"less\, a.
destitute of wine; as, wineless life.
Winery \Win"er*y\, n. [Cf. F. vinerie.]
A place where grapes are converted into wine.
Wing \Wing\, n. [OE. winge, wenge; probably of Scand. origin;
cf. Dan. & Sw. vinge, Icel. v[ae]ngr.]
1. One of the two anterior limbs of a bird, pterodactyl, or
bat. They correspond to the arms of man, and are usually
modified for flight, but in the case of a few species of
birds, as the ostrich, auk, etc., the wings are used only
as an assistance in running or swimming.
As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over
her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them,
beareth them on her wings. --Deut. xxxii.
11.
Note: In the wing of a bird the long quill feathers are in
series. The primaries are those attached to the ulnar
side of the hand; the secondaries, or wing coverts,
those of the forearm: the scapulars, those that lie
over the humerus; and the bastard feathers, those of
the short outer digit. See Illust. of {Bird}, and
{Plumage}.
2. Any similar member or instrument used for the purpose of
flying. Specifically: (Zo["o]l.)
(a) One of the two pairs of upper thoracic appendages of
most hexapod insects. They are broad, fanlike organs
formed of a double membrane and strengthened by
chitinous veins or nervures.
(b) One of the large pectoral fins of the flying fishes.
3. Passage by flying; flight; as, to take wing.
Light thickens; and the crow Makes wing to the rooky
wood. --Shak.
4. Motive or instrument of flight; means of flight or of
rapid motion.
Fiery expedition be my wing. --Shak.
5. Anything which agitates the air as a wing does, or which
is put in winglike motion by the action of the air, as a
fan or vane for winnowing grain, the vane or sail of a
windmill, etc.
6. An ornament worn on the shoulder; a small epaulet or
shoulder knot.
7. Any appendage resembling the wing of a bird or insect in
shape or appearance. Specifically:
(a) (Zo["o]l.) One of the broad, thin, anterior lobes of
the foot of a pteropod, used as an organ in swimming.
(b) (Bot.) Any membranaceous expansion, as that along the
sides of certain stems, or of a fruit of the kind
called samara.
(c) (Bot.) Either of the two side petals of a
papilionaceous flower.
8. One of two corresponding appendages attached; a sidepiece.
Hence:
(a) (Arch.) A side building, less than the main edifice;
as, one of the wings of a palace.
(b) (Fort.) The longer side of crownworks, etc.,
connecting them with the main work.
(c) (Hort.) A side shoot of a tree or plant; a branch
growing up by the side of another. [Obs.]
(d) (Mil.) The right or left division of an army,
regiment, etc.
(e) (Naut.) That part of the hold or orlop of a vessel
which is nearest the sides. In a fleet, one of the
extremities when the ships are drawn up in line, or
when forming the two sides of a triangle. --Totten.
(f) One of the sides of the stags in a theater.
{On the wing}.
(a) Supported by, or flying with, the wings another.
{On the wings of the wind}, with the utmost velocity.
{Under the wing}, or {wings}, {of}, under the care or
protection of.
{Wing and wing} (Naut.), with sails hauled out on either
side; -- said of a schooner, or her sails, when going
before the wind with the foresail on one side and the
mainsail on the other; also said of a square-rigged vessel
which has her studding sails set. Cf. {Goosewinged}.
{Wing case} (Zo["o]l.), one of the anterior wings of beetles,
and of some other insects, when thickened and used to
protect the hind wings; an elytron; -- called also {wing
cover}.
{Wing covert} (Zo["o]l.), one of the small feathers covering
the bases of the wing quills. See {Covert}, n., 2.
{Wing gudgeon} (Mach.), an iron gudgeon for the end of a
wooden axle, having thin, broad projections to prevent it
from turning in the wood. See Illust. of {Gudgeon}.
{Wing shell} (Zo["o]l.), wing case of an insect.
{Wing stroke}, the stroke or sweep of a wing.
{Wing transom} (Naut.), the uppermost transom of the stern;
-- called also {main transom}. --J. Knowles.
Wing \Wing\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Winged}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Winging}.]
1. To furnish with wings; to enable to fly, or to move with
celerity.
Who heaves old ocean, and whowings the storms.
--Pope.
Living, to wing with mirth the weary hours.
--Longfellow.
2. To supply with wings or sidepieces.
The main battle, whose puissance on either side
Shall be well winged with our chiefest horse.
--Shak.
3. To transport by flight; to cause to fly.
I, an old turtle, Will wing me to some withered
bough. --Shak.
4. To move through in flight; to fly through.
There's not an arrow wings the sky But fancy turns
its point to him. --Moore.
5. To cut off the wings of; to wound in the wing; to disable
a wing of; as, to wing a bird.
{To wing a flight}, to exert the power of flying; to fly.
Winged \Winged\, a.
1. Furnished with wings; transported by flying; having
winglike expansions.
2. Soaring with wings, or as if with wings; hence, elevated;
lofty; sublime. [R.]
How winged the sentiment that virtue is to be
followed for its own sake. --J. S.
Harford.
3. Swift; rapid. ``Bear this sealed brief with winged haste
to the lord marshal.'' --Shak.
4. Wounded or hurt in the wing.
5. (Bot.) Furnished with a leaflike appendage, as the fruit
of the elm and the ash, or the stem in certain plants;
alate.
6. (Her.) Represented with wings, or having wings, of a
different tincture from the body.
7. Fanned with wings; swarming with birds. ``The winged air
darked with plumes.'' --Milton.
Winger \Wing"er\, n. (Naut.)
One of the casks stowed in the wings of a vessel's hold,
being smaller than such as are stowed more amidships.
--Totten.
Wingfish \Wing"fish`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A sea robin having large, winglike pectoral fins. See {Sea
robin}, under {Robin}.
Wing-footed \Wing"-foot`ed\, a.
1. Having wings attached to the feet; as, wing-footed
Mercury; hence, swift; moving with rapidity; fleet.
--Drayton.
2. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) Having part or all of the feet adapted for flying.
(b) Having the anterior lobes of the foot so modified as
to form a pair of winglike swimming organs; -- said of
the pteropod mollusks.
Wing-handed \Wing"-hand`ed\, a. (Zo["o]l.)
Having the anterior limbs or hands adapted for flight, as the
bats and pterodactyls.
Wing-leaved \Wing"-leaved`\, a. (Bot.)
Having pinnate or pinnately divided leaves.
Wingless \Wing"less\, a.
Having no wings; not able to ascend or fly.
{Wingless bird} (Zo["o]l.), the apteryx.
Winglet \Wing"let\, n.
1. A little wing; a very small wing.
2. (Zo["o]l.) A bastard wing, or alula.
Wingmanship \Wing"man*ship\, n. [From {Wing}, in imitation of
horsemanship.]
Power or skill in flying. [R.] --Duke of Argyll.
Wing-shell \Wing"-shell`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) Any one of various species of marine bivalve shells
belonging to the genus {Avicula}, in which the hinge
border projects like a wing.
(b) Any marine gastropod shell of the genus {Strombus}. See
{Strombus}.
(c) Any pteropod shell.
Wingy \Wing"y\, a.
1. Having wings; rapid.
With wingy speed outstrip the eastern wind.
--Addison.
2. Soaring with wings, or as if with wings; volatile airy.
[Obs. or R.]
Those wingy mysteries in divinity. --Sir T.
Browne.
Wink \Wink\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Winked}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Winking}.] [OE. winken, AS. wincian; akin to D. wenken, G.
winken to wink, nod, beckon, OHG. winchan, Sw. vinka, Dan.
vinke, AS. wancol wavering, OHG. wanchal wavering, wanch?n to
waver, G. wanken, and perhaps to E. weak; cf. AS. wincel a
corner. Cf. {Wench}, {Wince}, v. i.]
1. To nod; to sleep; to nap. [Obs.] ``Although I wake or
wink.'' --Chaucer.
2. To shut the eyes quickly; to close the eyelids with a
quick motion.
He must wink, so loud he would cry. --Chaucer.
And I will wink, so shall the day seem night.
--Shak.
They are not blind, but they wink. --Tillotson.
3. To close and open the eyelids quickly; to nictitate; to
blink.
A baby of some three months old, who winked, and
turned aside its little face from the too vivid
light of day. --Hawthorne.
4. To give a hint by a motion of the eyelids, often those of
one eye only.
Wink at the footman to leave him without a plate.
--Swift.
5. To avoid taking notice, as if by shutting the eyes; to
connive at anything; to be tolerant; -- generally with at.
The times of this ignorance God winked at. --Acts
xvii. 30.
And yet, as though he knew it not, His knowledge
winks, and lets his humors reign. --Herbert.
Obstinacy can not be winked at, but must be subdued.
--Locke.
6. To be dim and flicker; as, the light winks.
{Winking monkey} (Zo["o]l.), the white-nosed monkey
({Cersopithecus nictitans}).
Wink \Wink\, v. t.
To cause (the eyes) to wink.[Colloq.]
Wink \Wink\, n.
1. The act of closing, or closing and opening, the eyelids
quickly; hence, the time necessary for such an act; a
moment.
I have not slept one wink. --Shak.
I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink. --Donne.
2. A hint given by shutting the eye with a significant cast.
--Sir. P. Sidney.
The stockjobber thus from Change Alley goes down,
And tips you, the freeman, a wink. --Swift.
Winker \Wink"er\, n.
1. One who winks. --Pope.
2. A horse's blinder; a blinker.
Winkingly \Wink"ing*ly\, adv.
In a winking manner; with the eye almost closed. --Peacham.
Winkle \Win"kle\, n. [AS. wincle.] (Zo["o]l.)
(a) Any periwinkle. --Holland.
(b) Any one of various marine spiral gastropods, esp., in the
United States, either of two species of {Fulgar} ({F.
canaliculata}, and {F. carica}).
Note: These are large mollusks which often destroy large
numbers of oysters by drilling their shells and sucking
their blood.
{Sting winkle}, a European spinose marine shell ({Murex
erinaceus}). See Illust. of {Murex}.
Winkle-hawk \Win"kle-hawk`\, n. [D. winkel-haak a carpenter's
square.]
A rectangular rent made in cloth; -- called also
{winkle-hole}. [Local, U. S.] --Bartlett.
Winnard 2 \Win"nard 2\, n.
The redwing. [Prov. Eng.]
Winnebagoes \Win`ne*ba"goes\, n.; sing. {Winnebago}. (Ethnol.)
A tribe of North American Indians who originally occupied the
region about Green Bay, Lake Michigan, but were driven back
from the lake and nearly exterminated in 1640 by the
IIlinnois.
Winner \Win"ner\, n.
One who wins, or gains by success in competition, contest, or
gaming.
Winning \Win"ning\, a.
Attracting; adapted to gain favor; charming; as, a winning
address. ``Each mild and winning note.'' --Keble.
Winning \Win"ning\, n.
1. The act of obtaining something, as in a contest or by
competition.
2. The money, etc., gained by success in competition or
contest, esp, in gambling; -- usually in the plural.
Ye seek land and sea for your winnings. --Chaucer.
3. (Mining)
(a) A new opening.
(b) The portion of a coal field out for working.
{Winning headway} (Mining), an excavation for exploration, in
post-and-stall working.
{Winning post}, the post, or goal, at the end of a race.
Winningly \Win"ning*ly\, adv.
In a winning manner.
Winningness \Win"ning*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being winning. ``Winningness in
style.'' --J. Morley.
Winninish \Win"nin*ish\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The land-locked variety of the common salmon. [Canada]
Winnew \Win"new\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Winnowed}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Winnowing}.] [OE. windewen, winewen, AS. windwian; akin
to Goth. winpjan (in comp.), winpi-skauro a fan, L. ventilare
to fan, to winnow; cf. L. wannus a fan for winnowing, G.
wanne, OHG. wanna. ????. See {Wind} moving air, and cf.
{Fan}., n., {Ventilate}.]
1. To separate, and drive off, the chaff from by means of
wind; to fan; as, to winnow grain.
Ho winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing floor.
--Ruth. iii.
2.
2. To sift, as for the purpose of separating falsehood from
truth; to separate, as had from good.
Winnow well this thought, and you shall find This
light as chaff that flies before the wind. --Dryden.
3. To beat with wings, or as with wings.[Poetic]
Now on the polar winds; then with quick fan Winnows
the buxom air. --Milton.
Winnow \Win"now\, v. i.
To separate chaff from grain.
Winnow not with every wind. --Ecclus. v.
9.
Winnower \Win"now*er\, n.
One who, or that which, winnows; specifically, a winnowing
machine.
Winnowing \Win"now*ing\, n.
The act of one who, or that which, winnows.
Winrow \Win"row`\, n.
A windrow.
Winsing \Win"sing\, a.
Winsome. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Winsome \Win"some\, a. [Compar. {Winsomer}; superl.
{Winsomest}.] [AS. wynsum, fr. wynn joy; akin to OS. wunnia,
OHG. wunna, wunni, G. wonne, Goth. wunan to rejoice (in
unwunands sad), AS. wunian to dwell. ????. See {Win}, v. t.,
{Wont}, a.]
1. Cheerful; merry; gay; light-hearted.
Misled by ill example, and a winsome nature.
--Jeffrey.
2. Causing joy or pleasure; gladsome; pleasant.
Still plotting how their hungry ear That winsome
voice again might hear. --Emerson.
Winsomeness \Win"some*ness\, n.
The characteristic of being winsome; attractiveness of
manner. --J. R. Green.
Winter \Win"ter\, n. [AS. winter; akin to OFries. & D. winter,
OS. & OHG. wintar, G. winter, D. & Sw. vinter, Icel. vetr,
Goth. wintrus; of uncertain origin; cf. Old Gallic vindo-
white (in comp.), OIr. find white. ????.]
1. The season of the year in which the sun shines most
obliquely upon any region; the coldest season of the year.
``Of thirty winter he was old.'' --Chaucer.
And after summer evermore succeeds Barren winter,
with his wrathful nipping cold. --Shak.
Winter lingering chills the lap of May. --Goldsmith.
Note: North of the equator, winter is popularly taken to
include the months of December, January, and February
(see {Season}). Astronomically, it may be considered to
begin with the winter solstice, about December 21st,
and to end with the vernal equinox, about March 21st.
2. The period of decay, old age, death, or the like.
Life's autumn past, I stand on winter's verge.
--Wordsworth.
{Winter apple}, an apple that keeps well in winter, or that
does not ripen until winter.
{Winter barley}, a kind of barley that is sown in autumn.
{Winter berry} (Bot.), the name of several American shrubs
({Ilex verticillata}, {I. l[ae]vigata}, etc.) of the Holly
family, having bright red berries conspicuous in winter.
{Winter bloom}. (Bot.)
(a) A plant of the genus Azalea.
(b) A plant of the genus {Hamamelis} ({H. Viginica});
witch-hazel; -- so called from its flowers appearing
late in autumn, while the leaves are falling.
{Winter bud} (Zo["o]l.), a statoblast.
{Winter cherry} (Bot.), a plant ({Physalis Alkekengi}) of the
Nightshade family, which has, a red berry inclosed in the
inflated and persistent calyx. See {Alkekengi}.
{Winter cough} (Med.), a form of chronic bronchitis marked by
a cough recurring each winter.
{Winter cress} (Bot.), a yellow-flowered cruciferous plant
({Barbarea vulgaris}).
{Winter crop}, a crop which will bear the winter, or which
may be converted into fodder during the winter.
{Winter duck}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The pintail.
(b) The old squaw.
{Winter egg} (Zo["o]l.), an egg produced in the autumn by
many invertebrates, and destined to survive the winter.
Such eggs usually differ from the summer eggs in having a
thicker shell, and often in being enveloped in a
protective case. They sometimes develop in a manner
different from that of the summer eggs.
{Winter fallow}, ground that is fallowed in winter.
{Winter fat}. (Bot.) Same as {White sage}, under {White}.
{Winter fever} (Med.), pneumonia. [Colloq.]
{Winter flounder}. (Zo["o]l.) See the Note under {Flounder}.
{Winter gull} (Zo["o]l.), the common European gull; -- called
also {winter mew}. [Prov. Eng.]
{Winter itch}. (Med.) See {Prarie itch}, under {Prairie}.
{Winter lodge}, or {Winter lodgment}. (Bot.) Same as
{Hibernaculum}.
{Winter mew}. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Winter gull}, above. [Prov.
Eng.]
{Winter moth} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of
geometrid moths which come forth in winter, as the
European species ({Cheimatobia brumata}). These moths have
rudimentary mouth organs, and eat no food in the imago
state. The female of some of the species is wingless.
{Winter oil}, oil prepared so as not to solidify in
moderately cold weather.
{Winter pear}, a kind of pear that keeps well in winter, or
that does not ripen until winter.
{Winter quarters}, the quarters of troops during the winter;
a winter residence or station.
{Winter rye}, a kind of rye that is sown in autumn.
{Winter shad} (Zo["o]l.), the gizzard shad.
{Winter sheldrake} (Zo["o]l.), the goosander. [Local, U. S.]
{Winter sleep} (Zo["o]l.), hibernation.
{Winter snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the dunlin.
{Winter solstice}. (Astron.) See {Solstice}, 2.
{Winter teal} (Zo["o]l.), the green-winged teal.
{Winter wagtail} (Zo["o]l.), the gray wagtail ({Motacilla
melanope}). [Prov. Eng.]
{Winter wheat}, wheat sown in autumn, which lives during the
winter, and ripens in the following summer.
{Winter wren} (Zo["o]l.), a small American wren ({Troglodytes
hiemalis}) closely resembling the common wren.
Winter \Win"ter\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wintered}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Wintering}.]
To pass the winter; to hibernate; as, to winter in Florida.
Because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the
more part advised to depart thence. --Acts xxvii.
12.
Winter \Win"ter\, v. i.
To keep, feed or manage, during the winter; as, to winter
young cattle on straw.
Winter-beaten \Win"ter-beat`en\, a.
Beaten or harassed by the severe weather of winter.
--Spenser.
Wintergreen \Win"ter*green`\, n. (Bot.)
A plant which keeps its leaves green through the winter.
Note: In England, the name wintergreen is applied to the
species of {Pyrola} which in America are called
{English wintergreen}, and {shin leaf} (see Shin leaf,
under {Shin}.) In America, the name wintergreen is
given to {Gaultheria procumbens}, a low evergreen
aromatic plant with oval leaves clustered at the top of
a short stem, and bearing small white flowers followed
by red berries; -- called also {checkerberry}, and
sometimes, though improperly, {partridge berry}.
{Chickweed wintergreen}, a low perennial primulaceous herb
({Trientalis Americana}); -- also called {star flower}.
{Flowering wintergreen}, a low plant ({Polygala paucifolia})
with leaves somewhat like those of the wintergreen
({Gaultheria}), and bearing a few showy, rose-purple
blossoms.
{Spotted wintergreen}, a low evergreen plant ({Chimaphila
maculata}) with ovate, white-spotted leaves.
Winter-ground \Win"ter-ground`\, v. t.
To coved over in the season of winter, as for protection or
shelter; as, to winter-ground the roods of a plant.
The ruddock would . . . bring thee all this, Yea, and
furred moss besides, when flowers are none To
winter-ground thy corse. --Shak.
Winterkill \Win"ter*kill`\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Winterkilled};
p. pr. & vb. n. {Winterkilling}.]
To kill by the cold, or exposure to the inclemency of winter;
as, the wheat was winterkilled. [U. S.]
Winterly \Win"ter*ly\, a.
Like winter; wintry; cold; hence, disagreeable, cheerless;
as, winterly news. [R.] --Shak.
The sir growing more winterly in the month of April.
--Camden.
Winter-proud \Win"ter-proud`\, a.
Having too rank or forward a growth for winter.
When either corn is winter-proud, or other plants put
forth and bud too early. --Holland.
Winter-rig \Win"ter-rig`\, v. t. [See {Winter} and {Ridge}.]
To fallow or till in winter. [Prov. Eng.]
Winter's bark \Win"ter's bark`\ (Bot.)
The aromatic bark of tree ({Drimys, or Drymis, Winteri}) of
the Magnolia family, which is found in Southern Chili. It was
first used as a cure for scurvy by its discoverer, Captain
John Winter, vice admiral to sir Francis Drake, in 1577.
Wintertide \Win"ter*tide`\, n.
Winter time. --Tennyson.
Winterweed \Win"ter*weed`\, n. (Bot.)
A kind of speedwell ({Veronica hederifolia}) which spreads
chiefly in winter. --Dr. Prior.
Wintery \Win"ter*y\, a.
Wintry.
Wintry \Win"try\, a. [AS. wintrig.]
Suitable to winter; resembling winter, or what belongs to
winter; brumal; hyemal; cold; stormy; wintery.
Touch our chilled hearts with vernal smile, Our wintry
course do thou beguile. --Keble.
Winy \Win"y\, a.
Having the taste or qualities of wine; vinous; as, grapes of
a winy taste. --Dampier.
Winze \Winze\, n. (Mining.)
A small shaft sunk from one level to another, as for the
purpose of ventilation.
Wipe \Wipe\, n. [Cf. Sw. vipa, Dan. vibe, the lapwing.]
(Zo["o]l.)
The lapwing. [Prov. Eng.]
Wipe \Wipe\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wiped}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wiping}.] [OE. vipen, AS. w[=i]pian; cf. LG. wiep a wisp of
straw, Sw. vepa to wrap up, to cuddle one's self up, vepa a
blanket; perhaps akin to E. whip.]
1. To rub with something soft for cleaning; to clean or dry
by rubbing; as, to wipe the hands or face with a towel.
Let me wipe thy face. --Shak.
I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping
it, and turning it upside down. --2 Kings xxi.
13.
2. To remove by rubbing; to rub off; to obliterate; --
usually followed by away, off or out. Also used
figuratively. ``To wipe out our ingratitude.'' --Shak.
Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them
soon. --Milton.
3. To cheat; to defraud; to trick; -- usually followed by
out. [Obs.] --Spenser.
If they by coveyne [covin] or gile be wiped beside
their goods. --Robynson
(More's
Utopia)
{To wipe a joint} (Plumbing), to make a joint, as between
pieces of lead pipe, by surrounding the junction with a
mass of solder, applied in a plastic condition by means of
a rag with which the solder is shaped by rubbing.
{To wipe the nose of}, to cheat. [Old Slang]
Wipe \Wipe\, n.
1. Act of rubbing, esp. in order to clean.
2. A blow; a stroke; a hit; a swipe. [Low]
3. A gibe; a jeer; a severe sarcasm. --Swift.
4. A handkerchief. [Thieves' Cant or Slang]
5. Stain; brand. [Obs.] ``Slavish wipe.'' --Shak.
Wiper \Wip"er\, n.
1. One who, or that which, wipes.
2. Something used for wiping, as a towel or rag.
3. (Mach.) A piece generally projecting from a rotating or
swinging piece, as an axle or rock shaft, for the purpose
of raising stampers, lifting rods, or the like, and
leaving them to fall by their own weight; a kind of cam.
4. (Firearms) A rod, or an attachment for a rod, for holding
a rag with which to wipe out the bore of the barrel.
Wirble \Wir"ble\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wirbled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wirbling}.] [Cf. {Warble}, {Whirl}.]
To whirl; to eddy. [R.]
The waters went wirbling above and around. --Owen.
Meredith.
Wirche \Wirche\, v. i. & t.
To work [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wire \Wire\, n. [OE. wir, AS. wir; akin to Icel. v[=i]rr, Dan.
vire, LG. wir, wire; cf. OHG. wiara fine gold; perhaps akin
to E. withy. ????.]
1. A thread or slender rod of metal; a metallic substance
formed to an even thread by being passed between grooved
rollers, or drawn through holes in a plate of steel.
Note: Wire is made of any desired form, as round, square,
triangular, etc., by giving this shape to the hole in
the drawplate, or between the rollers.
2. A telegraph wire or cable; hence, an electric telegraph;
as, to send a message by wire. [Colloq.]
{Wire bed}, {Wire mattress}, an elastic bed bottom or
mattress made of wires interwoven or looped together in
various ways.
{Wire bridge}, a bridge suspended from wires, or cables made
of wire.
{Wire cartridge}, a shot cartridge having the shot inclosed
in a wire cage.
{Wire cloth}, a coarse cloth made of woven metallic wire, --
used for strainers, and for various other purposes.
{Wire edge}, the thin, wirelike thread of metal sometimes
formed on the edge of a tool by the stone in sharpening
it.
{Wire fence}, a fence consisting of posts with strained
horizontal wires, wire netting, or other wirework,
between.
{Wire gauge} or {gage}.
(a) A gauge for measuring the diameter of wire, thickness
of sheet metal, etc., often consisting of a metal
plate with a series of notches of various widths in
its edge.
(b) A standard series of sizes arbitrarily indicated, as
by numbers, to which the diameter of wire or the
thickness of sheet metal in usually made, and which is
used in describing the size or thickness. There are
many different standards for wire gauges, as in
different countries, or for different kinds of metal,
the Birmingham wire gauges and the American wire gauge
being often used and designated by the abbreviations
B. W. G. and A. W. G. respectively.
{Wire gauze}, a texture of finely interwoven wire, resembling
gauze.
{Wire grass} (Bot.), either of the two common grasses
{Eleusine Indica}, valuable for hay and pasture, and {Poa
compressa}, or blue grass. See {Blue grass}.
{Wire grub} (Zo["o]l.), a wireworm.
{Wire iron}, wire rods of iron.
{Wire lathing}, wire cloth or wire netting applied in the
place of wooden lathing for holding plastering.
{Wire mattress}. See {Wire bed}, above.
{Wire micrometer}, a micrometer having spider lines, or fine
wires, across the field of the instrument.
{Wire nail}, a nail formed of a piece of wire which is headed
and pointed.
{Wire netting}, a texture of woven wire coarser than ordinary
wire gauze.
{Wire rod}, a metal rod from which wire is formed by drawing.
{Wire rope}, a rope formed wholly, or in great part, of
wires.
Wire \Wire\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wired}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wiring}.]
1. To bind with wire; to attach with wires; to apply wire to;
as, to wire corks in bottling liquors.
2. To put upon a wire; as, to wire beads.
3. To snare by means of a wire or wires.
4. To send (a message) by telegraph. [Colloq.]
Wire \Wire\, v. i.
1. To pass like a wire; to flow in a wirelike form, or in a
tenuous stream. [R.] --P. Fletcher.
2. To send a telegraphic message. [Colloq.]
Wiredraw \Wire"draw`\, v. t. [imp. {Wiredrew}; p. p.
{Wiredrawn}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wiredrawing}.]
1. To form (a piece of metal) into wire, by drawing it
through a hole in a plate of steel.
2. Hence, to draw by art or violence.
My sense has been wiredrawn into blasphemy.
--Dryden.
3. Hence, also, to draw or spin out to great length and
tenuity; as, to wiredraw an argument.
Such twisting, such wiredrawing, was never seen in a
court of justice. --Macaulay.
4. (Steam Engine) To pass, or to draw off, (as steam) through
narrow ports, or the like, thus reducing its pressure or
force by friction.
Wire-drawer \Wire"-draw`er\, n.
One who draws metal into wire.
Wire-heel \Wire"-heel`\, n. (Far.)
A disease in the feet of a horse or other beast.
Wire-puller \Wire"-pull`er\, n.
One who pulls the wires, as of a puppet; hence, one who
operates by secret means; an intriguer.
Political wire-pullers and convention packers.
--Lowell.
Wire-pulling \Wire"-pull`ing\, n.
The act of pulling the wires, as of a puppet; hence, secret
influence or management, especially in politics; intrigue.
Wire-tailed \Wire"-tailed`\, a. (Zo["o]l.)
Having some or all of the tail quills terminated in a long,
slender, pointed shaft, without a web or barbules.
Wirework \Wire"work`\, n.
Work, especially openwork, formed of wires.
Wire-worker \Wire"-work`er\, n.
One who manufactures articles from wire.
Wireworm \Wire"worm`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) One of the larv[ae] of various species of snapping
beetles, or elaters; -- so called from their slenderness
and the uncommon hardness of the integument. Wireworms
are sometimes very destructive to the roots of plants.
Called also {wire grub}.
(b) A galleyworm.
Wiriness \Wir"i*ness\, n.
The quality of being wiry.
Wiry \Wir"y\, a. [Written also wiery.]
1. Made of wire; like wire; drawn out like wire.
2. Capable of endurance; tough; sinewy; as, a wiry frame or
constitution. ``A little wiry sergeant of meek demeanor
and strong sense.'' --Dickens.
He bore his age well, and seemed to retain a wiry
vigor and alertness. --Hawthorne.
Wis \Wis\, adv. [Aphetic form of iwis, ywis; or fr. Icel. viss
certain. See {Ywis}.]
Certainly; really; indeed. [Obs.] ``As wis God helpe me.''
--Chaucer.
Wis \Wis\, v. t. [Due to mistaking OE. iwis certain, AS. gewiss,
for I wis. See {Ywis}.]
To think; to suppose; to imagine; -- used chiefly in the
first person sing. present tense, I wis. See the Note under
{Ywis}. [Obs. or Poetic] ``Howe'er you wis.'' --R. Browning.
Nor do I know how long it is (For I have lain
entranced, I wis). --Coleridge.
Wisard \Wis"ard\, n.
See {Wizard}.
Wisdom \Wis"dom\ (-d[u^]m), n. [AS. w[imac]sd[=o]m. See {Wise},
a., and {-dom}.]
1. The quality of being wise; knowledge, and the capacity to
make due use of it; knowledge of the best ends and the
best means; discernment and judgment; discretion;
sagacity; skill; dexterity.
We speak also not in wise words of man's wisdom, but
in the doctrine of the spirit. --Wyclif (1
Cor. ii. 13).
Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to
depart from evil is understanding. --Job xxviii.
28.
It is hoped that our rulers will act with dignity
and wisdom that they will yield everything to
reason, and refuse everything to force. --Ames.
Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world
calls wisdom. --Coleridge.
2. The results of wise judgments; scientific or practical
truth; acquired knowledge; erudition.
Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the
Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
--Acts vii.
22.
Syn: Prudence; knowledge.
Usage: {Wisdom}, {Prudence}, {Knowledge}. Wisdom has been
defined to be ``the use of the best means for
attaining the best ends.'' ``We conceive,'' says
Whewell, `` prudence as the virtue by which we select
right means for given ends, while wisdom implies the
selection of right ends as well as of right means.''
Hence, wisdom implies the union of high mental and
moral excellence. Prudence (that is, providence, or
forecast) is of a more negative character; it rather
consists in avoiding danger than in taking decisive
measures for the accomplishment of an object. Sir
Robert Walpole was in many respects a prudent
statesman, but he was far from being a wise one. Burke
has said that prudence, when carried too far,
degenerates into a ``reptile virtue,'' which is the
more dangerous for its plausible appearance.
Knowledge, a more comprehensive term, signifies the
simple apprehension of facts or relations. ``In
strictness of language,'' says Paley, `` there is a
difference between knowledge and wisdom; wisdom always
supposing action, and action directed by it.''
Knowledge and wisdom, far from being one, Have
ofttimes no connection. Knowledge dwells In
heads replete with thoughts of other men;
Wisdom, in minds attentive to their own.
Knowledge, a rude, unprofitable mass, The mere
materials with which wisdom builds, Till
smoothed, and squared, and fitted to its place,
Does but encumber whom it seems to enrich.
Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much;
Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.
--Cowper.
{Wisdom tooth}, the last, or back, tooth of the full set on
each half of each jaw in man; -- familiarly so called,
because appearing comparatively late, after the person may
be supposed to have arrived at the age of wisdom. See the
Note under {Tooth}, 1.
Wise \Wise\, a. [Compar. {Wiser}; superl. {Wisest}.] [OE. wis,
AS. w[=i]s; akin to OS. & OFries. w[=i]s, D. wijs, G. weise,
OHG. w[=i]s, w[=i]si, Icel. v[=i]ss, Sw. vis, Dan. viis,
Goth. weis; akin to wit, v. i. See {Wit}, v., and cf.
{Righteous}, {Wisdom}.]
1. Having knowledge; knowing; enlightened; of extensive
information; erudite; learned.
They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have
no knowledge. --Jer. iv. 22.
2. Hence, especially, making due use of knowledge; discerning
and judging soundly concerning what is true or false,
proper or improper; choosing the best ends and the best
means for accomplishing them; sagacious.
When clouds appear, wise men put their cloaks.
--Shak.
From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures,
which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. --2
Tim. iii. 15.
3. Versed in art or science; skillful; dexterous;
specifically, skilled in divination.
Fal. There was, mine host, an old fat woman even now
with me; but she's gone. Sim. Pray you, sir, was't
not the wise woman of Brentford? --Shak.
4. Hence, prudent; calculating; shrewd; wary; subtle; crafty.
[R.] ``Thou art . . . no novice, but a governor wily and
wise.'' --Chaucer.
Nor, on the other side, Will I be penuriously wise
As to make money, that's my slave, my idol. --Beau.
& Fl.
Lords do not care for me: I am too wise to die yet.
--Ford.
5. Dictated or guided by wisdom; containing or exhibiting
wisdom; well adapted to produce good effects; judicious;
discreet; as, a wise saying; a wise scheme or plan; wise
conduct or management; a wise determination. ``Eminent in
wise deport.'' --Milton.
{To make it wise}, to make it a matter of deliberation.
[Obs.] `` We thought it was not worth to make it wise.''
--Chaucer.
{Wise in years}, old enough to be wise; wise from age and
experience; hence, aged; old. [Obs.]
A very grave, state bachelor, my dainty one; He's
wise in years, and of a temperate warmth. --Ford.
You are too wise in years, too full of counsel, For
my green experience. --Ford.
Wise \Wise\, a. [OE. wise, AS. w[=i]se; akin to OS. w[=i]sa,
OFries. w[=i]s, D. wijs, wijze, OHG. w[=i]sa, G. weise, Sw.
vis, Dan. viis, Icel. ["o]?ruv[=i]s otherwise; from the root
of E. wit; hence, originally, knowledge, skill. See {Wit},
v., and cf. {Guise}.]
Way of being or acting; manner; mode; fashion. ``All armed in
complete wise.'' --Spenser.
To love her in my beste wyse. --Chaucer.
This song she sings in most commanding wise. --Sir P.
Sidney.
Let not these blessings then, sent from above, Abused
be, or spilt in profane wise. --Fairfax.
Note: This word is nearly obsolete, except in such phrases as
in any wise, in no wise, on this wise, etc. `` Fret not
thyself in any wise to do evil.'' --Ps. xxxvii. 8. ``He
shall in no wise lose his reward.'' --Matt. x. 42. ``
On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel.''
--Num. vi. 23.
Note: Wise is often used as a suffix in composition, as in
likewise, nowise, lengthwise, etc., in which words
-ways is often substituted with the same sense; as,
noways, lengthways, etc.
Wiseacre \Wise"a*cre\, n. [OD. wijssegger or G. weissager a
foreteller, prophet, from weissagen to foretell, to prophesy,
OHG. w[=i]ssag?n, corrupted (as if compounded of the words
for wise and say) fr. w[=i]zzag?n, fr. w[=i]zzag? a prophet,
akin to AS. w[=i]tiga, w[=i]tga, from the root of E. wit. See
{Wit}, v.]
1. A learned or wise man. [Obs.]
Pythagoras learned much . . . becoming a mighty
wiseacre. --Leland.
2. One who makes undue pretensions to wisdom; a would-be-wise
person; hence, in contempt, a simpleton; a dunce.
Wise-hearted \Wise"-heart`ed\, a.
Wise; knowing; skillful; sapient; erudite; prudent. --Ex.
xxviii. 3.
Wise-like \Wise"-like`\, a.
Resembling that which is wise or sensible; judicious.
The only wise-like thing I heard anybody say. --Sir W.
Scott.
Wiseling \Wise"ling\, n.
One who pretends to be wise; a wiseacre; a witling. --Donne.
Wisely \Wise"ly\, adv.
In a wise manner; prudently; judiciously; discreetly; with
wisdom.
And wisely learn to curb thy sorrows wild. --Milton.
Wiseness \Wise"ness\, n.
Wisdom. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Wish \Wish\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wished}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wishing}.] [OE. wischen, weschen, wuschen, AS. w?scan; akin
to D. wenschen, G. w["u]nschen, Icel. [ae]eskja, Dan.
["o]nske, Sw. ["o]nska; from AS. w?sc a wish; akin to OD. &
G. wunsch, OHG. wunsc, Icel. ?sk, Skr. v[=a]?ch[=a] a wish,
v[=a]?ch to wish; also to Skr. van to like, to wish. ?. See
{Winsome}, {Win}, v. t., and cf. {Wistful}.]
1. To have a desire or yearning; to long; to hanker.
They cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished
for the day. --Acts xxvii.
29.
This is as good an argument as an antiquary could
wish for. --Arbuthnot.
Wish \Wish\, v. t.
1. To desire; to long for; to hanker after; to have a mind or
disposition toward.
I would not wish Any companion in the world but you.
--Shak.
I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper.
--3. John 2.
2. To frame or express desires concerning; to invoke in favor
of, or against, any one; to attribute, or cal down, in
desire; to invoke; to imprecate.
I would not wish them to a fairer death. --Shak.
I wish it may not prove some ominous foretoken of
misfortune to have met with such a miser as I am.
--Sir P.
Sidney.
Let them be driven backward, and put to shame, that
wish me evil. --Ps. xl. 14.
3. To recommend; to seek confidence or favor in behalf of.
[Obs.] --Shak.
I would be glad to thrive, sir, And I was wished to
your worship by a gentleman. --B. Jonson.
Syn: See {Desire}.
Wish \Wish\, n.
1. Desire; eager desire; longing.
Behold, I am according to thy wish in God a stead.
--Job xxxiii.
6.
2. Expression of desire; request; petition; hence, invocation
or imprecation.
Blistered be thy tongue for such a wish. --Shak.
3. A thing desired; an object of desire.
Will he, wise, let loose at once his ire . . . To
give his enemies their wish! --Milton.
Wishable \Wish"a*ble\, a.
Capable or worthy of being wished for; desirable. --Udall.
Wishbone \Wish"bone`\, n.
The forked bone in front of the breastbone in birds; --
called also {merrythought}, and {wishing bone}. See
{Merrythought}, and {Furculum}.
Wishedly \Wish"ed*ly\, adv.
According to wish; conformably to desire. [Obs.] --Chapman.
Wisher \Wish"er\, n.
One who wishes or desires; one who expresses a wish. --Shak.
Wishful \Wish"ful\, a. [Cf. {Wistful}.]
1. Having desire, or ardent desire; longing.
2. Showing desire; as, wishful eyes.
From Scotland am I stolen, even of pure love To
greet mine own land with my wishful sight. --Shak.
3. Desirable; exciting wishes. [R.] --Chapman. --
{Wish"ful*ly}, adv. -- {Wish"ful*ness}, n.
Wishing \Wish"ing\,
a. & n. from {Wish}, v. t.
{Wishing bone}. See {Wishbone}.
{Wishing cap}, a cap fabled to give one whatever he wishes
for when wearing it.
Wishly \Wish"ly\, adv.
According to desire; longingly; with wishes. [Obs. or Prov.
Eng.] --Chapman.
Wishtonwish \Wish"ton*wish\, n. [Probably of American Indian
origin.] (Zo["o]l.)
The prairie dog.
Wish-wash \Wish"-wash`\, n.
Any weak, thin drink.
Wishy-washy \Wish"y-wash`y\, a. [See {Wash}.]
Thin and pale; weak; without strength or substance; --
originally said of liquids. Fig., weak-minded; spiritless.
A weak wishy-washy man who had hardly any mind of his
own. --A. Trollope.
Wishy-washy \Wish"y-wash`y\, n.
A weak or thin drink or liquor; wish-wash.
Wisket \Wis"ket\, n.
A whisket, or basket. [Prov. Eng.] --Ainsworth.
Wisly \Wis"ly\, adv. [See {Wis}, adv.]
Certainly. [Obs.] ``God so wisly have mercy on me.''
--Chaucer.
Wisp \Wisp\, n. [OE. wisp, wips; probably akin to D. & G. wisch,
Icel. visk, and perhaps to L. virga a twig, rod. Cf. {Verge}
a rod, {Whisk}, n.]
1. A small bundle, as of straw or other like substance.
In a small basket, on a wisp of hay. --Dryden.
2. A whisk, or small broom.
3. A Will-o'-the-wisp; an ignis fatuus.
The wisp that flickers where no foot can tread.
--Tennyson.
Wisp \Wisp\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wisped}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wisping}.]
1. To brush or dress, an with a wisp.
2. To rumple. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
Wispen \Wisp"en\, a.
Formed of a wisp, or of wisp; as, a wispen broom. [Obs.]
Wisse \Wis"se\, v. t. [AS. w[=i]sian. See {Wise}, a.]
To show; to teach; to inform; to guide; to direct. [Obs.]
Ere we depart I shall thee so well wisse That of mine
house ne shalt thou never misse. --Chaucer.
Wist \Wist\, archaic imp. & p. p. of {Wit}, v.
Knew.
Wistaria \Wis*ta"ri*a\, n. [NL.] [So named after Caspar Wistar,
an American anatomist.] (Bot.)
A genus of climbing leguminous plants bearing long, pendulous
clusters of pale bluish flowers.
Note: The species commonest in cultivation is the {Wistaria
Sinensis} from Eastern Asia. {W. fruticosa} grows wild
in the southern parts of the United States.
Wistful \Wist"ful\, a. [For wishful; perhaps influenced by
wistly, which is probably corrupted from OE. wisly certainly
(from Icel. viss certain, akin to E. wit). See {Wish}.]
1. Longing; wishful; desirous.
Lifting up one of my sashes, I cast many a wistful,
melancholy look towards the sea. --Swift.
2. Full of thought; eagerly attentive; meditative; musing;
pensive; contemplative.
That he who there at such an hour hath been, Will
wistful linger on that hallowed spot. --Byron.
-- {Wist"ful*ly}, adv. -- {Wist"ful*ness}, n.
Wistit \Wis"tit\, n. [Prob. from native name: cf. F. ouistiti.]
(Zo["o]l.)
A small South American monkey; a marmoset. [Written also
{wistiti}, and {ouistiti}.]
Wistly \Wist"ly\, adv. [See {Wistful}.]
Attentively; observingly. [Obs.] --Shak.
Wistonwish \Wis"ton*wish\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Wishtonwish}.
Wit \Wit\, v. t. & i. [inf. (To) {Wit}; pres. sing. {Wot}; pl.
{Wite}; imp. {Wist(e)}; p. p. {Wist}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wit(t)ing}. See the Note below.] [OE. witen, pres. ich wot,
wat, I know (wot), imp. wiste, AS. witan, pres. w[=a]t, imp.
wiste, wisse; akin to OFries. wita, OS. witan, D. weten, G.
wissen, OHG. wizzan, Icel. vita, Sw. veta, Dan. vide, Goth.
witan to observe, wait I know, Russ. vidiete to see, L.
videre, Gr. ?, Skr. vid to know, learn; cf. Skr. vid to find.
????. Cf. {History}, {Idea}, {Idol}, {-oid}, {Twit}, {Veda},
{Vision}, {Wise}, a. & n., {Wot}.]
To know; to learn. ``I wot and wist alway.'' --Chaucer.
Note: The present tense was inflected as follows; sing. 1st
pers. wot; 2d pers. wost, or wot(t)est; 3d pers. wot,
or wot(t)eth; pl. witen, or wite. The following variant
forms also occur; pres. sing. 1st & 3d pers. wat, woot;
pres. pl. wyten, or wyte, weete, wote, wot; imp. wuste
(Southern dialect); p. pr. wotting. Later, other
variant or corrupt forms are found, as, in Shakespeare,
3d pers. sing. pres. wots.
Brethren, we do you to wit [make you to know] of
the grace of God bestowed on the churches of
Macedonia. --2 Cor. viii.
1.
Thou wost full little what thou meanest.
--Chaucer.
We witen not what thing we prayen here.
--Chaucer.
When that the sooth in wist. --Chaucer.
Note: This verb is now used only in the infinitive, to wit,
which is employed, especially in legal language, to
call attention to a particular thing, or to a more
particular specification of what has preceded, and is
equivalent to namely, that is to say.
Wit \Wit\, n. [AS. witt, wit; akin to OFries. wit, G. witz, OHG.
wizz[=i], Icel. vit, Dan. vid, Sw. vett. [root]133. See
{Wit}, v.]
1. Mind; intellect; understanding; sense.
Who knew the wit of the Lord? or who was his
counselor? --Wyclif (Rom.
xi. 34).
A prince most prudent, of an excellent And unmatched
wit and judgment. --Shak.
Will puts in practice what wit deviseth. --Sir J.
Davies.
He wants not wit the dander to decline. --Dryden.
2. A mental faculty, or power of the mind; -- used in this
sense chiefly in the plural, and in certain phrases; as,
to lose one's wits; at one's wits' end, and the like.
``Men's wittes ben so dull.'' --Chaucer.
I will stare him out of his wits. --Shak.
3. Felicitous association of objects not usually connected,
so as to produce a pleasant surprise; also. the power of
readily combining objects in such a manner.
The definition of wit is only this, that it is a
propriety of thoughts and words; or, in other terms,
thoughts and words elegantly adapted to the subject.
--Dryden.
Wit which discovers partial likeness hidden in
general diversity. --Coleridge.
Wit lying most in the assemblage of ideas, and
putting those together with quickness and variety
wherein can be found any resemblance or congruity,
thereby to make up pleasant pictures in the fancy.
--Locke.
4. A person of eminent sense or knowledge; a man of genius,
fancy, or humor; one distinguished for bright or amusing
sayings, for repartee, and the like.
In Athens, where books and wits were ever busier
than in any other part of Greece, I find but only
two sorts of writings which the magistrate cared to
take notice of; those either blasphemous and
atheistical, or libelous. --Milton.
Intemperate wits will spare neither friend nor foe.
--L'Estrange.
A wit herself, Amelia weds a wit. --Young.
{The five wits}, the five senses; also, sometimes, the five
qualities or faculties, common wit, imagination, fantasy,
estimation, and memory. --Chaucer. Nares.
But my five wits nor my five senses can Dissuade one
foolish heart from serving thee. --Shak.
Syn: Ingenuity; humor; satire; sarcasm; irony; burlesque.
Usage: {Wit}, {Humor}. Wit primarily meant mind; and now
denotes the power of seizing on some thought or
occurrence, and, by a sudden turn, presenting it under
aspects wholly new and unexpected -- apparently
natural and admissible, if not perfectly just, and
bearing on the subject, or the parties concerned, with
a laughable keenness and force. ``What I want,'' said
a pompous orator, aiming at his antagonist, ``is
common sense.'' ``Exactly!'' was the whispered reply.
The pleasure we find in wit arises from the ingenuity
of the turn, the sudden surprise it brings, and the
patness of its application to the case, in the new and
ludicrous relations thus flashed upon the view. Humor
is a quality more congenial to the English mind than
wit. It consists primarily in taking up the
peculiarities of a humorist (or eccentric person) and
drawing them out, as Addison did those of Sir Roger de
Coverley, so that we enjoy a hearty, good-natured
laugh at his unconscious manifestation of whims and
oddities. From this original sense the term has been
widened to embrace other sources of kindly mirth of
the same general character. In a well-known caricature
of English reserve, an Oxford student is represented
as standing on the brink of a river, greatly agitated
at the sight of a drowning man before him, and crying
out, ``O that I had been introduced to this gentleman,
that I might save his life! The, ``Silent Woman'' of
Ben Jonson is one of the most humorous productions, in
the original sense of the term, which we have in our
language.
Witch \Witch\, n. [Cf. {Wick} of a lamp.]
A cone of paper which is placed in a vessel of lard or other
fat, and used as a taper. [Prov. Eng.]
Witch \Witch\, n. [OE. wicche, AS. wicce, fem., wicca, masc.;
perhaps the same word as AS. w[=i]tiga, w[=i]tga, a
soothsayer (cf. {Wiseacre}); cf. Fries. wikke, a witch, LG.
wikken to predict, Icel. vitki a wizard, vitka to bewitch.]
1. One who practices the black art, or magic; one regarded as
possessing supernatural or magical power by compact with
an evil spirit, esp. with the Devil; a sorcerer or
sorceress; -- now applied chiefly or only to women, but
formerly used of men as well.
There was a man in that city whose name was Simon, a
witch. --Wyclif (Acts
viii. 9).
He can not abide the old woman of Brentford; he
swears she's a witch. --Shak.
2. An ugly old woman; a hag. --Shak.
3. One who exercises more than common power of attraction; a
charming or bewitching person; also, one given to
mischief; -- said especially of a woman or child.
[Colloq.]
4. (Geom.) A certain curve of the third order, described by
Maria Agnesi under the name versiera.
5. (Zo["o]l.) The stormy petrel.
{Witch balls}, a name applied to the interwoven rolling
masses of the stems of herbs, which are driven by the
winds over the steppes of Tartary. Cf. {Tumbleweed}.
--Maunder (Treas. of Bot.)
{Witches' besoms} (Bot.), tufted and distorted branches of
the silver fir, caused by the attack of some fungus.
--Maunder (Treas. of Bot.)
{Witches' butter} (Bot.), a name of several gelatinous
cryptogamous plants, as {Nostoc commune}, and {Exidia
glandulosa}. See {Nostoc}.
{Witch grass} (Bot.), a kind of grass ({Panicum capillare})
with minute spikelets on long, slender pedicels forming a
light, open panicle.
{Witch meal} (Bot.), vegetable sulphur. See under
{Vegetable}.
Witch \Witch\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Witched}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Witching}.] [AS. wiccian.]
To bewitch; to fascinate; to enchant.
[I 'll] witch sweet ladies with my words and looks.
--Shak.
Whether within us or without The spell of this illusion
be That witches us to hear and see. --Lowell.
Witchcraft \Witch"craft`\, n. [AS. wiccecr[ae]ft.]
1. The practices or art of witches; sorcery; enchantments;
intercourse with evil spirits.
2. Power more than natural; irresistible influence.
He hath a witchcraft Over the king in 's tongue.
--Shak.
Witch-elm \Witch"-elm`\, n. (Bot.)
See {Wych-elm}.
Witchery \Witch"er*y\, n.; pl. {Witcheries}.
1. Sorcery; enchantment; witchcraft.
Great Comus, Deep skilled in all his mother's
witcheries. --Milton.
A woman infamous . . . for witcheries. --Sir W.
Scott.
2. Fascination; irresistible influence; enchantment.
He never felt The witchery of the soft blue sky.
--Wordsworth.
The dear, dear witchery of song. --Bryant.
Witch-hazel \Witch"-ha`zel\, n. [See {Wych-elm}, and {Hazel}.]
(Bot.)
The wych-elm.
(b) An American shrub or small tree ({Hamamelis Virginica}),
which blossoms late in autumn.
Witching \Witch"ing\, a.
That witches or enchants; suited to enchantment or
witchcraft; bewitching. ``The very witching time of night.''
--Shak. -- {Witch"ing*ly}, adv.
Witch-tree \Witch"-tree`\, n. (Bot.)
The witch-hazel.
Witchuck \Wit"chuck`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The sand martin, or bank swallow. [Prov. Eng.]
Wit-cracker \Wit"-crack`er\, n.
One who breaks jests; a joker. [Obs.] --Shak.
Witcraft \Wit"craft`\, n.
1. Art or skill of the mind; contrivance; invention; wit.
[Obs.] --Camden.
2. The art of reasoning; logic. [R.]
Wite \Wite\, v. t. [AS. w[=i]tan; akin to D. wijten, G.
verweisen, Icel. v[=i]ta to mulct, and E. wit; cf. AS.
w[=i]tan to see, L. animadvertere to observe, to punish.
????. See {Wit}, v.]
To reproach; to blame; to censure; also, to impute as blame.
[Obs. or Scot.] --Spenser.
Though that I be jealous, wite me not. --Chaucer.
There if that I misspeak or say, Wite it the ale of
Southwark, I you pray. --Chaucer.
Wite \Wite\, n. [AS. w[=i]te punishment. ????. See {Wite}, v.]
Blame; reproach. [Obs. or Scot.] --Chaucer.
Witeless \Wite"less\, a.
Blameless. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Witen \Wit"en\, obs.
pl. pres. of {Wit}. --Chaucer.
Witenagemote \Wit"e*na*ge*mote`\ (?; 277), n. [AS. witena
gem[=o]t an assembly of the wise; wita a wise man + gem[=o]t
assembly.] (AS. Hist.)
A meeting of wise men; the national council, or legislature,
of England in the days of the Anglo-Saxons, before the Norman
Conquest.
Witfish \Wit"fish`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The ladyfish
(a) .
Witful \Wit"ful\, a.
Wise; sensible. [R.] --Chapman.
With \With\, n.
See {Withe}.
With \With\, prep. [OE. with, AS. wi? with, against; akin to AS.
wi?er against, OFries. with, OS. wi?, wi?ar, D. weder,
we[^e]r (in comp.), G. wider against, wieder gain, OHG. widar
again, against, Icel. vi? against, with, by, at, Sw. vid at,
by, Dan. ved, Goth. wipra against, Skr. vi asunder. Cf.
{Withdraw}, {Withers}, {Withstand}.]
With denotes or expresses some situation or relation of
nearness, proximity, association, connection, or the like. It
is used especially:
1. To denote a close or direct relation of opposition or
hostility; -- equivalent to against.
Thy servant will . . . fight with this Philistine.
--1 Sam. xvii.
32.
Note: In this sense, common in Old English, it is now
obsolete except in a few compounds; as, withhold;
withstand; and after the verbs fight, contend,
struggle, and the like.
2. To denote association in respect of situation or
environment; hence, among; in the company of.
I will buy with you, talk with you, walk with you,
and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink
with you, nor pray with you. --Shak.
Pity your own, or pity our estate, Nor twist our
fortunes with your sinking fate. --Dryden.
See where on earth the flowery glories lie; With her
they flourished, and with her they die. --Pope.
There is no living with thee nor without thee.
--Tatler.
Such arguments had invincible force with those pagan
philosophers. --Addison.
3. To denote a connection of friendship, support, alliance,
assistance, countenance, etc.; hence, on the side of.
Fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee.
--Gen. xxvi.
24.
4. To denote the accomplishment of cause, means, instrument,
etc; -- sometimes equivalent to by.
That with these fowls I be all to-rent. --Chaucer.
Thou wilt be like a lover presently, And tire the
hearer with a book of words. --Shak.
[He] entertained a coffeehouse with the following
narrative. --Addison.
With receiving your friends within and amusing them
without, you lead a good, pleasant, bustling life of
it. --Goldsmith.
5. To denote association in thought, as for comparison or
contrast.
Can blazing carbuncles with her compare. --Sandys.
6. To denote simultaneous happening, or immediate succession
or consequence.
With that she told me . . . that she would hide no
truth from me. --Sir P.
Sidney.
With her they flourished, and with her they die.
--Pope.
With this he pointed to his face. --Dryden.
7. To denote having as a possession or an appendage; as, the
firmament with its stars; a bride with a large fortune.
``A maid with clean hands.'' --Shak.
Note: With and by are closely allied in many of their uses,
and it is not easy to lay down a rule by which to
distinguish their uses. See the Note under {By}.
Withal \With*al"\, adv. [With + all.]
1. With this; with that. [Obs.]
He will scarce be pleased withal. --Shak.
2. Together with this; likewise; at the same time; in
addition; also. [Archaic]
Fy on possession But if a man be virtuous withal.
--Chaucer.
If you choose that, then I am yours withal. --Shak.
How modest in exception, and withal How terrible in
constant resolution. --Shak.
Withal \With*al"\, prep.
With; -- put after its object, at the end of sentence or
clause in which it stands. [Obs.]
This diamond he greets your wife withal. --Shak.
Whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be
defiled withal. --Lev. v. 3.
Withamite \With"am*ite\ (w[i^][th]"am*[imac]t), n. [From its
discoverer, H. Witham.] (Min.)
A variety of epidote, of a reddish color, found in Scotland.
Withdraw \With*draw"\ (w[i^][th]*dr[add]"), v. t. [imp.
{Withdrew} (-dr[udd]"); p. p. {Withdrawn} (-dr[add]n"); p.
pr. & vb. n. {Withdrawing}.] [With against + draw.]
1. To take back or away, as what has been bestowed or
enjoyed; to draw back; to cause to move away or retire;
as, to withdraw aid, favor, capital, or the like.
Impossible it is that God should withdraw his
presence from anything. --Hooker.
2. To take back; to recall or retract; as, to withdraw false
charges.
Withdraw \With*draw"\, v. i.
To retire; to retreat; to quit a company or place; to go
away; as, he withdrew from the company. ``When the sea
withdrew.'' --King Horn.
Syn: To recede; retrograde; go back.
Withdrawal \With*draw"al\, n.
The act of withdrawing; withdrawment; retreat; retraction.
--Fielding.
Withdrawer \With*draw"er\, n.
One who withdraws; one who takes back, or retracts.
Withdrawing-room \With*draw"ing-room`\, n. [See {Withdraw}, and
cf. {Drawing-room}.]
A room for retirement from another room, as from a dining
room; a drawing-room.
A door in the middle leading to a parlor and
withdrawing-room. --Sir W.
Scott.
Withdrawment \With*draw"ment\, n.
The act of withdrawing; withdrawal. --W. Belsham.
Withe \Withe\ (?; 277), n. [OE. withe. ????. See {Withy}, n.]
[Written also {with}.]
1. A flexible, slender twig or branch used as a band; a
willow or osier twig; a withy.
2. A band consisting of a twig twisted.
3. (Naut.) An iron attachment on one end of a mast or boom,
with a ring, through which another mast or boom is rigged
out and secured; a wythe. --R. H. Dana, Jr.
4. (Arch.) A partition between flues in a chimney.
Withe \Withe\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Withed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Withing}.]
To bind or fasten with withes.
You shall see him withed, and haltered, and staked, and
baited to death. --Bp. Hall.
Wither \With"er\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Withered}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Withering}.] [OE. wideren; probably the same word as
wederen to weather (see {Weather}, v. & n.); or cf. G.
verwittern to decay, to be weather-beaten, Lith. vysti to
wither.]
1. To fade; to lose freshness; to become sapless; to become
sapless; to dry or shrivel up.
Shall he hot pull up the roots thereof, and cut off
the fruit thereof, that it wither? --Ezek. xvii.
9.
2. To lose or want animal moisture; to waste; to pin? away,
as animal bodies.
This is man, old, wrinkled, faded, withered. --Shak.
There was a man which had his hand withered. --Matt.
xii. 10.
Now warm in love, now with'ring in the grave.
--Dryden.
3. To lose vigor or power; to languish; to pass away. ``Names
that must not wither.'' --Byron.
States thrive or wither as moons wax and wane.
--Cowper.
Wither \With"er\, v. t.
1. To cause to fade, and become dry.
The sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but
it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof
falleth. --James i. 11.
2. To cause to shrink, wrinkle, or decay, for want of animal
moisture. ``Age can not {wither} her.'' --Shak.
Shot forth pernicious fire Among the accursed, that
withered all their strength. --Milton.
3. To cause to languish, perish, or pass away; to blight; as,
a reputation withered by calumny.
The passions and the cares that wither life.
--Bryant.
Witherband \With"er*band`\, n. [Withers + band.] (Far.)
A piece of iron in a saddle near a horse's withers, to
strengthen the bow.
Withered \With"ered\, a.
Faded; dried up; shriveled; wilted; wasted; wasted away. --
{With"ered*ness}, n. --Bp. Hall.
Withering \With"er*ing\, a.
Tending to wither; causing to shrink or fade. --
{With"er*ing*ly}, adv.
Witherite \With"er*ite\, n. [So called after Dr. W. Withering.]
(Min.)
Barium carbonate occurring in white or gray six-sided twin
crystals, and also in columnar or granular masses.
Witherling \With"er*ling\, n. [Wither + -ling.]
A withered person; one who is decrepit. [Obs.] --Chapman.
Withernam \With"er*nam\, n. [AS. wi[eth]ern[=a]m; wi[eth]er
against + n[=a]m a seizure, fr. niman to take.] (Law)
A second or reciprocal distress of other goods in lieu of
goods which were taken by a first distress and have been
eloigned; a taking by way of reprisal; -- chiefly used in the
expression capias in withernam, which is the name of a writ
used in connection with the action of replevin (sometimes
called a writ of reprisal), which issues to a defendant in
replevin when he has obtained judgment for a return of the
chattels replevied, and fails to obtain them on the writ of
return. --Blackstone.
Withe-rod \Withe"-rod`\, n. (Bot.)
A North American shrub ({Viburnum nudum}) whose tough
osierlike shoots are sometimes used for binding sheaves.
Withers \With"ers\, n. pl. [Properly, the parts which resist the
pull or strain in drawing a load; fr. OE. wither resistance,
AS. wi[eth]re, fr. wi[eth]er against; akin to G. widerrist
withers. See {With}, prep.]
The ridge between the shoulder bones of a horse, at the base
of the neck. See Illust. of {Horse}.
Let the galled jade wince; our withers are unwrung.
--Shak.
Wither-wrung \With"er-wrung`\, a.
Injured or hurt in the withers, as a horse.
Withhold \With*hold"\, v. t. [imp. {Withheld}; p. p. {Withheld},
Obs. or Archaic {Withholden}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Withholding}.]
[With again, against, back + hold.]
1. To hold back; to restrain; to keep from action.
Withhold, O sovereign prince, your hasty hand From
knitting league with him. --Spenser.
2. To retain; to keep back; not to grant; as, to withhold
assent to a proposition.
Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold Longer
thy offered good. --Milton.
3. To keep; to maintain; to retain. [Obs.]
To withhold it the more easily in heart. --Chaucer.
Withholder \With*hold"er\, n.
One who withholds.
Withholdment \With*hold"ment\, n.
The act of withholding.
Within \With*in"\, prep. [OE. withinne, withinnen, AS.
wi[eth]innan; wi[eth] with, against, toward + innan in,
inwardly, within, from in in. See {With}, prep., {In}, prep.]
1. In the inner or interior part of; inside of; not without;
as, within doors.
O, unhappy youth! Come not within these doors;
within this roof The enemy of all your graces lives.
--Shak.
Till this be cured by religion, it is as impossible
for a man to be happy -- that is, pleased and
contented within himself -- as it is for a sick man
to be at ease. --Tillotson.
2. In the limits or compass of; not further in length than;
as, within five miles; not longer in time than; as, within
an hour; not exceeding in quantity; as, expenses kept
within one's income. ``That he repair should again within
a little while.'' --Chaucer.
Within these five hours lived Lord Hastings,
Untainted, unexamined, free, at liberty. --Shak.
3. Hence, inside the limits, reach, or influence of; not
going outside of; not beyond, overstepping, exceeding, or
the like.
Both he and she are still within my power. --Dryden.
Within himself The danger lies, yet lies within his
power. --Milton.
Were every action concluded within itself, and drew
no consequence after it, we should, undoubtedly,
never err in our choice of good. --Locke.
Within \With*in"\, adv.
1. In the inner part; inwardly; internally. ``The wound
festers within.'' --Carew.
Ills from within thy reason must prevent. --Dryden.
2. In the house; in doors; as, the master is within.
Withinforth \With*in"forth`\, adv.
Within; inside; inwardly. [Obs.] --Wyclif.
[It is much greater] labor for to withinforth call into
mind, without sight of the eye withoutforth upon
images, what he before knew and thought upon. --Bp.
Peacock.
Withinside \With*in"side`\, adv.
In the inner parts; inside. [Obs.] --Graves.
Without \With*out"\, prep. [OE. withoute, withouten, AS.
wi[eth]?tan; wi[eth] with, against, toward + ?tan outside,
fr. ?t out. See {With}, prep., {Out}.]
1. On or at the outside of; out of; not within; as, without
doors.
Without the gate Some drive the cars, and some the
coursers rein. --Dryden.
2. Out of the limits of; out of reach of; beyond.
Eternity, before the world and after, is without our
reach. --T. Burnet.
3. Not with; otherwise than with; in absence of, separation
from, or destitution of; not with use or employment of;
independently of; exclusively of; with omission; as,
without labor; without damage.
I wolde it do withouten negligence. --Chaucer.
Wise men will do it without a law. --Bacon.
Without the separation of the two monarchies, the
most advantageous terms . . . must end in our
destruction. --Addison.
There is no living with thee nor without thee.
--Tatler.
{To do without}. See under {Do}.
{Without day} [a translation of L. sine die], without the
appointment of a day to appear or assemble again; finally;
as, the Fortieth Congress then adjourned without day.
{Without recourse}. See under {Recourse}.
Without \With*out"\, conj.
Unless; except; -- introducing a clause.
You will never live to my age without you keep
yourselves in breath with exercise, and in heart with
joyfulness. --Sir P.
Sidney.
Note: Now rarely used by good writers or speakers.
Without \With*out"\, adv.
1. On or art the outside; not on the inside; not within;
outwardly; externally.
Without were fightings, within were fears. --2 Cor.
vii. 5.
2. Outside of the house; out of doors.
The people came unto the house without. --Chaucer.
Without-door \With*out"-door`\, a.
Outdoor; exterior. [Obs.] ``Her without-door form.'' --Shak.
Withouten \With*out"en\, prep.
Without. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Withoutforth \With*out"forth`\, adv.
Without; outside' outwardly. Cf. {Withinforth}. [Obs.]
--Chaucer.
Withsay \With*say"\, v. t.
To contradict; to gainsay; to deny; to renounce. [Obs.]
--Gower.
If that he his Christendom withsay. --Chaucer.
Withset \With*set"\, v. t.
To set against; to oppose. [Obs.] ``Their way he them
withset.'' --R. of Brunne.
Withstand \With*stand"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Withstood}; p. pr.
& vb. n. {Withstanding}.] [AS. wi[eth]standan. See {With},
prep., and {Stand}.]
To stand against; to oppose; to resist, either with physical
or moral force; as, to withstand an attack of troops; to
withstand eloquence or arguments. --Piers Plowman.
I withstood him to the face. --Gal. ii. 11.
Some village Hampden, that, with dauntless breast. The
little tyrant of his fields withstood. --Gray.
Withstander \With*stand"er\, n.
One who withstands, or opposes; an opponent; a resisting
power.
Withstood \With*stood"\, imp. & p. p.
o? {Withstand}.
Withvine \With"vine`\, n. [Withe + vine.] (Bot.)
Quitch grass.
Withwind \With"wind`\, n. [AS. wi[eth]owinde.] (Bot.)
A kind of bindweed ({Convolvulus arvensis}).
He bare a burden ybound with a broad list, In a
withewyndes wise ybounden about. --Piers
Plowman.
Withwine \With"wine`\, n. (Bot.)
Same as {Withvine}.
Withy \With"y\, n.; pl. {Withies}. [OE. withe, wipi, AS.
w[=i]?ig a willow, willow twig; akin to G. weide willow, OHG.
w[=i]da, Icel. v[=i]?ja, a withy, Sw. vide a willow twig,
Dan. vidie a willow, osier, Gr. ?, and probably to L. vitis a
vine, viere to plait, Russ. vite. [root]141. Cf. {Wine},
{Withe}.]
1. (Bot.) The osier willow ({Salix viminalis}). See {Osier},
n.
(a) .
2. A withe. See {Withe}, 1.
Withy \With"y\, a.
Made of withes; like a withe; flexible and tough; also,
abounding in withes.
The stream is brimful now, and lies high in this little
withy plantation. --G. Eliot.
Witing \Wit"ing\, n. [See {Wit}, v.]
Knowledge. [Obs.] ``Withouten witing of any other wight.''
--Chaucer.
Witless \Wit"less\, a.
Destitute of wit or understanding; wanting thought; hence,
indiscreet; not under the guidance of judgment. ``Witless
bravery.'' --Shak.
A witty mother! witless else her son. --Shak.
Witless pity breedeth fruitless love. --Fairfax.
-- {Wit"less*ly}, adv. -- {Wit"less*ness}, n.
Witling \Wit"ling\, n. [Wit + -ling; cf. G. witzling.]
A person who has little wit or understanding; a pretender to
wit or smartness.
A beau and witing perished in the forming. --Pope.
Ye newspaper witlings! ye pert scribbling folks!
--Goldsmith.
Witness \Wit"ness\, n. [AS. witness, gewitnes, from witan to
know. [root]133. See {Wit}, v. i.]
1. Attestation of a fact or an event; testimony.
May we with . . . the witness of a good conscience,
pursue him with any further revenge? --Shak.
If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
--John v. 31.
2. That which furnishes evidence or proof.
Laban said to Jacob, . . . This heap be witness, and
this pillar be witness. --Gen. xxxi.
51, 52.
3. One who is cognizant; a person who beholds, or otherwise
has personal knowledge of, anything; as, an eyewitness; an
earwitness. ``Thyself art witness I am betrothed.''
--Shak.
Upon my looking round, I was witness to appearances
which filled me with melancholy and regret. --R.
Hall.
4. (Law)
(a) One who testifies in a cause, or gives evidence before
a judicial tribunal; as, the witness in court agreed
in all essential facts.
(b) One who sees the execution of an instrument, and
subscribes it for the purpose of confirming its
authenticity by his testimony; one who witnesses a
will, a deed, a marriage, or the like.
{Privileged witnesses}. (Law) See under {Privileged}.
{With a witness}, effectually; to a great degree; with great
force, so as to leave some mark as a testimony. [Colloq.]
This, I confess, is haste with a witness. --South.
Witness \Wit"ness\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Witnessed}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Witnessing}.]
1. To see or know by personal presence; to have direct
cognizance of.
This is but a faint sketch of the incalculable
calamities and horrors we must expect, should we
ever witness the triumphs of modern infidelity. --R.
Hall.
General Washington did not live to witness the
restoration of peace. --Marshall.
2. To give testimony to; to testify to; to attest.
Behold how many things they witness against thee.
--Mark xv. 4.
3. (Law) To see the execution of, as an instrument, and
subscribe it for the purpose of establishing its
authenticity; as, to witness a bond or a deed.
Witness \Wit"ness\, v. i.
To bear testimony; to give evidence; to testify. --Chaucer.
The men of Belial witnessed against him. --1 Kings xxi.
13.
The witnessing of the truth was then so generally
attended with this event [martyrdom] that martyrdom now
signifies not only to witness, but to witness to death.
--South.
Witnesser \Wit"ness*er\, n.
One who witness.
Wit-snapper \Wit"-snap`per\, n.
One who affects repartee; a wit-cracker. [Obs.] --Shak.
Wit-starved \Wit"-starved`\, a.
Barren of wit; destitute of genius. --Examiner.
Witted \Wit"ted\, a.
Having (such) a wit or understanding; as, a quick-witted boy.
Witticaster \Wit"tic*as`ter\, n. [Formed like criticaster.]
A witling. [R.] --Milton.
Witticism \Wit"ti*cism\, n. [From {Witty}.]
A witty saying; a sentence or phrase which is affectedly
witty; an attempt at wit; a conceit. --Milton.
He is full of conceptions, points of epigram, and
witticisms; all which are below the dignity of heroic
verse. --Addison.
Wittified \Wit"ti*fied\, a. [Witty + -fy + -ed.]
Possessed of wit; witty. [R.] --R. North.
Witily \Wi"ti*ly\, adv.
In a witty manner; wisely; ingeniously; artfully; with it;
with a delicate turn or phrase, or with an ingenious
association of ideas.
Who his own harm so wittily contrives. --Dryden.
Wittiness \Wit"ti*ness\, n.
The quality of being witty.
Wittingly \Wit"ting*ly\, adv. [See {Wit}, v.]
Knowingly; with knowledge; by design.
Wittol \Wit"tol\, n. [Said to be for white tail, and so called
in allusion to its white tail; but cf. witwal.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) The wheatear. [Prov. Eng.]
2. A man who knows his wife's infidelity and submits to it; a
tame cuckold; -- so called because the cuckoo lays its
eggs in the wittol's nest. [Obs.] --Shak.
Wittolly \Wit"tol*ly\, a.
Like a wittol; cuckoldly. [Obs.] --Shak.
Witts \Witts\, n. (Mining)
Tin ore freed from earthy matter by stamping. --Knight.
Witty \Wit"ty\, a. [Compar. {Wittier}; superl. {Wittiest}.] [AS.
witig, wittig. See {Wit}, n.]
1. Possessed of wit; knowing; wise; skillful; judicious;
clever; cunning. [Obs.] ``The deep-revolving witty
Buckingham.'' --Shak.
2. Especially, possessing wit or humor; good at repartee;
droll; facetious; sometimes, sarcastic; as, a witty
remark, poem, and the like. ``Honeycomb, who was so
unmercifully witty upon the women.'' --Addison.
Syn: Acute; smart; sharp; arch; keen; facetious; amusing;
humorous; satirical; ironical; taunting.
Witwal \Wit"wal`\, Witwall \Wit"wall`\, n. [Akin to G. wittewal,
wiedewall, MHG. witewal, D. wiedewaal, wielewaal, OD.
weduwael, and perhaps the same word as OE. wodewale. Cf.
{Wood}, n., {Wittol}.] (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The golden oriole.
(b) The greater spotted woodpecker. [Prov. Eng.]
Witworm \Wit"worm`\, n.
One who, or that which, feeds on or destroys wit. [Obs.] --B.
Jonson.
Wive \Wive\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wived}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wiving}.] [AS. w[=i]fian, gew[=i]fian. See {Wite}.]
To marry, as a man; to take a wife.
Wherefore we pray you hastily to wive. --Chaucer.
Wive \Wive\, v. t.
1. To match to a wife; to provide with a wife. ``An I could
get me but a wife . . . I were manned, horsed, and
wived.'' --Shak.
2. To take for a wife; to marry.
I have wived his sister. --Sir W.
Scott.
Wivehood \Wive"hood\, n.
Wifehood. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Wiveless \Wive"less\, a.
Wifeless. [Obs.] --Homilies.
Wively \Wive"ly\, a.
Wifely. [Obs.] --Udall.
Wiver \Wiv"er\, Wivern \Wiv"ern\, n. [OE. wivere a serpent, OF.
wivre, guivre, F. givre, guivre, wiver, from L. vipera;
probably influenced by OHG. wipera, from the Latin. See
{Viper}, and cf. {Weever}.]
1. (Her.) A fabulous two-legged, winged creature, like a
cockatrice, but having the head of a dragon, and without
spurs. [Written also {wyvern}.]
The jargon of heraldry, its griffins, its mold
warps, its wiverns, and its dragons. --Sir W.
Scott.
2. (Zo["o]l.) The weever.
Wives \Wives\, n.,
pl. of {Wife}.
Wizard \Wiz"ard\, n. [Probably from wise + -ard.]
1. A wise man; a sage. [Obs.]
See how from far upon the eastern road The star-led
wizards [Magi] haste with odors sweet! --Milton.
2. One devoted to the black art; a magician; a conjurer; a
sorcerer; an enchanter.
The wily wizard must be caught. --Dryden.
Wizard \Wiz"ard\, a.
1. Enchanting; charming. --Collins.
2. Haunted by wizards.
Where Deva spreads her wizard stream. --Milton.
Wizardly \Wiz"ard*ly\, a.
Resembling or becoming a wizard; wizardlike; weird.
Wizardry \Wiz"ard*ry\, n.
The character or practices o? wizards; sorcery; magic. ``He
acquired a reputation bordering on wizardry.'' --J. A.
Symonds.
Wizen \Wiz"en\, v. i. [OE. wisenen, AS. wisnian akin to weornian
to decay, OHG. wesan?n to grow dry, G. verwesen to rot, Icel.
visna to wither, Sw. vissna, Dan. visne, and probably to L.
virus an offensive odor, poison. Cf. {Virus}.]
To wither; to dry. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
Wizen \Wiz"en\, a.
Wizened; thin; weazen; withered.
A little lonely, wizen, strangely clad boy. --Dickens.
Wizen \Wiz"en\, n.
The weasand. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
Wizened \Wiz"ened\, a.
Dried; shriveled; withered; shrunken; weazen; as, a wizened
old man.
Wizen-faced \Wiz"en-faced`\, a.
Having a shriveled, thin, withered face.
Wlatsome \Wlat"some\, a. [AS. wlatian to disgust, irk, wl?tta
loathing.]
Loathsome; disgusting; hateful. [Obs.]
Murder is . . . wlatsom and abhominable to God.
--Chaucer.
Wo \Wo\, n. & a.
See {Woe}. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Woad \Woad\, n. [OE. wod, AS. w[=a]d; akin to D. weede, G. waid,
OHG. weit, Dan. vaid, veid, Sw. veide, L. vitrum.] [Written
also {wad}, and {wade}.]
1. (Bot.) An herbaceous cruciferous plant ({Isatis
tinctoria}). It was formerly cultivated for the blue
coloring matter derived from its leaves.
2. A blue dyestuff, or coloring matter, consisting of the
powdered and fermented leaves of the Isatis tinctoria. It
is now superseded by indigo, but is somewhat used with
indigo as a ferment in dyeing.
Their bodies . . . painted with woad in sundry
figures. --Milton.
{Wild woad} (Bot.), the weld ({Reseda luteola}). See {Weld}.
{Woad mill}, a mill grinding and preparing woad.
Woaded \Woad"ed\, a.
Colored or stained with woad. ``Man tattoed or woaded,
winter-clad in skins.'' --Tennyson.
Woad-waxen \Woad"-wax`en\, n. [Cf. {Wood-wax}.] (Bot.)
A leguminous plant ({Genista tinctoria}) of Europe and
Russian Asia, and adventitious in America; -- called also
{greenwood}, {greenweed}, {dyer's greenweed}, and {whin},
{wood-wash}, {wood-wax}, and {wood-waxen}.
Woald \Woald\, n.
See {Weld}.
Wobble \Wob"ble\, v. i.
See {Wabble}.
Wode \Wode\, a. [AS. w[=o]d.]
Mad. See {Wood}, a. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] --Chaucer.
Wode \Wode\, n.
Wood. --Chaucer.
Wodegeld \Wode"geld`\, n. [See {Wood}, and {Geld}.] (O. Eng.
Law)
A geld, or payment, for wood. --Burrill.
Woden \Wo"den\, n. [AS. W[=o]den; akin to OS. W[=o]dan, OHG.
Wuotan, Icel. O[eth]inn, and probably to E. wood, a. Cf.
{Wednesday}.] (Northern Myth.)
A deity corresponding to Odin, the supreme deity of the
Scandinavians. Wednesday is named for him. See {Odin}.
Woe \Woe\, n. [OE. wo, wa, woo, AS. w[=a], interj.; akin to D.
wee, OS. & OHG. w[=e], G. weh, Icel. vei, Dan. vee, Sw. ve,
Goth. wai; cf. L. vae, Gr. ?. [root]128. Cf. {Wail}.]
[Formerly written also {wo}.]
1. Grief; sorrow; misery; heavy calamity.
Thus saying, from her side the fatal key, Sad
instrument of all our woe, she took. --Milton.
[They] weep each other's woe. --Pope.
2. A curse; a malediction.
Can there be a woe or curse in all the stores of
vengeance equal to the malignity of such a practice?
--South.
Note: Woe is used in denunciation, and in exclamations of
sorrow. `` Woe is me! for I am undone.'' --Isa. vi. 5.
O! woe were us alive [i.e., in life]. --Chaucer.
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! --Isa.
xlv. 9.
{Woe worth}, Woe be to. See {Worth}, v. i.
Woe worth the chase, woe worth the day, That costs
thy life, my gallant gray! --Sir W.
Scott.
Woe \Woe\, a.
Woeful; sorrowful. [Obs.]
His clerk was woe to do that deed. --Robert of
Brunne.
Woe was this knight and sorrowfully he sighed.
--Chaucer.
And looking up he waxed wondrous woe. --Spenser.
Woe-begone \Woe"-be*gone`\, a. [OE. wo begon. See {Woe}, and
{Begone}, p. p.]
Beset or overwhelmed with woe; immersed in grief or sorrow;
woeful. --Chaucer.
So woe-begone was he with pains of love. --Fairfax.
Woeful \Woe"ful\, Woful \Wo"ful\, a.
1. Full of woe; sorrowful; distressed with grief or calamity;
afflicted; wretched; unhappy; sad.
How many woeful widows left to bow To sad disgrace!
--Daniel.
2. Bringing calamity, distress, or affliction; as, a woeful
event; woeful want.
O woeful day! O day of woe! --Philips.
3. Wretched; paltry; miserable; poor.
What woeful stuff this madrigal would be! --Pope.
Woefully \Woe"ful*ly\, Wofully \Wo"ful*ly\, adv.
In a woeful manner; sorrowfully; mournfully; miserably;
dolefully.
Woefulness \Woe"ful*ness\, Wofulness \Wo"ful*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being woeful; misery; wretchedness.
Woesome \Woe"some\, a.
Woeful. [Obs.] --Langhorne.
Woke \Woke\, imp. & p. p.
{Wake}.
Wol \Wol\, v. t. & i.
See 2d {Will}. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wold \Wold\, n. [OE. wold, wald, AS. weald, wald, a wood,
forest; akin to OFries. & OS. wald, D. woud, G. wald, Icel.
v["o]llr, a field, and probably to Gr. ? a grove, Skr.
v[=a]?a a garden, inclosure. Cf. {Weald}.]
1. A wood; a forest.
2. A plain, or low hill; a country without wood, whether
hilly or not.
And from his further bank [AE]tolia's wolds espied.
--Byron.
The wind that beats the mountain, blows More softly
round the open wold. --Tennyson.
Wold \Wold\, n.
See {Weld}.
Wolde \Wolde\, obs.
imp. of {Will}. See {Would}.
Wolf \Wolf\, n.; pl. {Wolves}. [OE. wolf, wulf, AS. wulf; akin
to OS. wulf, D. & G. wolf, Icel. [=u]lfr, Sw. ulf, Dan. ulv,
Goth. wulfs, Lith. vilkas, Russ. volk', L. lupus, Gr. ly`kos,
Skr. v[.r]ka; also to Gr. "e`lkein to draw, drag, tear in
pieces. [root]286. Cf. {Lupine}, a., {Lyceum}.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of wild and savage
carnivores belonging to the genus {Canis} and closely
allied to the common dog. The best-known and most
destructive species are the European wolf ({Canis lupus}),
the American gray, or timber, wolf ({C. occidentalis}),
and the prairie wolf, or coyote. Wolves often hunt in
packs, and may thus attack large animals and even man.
2. (Zo["o]l.) One of the destructive, and usually hairy,
larv[ae] of several species of beetles and grain moths;
as, the bee wolf.
3. Fig.: Any very ravenous, rapacious, or destructive person
or thing; especially, want; starvation; as, they toiled
hard to keep the wolf from the door.
4. A white worm, or maggot, which infests granaries.
5. An eating ulcer or sore. Cf. {Lupus}. [Obs.]
If God should send a cancer upon thy face, or a wolf
into thy side. --Jer. Taylor.
6. (Mus.)
(a) The harsh, howling sound of some of the chords on an
organ or piano tuned by unequal temperament.
(b) In bowed instruments, a harshness due to defective
vibration in certain notes of the scale.
7. (Textile Manuf.) A willying machine. --Knight.
{Black wolf}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A black variety of the European wolf which is common
in the Pyrenees.
(b) A black variety of the American gray wolf.
{Golden wolf} (Zo["o]l.), the Thibetan wolf ({Canis
laniger}); -- called also {chanco}.
{Indian wolf} (Zo["o]l.), an Asiatic wolf ({Canis pallipes})
which somewhat resembles a jackal. Called also {landgak}.
{Prairie wolf} (Zo["o]l.), the coyote.
{Sea wolf}. (Zo["o]l.) See in the Vocabulary.
{Strand wolf} (Zo["o]l.) the striped hyena.
{Tasmanian wolf} (Zo["o]l.), the zebra wolf.
{Tiger wolf} (Zo["o]l.), the spotted hyena.
{To keep the wolf from the door}, to keep away poverty; to
prevent starvation. See {Wolf}, 3, above. --Tennyson.
{Wolf dog}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The mastiff, or shepherd dog, of the Pyrenees,
supposed by some authors to be one of the ancestors of
the St. Bernard dog.
(b) The Irish greyhound, supposed to have been used
formerly by the Danes for chasing wolves.
(c) A dog bred between a dog and a wolf, as the Eskimo
dog.
{Wolf eel} (Zo["o]l.), a wolf fish.
{Wolf fish} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of large,
voracious marine fishes of the genus {Anarrhichas},
especially the common species ({A. lupus}) of Europe and
North America. These fishes have large teeth and powerful
jaws. Called also {catfish}, {sea cat}, {sea wolf}, {stone
biter}, and {swinefish}.
{Wolf net}, a kind of net used in fishing, which takes great
numbers of fish.
{Wolf's peach} (Bot.), the tomato, or love apple
({Lycopersicum esculentum}).
{Wolf spider} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
running ground spiders belonging to the genus {Lycosa}, or
family {Lycosid[ae]}. These spiders run about rapidly in
search of their prey. Most of them are plain brown or
blackish in color. See Illust. in App.
{Zebra wolf} (Zo["o]l.), a savage carnivorous marsupial
({Thylacinus cynocephalus}) native of Tasmania; -- called
also {Tasmanian wolf}.
Wolfberry \Wolf"ber`ry\, n. (Bot.)
An American shrub ({Symphoricarpus occidentalis}) which bears
soft white berries.
Wolffian \Wolff"i*an\, a. (Anat.)
Discovered, or first described, by Caspar Friedrich Wolff
(1733-1794), the founder of modern embryology.
{Wolffian body}, the mesonephros.
{Wolffian duct}, the duct from the Wolffian body.
Wolfish \Wolf"ish\, a.
Like a wolf; having the qualities or form of a wolf; as, a
wolfish visage; wolfish designs. -- {Wolf"ish*ly}, adv. --
{Wolf"ish*ness}, n.
Wolfkin \Wolf"kin\, n.
A little or young wolf. --Tennyson.
Wolfling \Wolf"ling\, n.
A young wolf. --Carlyle.
Wolfram \Wol"fram\, n. [G.] (Min.)
Same as {Wolframite}.
Wolframate \Wol"fram*ate\, n. (Chem.)
A salt of wolframic acid; a tungstate.
Wolframic \Wol*fram"ic\, a. (Chem.)
Of or pertaining to wolframium. See {Tungstic}.
Wolframite \Wol"fram*ite\, n. [G., wolframit, wolfram; wolf wolf
+ rahm cream, soot; cf. G. wolfsruss wolfram, lit., wolf's
soot.] (Min.)
Tungstate of iron and manganese, generally of a brownish or
grayish black color, submetallic luster, and high specific
gravity. It occurs in cleavable masses, and also
crystallized. Called also {wolfram}.
Wolframium \Wol*fra"mi*um\, n. [NL. See {Wolfram}.] (Chem.)
The technical name of the element tungsten. See {Tungsten}.
Wolfsbane \Wolfs"bane`\, n. (Bot.)
A poisonous plant ({Aconitum Lycoctonum}), a kind of
monkshood; also, by extension, any plant or species of the
genus {Aconitum}. See {Aconite}.
Wolf's-claw \Wolf's"-claw`\, n. (Bot.)
A kind of club moss. See {Lycopodium}.
Wolf's-foot \Wolf's"-foot`\, n. (Bot.)
Club moss. See {Lycopodium}.
Wolf's-milk \Wolf's"-milk`\, n. (Bot.)
Any kind of spurge ({Euphorbia}); -- so called from its acrid
milky juice.
Woll \Woll\, v. t. & i.
See 2d {Will}. [Obs.]
Wollastonite \Wol"las*ton*ite\, n. [After Dr. W. H. Wollaston,
an English chemist, who died in 1828.] (Min.)
A silicate of lime of a white to gray, red, or yellow color,
occurring generally in cleavable masses, rarely in tabular
crystals; tabular spar.
Wolle \Wolle\, n.
Wool. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wolverene \Wol`ver*ene"\, Wolverine \Wol`ver*ine"\, n. [From
{Wolf}, with a dim suffix; prob. so called from its supposed
wolfish qualities.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) The glutton.
2. A nickname for an inhabitant of Michigan. [U. S.]
Wolves \Wolves\, n.,
pl. of {Wolf}.
Wolvish \Wolv"ish\, a.
Wolfish. --Shak.
Woman \Wom"an\, n.; pl. {Women}. [OE. woman, womman, wumman,
wimman, wifmon, AS. w[=i]fmann, w[=i]mmann; w[=i]f woman,
wife + mann a man. See {Wife}, and {Man}.]
1. An adult female person; a grown-up female person, as
distinguished from a man or a child; sometimes, any female
person.
Women are soft, mild pitiful, and flexible. --Shak.
And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man,
made he a woman. --Gen. ii. 22.
I have observed among all nations that the women
ornament themselves more than the men; that,
wherever found, they are the same kind, civil,
obliging, humane, tender beings, inclined to be gay
and cheerful, timorous and modest. --J. Ledyard.
2. The female part of the human race; womankind.
Man is destined to be a prey to woman. --Thackeray.
3. A female attendant or servant. `` By her woman I sent your
message.'' --Shak.
{Woman hater}, one who hates women; one who has an aversion
to the female sex; a misogynist. --Swift.
Woman \Wom"an\, v. t.
1. To act the part of a woman in; -- with indefinite it.
--Daniel.
2. To make effeminate or womanish. [R.] --Shak.
3. To furnish with, or unite to, a woman. [R.] ``To have him
see me woman'd.'' --Shak.
Womanhead \Wom"an*head\, Womanhede \Wom"an*hede\, n.
Womanhood. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Womanhood \Wom"an*hood\, n.
1. The state of being a woman; the distinguishing character
or qualities of a woman, or of womankind.
Unspotted faith, and comely womanhood. --Spenser.
Perhaps the smile and the tender tone Came out of
her pitying womanhood. --Tennyson.
2. Women, collectively; womankind.
Womanish \Wom"an*ish\, a.
Suitable to a woman, having the qualities of a woman;
effeminate; not becoming a man; -- usually in a reproachful
sense. See the Note under {Effeminate}. `` Thy tears are
womanish.'' --Shak. `` Womanish entreaties.'' --Macaulay.
A voice not soft, weak, piping, and womanish, but
audible, strong, and manlike. --Ascham.
-- {Wom"an*ish*ly}, adv. -- {Wom"an*ish*ness}, n.
Womanize \Wom"an*ize\, v. t.
To make like a woman; to make effeminate. [Obs.] --V. Knox.
Womankind \Wom"an*kind`\, n.
The females of the human race; women, collectively.
A sanctuary into which womankind, with her tools of
magic, the broom and mop, has very infrequent access.
--Hawthorne.
Womanless \Wom"an*less\, a.
Without a woman or women.
Womanlike \Wom"an*like\, a.
Like a woman; womanly.
Womanlike, taking revenge too deep. --Tennyson.
Womanliness \Wom"an*li*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being womanly.
There is nothing wherein their womanliness is more
honestly garnished than with silence. --Udall.
Womanly \Wom"an*ly\, a.
Becoming a woman; feminine; as, womanly behavior.
--Arbuthnot.
A blushing, womanly discovering grace. --Donne.
Womanly \Wom"an*ly\, adv.
In the manner of a woman; with the grace, tenderness, or
affection of a woman. --Gascoigne.
Womb \Womb\ (w[=oo]m), n. [OE. wombe, wambe, AS. wamb, womb;
akin to D. wam belly, OS. & OHG. wamba, G. wamme, wampe,
Icel. v["o]mb, Sw. v[*a]mb, Dan. vom, Goth. wamba.]
1. The belly; the abdomen. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
And he coveted to fill his woman of the cods that
the hogs eat, and no man gave him. --Wyclif (Luke
xv. 16).
An I had but a belly of any indifferency, I were
simply the most active fellow in Europe. My womb, my
womb, my womb undoes me. --Shak.
2. (Anat.) The uterus. See {Uterus}.
3. The place where anything is generated or produced.
The womb of earth the genial seed receives.
--Dryden.
4. Any cavity containing and enveloping anything.
The center spike of gold Which burns deep in the
bluebell's womb. --R. Browning.
Womb \Womb\, v. t.
To inclose in a womb, or as in a womb; to breed or hold in
secret. [Obs.] --Shak.
Wombat \Wom"bat\, n. [From the native name, womback, wombach, in
Australia.] (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of three species of Australian burrowing marsupials
of the genus {Phascolomys}, especially the common species
({P. ursinus}). They are nocturnal in their habits, and feed
mostly on roots.
Womby \Womb"y\, a.
Capacious. [Obs.] --Shak.
Women \Wom"en\, n.,
pl. of {Woman}.
Won \Won\,
imp. & p. p. of {Win}.
Won \Won\, v. i. [See 1st {Wone}.]
To dwell or abide. [Obs. or Scot.] `` Where he wans in forest
wild.'' --Milton.
This land where I have woned thus long. --Spenser.
Won \Won\, n.
Dwelling; wone. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Wonder \Won"der\, n. [OE. wonder, wunder, AS. wundor; akin to D.
wonder, OS. wundar, OHG. wuntar, G. wunder, Icel. undr, Sw. &
Dan. under, and perhaps to Gr. ? to gaze at.]
1. That emotion which is excited by novelty, or the
presentation to the sight or mind of something new,
unusual, strange, great, extraordinary, or not well
understood; surprise; astonishment; admiration; amazement.
They were filled with wonder and amazement at that
which had happened unto him. --Acts iii.
10.
Wonder is the effect of novelty upon ignorance.
--Johnson.
Note: Wonder expresses less than astonishment, and much less
than amazement. It differs from admiration, as now
used, in not being necessarily accompanied with love,
esteem, or approbation.
2. A cause of wonder; that which excites surprise; a strange
thing; a prodigy; a miracle. `` Babylon, the wonder of all
tongues.'' --Milton.
To try things oft, and never to give over, doth
wonders. --Bacon.
I am as a wonder unto many. --Ps. lxxi. 7.
{Seven wonders of the world}. See in the Dictionary of Noted
Names in Fiction.
Wonder \Won"der\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wondered}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Wondering}.] [AS. wundrian.]
1. To be affected with surprise or admiration; to be struck
with astonishment; to be amazed; to marvel.
I could not sufficiently wonder at the intrepidity
of these diminutive mortals. --Swift.
We cease to wonder at what we understand. --Johnson.
2. To feel doubt and curiosity; to wait with uncertain
expectation; to query in the mind; as, he wondered why
they came.
I wonder, in my soul, What you would ask me, that I
should deny. --Shak.
Wonder \Won"der\, a.
Wonderful. [Obs.] --Gower.
After that he said a wonder thing. --Chaucer.
Wonder \Won"der\, adv.
Wonderfully. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wondered \Won"dered\, a.
Having performed wonders; able to perform wonderful things.
[Obs.] --Shak.
Wonderer \Won"der*er\, n.
One who wonders.
Wonderful \Won"der*ful\, a.
Adapted to excite wonder or admiration; surprising; strange;
astonishing.
Syn: Marvelous; amazing. See {Marvelous}. --
{Won"der*ful*ly}, adv. -- {Won"der*ful*ness}, n.
Wonderingly \Won"der*ing*ly\, adv.
In a wondering manner.
Wonderland \Won"der*land`\, n.
A land full of wonders, or marvels. --M. Arnold.
Wonderly \Won"der*ly\, adv. [AS. wundorlice.]
Wonderfully; wondrously. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wonderment \Won"der*ment\, n.
Surprise; astonishment; a wonderful appearance; a wonder.
--Bacon.
All the common sights they view, Their wonderment
engage. --Sir W.
Scott.
Wonderous \Won"der*ous\, a.
Same as {Wondrous}.
Wonders \Won"ders\, adv.
See {Wondrous}. [Obs.]
They be wonders glad thereof. --Sir T. More.
Wonderstruck \Won"der*struck`\, a.
Struck with wonder, admiration, or surprise. --Dryden.
Wonderwork \Won"der*work`\, n. [AS. wundorweorc.]
A wonderful work or act; a prodigy; a miracle.
Such as in strange land He found in wonderworks of God
and Nature's hand. --Byron.
Wonder-worker \Won"der-work`er\, n.
One who performs wonders, or miracles.
Wonder-working \Won"der-work`ing\, a.
Doing wonders or surprising things.
Wondrous \Won"drous\, adv. [OE. wonders, adv. (later also adj.).
See {Wonder}, n., and cf. {-wards}.]
In a wonderful or surprising manner or degree; wonderfully.
For sylphs, yet mindful of their ancient race, Are, as
when women, wondrous fond of place. --Pope.
And now there came both mist and snow, And it grew
wondrous cold. --Coleridge.
Wondrous \Won"drous\, a.
Wonderful; astonishing; admirable; marvelous; such as excite
surprise and astonishment; strange.
That I may . . . tell of all thy wondrous works. --Ps.
xxvi. 7.
-- {Won"drous*ly}, adv. -- {Won"drous*ness}, n.
Chloe complains, and wondrously's aggrieved.
--Granville.
Wone \Wone\, v. i. [OE. wonen, wunen, wonien, wunien, AS.
wunian. ????. See {Wont}, a.]
To dwell; to abide. [Obs.] --Piers Plowman.
Their habitation in which they woned. --Chaucer.
Wone \Wone\, n. [OE. See {Wone}, v. i., {Wont}, a.]
1. Dwelling; habitation; abode. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
2. Custom; habit; wont; use; usage. [Obs.]
To liven in delight was all his wone. --Chaucer.
Wong \Wong\, n. [AS. wang, wong.]
A field. [Obs.] --Spelman. ``Woods and wonges.'' --Havelok
the Dane.
Wonger \Wong"er\, n.
See {Wanger}. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Woning \Won"ing\, n.
Dwelling. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Won't \Won't\
A colloquial contraction of woll not. Will not. See {Will}.
Note: Often pronounced w[u^]nt in New England.
Wont \Wont\, a. [For woned, p. p. of won, wone, to dwell, AS.
wunian; akin to D. wonen, OS. wun?n, OHG, won?n, G. wohnen,
and AS. wund, gewuna, custom, habit; orig. probably, to take
pleasure; cf. Icel. una to dwell, to enjoy, Goth. wunan to
rejoice (in unwunands sad); and akin to Skr. van to like, to
wish. ????. Cf. {Wean}, {Win}.]
Using or doing customarily; accustomed; habituated; used.
``As he was wont to go.'' --Chaucer.
If the ox were wont to push with his horn. --Ex. xxi.
29.
Wont \Wont\, n.
Custom; habit; use; usage.
They are . . . to be called out to their military
motions, under sky or covert, according to the season,
as was the Roman wont. --Milton.
From childly wont and ancient use. --Cowper.
Wont \Wont\, v. i. [imp. {Wont}, p. p. {Wont}, or {Wonted}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Wonting}.]
To be accustomed or habituated; to be used.
A yearly solemn feast she wont to make. --Spenser.
Wont \Wont\, v. t.
To accustom; -- used reflexively.
Wonted \Wont"ed\, a.
Accustomed; customary; usual.
Again his wonted weapon proved. --Spenser.
Like an old piece of furniture left alone in its wonted
corner. --Sir W.
Scott.
She was wonted to the place, and would not remove.
--L'Estrange.
Wontedness \Wont"ed*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being accustomed. [R.] --Eikon
Basilike.
Wontless \Wont"less\, a.
Unaccustomed. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Woo \Woo\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wooed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wooing}.] [OE. wowen, wo?en, AS. w?gian, fr. w?h bent,
crooked, bad; akin to OS. w[=a]h evil, Goth. unwahs
blameless, Skr. va?c to waver, and perhaps to E. vaccilate.]
1. To solicit in love; to court.
Each, like the Grecian artist, wooes The image he
himself has wrought. --Prior.
2. To court solicitously; to invite with importunity.
Thee, chantress, oft the woods among I woo, to hear
thy even song. --Milton.
I woo the wind That still delays his coming.
--Bryant.
Woo \Woo\, v. i.
To court; to make love. --Dryden.
Wood \Wood\ (w[oo^]d), a. [OE. wod, AS. w[=o]d; akin to OHG.
wuot, Icel. [=o][eth]r, Goth. w[=o]ds, D. woede madness, G.
wuth, wut, also to AS. w[=o][eth] song, Icel. [=o][eth]r, L.
vates a seer, a poet. Cf. {Wednesday}.]
Mad; insane; possessed; rabid; furious; frantic. [Obs.]
[Written also {wode}.]
Our hoste gan to swear as [if] he were wood. --Chaucer.
Wood \Wood\, v. i.
To grow mad; to act like a madman; to mad. --Chaucer.
Wood \Wood\, n. [OE. wode, wude, AS. wudu, wiodu; akin to OHG.
witu, Icel. vi?r, Dan. & Sw. ved wood, and probably to Ir. &
Gael. fiodh, W. gwydd trees, shrubs.]
1. A large and thick collection of trees; a forest or grove;
-- frequently used in the plural.
Light thickens, and the crow Makes wing to the rooky
wood. --Shak.
2. The substance of trees and the like; the hard fibrous
substance which composes the body of a tree and its
branches, and which is covered by the bark; timber. ``To
worship their own work in wood and stone for gods.''
--Milton.
3. (Bot.) The fibrous material which makes up the greater
part of the stems and branches of trees and shrubby
plants, and is found to a less extent in herbaceous stems.
It consists of elongated tubular or needle-shaped cells of
various kinds, usually interwoven with the shinning bands
called silver grain.
Note: Wood consists chiefly of the carbohydrates cellulose
and lignin, which are isomeric with starch.
4. Trees cut or sawed for the fire or other uses.
{Wood acid}, {Wood vinegar} (Chem.), a complex acid liquid
obtained in the dry distillation of wood, and containing
large quantities of acetic acid; hence, specifically,
acetic acid. Formerly called {pyroligneous acid}.
{Wood anemone} (Bot.), a delicate flower ({Anemone nemorosa})
of early spring; -- also called {windflower}. See Illust.
of {Anemone}.
{Wood ant} (Zo["o]l.), a large ant ({Formica rufa}) which
lives in woods and forests, and constructs large nests.
{Wood apple} (Bot.). See {Elephant apple}, under {Elephant}.
{Wood baboon} (Zo["o]l.), the drill.
{Wood betony}. (Bot.)
(a) Same as {Betony}.
(b) The common American lousewort ({Pedicularis
Canadensis}), a low perennial herb with yellowish or
purplish flowers.
{Wood borer}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The larva of any one of numerous species of boring
beetles, esp. elaters, longicorn beetles,
buprestidans, and certain weevils. See {Apple borer},
under {Apple}, and {Pine weevil}, under {Pine}.
(b) The larva of any one of various species of
lepidopterous insects, especially of the clearwing
moths, as the peach-tree borer (see under {Peach}),
and of the goat moths.
(c) The larva of various species of hymenopterous of the
tribe Urocerata. See {Tremex}.
(d) Any one of several bivalve shells which bore in wood,
as the teredos, and species of Xylophaga.
(e) Any one of several species of small Crustacea, as the
{Limnoria}, and the boring amphipod ({Chelura
terebrans}).
{Wood carpet}, a kind of floor covering made of thin pieces
of wood secured to a flexible backing, as of cloth.
--Knight.
{Wood cell} (Bot.), a slender cylindrical or prismatic cell
usually tapering to a point at both ends. It is the
principal constituent of woody fiber.
{Wood choir}, the choir, or chorus, of birds in the woods.
[Poetic] --Coleridge.
{Wood coal}, charcoal; also, lignite, or brown coal.
{Wood cricket} (Zo["o]l.), a small European cricket
({Nemobius sylvestris}).
{Wood culver} (Zo["o]l.), the wood pigeon.
{Wood cut}, an engraving on wood; also, a print from such an
engraving.
{Wood dove} (Zo["o]l.), the stockdove.
{Wood drink}, a decoction or infusion of medicinal woods.
{Wood duck} (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A very beautiful American duck ({Aix sponsa}). The
male has a large crest, and its plumage is varied with
green, purple, black, white, and red. It builds its
nest in trees, whence the name. Called also {bridal
duck}, {summer duck}, and {wood widgeon}.
(b) The hooded merganser.
(c) The Australian maned goose ({Chlamydochen jubata}).
{Wood echo}, an echo from the wood.
{Wood engraver}.
(a) An engraver on wood.
(b) (Zo["o]l.) Any of several species of small beetles
whose larv[ae] bore beneath the bark of trees, and
excavate furrows in the wood often more or less
resembling coarse engravings; especially, {Xyleborus
xylographus}.
{Wood engraving}.
(a) The act or art engraving on wood; xylography.
(b) An engraving on wood; a wood cut; also, a print from
such an engraving.
{Wood fern}. (Bot.) See {Shield fern}, under {Shield}.
{Wood fiber}.
(a) (Bot.) Fibrovascular tissue.
(b) Wood comminuted, and reduced to a powdery or dusty
mass.
{Wood fretter} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
beetles whose larv[ae] bore in the wood, or beneath the
bark, of trees.
{Wood frog} (Zo["o]l.), a common North American frog ({Rana
sylvatica}) which lives chiefly in the woods, except
during the breeding season. It is drab or yellowish brown,
with a black stripe on each side of the head.
{Wood germander}. (Bot.) See under {Germander}.
{Wood god}, a fabled sylvan deity.
{Wood grass}. (Bot.) See under {Grass}.
{Wood grouse}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The capercailzie.
(b) The spruce partridge. See under {Spruce}.
{Wood guest} (Zo["o]l.), the ringdove. [Prov. Eng.]
{Wood hen}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) Any one of several species of Old World short-winged
rails of the genus {Ocydromus}, including the weka and
allied species.
(b) The American woodcock.
{Wood hoopoe} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of Old
World arboreal birds belonging to {Irrisor} and allied
genera. They are closely allied to the common hoopoe, but
have a curved beak, and a longer tail.
{Wood ibis} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of large,
long-legged, wading birds belonging to the genus
{Tantalus}. The head and neck are naked or scantily
covered with feathers. The American wood ibis ({Tantalus
loculator}) is common in Florida.
{Wood lark} (Zo["o]l.), a small European lark ({Alauda
arborea}), which, like, the skylark, utters its notes
while on the wing. So called from its habit of perching on
trees.
{Wood laurel} (Bot.), a European evergreen shrub ({Daphne
Laureola}).
{Wood leopard} (Zo["o]l.), a European spotted moth ({Zeuzera
[ae]sculi}) allied to the goat moth. Its large fleshy
larva bores in the wood of the apple, pear, and other
fruit trees.
{Wood lily} (Bot.), the lily of the valley.
{Wood lock} (Naut.), a piece of wood close fitted and
sheathed with copper, in the throating or score of the
pintle, to keep the rudder from rising.
{Wood louse} (Zo["o]l.)
(a) Any one of numerous species of terrestrial isopod
Crustacea belonging to {Oniscus}, {Armadillo}, and
related genera. See {Sow bug}, under Sow, and {Pill
bug}, under {Pill}.
(b) Any one of several species of small, wingless,
pseudoneuropterous insects of the family {Psocid[ae]},
which live in the crevices of walls and among old
books and papers. Some of the species are called also
{book lice}, and {deathticks}, or {deathwatches}.
{Wood mite} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous small mites of
the family {Oribatid[ae]}. They are found chiefly in
woods, on tree trunks and stones.
{Wood mote}. (Eng. Law)
(a) Formerly, the forest court.
(b) The court of attachment.
{Wood nettle}. (Bot.) See under {Nettle}.
{Wood nightshade} (Bot.), woody nightshade.
{Wood nut} (Bot.), the filbert.
{Wood nymph}. (a) A nymph inhabiting the woods; a fabled
goddess of the woods; a dryad. ``The wood nymphs, decked
with daisies trim.'' --Milton.
(b) (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of handsomely
colored moths belonging to the genus {Eudryas}. The
larv[ae] are bright-colored, and some of the species,
as {Eudryas grata}, and {E. unio}, feed on the leaves
of the grapevine.
(c) (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of handsomely
colored South American humming birds belonging to the
genus {Thalurania}. The males are bright blue, or
green and blue.
{Wood offering}, wood burnt on the altar.
We cast the lots . . . for the wood offering. --Neh.
x. 34.
{Wood oil} (Bot.), a resinous oil obtained from several East
Indian trees of the genus {Dipterocarpus}, having
properties similar to those of copaiba, and sometimes
substituted for it. It is also used for mixing paint. See
{Gurjun}.
{Wood opal} (Min.), a striped variety of coarse opal, having
some resemblance to wood.
{Wood paper}, paper made of wood pulp. See {Wood pulp},
below.
{Wood pewee} (Zo["o]l.), a North American tyrant flycatcher
({Contopus virens}). It closely resembles the pewee, but
is smaller.
{Wood pie} (Zo["o]l.), any black and white woodpecker,
especially the European great spotted woodpecker.
{Wood pigeon}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) Any one of numerous species of Old World pigeons
belonging to {Palumbus} and allied genera of the
family {Columbid[ae]}.
(b) The ringdove.
{Wood puceron} (Zo["o]l.), a plant louse.
{Wood pulp} (Technol.), vegetable fiber obtained from the
poplar and other white woods, and so softened by digestion
with a hot solution of alkali that it can be formed into
sheet paper, etc. It is now produced on an immense scale.
{Wood quail} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of East
Indian crested quails belonging to {Rollulus} and allied
genera, as the red-crested wood quail ({R. roulroul}), the
male of which is bright green, with a long crest of red
hairlike feathers.
{Wood rabbit} (Zo["o]l.), the cottontail.
{Wood rat} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of American
wild rats of the genus {Neotoma} found in the Southern
United States; -- called also {bush rat}. The Florida wood
rat ({Neotoma Floridana}) is the best-known species.
{Wood reed grass} (Bot.), a tall grass ({Cinna arundinacea})
growing in moist woods.
{Wood reeve}, the steward or overseer of a wood. [Eng.]
{Wood rush} (Bot.), any plant of the genus {Luzula},
differing from the true rushes of the genus {Juncus}
chiefly in having very few seeds in each capsule.
{Wood sage} (Bot.), a name given to several labiate plants of
the genus {Teucrium}. See {Germander}.
{Wood screw}, a metal screw formed with a sharp thread, and
usually with a slotted head, for insertion in wood.
{Wood sheldrake} (Zo["o]l.), the hooded merganser.
{Wood shock} (Zo["o]l.), the fisher. See {Fisher}, 2.
{Wood shrike} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of Old
World singing birds belonging to {Grallina},
{Collyricincla}, {Prionops}, and allied genera, common in
India and Australia. They are allied to the true shrikes,
but feed upon both insects and berries.
{Wood snipe}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The American woodcock.
(b) An Asiatic snipe ({Gallinago nemoricola}).
{Wood soot}, soot from burnt wood.
{Wood sore}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Cuckoo spit}, under {Cuckoo}.
{Wood sorrel} (Bot.), a plant of the genus Oxalis ({Oxalis
Acetosella}), having an acid taste. See Illust. (a) of
{Shamrock}.
{Wood spirit}. (Chem.) See {Methyl alcohol}, under {Methyl}.
{Wood stamp}, a carved or engraved block or stamp of wood,
for impressing figures or colors on fabrics.
{Wood star} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of small
South American humming birds belonging to the genus
{Calothorax}. The male has a brilliant gorget of blue,
purple, and other colors.
{Wood sucker} (Zo["o]l.), the yaffle.
{Wood swallow} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of Old
World passerine birds belonging to the genus {Artamus} and
allied genera of the family {Artamid[ae]}. They are common
in the East Indies, Asia, and Australia. In form and
habits they resemble swallows, but in structure they
resemble shrikes. They are usually black above and white
beneath.
{Wood tapper} (Zo["o]l.), any woodpecker.
{Wood tar}. See under {Tar}.
{Wood thrush}, (Zo["o]l.)
(a) An American thrush ({Turdus mustelinus}) noted for the
sweetness of its song. See under {Thrush}.
(b) The missel thrush.
{Wood tick}. See in Vocabulary.
{Wood tin}. (Min.). See {Cassiterite}.
{Wood titmouse} (Zo["o]l.), the goldcgest.
{Wood tortoise} (Zo["o]l.), the sculptured tortoise. See
under {Sculptured}.
{Wood vine} (Bot.), the white bryony.
{Wood vinegar}. See {Wood acid}, above.
{Wood warbler}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) Any one of numerous species of American warblers of
the genus {Dendroica}. See {Warbler}.
(b) A European warbler ({Phylloscopus sibilatrix}); --
called also {green wren}, {wood wren}, and {yellow
wren}.
{Wood worm} (Zo["o]l.), a larva that bores in wood; a wood
borer.
{Wood wren}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The wood warbler.
(b) The willow warbler.
Wood \Wood\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wooded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wooding}.]
To supply with wood, or get supplies of wood for; as, to wood
a steamboat or a locomotive.
Wood \Wood\, v. i.
To take or get a supply of wood.
Woodbind \Wood"bind`\, n.
Woodbine. --Dryden.
A garland . . . of woodbind or hawthorn leaves.
--Chaucer.
Woodbine \Wood"bine`\, n. [AS. wudubind black ivy; -- so named
as binding about trees. See {Wood}, and {Bind}, v. t.] (Bot.)
(a) A climbing plant having flowers of great fragrance
({Lonicera Periclymenum}); the honeysuckle.
(b) The Virginia creeper. See {Virginia creeper}, under
{Virginia}. [Local, U. S.]
Beatrice, who even now Is couched in the woodbine
coverture. --Shak.
Wood-bound \Wood"-bound`\, a.
Incumbered with tall, woody hedgerows.
Woodbury-type \Wood"bur*y-type`\, n. [After the name of the
inventor, W. Woodbury.]
1. A process in photographic printing, in which a relief
pattern in gelatin, which has been hardened after certain
operations, is pressed upon a plate of lead or other soft
metal. An intaglio impression in thus produced, from which
pictures may be directly printed, but by a slower process
than in common printing.
2. A print from such a plate.
Woodchat \Wood"chat`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) Any one of several species of Asiatic singing birds
belonging to the genera {Ianthia} and {Larvivora}.
They are closely allied to the European robin. The
males are usually bright blue above, and more or less
red or rufous beneath.
(b) A European shrike ({Enneoctonus rufus}). In the male
the head and nape are rufous red; the back, wings, and
tail are black, varied with white.
Woodchuck \Wood"chuck`\, n.
1. (Zo["o]l.) A common large North American marmot ({Arctomys
monax}). It is usually reddish brown, more or less
grizzled with gray. It makes extensive burrows, and is
often injurious to growing crops. Called also {ground
hog}.
2. (Zo["o]l.) The yaffle, or green woodpecker. [Prov. Eng.]
Woodcock \Wood"cock`\, n. [AS. wuducoc.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of long-billed
limicoline birds belonging to the genera {Scolopax} and
{Philohela}. They are mostly nocturnal in their habits,
and are highly esteemed as game birds.
Note: The most important species are the European ({Scolopax
rusticola}) and the American woodcock ({Philohela
minor}), which agree very closely in appearance and
habits.
2. Fig.: A simpleton. [Obs.]
If I loved you not, I would laugh at you, and see
you Run your neck into the noose, and cry, ``A
woodcock!'' --Beau. & Fl.
{Little woodcock}.
(a) The common American snipe.
(b) The European snipe.
{Sea woodcock fish}, the bellows fish.
{Woodcock owl}, the short-eared owl ({Asio brachyotus}).
{Woodcock shell}, the shell of certain mollusks of the genus
{Murex}, having a very long canal, with or without spines.
{Woodcock snipe}. See under {Snipe}.
Woodcracker \Wood"crack`er\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The nuthatch. [Prov. Eng.]
Woodcraft \Wood"craft`\, n.
Skill and practice in anything pertaining to the woods,
especially in shooting, and other sports in the woods.
Men of the glade and forest! leave Your woodcraft for
the field of fight. --Bryant.
Woodcut \Wood"cut`\, n.
An engraving on wood; also, a print from it. Same as {Wood
cut}, under {Wood}.
Woodcutter \Wood"cut`ter\, n.
1. A person who cuts wood.
2. An engraver on wood. [R.]
Woodcutting \Wood"cut`ting\, n.
1. The act or employment of cutting wood or timber.
2. The act or art of engraving on wood. [R.]
Wooded \Wood"ed\, a.
Supplied or covered with wood, or trees; as, land wooded and
watered.
The brook escaped from the eye down a deep and wooded
dell. --Sir W.
Scott.
Wooden \Wood"en\, a.
1. Made or consisting of wood; pertaining to, or resembling,
wood; as, a wooden box; a wooden leg; a wooden wedding.
2. Clumsy; awkward; ungainly; stiff; spiritless.
When a bold man is out of countenance, he makes a
very wooden figure on it. --Collier.
His singing was, I confess, a little wooden. --G.
MacDonald.
{Wooden spoon}.
(a) (Cambridge University, Eng.) The last junior optime
who takes a university degree, -- denoting one who is
only fit to stay at home and stir porridge. ``We
submit that a wooden spoon of our day would not be
justified in calling Galileo and Napier blockheads
because they never heard of the differential
calculus.'' --Macaulay.
(b) In some American colleges, the lowest appointee of the
junior year; sometimes, one especially popular in his
class, without reference to scholarship. Formerly, it
was a custom for classmates to present to this person
a wooden spoon with formal ceremonies.
{Wooden ware}, a general name for buckets, bowls, and other
articles of domestic use, made of wood.
{Wooden wedding}. See under {Wedding}.
Woodenly \Wood"en*ly\, adv.
Clumsily; stupidly; blockishly. --R. North.
Woodenness \Wood"en*ness\, n.
Quality of being wooden; clumsiness; stupidity; blockishness.
We set our faces against the woodenness which then
characterized German philology. --Sweet.
Woodhack \Wood"hack`\, Woodhacker \Wood"hack`er\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The yaffle. [Prov. Eng.]
Woodnewer \Wood"new`er\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A woodpecker.
Woodhole \Wood"hole`\, n.
A place where wood is stored.
Woodhouse \Wood"house`\, n.
A house or shed in which wood is stored, and sheltered from
the weather.
Woodiness \Wood"i*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being woody. --Evelyn.
Woodknacker \Wood"knack`er\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The yaffle.
Woodland \Wood"land\, n.
Land covered with wood or trees; forest; land on which trees
are suffered to grow, either for fuel or timber.
Here hills and vales, the woodland and the plain, Here
earth and water seem to strive again. --Pope.
Woodlands and cultivated fields are harmoniously
blended. --Bancroft.
Woodland \Wood"land\, a.
Of or pertaining to woods or woodland; living in the forest;
sylvan.
She had a rustic, woodland air. --Wordsworth.
Like summer breeze by woodland stream. --Keble.
{Woodland caribou}. (Zo["o]l.) See under {Caribou}.
Woodlander \Wood"land*er\, n.
A dweller in a woodland.
Wood-layer \Wood"-lay`er\, n. (Bot.)
A young oak, or other timber plant, laid down in a hedge
among the whitethorn or other plants used in hedges.
Woodless \Wood"less\, a.
Having no wood; destitute of wood. --Mitford. --
{Wood"less*ness}, n.
Woodly \Wood"ly\, adv.
In a wood, mad, or raving manner; madly; furiously. [Obs.]
--Chaucer.
Woodman \Wood"man\, n.; pl. {Woodmen}. [Written also
{woodsman}.]
1. A forest officer appointed to take care of the king's
woods; a forester. [Eng.]
2. A sportsman; a hunter.
[The duke] is a better woodman than thou takest him
for. --Shak.
3. One who cuts down trees; a woodcutter.
Woodman, spare that tree. --G. P.
Morris.
4. One who dwells in the woods or forest; a bushman.
Woodmeil \Wood"meil\, n.
See {Wadmol}.
Woodmonger \Wood"mon`ger\, n.
A wood seller. [Obs.]
Woodness \Wood"ness\, n. [From {Wood} mad.]
Anger; madness; insanity; rage. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Woodness laughing in his rage. --Chaucer.
Wood-note \Wood"-note`\, n. [Wood, n. + note.]
A wild or natural note, as of a forest bird. [R.]
Or sweetest Shakespeare, fancy's child, Warble his
native wood-notes wild. --Milton.
Woodpeck \Wood"peck`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A woodpecker. [Obs.]
Woodpecker \Wood"peck`er\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of numerous species of scansorial birds belonging to
{Picus} and many allied genera of the family {Picid[ae]}.
Note: These birds have the tail feathers pointed and rigid at
the tip to aid in climbing, and a strong chisellike
bill with which they are able to drill holes in the
bark and wood of trees in search of insect larv[ae]
upon which most of the species feed. A few species feed
partly upon the sap of trees (see {Sap sucker}, under
{Sap}), others spend a portion of their time on the
ground in search of ants and other insects. The most
common European species are the greater spotted
woodpecker ({Dendrocopus major}), the lesser spotted
woodpecker ({D. minor}), and the green woodpecker, or
yaffle (see {Yaffle}). The best-known American species
are the pileated woodpecker (see under {Pileated}), the
ivory-billed woodpecker ({Campephilus principalis}),
which is one of the largest known species, the
red-headed woodpecker, or red-head ({Melanerpes
erythrocephalus}), the red-bellied woodpecker ({M.
Carolinus}) (see {Chab}), the superciliary woodpecker
({M. superciliaris}), the hairy woodpecker ({Dryobates
villosus}), the downy woodpecker ({D. pubescens}), the
three-toed, woodpecker ({Picoides Americanus}), the
golden-winged woodpecker (see {Flicker}), and the sap
suckers. See also {Carpintero}.
{Woodpecker hornbill} (Zo["o]l.), a black and white Asiatic
hornbill ({Buceros pica}) which resembles a woodpecker in
color.
Woodrock \Wood"rock`\, n. (Min.)
A compact woodlike variety of asbestus.
Woodruff \Wood"ruff`\, Woodroof \Wood"roof`\, n. [AS. wudurofe.
See {Wood}, n., and cf. {Ruff} a plaited collar.] (Bot.)
A little European herb ({Asperula odorata}) having a pleasant
taste. It is sometimes used for flavoring wine. See Illust.
of {Whorl}.
Wood-sare \Wood"-sare`\, n. [Wood + Prov. E. sare for sore.]
(Bot.)
A kind of froth seen on herbs. [Obs.]
Wood-sere \Wood"-sere`\, n.
The time when there no sap in the trees; the winter season.
[Written also {wood-seer}.] [Obs.] --Tusser.
Woodsman \Woods"man\, n.; pl. {Woodsmen}.
A woodman; especially, one who lives in the forest.
Wood's metal \Wood's" met"al\
A fusible alloy consisting of one or two parts of cadmium,
two parts of tin, four of lead, with seven or eight part of
bismuth. It melts at from 66[deg] to 71[deg] C. See {Fusible
metal}, under {Fusible}.
Woodstone \Wood"stone`\, n. (Min.)
A striped variety of hornstone, resembling wood in
appearance.
Woodsy \Woods"y\, a.
Of or pertaining to the woods or forest. [Colloq. U. S.]
It [sugar making] is woodsy, and savors of trees. --J.
Burroughs.
Wood tick \Wood" tick`\ (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of several species of ticks of the genus {Ixodes}
whose young cling to bushes, but quickly fasten themselves
upon the bodies of any animal with which they come in
contact. When they attach themselves to the human body they
often produce troublesome sores. The common species of the
Northern United States is {Ixodes unipunctata}.
Woodwall \Wood"wall`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The yaffle. [Written also {woodwale}, and {woodwele}.]
Woodward \Wood"ward`\, n. (Eng. Forest Law)
An officer of the forest, whose duty it was to guard the
woods.
Woodwardia \Wood*war"di*a\, n. [NL. After Thomas J. Woodward, an
English botanist.] (Bot.)
A genus of ferns, one species of which ({Woodwardia
radicans}) is a showy plant in California, the Azores, etc.
Wood-wash \Wood"-wash`\, Wood-wax \Wood"-wax`\, Wood-waxen
\Wood"-wax`en\, n. [AS. wuduweaxe.] (Bot.)
Same as {Woadwaxen}.
Woodwork \Wood"work`\, n.
Work made of wood; that part of any structure which is
wrought of wood.
Woodworm \Wood"worm`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Wood worm}, under {Wood}.
Woody \Wood"y\, a.
1. Abounding with wood or woods; as, woody land. ``The woody
wilderness.'' --Bryant.
Secret shades Of woody Ida's inmost grove. --Milton.
2. Consisting of, or containing, wood or woody fiber;
ligneous; as, the woody parts of plants.
3. Of or pertaining to woods; sylvan. [R.] ``Woody nymphs,
fair Hamadryades.'' --Spenser.
{Woody fiber}. (Bot.)
(a) Fiber or tissue consisting of slender, membranous
tubes tapering at each end.
(b) A single wood cell. See under {Wood}. --Goodale.
{Woody nightshade}. (Bot.). See {Bittersweet}, 3
(a) .
{Woody pear} (Bot.), the inedible, woody, pear-shaped fruit
of several Australian proteaceous trees of the genus
{Xylomelum}; -- called also {wooden pear}.
Wooer \Woo"er\, n. [AS. w[=o]gere. See {Woo}, v. t.]
One who wooes; one who courts or solicits in love; a suitor.
``A thriving wooer.'' --Gibber.
Woof \Woof\ (w[=oo]f), n. [OE. oof, AS. [=o]wef, [=o]web,
[=a]web; on, an, on + wef, web, fr. wefan to weave. The
initial w is due to the influence of E. weave. See {On},
{Weave}, and cf. {Abb}.]
1. The threads that cross the warp in a woven fabric; the
weft; the filling; the thread usually carried by the
shuttle in weaving.
2. Texture; cloth; as, a pall of softest woof. --Pope.
Woofell \Woo"fell\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The European blackbird. ``The woofell near at hand that hath
a golden bill.'' --Drayton.
Woofy \Woof"y\, a.
Having a close texture; dense; as, a woofy cloud. --J.
Baillie.
Woohoo \Woo`hoo"\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The sailfish.
Wooingly \Woo"ing*ly\, adv.
In a wooing manner; enticingly; with persuasiveness. --Shak.
Wook \Wook"\ (w[=o]k), obs. imp. of {Wake}.
Woke. --Chaucer.
Wool \Wool\ (w[oo^]l), n. [OE. wolle, wulle, AS. wull; akin to
D. wol, OHG. wolla, G. wolle, Icel. & Sw. ull, Dan. uld,
Goth, wulla, Lith. vilna, Russ. volna, L. vellus, Skr.
[=u]r[.n][=a] wool, v[.r] to cover. [root]146, 287. Cf.
{Flannel}, {Velvet}.]
1. The soft and curled, or crisped, species of hair which
grows on sheep and some other animals, and which in
fineness sometimes approaches to fur; -- chiefly applied
to the fleecy coat of the sheep, which constitutes a most
essential material of clothing in all cold and temperate
climates.
Note: Wool consists essentially of keratin.
2. Short, thick hair, especially when crisped or curled.
Wool of bat and tongue of dog. --Shak.
3. (Bot.) A sort of pubescence, or a clothing of dense,
curling hairs on the surface of certain plants.
{Dead pulled wool}, wool pulled from a carcass.
{Mineral wool}. See under {Mineral}.
{Philosopher's wool}. (Chem.) See {Zinc oxide}, under {Zinc}.
{Pulled wool}, wool pulled from a pelt, or undressed hide.
{Slag wool}. Same as {Mineral wool}, under {Mineral}.
{Wool ball}, a ball or mass of wool.
{Wool burler}, one who removes little burs, knots, or
extraneous matter, from wool, or the surface of woolen
cloth.
{Wool comber}.
(a) One whose occupation is to comb wool.
(b) A machine for combing wool.
{Wool grass} (Bot.), a kind of bulrush ({Scirpus Eriophorum})
with numerous clustered woolly spikes.
{Wool scribbler}. See {Woolen scribbler}, under {Woolen}, a.
{Wool sorter's disease} (Med.), a disease, resembling
malignant pustule, occurring among those who handle the
wool of goats and sheep.
{Wool staple}, a city or town where wool used to be brought
to the king's staple for sale. [Eng.]
{Wool stapler}.
(a) One who deals in wool.
(b) One who sorts wool according to its staple, or its
adaptation to different manufacturing purposes.
{Wool winder}, a person employed to wind, or make up, wool
into bundles to be packed for sale.
Woold \Woold\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Woolded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Woolding}.] [D. woelen, bewoelen; akin to G. wuhlen,
bewuhlen. [root]146.] (Naut.)
To wind, or wrap; especially, to wind a rope round, as a mast
or yard made of two or more pieces, at the place where it has
been fished or scarfed, in order to strengthen it.
Woolder \Woold"er\, n.
1. (Naut.) A stick used to tighten the rope in woolding.
2. (Rope Making) One of the handles of the top, formed by a
wooden pin passing through it. See 1st {Top}, 2.
Woolding \Woold"ing\, n. (Naut.)
(a) The act of winding or wrapping anything with a rope,
as a mast.
(b) A rope used for binding masts and spars.
Wool-dyed \Wool"-dyed`\, a.
Dyed before being made into cloth, in distinction from
piece-dyed; ingrain.
Wooled \Wooled\, a.
Having (such) wool; as, a fine-wooled sheep.
Woolen \Wool"en\, a. [OE. wollen; cf. AS. wyllen. See {Wool}.]
[Written also {woollen}.]
1. Made of wool; consisting of wool; as, woolen goods.
2. Of or pertaining to wool or woolen cloths; as, woolen
manufactures; a woolen mill; a woolen draper.
{Woolen scribbler}, a machine for combing or preparing wool
in thin, downy, translucent layers.
Woolen \Wool"en\, n. [Written also woollen.]
Cloth made of wool; woollen goods.
Woolenet \Wool`en*et"\, n.
A thin, light fabric of wool. [Written also {woollenet},
{woolenette}, and {woollenette}.]
Woolert \Woo"lert\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The barn owl. [Prov. Eng.] [Written also {oolert}, and
{owlerd}.]
Woolfell \Wool"fell`\, n. [Wool + fell a skin.]
A skin with the wool; a skin from which the wool has not been
sheared or pulled. [Written also {woolfel}.]
Woolgathering \Wool"gath`er*ing\, a.
Indulging in a vagrant or idle exercise of the imagination;
roaming upon a fruitless quest; idly fanciful.
Woolgathering \Wool"gath`er*ing\, n.
Indulgence in idle imagination; a foolish or useless pursuit
or design.
His wits were a woolgathering, as they say. --Burton.
Woolgrower \Wool"grow`er\, n.
One who raises sheep for the production of wool. --
{Wool"grow`ing}, n.
Wool-hall \Wool"-hall`\, n.
A trade market in the woolen districts. [Eng.]
Woolhead \Wool"head`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The buffel duck.
Woolliness \Wool"li*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being woolly.
Woolly \Wool"ly\, a.
1. Consisting of wool; as, a woolly covering; a woolly
fleece.
2. Resembling wool; of the nature of wool. ``My fleece of
woolly hair.'' --Shak.
3. Clothed with wool. ``Woolly breeders.'' --Shak.
4. (Bot.) Clothed with a fine, curly pubescence resembling
wool.
{Woolly bear} (Zo["o]l.), the hairy larva of several species
of bombycid moths. The most common species in the United
States are the salt-marsh caterpillar (see under {Salt}),
the black and red woolly bear, or larva of the Isabella
moth (see Illust., under {Isabella Moth}), and the yellow
woolly bear, or larva of the American ermine moth
({Spilosoma Virginica}).
{Woolly butt} (Bot.), an Australian tree ({Eucalyptus
longifolia}), so named because of its fibrous bark.
{Woolly louse} (Zo["o]l.), a plant louse ({Schizoneura, or
Erisoma, lanigera}) which is often very injurious to the
apple tree. It is covered with a dense coat of white
filaments somewhat resembling fine wool or cotton. In
exists in two forms, one of which infests the roots, the
other the branches. See Illust. under {Blight}.
{Woolly macaco} (Zo["o]l.), the mongoose lemur.
{Woolly maki} (Zo["o]l.), a long-tailed lemur ({Indris
laniger}) native of Madagascar, having fur somewhat like
wool; -- called also {avahi}, and {woolly lemur}.
{Woolly monkey} (Zo["o]l.), any South American monkey of the
genus {Lagothrix}, as the caparro.
{Woolly rhinoceros} (Paleon.), an extinct rhinoceros
({Rhinoceros tichorhinus}) which inhabited the arctic
regions, and was covered with a dense coat of woolly hair.
It has been found frozen in the ice of Siberia, with the
flesh and hair well preserved.
Woolly-head \Wool"ly-head`\, n.
A negro. [Low]
Woolman \Wool"man\, n.; pl. {Woolmen}.
One who deals in wool.
Woolpack \Wool"pack`\, n.
A pack or bag of wool weighing two hundred and forty pounds.
Woolsack \Wool"sack`\, n.
A sack or bag of wool; specifically, the seat of the lord
chancellor of England in the House of Lords, being a large,
square sack of wool resembling a divan in form.
Woolsey \Wool"sey\, n. [From {Wool}.]
Linsey-woolsey.
Woolstock \Wool"stock`\, n.
A heavy wooden hammer for milling cloth.
Woolward \Wool"ward\, adv. [Wool + -ward.]
In wool; with woolen raiment next the skin. [Obs.]
Woolward-going \Wool"ward-go`ing\, n.
A wearing of woolen clothes next the skin as a matter of
penance. [Obs.]
Their . . . woolward-going, and rising at midnight.
--Tyndale.
Woon \Woon\, n.
Dwelling. See {Wone}. [Obs.]
Woorali \Woo"ra*li\, n.
Same as {Curare}.
Woosy \Woos"y\, a.
Oozy; wet. [Obs.] --Drayton.
Wootz \Wootz\ (w[=oo]ts), n. [Perhaps a corruption of Canarese
ukku steel.]
A species of steel imported from the East Indies, valued for
making edge tools; Indian steel. It has in combination a
minute portion of alumina and silica.
Wooyen \Woo"yen\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Yuen}.
Wopen \Wo"pen\, obs. p. p. of {Weep}.
Wept. --Chaucer.
Worble \Wor"ble\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Wormil}.
Word \Word\, n. [AS. word; akin to OFries. & OS. word, D. woord,
G. wort, Icel. or[eth], Sw. & Dan. ord, Goth. wa['u]rd,
OPruss. wirds, Lith. vardas a name, L. verbum a word; or
perhaps to Gr. "rh`twr an orator. Cf. {Verb}.]
1. The spoken sign of a conception or an idea; an articulate
or vocal sound, or a combination of articulate and vocal
sounds, uttered by the human voice, and by custom
expressing an idea or ideas; a single component part of
human speech or language; a constituent part of a
sentence; a term; a vocable. ``A glutton of words.''
--Piers Plowman.
You cram these words into mine ears, against The
stomach of my sense. --Shak.
Amongst men who confound their ideas with words,
there must be endless disputes. --Locke.
2. Hence, the written or printed character, or combination of
characters, expressing such a term; as, the words on a
page.
3. pl. Talk; discourse; speech; language.
Why should calamity be full of words? --Shak.
Be thy words severe; Sharp as he merits, but the
sword forbear. --Dryden.
4. Account; tidings; message; communication; information; --
used only in the singular.
I pray you . . . bring me word thither How the world
goes. --Shak.
5. Signal; order; command; direction.
Give the word through. --Shak.
6. Language considered as implying the faith or authority of
the person who utters it; statement; affirmation;
declaration; promise.
Obey thy parents; keep thy word justly. --Shak.
I know you brave, and take you at your word.
--Dryden.
I desire not the reader should take my word.
--Dryden.
7. pl. Verbal contention; dispute.
Some words there grew 'twixt Somerset and me.
--Shak.
8. A brief remark or observation; an expression; a phrase,
clause, or short sentence.
All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this;
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. --Gal. v.
14.
She said; but at the happy word ``he lives,'' My
father stooped, re-fathered, o'er my wound.
--Tennyson.
There is only one other point on which I offer a
word of remark. --Dickens.
{By word of mouth}, orally; by actual speaking. --Boyle.
{Compound word}. See under {Compound}, a.
{Good word}, commendation; favorable account. ``And gave the
harmless fellow a good word.'' --Pope.
{In a word}, briefly; to sum up.
{In word}, in declaration; in profession. ``Let us not love
in word, . . . but in deed and in truth.'' --1 John iii.
8.
{Nuns of the Word Incarnate} (R. C. Ch.), an order of nuns
founded in France in 1625, and approved in 1638. The
order, which also exists in the United States, was
instituted for the purpose of doing honor to the ``Mystery
of the Incarnation of the Son of God.''
{The word}, or {The Word}. (Theol.)
(a) The gospel message; esp., the Scriptures, as a
revelation of God. ``Bold to speak the word without
fear.'' --Phil. i. 14.
(b) The second person in the Trinity before his
manifestation in time by the incarnation; among those
who reject a Trinity of persons, some one or all of
the divine attributes personified. --John i. 1.
{To eat one's words}, to retract what has been said.
{To have the words for}, to speak for; to act as spokesman.
[Obs.] ``Our host hadde the wordes for us all.''
--Chaucer.
{Word blindness} (Physiol.), inability to understand printed
or written words or symbols, although the person affected
may be able to see quite well, speak fluently, and write
correctly. --Landois & Stirling.
{Word deafness} (Physiol.), inability to understand spoken
words, though the person affected may hear them and other
sounds, and hence is not deaf.
{Word dumbness} (Physiol.), inability to express ideas in
verbal language, though the power of speech is unimpaired.
{Word for word}, in the exact words; verbatim; literally;
exactly; as, to repeat anything word for word.
{Word painting}, the act of describing an object fully and
vividly by words only, so as to present it clearly to the
mind, as if in a picture.
{Word picture}, an accurate and vivid description, which
presents an object clearly to the mind, as if in a
picture.
{Word square}, a series of words so arranged that they can be
read vertically and horizontally with like results.
Note: H E A R T E M B E R A B U S E R E S I N T R E N T (A
word square)
Syn: See {Term}.
Word \Word\, v. i.
To use words, as in discussion; to argue; to dispute. [R.]
Word \Word\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Worded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wording}.]
1. To express in words; to phrase.
The apology for the king is the same, but worded
with greater deference to that great prince.
--Addison.
2. To ply with words; also, to cause to be by the use of a
word or words. [Obs.] --Howell.
3. To flatter with words; to cajole. [Obs.] --Shak.
{To word it}, to bandy words; to dispute. [Obs.] ``To word it
with a shrew.'' --L'Estrange.
Wordbook \Word"book`\, n. [Cf. D. woordenboek, G.
w["o]rterbuch.]
A collection of words; a vocabulary; a dictionary; a lexicon.
Word-catcher \Word"-catch`er\, n.
One who cavils at words.
Worder \Word"er\, n.
A speaker. [Obs.] --Withlock.
Wordily \Word"i*ly\, adv.
In a wordy manner.
Wordiness \Word"i*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being wordy, or abounding with words;
verboseness. --Jeffrey.
Wording \Word"ing\, n.
The act or manner of expressing in words; style of
expression; phrasing.
It is believed this wording was above his known style.
--Milton.
Wordish \Word"ish\, a.
Respecting words; full of words; wordy. [R.] --Sir P. Sidney.
-- {Word"ish*ness}, n.
The truth they hide by their dark woordishness. --Sir
K. Digby.
Wordle \Wor"dle\, n.
One of several pivoted pieces forming the throat of an
adjustable die used in drawing wire, lead pipe, etc.
--Knight.
Wordless \Word"less\, a.
Not using words; not speaking; silent; speechless. --Shak.
Wordsman \Words"man\, n.
One who deals in words, or in mere words; a verbalist. [R.]
``Some speculative wordsman.'' --H. Bushnell.
Wordy \Word"y\, a. [Compar. {Wordier}; superl. {Wordiest}.]
1. Of or pertaining to words; consisting of words; verbal;
as, a wordy war. --Cowper.
2. Using many words; verbose; as, a wordy speaker.
3. Containing many words; full of words.
We need not lavish hours in wordy periods.
--Philips.
Wore \Wore\,
imp. of {Wear}.
Wore \Wore\,
imp. of {Ware}.
Work \Work\, n. [OE. work, werk, weork, AS. weorc, worc; akin to
OFries. werk, wirk, OS., D., & G. werk, OHG. werc, werah,
Icel. & Sw. verk, Dan. v[ae]rk, Goth. gawa['u]rki, Gr. ?, ?,
work, ? to do, ? an instrument, ? secret rites, Zend verez to
work. ????. Cf. {Bulwark}, {Energy}, {Erg}, {Georgic},
{Liturgy}, {Metallurgy}, {Organ}, {Surgeon}, {Wright}.]
1. Exertion of strength or faculties; physical or
intellectual effort directed to an end; industrial
activity; toil; employment; sometimes, specifically,
physically labor.
Man hath his daily work of body or mind Appointed.
--Milton.
2. The matter on which one is at work; that upon which one
spends labor; material for working upon; subject of
exertion; the thing occupying one; business; duty; as, to
take up one's work; to drop one's work.
Come on, Nerissa; I have work in hand That you yet
know not of. --Shak.
In every work that he began . . . he did it with all
his heart, and prospered. --2 Chron.
xxxi. 21.
3. That which is produced as the result of labor; anything
accomplished by exertion or toil; product; performance;
fabric; manufacture; in a more general sense, act, deed,
service, effect, result, achievement, feat.
To leave no rubs or blotches in the work. --Shak.
The work some praise, And some the architect.
--Milton.
Fancy . . . Wild work produces oft, and most in
dreams. --Milton.
The composition or dissolution of mixed bodies . . .
is the chief work of elements. --Sir K.
Digby.
4. Specifically:
(a) That which is produced by mental labor; a composition;
a book; as, a work, or the works, of Addison.
(b) Flowers, figures, or the like, wrought with the
needle; embroidery.
I am glad I have found this napkin; . . . I'll
have the work ta'en out, And give 't Iago.
--Shak.
(c) pl. Structures in civil, military, or naval
engineering, as docks, bridges, embankments, trenches,
fortifications, and the like; also, the structures and
grounds of a manufacturing establishment; as, iron
works; locomotive works; gas works.
(d) pl. The moving parts of a mechanism; as, the works of
a watch.
5. Manner of working; management; treatment; as, unskillful
work spoiled the effect. --Bp. Stillingfleet.
6. (Mech.) The causing of motion against a resisting force.
The amount of work is proportioned to, and is measured by,
the product of the force into the amount of motion along
the direction of the force. See {Conservation of energy},
under {Conservation}, {Unit of work}, under {Unit}, also
{Foot pound}, {Horse power}, {Poundal}, and {Erg}.
Energy is the capacity of doing work . . . Work is
the transference of energy from one system to
another. --Clerk
Maxwell.
7. (Mining) Ore before it is dressed. --Raymond.
8. pl. (Script.) Performance of moral duties; righteous
conduct.
He shall reward every man according to his works.
--Matt. xvi.
27.
Faith, if it hath not works, is dead. --James ii.
17.
{Muscular work} (Physiol.), the work done by a muscle through
the power of contraction.
{To go to work}, to begin laboring; to commence operations;
to contrive; to manage. ``I 'll go another way to work
with him.'' --Shak.
{To set on work}, to cause to begin laboring; to set to work.
[Obs.] --Hooker.
{To set to work}, to employ; to cause to engage in any
business or labor.
Work \Work\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Worked}, or {Wrought}; p. pr.
& vb. n. {Working}.] [AS. wyrcean (imp. worthe, wrohte, p. p.
geworht, gewroht); akin to OFries. werka, wirka, OS. wirkian,
D. werken, G. wirken, Icel. verka, yrkja, orka, Goth.
wa['u]rkjan. [root]145. See {Work}, n.]
1. To exert one's self for a purpose; to put forth effort for
the attainment of an object; to labor; to be engaged in
the performance of a task, a duty, or the like.
O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work, To
match thy goodness? --Shak.
Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw
be given you. --Ex. v. 18.
Whether we work or play, or sleep or wake, Our life
doth pass. --Sir J.
Davies.
2. Hence, in a general sense, to operate; to act; to perform;
as, a machine works well.
We bend to that the working of the heart. --Shak.
3. Hence, figuratively, to be effective; to have effect or
influence; to conduce.
We know that all things work together for good to
them that love God. --Rom. viii.
28.
This so wrought upon the child, that afterwards he
desired to be taught. --Locke.
She marveled how she could ever have been wrought
upon to marry him. --Hawthorne.
4. To carry on business; to be engaged or employed
customarily; to perform the part of a laborer; to labor;
to toil.
They that work in fine flax . . . shall be
confounded. --Isa. xix. 9.
5. To be in a state of severe exertion, or as if in such a
state; to be tossed or agitated; to move heavily; to
strain; to labor; as, a ship works in a heavy sea.
Confused with working sands and rolling waves.
--Addison.
6. To make one's way slowly and with difficulty; to move or
penetrate laboriously; to proceed with effort; -- with a
following preposition, as down, out, into, up, through,
and the like; as, scheme works out by degrees; to work
into the earth.
Till body up to spirit work, in bounds Proportioned
to each kind. --Milton.
7. To ferment, as a liquid.
The working of beer when the barm is put in.
--Bacon.
8. To act or operate on the stomach and bowels, as a
cathartic.
Purges . . . work best, that is, cause the blood so
to do, . . . in warm weather or in a warm room.
--Grew.
{To work at}, to be engaged in or upon; to be employed in.
{To work to windward} (Naut.), to sail or ply against the
wind; to tack to windward. --Mar. Dict.
Work \Work\, v. t.
1. To labor or operate upon; to give exertion and effort to;
to prepare for use, or to utilize, by labor.
He could have told them of two or three gold mines,
and a silver mine, and given the reason why they
forbare to work them at that time. --Sir W.
Raleigh.
2. To produce or form by labor; to bring forth by exertion or
toil; to accomplish; to originate; to effect; as, to work
wood or iron into a form desired, or into a utensil; to
work cotton or wool into cloth.
Each herb he knew, that works or good or ill.
--Harte.
3. To produce by slow degrees, or as if laboriously; to bring
gradually into any state by action or motion. ``Sidelong
he works his way.'' --Milton.
So the pure, limpid stream, when foul with stains Of
rushing torrents and descending rains, Works itself
clear, and as it runs, refines, Till by degrees the
floating mirror shines. --Addison.
4. To influence by acting upon; to prevail upon; to manage;
to lead. ``Work your royal father to his ruin.''
--Philips.
5. To form with a needle and thread or yarn; especially, to
embroider; as, to work muslin.
6. To set in motion or action; to direct the action of; to
keep at work; to govern; to manage; as, to work a machine.
Knowledge in building and working ships.
--Arbuthnot.
Now, Marcus, thy virtue's the proof; Put forth thy
utmost strength, work every nerve. --Addison.
The mariners all 'gan work the ropes, Where they
were wont to do. --Coleridge.
7. To cause to ferment, as liquor.
{To work a passage} (Naut.), to pay for a passage by doing
work.
{To work double tides} (Naut.), to perform the labor of three
days in two; -- a phrase which alludes to a practice of
working by the night tide as well as by the day.
{To work in}, to insert, introduce, mingle, or interweave by
labor or skill.
{To work into}, to force, urge, or insinuate into; as, to
work one's self into favor or confidence.
{To work off}, to remove gradually, as by labor, or a gradual
process; as, beer works off impurities in fermenting.
{To work out}.
(a) To effect by labor and exertion. ``Work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling.'' --Phil. ii. 12.
(b) To erase; to efface. [R.]
Tears of joy for your returning spilt, Work out
and expiate our former guilt. --Dryden.
(c) To solve, as a problem.
(d) To exhaust, as a mine, by working.
{To work up}.
(a) To raise; to excite; to stir up; as, to work up the
passions to rage.
The sun, that rolls his chariot o'er their
heads, Works up more fire and color in their
cheeks. --Addison.
(b) To expend in any work, as materials; as, they have
worked up all the stock.
(c) (Naut.) To make over or into something else, as yarns
drawn from old rigging, made into spun yarn, foxes,
sennit, and the like; also, to keep constantly at work
upon needless matters, as a crew in order to punish
them. --R. H. Dana, Jr.
Workable \Work"a*ble\, a.
Capable of being worked, or worth working; as, a workable
mine; workable clay.
Workaday \Work"a*day`\, n.
See {Workyday}.
Workbag \Work"bag`\, n.
A bag for holding implements or materials for work;
especially, a reticule, or bag for holding needlework, and
the like.
Workbasket \Work"bas`ket\, n.
A basket for holding materials for needlework, or the like.
Workbench \Work"bench`\, n.
A bench on which work is performed, as in a carpenter's shop.
Workbox \Work"box`\, n.
A box for holding instruments or materials for work.
Workday \Work"day`\, n. & a. [AS. weorcd[ae]g.]
A day on which work is performed, as distinguished from
Sunday, festivals, etc., a working day.
Worker \Work"er\, n.
1. One who, or that which, works; a laborer; a performer; as,
a worker in brass.
Professors of holiness, but workers of iniquity.
--Shak.
2. (Zo["o]l.) One of the neuter, or sterile, individuals of
the social ants, bees, and white ants. The workers are
generally females having the sexual organs imperfectly
developed. See {Ant}, and {White ant}, under {White}.
Workfellow \Work"fel`low\, n.
One engaged in the same work with another; a companion in
work.
Workfolk \Work"folk`\, n.
People that labor.
Workful \Work"ful\, a.
Full of work; diligent. [R.]
Workhouse \Work"house`\, n.; pl. {Workhouses}. [AS. weorch?s.]
1. A house where any manufacture is carried on; a workshop.
2. A house in which idle and vicious persons are confined to
labor.
3. A house where the town poor are maintained at public
expense, and provided with labor; a poorhouse.
Working \Work"ing\,
a & n. from {Work}.
The word must cousin be to the working. --Chaucer.
{Working beam}. See {Beam}, n. 10.
{Working class}, the class of people who are engaged in
manual labor, or are dependent upon it for support;
laborers; operatives; -- chiefly used in the plural.
{Working day}. See under {Day}, n.
{Working drawing}, a drawing, as of the whole or part of a
structure, machine, etc., made to a scale, and intended to
be followed by the workmen. Working drawings are either
general or detail drawings.
{Working house}, a house where work is performed; a
workhouse.
{Working point} (Mach.), that part of a machine at which the
effect required; the point where the useful work is done.
Working-day \Work"ing-day\, a.
Pertaining to, or characteristic of, working days, or
workdays; everyday; hence, plodding; hard-working.
O, how full of briers in this working-day world. --Shak.
Workingman \Work"ing*man\, n.; pl. {Workingmen}.
A laboring man; a man who earns his daily support by manual
labor.
Workless \Work"less\, a.
1. Without work; not laboring; as, many people were still
workless.
2. Not carried out in practice; not exemplified in fact; as,
workless faith. [Obs.] --Sir T. More.
Workman \Work"man\, n.; pl. {Workmen}. [AS. weorcmann.]
1. A man employed in labor, whether in tillage or
manufactures; a worker.
2. Hence, especially, a skillful artificer or laborer.
Workmanlike \Work"man*like`\, a.
Becoming a workman, especially a skillful one; skillful; well
performed.
Workmanly \Work"man*ly\, a.
Becoming a skillful workman; skillful; well performed;
workmanlike.
Workmanly \Work"man*ly\, adv.
In a skillful manner; in a manner becoming a skillful
workman. --Shak.
Workmanship \Work"man*ship\, n.
1. The art or skill of a workman; the execution or manner of
making anything.
Due reward For her praiseworthy workmanship to
yield. --Spenser.
Beauty is nature's brag, and must be shown . . .
Where most may wonder at the workmanship. --Milton.
2. That which is effected, made, or produced; manufacture,
something made by manual labor.
Not any skilled in workmanship embossed. --Spenser.
By how much Adam exceeded all men in perfection, by
being the immediate workmanship of God. --Sir W.
Raleigh.
Workmaster \Work"mas`ter\, n.
The performer of any work; a master workman. [R.] --Spenser.
Workroom \Work"room`\, n.
Any room or apartment used especially for labor.
Workship \Work"ship\, n.
Workmanship. [R.]
Workshop \Work"shop`\, n.
A shop where any manufacture or handiwork is carried on.
Worktable \Work"ta`ble\, n.
A table for holding working materials and implements; esp., a
small table with drawers and other conveniences for
needlework, etc.
Workwoman \Work"wom`an\, n.; pl. {Workwomen}, n.
A woman who performs any work; especially, a woman skilled in
needlework.
Workyday \Work"y*day`\, n. [See {Workday}, {Workingday}.]
A week day or working day, as distinguished from Sunday or a
holiday. Also used adjectively. [Written also {workiday}, and
{workaday}.] [Obs. or Colloq.]
Prithee, tell her but a workyday fortune. --Shak.
World \World\, n. [OE. world, werld, weorld, weoreld, AS.
weorold, worold; akin to OS. werold, D. wereld, OHG. weralt,
worolt, werolt, werlt, G. welt, Icel. ver["o]ld, Sw. verld,
Dan. verden; properly, the age of man, lifetime, humanity;
AS. wer a man + a word akin to E. old; cf. AS. yld lifetime,
age, ylde men, humanity. Cf. {Werewolf}, {Old}.]
1. The earth and the surrounding heavens; the creation; the
system of created things; existent creation; the universe.
The invisible things of him from the creation of the
world are clearly seen. --Rom. 1. 20.
With desire to know, What nearer might concern him,
how this world Of heaven and earth conspicuous first
began. --Milton.
2. Any planet or heavenly body, especially when considered as
inhabited, and as the scene of interests analogous with
human interests; as, a plurality of worlds. ``Lord of the
worlds above.'' --I. Watts.
Amongst innumerable stars, that shone Star distant,
but high-hand seemed other worlds. --Milton.
There may be other worlds, where the inhabitants
have never violated their allegiance to their
almighty Sovereign. --W. B.
Sprague.
3. The earth and its inhabitants, with their concerns; the
sum of human affairs and interests.
That forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought
death into the world, and all our woe. --Milton.
4. In a more restricted sense, that part of the earth and its
concerns which is known to any one, or contemplated by any
one; a division of the globe, or of its inhabitants; human
affairs as seen from a certain position, or from a given
point of view; also, state of existence; scene of life and
action; as, the Old World; the New World; the religious
world; the Catholic world; the upper world; the future
world; the heathen world.
One of the greatest in the Christian world Shall be
my surety. --Shak.
Murmuring that now they must be put to make war
beyond the world's end -- for so they counted
Britain. --Milton.
5. The customs, practices, and interests of men; general
affairs of life; human society; public affairs and
occupations; as, a knowledge of the world.
Happy is she that from the world retires. --Waller.
If knowledge of the world makes man perfidious, May
Juba ever live in ignorance. --Addison.
6. Individual experience of, or concern with, life; course of
life; sum of the affairs which affect the individual; as,
to begin the world with no property; to lose all, and
begin the world anew.
7. The inhabitants of the earth; the human race; people in
general; the public; mankind.
Since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to
any purpose that the world can say against it.
--Shak.
Tell me, wench, how will the world repute me For
undertaking so unstaid a journey? --Shak.
8. The earth and its affairs as distinguished from heaven;
concerns of this life as distinguished from those of the
life to come; the present existence and its interests;
hence, secular affairs; engrossment or absorption in the
affairs of this life; worldly corruption; the ungodly or
wicked part of mankind.
I pray not for the world, but for them which thou
hast given me; for they are thine. --John xvii.
9.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in
the world. If any man love the world, the love of
the Father is not in him. For all that is in the
world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,
but is of the world. --1 John ii.
15, 16.
9. As an emblem of immensity, a great multitude or quantity;
a large number. ``A world of men.'' --Chapman. ``A world
of blossoms for the bee.'' --Bryant.
Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company. --Shak.
A world of woes dispatched in little space.
--Dryden.
{All . . . in the world}, all that exists; all that is
possible; as, all the precaution in the world would not
save him.
{A world to see}, a wonder to see; something admirable or
surprising to see. [Obs.]
O, you are novices; 't is a world to see How tame,
when men and women are alone, A meacock wretch can
make the curstest shrew. --Shak.
{For all the world}.
(a) Precisely; exactly.
(b) For any consideration.
{Seven wonders of the world}. See in the Dictionary of Noted
Names in Fiction.
{To go to the world}, to be married. [Obs.] ``Thus goes every
one to the world but I . . .; I may sit in a corner and
cry heighho for a husband!'' --Shak.
{World's end}, the end, or most distant part, of the world;
the remotest regions.
{World without end}, eternally; forever; everlastingly; as if
in a state of existence having no end.
Throughout all ages, world without end. --Eph. iii.
21.
Worldliness \World"li*ness\, n.
The quality of being worldly; a predominant passion for
obtaining the good things of this life; covetousness;
addictedness to gain and temporal enjoyments;
worldly-mindedness.
Worldling \World"ling\, [World + -ling.]
A person whose soul is set upon gaining temporal possessions;
one devoted to this world and its enjoyments.
A foutre for the world and worldlings base. --Shak.
If we consider the expectations of futurity, the
worldling gives up the argument. --Rogers.
And worldlings blot the temple's gold. --Keble.
Worldly \World"ly\, a. [AS. woroldlic.]
1. Relating to the world; human; common; as, worldly maxims;
worldly actions. ``I thus neglecting worldly ends.''
--Shak.
Many years it hath continued, standing by no other
worldly mean but that one only hand which erected
it. --Hooker.
2. Pertaining to this world or life, in contradistinction
from the life to come; secular; temporal; devoted to this
life and its enjoyments; bent on gain; as, worldly
pleasures, affections, honor, lusts, men.
With his soul fled all my worldly solace. --Shak.
3. Lay, as opposed to clerical. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Worldly \World"ly\, adv.
With relation to this life; in a worldly manner.
Subverting worldly strong and worldly wise By simply
meek. --Milton.
Worldly-minded \World"ly-mind`ed\, a.
Devoted to worldly interests; mindful of the affairs of the
present life, and forgetful of those of the future; loving
and pursuing this world's goods, to the exclusion of piety
and attention to spiritual concerns. --
{World"ly*mind`ed*ness}, n.
World-wide \World"-wide`\, a.
Extended throughout the world; as, world-wide fame.
--Tennyson.
Worldlywise \World"ly*wise`\, a.
Wise in regard to things of this world. --Bunyan.
Worm \Worm\ (w[^u]rm), n. [OE. worm, wurm, AS. wyrm; akin to D.
worm, OS. & G. wurm, Icel. ormr, Sw. & Dan. orm, Goth.
wa['u]rms, L. vermis, Gr. ? a wood worm. Cf. {Vermicelli},
{Vermilion}, {Vermin}.]
1. A creeping or a crawling animal of any kind or size, as a
serpent, caterpillar, snail, or the like. [Archaic]
There came a viper out of the heat, and leapt on his
hand. When the men of the country saw the worm hang
on his hand, they said, This man must needs be a
murderer. --Tyndale
(Acts xxviii.
3, 4).
'T is slander, Whose edge is sharper than the sword,
whose tongue Outvenoms all the worms of Nile.
--Shak.
When Cerberus perceived us, the great worm, His
mouth he opened and displayed his tusks.
--Longfellow.
2. Any small creeping animal or reptile, either entirely
without feet, or with very short ones, including a great
variety of animals; as, an earthworm; the blindworm.
Specifically: (Zo["o]l.)
(a) Any helminth; an entozo["o]n.
(b) Any annelid.
(c) An insect larva.
(d) pl. Same as {Vermes}.
3. An internal tormentor; something that gnaws or afflicts
one's mind with remorse.
The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul!
--Shak.
4. A being debased and despised.
I am a worm, and no man. --Ps. xxii. 6.
5. Anything spiral, vermiculated, or resembling a worm; as:
(a) The thread of a screw.
The threads of screws, when bigger than can be
made in screw plates, are called worms. --Moxon.
(b) A spiral instrument or screw, often like a double
corkscrew, used for drawing balls from firearms.
(c) (Anat.) A certain muscular band in the tongue of some
animals, as the dog; the lytta. See {Lytta}.
(d) The condensing tube of a still, often curved and wound
to economize space. See Illust. of {Still}.
(e) (Mach.) A short revolving screw, the threads of which
drive, or are driven by, a worm wheel by gearing into
its teeth or cogs. See Illust. of {Worm gearing},
below.
{Worm abscess} (Med.), an abscess produced by the irritation
resulting from the lodgment of a worm in some part of the
body.
{Worm fence}. See under {Fence}.
{Worm gear}. (Mach.)
(a) A worm wheel.
(b) Worm gearing.
{Worm gearing}, gearing consisting of a worm and worm wheel
working together.
{Worm grass}. (Bot.)
(a) See {Pinkroot}, 2
(a) .
(b) The white stonecrop ({Sedum album}) reputed to have
qualities as a vermifuge. --Dr. Prior.
{Worm oil} (Med.), an anthelmintic consisting of oil obtained
from the seeds of {Chenopodium anthelminticum}.
{Worm powder} (Med.), an anthelmintic powder.
{Worm snake}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Thunder snake}
(b), under {Thunder}.
{Worm tea} (Med.), an anthelmintic tea or tisane.
{Worm tincture} (Med.), a tincture prepared from dried
earthworms, oil of tartar, spirit of wine, etc. [Obs.]
{Worm wheel}, a cogwheel having teeth formed to fit into the
spiral spaces of a screw called a worm, so that the wheel
may be turned by, or may turn, the worm; -- called also
{worm gear}, and sometimes {tangent wheel}. See Illust. of
{Worm gearing}, above.
Worm \Worm\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wormed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Worming}.]
To work slowly, gradually, and secretly.
When debates and fretting jealousy Did worm and work
within you more and more, Your color faded. --Herbert.
Worm \Worm\, v. t.
1. To effect, remove, drive, draw, or the like, by slow and
secret means; -- often followed by out.
They find themselves wormed out of all power.
--Swift.
They . . . wormed things out of me that I had no
desire to tell. --Dickens.
2. To clean by means of a worm; to draw a wad or cartridge
from, as a firearm. See {Worm}, n. 5
(b) .
3. To cut the worm, or lytta, from under the tongue of, as a
dog, for the purpose of checking a disposition to gnaw.
The operation was formerly supposed to guard against
canine madness.
The men assisted the laird in his sporting parties,
wormed his dogs, and cut the ears of his terrier
puppies. --Sir W.
Scott.
4. (Naut.) To wind rope, yarn, or other material, spirally
round, between the strands of, as a cable; to wind with
spun yarn, as a small rope.
Ropes . . . are generally wormed before they are
served. --Totten.
{To worm one's self into}, to enter into gradually by arts
and insinuations; as, to worm one's self into favor.
Wormal \Wor"mal\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Wormil}.
Worm-eaten \Worm"-eat`en\, a.
1. Eaten, or eaten into, by a worm or by worms; as,
worm-eaten timber.
Concave as a covered goblet, or a worm-eaten nut.
--Shak.
2. Worn-out; old; worthless. [R.] --Sir W. Raleigh. --
{Worm"-eat`en*ness}, n. [R.] --Dr. John Smith.
Wormed \Wormed\, a.
Penetrated by worms; injured by worms; worm-eaten; as, wormed
timber.
Wormhole \Worm"hole`\, n.
A burrow made by a worm.
Wormian \Wor"mi*an\, a. (Anat.)
Discovered or described by Olanus Wormius, a Danish
anatomist.
{Wormian bones}, small irregular plates of bone often
interposed in the sutures between the large cranial bones.
Wormil \Wor"mil\, n. [Cf. 1st {Warble}.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any botfly larva which burrows in or beneath
the skin of domestic and wild animals, thus producing
sores. They belong to various species of {Hypoderma} and
allied genera. Domestic cattle are often infested by a
large species. See {Gadfly}. Called also {warble}, and
{worble}. [Written also {wormal}, {wormul}, and {wornil}.]
2. (Far.) See 1st {Warble}, 1
(b) .
Wormling \Worm"ling\, n.
A little worm.
O dusty wormling! dost thou strive and stand With
heaven's high monarch? --Sylvester.
Wormseed \Worm"seed`\, n. (Bot.)
Any one of several plants, as {Artemisia santonica}, and
{Chenopodium anthelminticum}, whose seeds have the property
of expelling worms from the stomach and intestines.
{Wormseed mustard}, a slender, cruciferous plant ({Erysinum
cheiranthoides}) having small lanceolate leaves.
Worm-shaped \Worm"-shaped`\, a.
Shaped like a worm; ?hick and almost cylindrical, but
variously curved or bent; as, a worm-shaped root.
Worm-shell \Worm"-shell`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Any species of Vermetus.
Wormul \Wor"mul\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Wornil}.
Wormwood \Worm"wood\, n. [AS. werm?d, akin to OHG. wermuota,
wormuota, G. wermuth, wermut; of uncertain origin.]
1. (Bot.) A composite plant ({Artemisia Absinthium}), having
a bitter and slightly aromatic taste, formerly used as a
tonic and a vermifuge, and to protect woolen garments from
moths. It gives the peculiar flavor to the cordial called
absinthe. The volatile oil is a narcotic poison. The term
is often extended to other species of the same genus.
2. Anything very bitter or grievous; bitterness.
Lest there should be among you a root that beareth
gall and wormwood. --Deut. xxix.
18.
{Roman wormwood} (Bot.), an American weed ({Ambrosia
artemisi[ae]folia}); hogweed.
{Tree wormwood} (Bot.), a species of Artemisia (probably
{Artemisia variabilis}) with woody stems.
{Wormwood hare} (Zo["o]l.), a variety of the common hare
({Lepus timidus}); -- so named from its color.
Wormy \Worm"y\, a. [Compar. {Wormier}; superl. {Wormiest}.]
1. Containing a worm; abounding with worms. ``Wormy beds.''
--Shak.
2. Like or pertaining to a worm; earthy; groveling.
Worn \Worn\,
p. p. of {Wear}.
{Worn land}, land that has become exhausted by tillage, or
which for any reason has lost its fertility.
Wornil \Wor"nil\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Wormil}.
Worn-out \Worn"-out`\, a.
Consumed, or rendered useless, by wearing; as, worn-out
garments.
Worral \Wor"ral\, Worrel \Wor"rel\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
An Egyptian fork-tongued lizard, about four feet long when
full grown.
Worrier \Wor"ri*er\, n.
One who worries.
Worriment \Wor"ri*ment\, n. [See {Worry}.]
Trouble; anxiety; worry. [Colloq. U. S.]
Worrisome \Wor"ri*some\, a.
Inclined to worry or fret; also, causing worry or annoyance.
Worrit \Wor"rit\, v. t.
To worry; to annoy. [Illiterate]
Worrit \Wor"rit\, n.
Worry; anxiety. [Illiterate]
Worry \Wor"ry\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Worried}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Worrying}.] [OE. worowen, wirien, to strangle, AS. wyrgan in
[=a]wyrgan; akin to D. worgen, wurgen, to strangle, OHG.
wurgen, G. w["u]rgen, Lith. verszti, and perhaps to E.
wring.]
1. To harass by pursuit and barking; to attack repeatedly;
also, to tear or mangle with the teeth.
A hellhound that doth hunt us all to death; That dog
that had his teeth before his eyes, To worry lambs
and lap their gentle blood. --Shak.
2. To harass or beset with importunity, or with care an
anxiety; to vex; to annoy; to torment; to tease; to fret;
to trouble; to plague. ``A church worried with
reformation.'' --South.
Let them rail, And worry one another at their
pleasure. --Rowe.
Worry him out till he gives consent. --Swift.
3. To harass with labor; to fatigue. [Colloq.]
Worry \Wor"ry\, v. i.
To feel or express undue care and anxiety; to manifest
disquietude or pain; to be fretful; to chafe; as, the child
worries; the horse worries.
Worry \Wor"ry\, n.; pl. {Worries}.
A state of undue solicitude; a state of disturbance from care
and anxiety; vexation; anxiety; fret; as, to be in a worry.
``The whir and worry of spindle and of loom.'' --Sir T.
Browne.
Worryingly \Wor"ry*ing*ly\, adv.
In a worrying manner.
Worse \Worse\, a., compar. of {Bad}. [OE. werse, worse, wurse,
AS. wiersa, wyrsa, a comparative with no corresponding
positive; akin to OS. wirsa, OFries. wirra, OHG. wirsiro,
Icel. verri, Sw. v["a]rre, Dan. v["a]rre, Goth. wa['i]rsiza,
and probably to OHG. werran to bring into confusion, E. war,
and L. verrere to sweep, sweep along. As bad has no
comparative and superlative, worse and worst are used in lieu
of them, although etymologically they have no relation to
bad.]
Bad, ill, evil, or corrupt, in a greater degree; more bad or
evil; less good; specifically, in poorer health; more sick;
-- used both in a physical and moral sense.
Or worse, if men worse can devise. --Chaucer.
[She] was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.
--Mark v. 26.
Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse. --2
Tim. iii. 13.
There are men who seem to believe they are not bad
while another can be found worse. --Rambler.
``But I love him.'' ``Love him? Worse and worse.''
--Gay.
Worse \Worse\, n.
1. Loss; disadvantage; defeat. ``Judah was put to the worse
before Israel.'' --Kings xiv. 12.
2. That which is worse; something less good; as, think not
the worse of him for his enterprise.
Worse \Worse\, adv. [AS. wiers, wyrs; akin to OS. & OHG. wirs,
Icel. verr, Goth, wa['i]rs; a comparative adverb with no
corresponding positive. See {Worse}, a.]
In a worse degree; in a manner more evil or bad.
Now will we deal worse with thee than with them. --Gen.
xix. 9.
Worse \Worse\, v. t. [OE. wursien, AS. wyrsian to become worse.]
To make worse; to put disadvantage; to discomfit; to worst.
See {Worst}, v.
Weapons more violent, when next we meet, May serve to
better us and worse our foes. --Milton.
Worsen \Wors"en\, v. t.
1. To make worse; to deteriorate; to impair.
It is apparent that, in the particular point of
which we have been conversing, their condition is
greatly worsened. --Southey.
2. To get the better of; to worst. [R.]
Worsen \Wors"en\, v. i.
To grow or become worse. --De Quincey.
Indifferent health, which seemed rather to worsen than
improve. --Carlyle.
Worser \Wors"er\, a.
Worse. [R.]
Thou dost deserve a worser end. --Beau. & Fl.
From worser thoughts which make me do amiss. --Bunyan.
A dreadful quiet felt, and, worser far Than arms, a
sullen interval of war. --Dryden.
Note: This old and redundant form of the comparative occurs
occasionally in the best authors, although commonly
accounted a vulgarism. It has, at least, the analogy of
lesser to sanction its issue. See {Lesser}. ``The
experience of man's worser nature, which intercourse
with ill-chosen associates, by choice or circumstance,
peculiarly teaches.'' --Hallam.
Worship \Wor"ship\, n. [OE. worshipe, wur[eth]scipe, AS.
weor[eth]scipe; weor[eth] worth + -scipe -ship. See {Worth},
a., and {-ship}.]
1. Excellence of character; dignity; worth; worthiness.
[Obs.] --Shak.
A man of worship and honour. --Chaucer.
Elfin, born of noble state, And muckle worship in
his native land. --Spenser.
2. Honor; respect; civil deference. [Obs.]
Of which great worth and worship may be won.
--Spenser.
Then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them
that sit at meat with thee. --Luke xiv.
10.
3. Hence, a title of honor, used in addresses to certain
magistrates and others of rank or station.
My father desires your worships' company. --Shak.
4. The act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being;
religious reverence and homage; adoration, or acts of
reverence, paid to God, or a being viewed as God. ``God
with idols in their worship joined.'' --Milton.
The worship of God is an eminent part of religion,
and prayer is a chief part of religious worship.
--Tillotson.
5. Obsequious or submissive respect; extravagant admiration;
adoration.
'T is your inky brows, your black silk hair, Your
bugle eyeballs, nor your cheek of cream, That can my
spirits to your worship. --Shak.
6. An object of worship.
In attitude and aspect formed to be At once the
artist's worship and despair. --Longfellow.
{Devil worship}, {Fire worship}, {Hero worship}, etc. See
under {Devil}, {Fire}, {Hero}, etc.
Worship \Wor"ship\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Worshiped}or
{Worshipped}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Worshiping} or {Worshipping}.]
1. To respect; to honor; to treat with civil reverence.
[Obsoles.] --Chaucer.
Our grave . . . shall have a tongueless mouth, Not
worshiped with a waxen epitaph. --Shak.
This holy image that is man God worshipeth. --Foxe.
2. To pay divine honors to; to reverence with supreme respect
and veneration; to perform religious exercises in honor
of; to adore; to venerate.
But God is to be worshiped. --Shak.
When all our fathers worshiped stocks and stones.
--Milton.
3. To honor with extravagant love and extreme submission, as
a lover; to adore; to idolize.
With bended knees I daily worship her. --Carew.
Syn: To adore; revere; reverence; bow to; honor.
Worship \Wor"ship\, v. i.
To perform acts of homage or adoration; esp., to perform
religious service.
Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say that
in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
--John iv. 20.
Was it for this I have loved . . . and worshiped in
silence? --Longfellow.
Worshipability \Wor`ship*a*bil"i*ty\, n.
The quality of being worthy to be worshiped. [R.]
--Coleridge.
Worshipable \Wor"ship*a*ble\, a.
Capable of being worshiped; worthy of worship. [R.]
--Carlyle.
Worshiper \Wor"ship*er\, n.
One who worships; one who pays divine honors to any being or
thing; one who adores. [Written also {worshipper}.]
Worshipful \Wor"ship*ful\, a.
Entitled to worship, reverence, or high respect; claiming
respect; worthy of honor; -- often used as a term of respect,
sometimes ironically. ``This is worshipful society.'' --Shak.
[She is] so dear and worshipful. --Chaucer.
-- {Wor"ship*ful*ly}, adv. -- {Wor"ship*ful*ness}, n.
Worst \Worst\, a., superl. of {Bad}. [OE. werst, worste, wurste,
AS. wyrst, wierst, wierrest. See {Worse}, a.]
Bad, evil, or pernicious, in the highest degree, whether in a
physical or moral sense. See {Worse}. ``Heard so oft in worst
extremes.'' --Milton.
I have a wife, the worst that may be. --Chaucer.
If thou hadst not been born the worst of men, Thou
hadst been a knave and flatterer. --Shak.
Worst \Worst\, n.
That which is most bad or evil; the most severe, pernicious,
calamitous, or wicked state or degree.
The worst is not So long as we can say, This is the
worst. --Shak.
He is always sure of finding diversion when the worst
comes to the worst. --Addison.
Worst \Worst\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Worsted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Worsting}.] [See {Worse}, v. t. & a.]
To gain advantage over, in contest or competition; to get the
better of; to defeat; to overthrow; to discomfit.
The . . . Philistines were worsted by the captivated
ark. --South.
Worst \Worst\, v. i.
To grow worse; to deteriorate. [R.] ``Every face . . .
worsting.'' --Jane Austen.
Worsted \Worst"ed\ (?; 277), n. [From Worsted, now spelled
Worstead, a town in Norfolk, England; for Worthstead. See
{Worth}, n., and {Stead}.]
1. Well-twisted yarn spun of long-staple wool which has been
combed to lay the fibers parallel, used for carpets,
cloth, hosiery, gloves, and the like.
2. Fine and soft woolen yarn, untwisted or lightly twisted,
used in knitting and embroidery.
Wort \Wort\, n. [OE. wort, wurt, AS. wyrt herb, root; akin to
OS. wurt, G. wurz, Icel. jurt, urt, Dan. urt, Sw. ["o]rt,
Goth. wa['u]rts a root, L. radix, Gr. ? a root, ? a branch,
young shoot, ? a branch, and E. root, n. Cf. {Licorice},
{Orchard}, {Radish}, {Root}, n., {Whortleberry}, {Wort} an
infusion of malt.]
1. (Bot.) A plant of any kind.
Note: This word is now chiefly used in combination, as in
colewort, figwort, St. John's-wort, woundwort, etc.
2. pl. Cabbages.
Wort \Wort\, n. [OE. worte, wurte, AS. wyrte; akin to OD. wort,
G. w["u]rze, bierw["u]rze, Icel. virtr, Sw. v["o]rt. See
{Wort} an herb.]
An infusion of malt which is unfermented, or is in the act of
fermentation; the sweet infusion of malt, which ferments and
forms beer; hence, any similar liquid in a state of incipient
fermentation.
Note: Wort consists essentially of a dilute solution of
sugar, which by fermentation produces alcohol and
carbon dioxide.
Worth \Worth\, v. i. [OE. worthen, wur[thorn]en, to become, AS.
weor[eth]an; akin to OS. wer[eth]an, D. worden, G. werden,
OHG. werdan, Icel. ver[eth]a, Sw. varda, Goth. wa['i]rpan, L.
vertere to turn, Skr. v[.r]t, v. i., to turn, to roll, to
become. [root]143. Cf. {Verse}, -{ward}, {Weird}.]
To be; to become; to betide; -- now used only in the phrases,
woe worth the day, woe worth the man, etc., in which the verb
is in the imperative, and the nouns day, man, etc., are in
the dative. Woe be to the day, woe be to the man, etc., are
equivalent phrases.
I counsel . . . to let the cat worthe. --Piers
Plowman.
He worth upon [got upon] his steed gray. --Chaucer.
Worth \Worth\, a. [OE. worth, wur[thorn], AS. weor[eth], wurE;
akin to OFries. werth, OS. wer[eth], D. waard, OHG. werd, G.
wert, werth, Icel. ver[eth]r, Sw. v["a]rd, Dan. v[ae]rd,
Goth. wa['i]rps, and perhaps to E. wary. Cf. {Stalwart},
{Ware} an article of merchandise, {Worship}.]
1. Valuable; of worthy; estimable; also, worth while. [Obs.]
It was not worth to make it wise. --Chaucer.
2. Equal in value to; furnishing an equivalent for; proper to
be exchanged for.
A ring he hath of mine worth forty ducats. --Shak.
All our doings without charity are nothing worth.
--Bk. of Com.
Prayer.
If your arguments produce no conviction, they are
worth nothing to me. --Beattie.
3. Deserving of; -- in a good or bad sense, but chiefly in a
good sense.
To reign is worth ambition, though in hell.
--Milton.
This is life indeed, life worth preserving.
--Addison.
4. Having possessions equal to; having wealth or estate to
the value of.
At Geneva are merchants reckoned worth twenty
hundred crowns. --Addison.
{Worth while}, or {Worth the while}. See under {While}, n.
Worth \Worth\, n. [OE. worth, wur[thorn], AS. weor[eth],
wur[eth]; weor[eth], wur[eth], adj. See {Worth}, a.]
1. That quality of a thing which renders it valuable or
useful; sum of valuable qualities which render anything
useful and sought; value; hence, often, value as expressed
in a standard, as money; equivalent in exchange; price.
What 's worth in anything But so much money as 't
will bring? --Hudibras.
2. Value in respect of moral or personal qualities;
excellence; virtue; eminence; desert; merit; usefulness;
as, a man or magistrate of great worth.
To be of worth, and worthy estimation. --Shak.
As none but she, who in that court did dwell, Could
know such worth, or worth describe so well.
--Waller.
To think how modest worth neglected lies.
--Shenstone.
Syn: Desert; merit; excellence; price; rate.
Worthful \Worth"ful\, a.
Full of worth; worthy; deserving. --Marston.
Worthily \Wor"thi*ly\, adv.
In a worthy manner; excellently; deservedly; according to
merit; justly; suitably; becomingly.
You worthily succeed not only to the honors of your
ancestors, but also to their virtues. --Dryden.
Some may very worthily deserve to be hated. --South.
Worthiness \Wor"thi*ness\, n.
The quality or state of being worthy; desert; merit;
excellence; dignity; virtue; worth.
Who is sure he hath a soul, unless It see, and judge,
and follow worthiness? --Donne.
She is not worthy to be loved that hath not some
feeling of her own worthiness. --Sir P.
Sidney.
The prayers which our Savior made were for his own
worthiness accepted. --Hooker.
Worthless \Worth"less\, a. [AS. weor[eth]le['a]s.]
Destitute of worth; having no value, virtue, excellence,
dignity, or the like; undeserving; valueless; useless; vile;
mean; as, a worthless garment; a worthless ship; a worthless
man or woman; a worthless magistrate.
'T is a worthless world to win or lose. --Byron.
-- {Worth"less*ly}, adv. -- {Worth"less*ness}, n.
Worthy \Wor"thy\, a. [Compar. {Worthier}; superl. {Worthiest.}]
[OE. worthi, wur[thorn]i, from worth, wur[thorn], n.; cf.
Icel. ver[eth]ugr, D. waardig, G. w["u]rdig, OHG. wird[=i]g.
See {Worth}, n.]
1. Having worth or excellence; possessing merit; valuable;
deserving; estimable; excellent; virtuous.
Full worthy was he in his lordes war. --Chaucer.
These banished men that I have kept withal Are men
endued with worthy qualities. --Shak.
Happier thou mayst be, worthier canst not be.
--Milton.
This worthy mind should worthy things embrace. --Sir
J. Davies.
2. Having suitable, adapted, or equivalent qualities or
value; -- usually with of before the thing compared or the
object; more rarely, with a following infinitive instead
of of, or with that; as, worthy of, equal in excellence,
value, or dignity to; entitled to; meriting; -- usually in
a good sense, but sometimes in a bad one.
No, Warwick, thou art worthy of the sway. --Shak.
The merciless Macdonwald, Worthy to be a rebel.
--Shak.
Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. --Matt. iii.
11.
And thou art worthy that thou shouldst not know More
happiness. --Milton.
The lodging is well worthy of the guest. --Dryden.
3. Of high station; of high social position. [Obs.]
Worthy women of the town. --Chaucer.
{Worthiest of blood} (Eng. Law of Descent), most worthy of
those of the same blood to succeed or inherit; -- applied
to males, and expressive of the preference given them over
females. --Burrill.
Worthy \Wor"thy\, n.; pl. {Worthies}.
A man of eminent worth or value; one distinguished for useful
and estimable qualities; a person of conspicuous desert; --
much used in the plural; as, the worthies of the church;
political worthies; military worthies.
The blood of ancient worthies in his veins. --Cowper.
Worthy \Wor"thy\, v. t.
To render worthy; to exalt into a hero. [Obs.] --Shak.
Wost \Wost\,
2d pers. sing. pres. of {Wit}, to know. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Wot \Wot\,
1st & 3d pers. sing. pres. of {Wit}, to know. See the {Note}
under {Wit}, v. [Obs.]
Brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it.
--Acts iii.
17.
Wotest \Wot"est\, Wottest \Wot"test\,
2d pers. sing. pres. of {Wit}, to know. [Obs.]
Woteth \Wot"eth\, Wotteth \Wot"teth\,
3d pers. sing. pres. of {Wit}, to know. [Obs.] ``He wotteth
neither what he babbleth, nor what he meaneth.'' --Tyndale.
Woul \Woul\, v. i.
To howl. [Obs.] --Wyclif.
Would \Would\, imp. of {Will}. [OE. & AS. wolde. See {Will}, v.
t.]
Commonly used as an auxiliary verb, either in the past tense
or in the conditional or optative present. See 2d & 3d
{Will}.
Note: Would was formerly used also as the past participle of
{Will}.
Right as our Lord hath would. --Chaucer.
Would \Would\, n.
See 2d {Weld}.
Would-be \Would"-be`\, a.
Desiring or professing to be; vainly pretending to be; as, a
would-be poet
.
Woulding \Would"ing\, n.
Emotion of desire; inclination; velleity. [Obs.] --Hammond.
Wouldingness \Would"ing*ness\, n.
Willingness; desire. [Obs.]
Woulfe bottle \Woulfe" bot`tle\, n. (Chem.)
A kind of wash bottle with two or three necks; -- so called
after the inventor, Peter Woulfe, an English chemist.
Wound \Wound\,
imp. & p. p. of {Wind} to twist, and {Wind} to sound by
blowing.
Wound \Wound\ (?; 277), n. [OE. wounde, wunde, AS. wund; akin to
OFries. wunde, OS. wunda, D. wonde, OHG. wunta, G. wunde,
Icel. und, and to AS., OS., & G. wund sore, wounded, OHG.
wunt, Goth. wunds, and perhaps also to Goth. winnan to
suffer, E. win. [root]140. Cf. Zounds.]
1. A hurt or injury caused by violence; specifically, a
breach of the skin and flesh of an animal, or in the
substance of any creature or living thing; a cut, stab,
rent, or the like. --Chaucer.
Showers of blood Rained from the wounds of
slaughtered Englishmen. --Shak.
2. Fig.: An injury, hurt, damage, detriment, or the like, to
feeling, faculty, reputation, etc.
3. (Criminal Law) An injury to the person by which the skin
is divided, or its continuity broken; a lesion of the
body, involving some solution of continuity.
Note: Walker condemns the pronunciation woond as a
``capricious novelty.'' It is certainly opposed to an
important principle of our language, namely, that the
Old English long sound written ou, and pronounced like
French ou or modern English oo, has regularly changed,
when accented, into the diphthongal sound usually
written with the same letters ou in modern English, as
in ground, hound, round, sound. The use of ou in Old
English to represent the sound of modern English oo was
borrowed from the French, and replaced the older and
Anglo-Saxon spelling with u. It makes no difference
whether the word was taken from the French or not,
provided it is old enough in English to have suffered
this change to what is now the common sound of ou; but
words taken from the French at a later time, or
influenced by French, may have the French sound.
{Wound gall} (Zo["o]l.), an elongated swollen or tuberous
gall on the branches of the grapevine, caused by a small
reddish brown weevil ({Ampeloglypter sesostris}) whose
larv[ae] inhabit the galls.
Wound \Wound\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wounded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wounding}.] [AS. wundian. [root]140. See {Wound}, n.]
1. To hurt by violence; to produce a breach, or separation of
parts, in, as by a cut, stab, blow, or the like.
The archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the
archers. --1 Sam. xxxi.
3.
2. To hurt the feelings of; to pain by disrespect,
ingratitude, or the like; to cause injury to.
When ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their
weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. --1 Cor.
viii. 12.
Woundable \Wound"a*ble\, a.
Capable of being wounded; vulnerable. [R.] --Fuller.
Wounder \Wound"er\, n.
One who, or that which, wounds.
Woundily \Wound"i*ly\, adv.
In a woundy manner; excessively; woundy. [Obs.]
Woundless \Wound"less\, a.
Free from wound or hurt; exempt from being wounded;
invulnerable. ``Knights whose woundless armor rusts.''
--Spenser.
[Slander] may miss our name, And hit the woundless air.
--Shak.
Woundwort \Wound"wort`\, n. (Bot.)
Any one of certain plants whose soft, downy leaves have been
used for dressing wounds, as the kidney vetch, and several
species of the labiate genus {Stachys}.
Woundy \Wound"y\, a.
Excessive. [Obs.]
Such a world of holidays, that 't a woundy hindrance to
a poor man that lives by his labor. --L'Estrange.
Woundy \Wound"y\, adv.
Excessively; extremely. [Obs.]
A am woundy cold. --Ford.
Wourali \Wou"ra*li\, n.
Same as Curare.
Wou-wou \Wou"-wou`\, n. [So called from its cry.] (Zo["o]l.)
The agile, or silvery, gibbon; -- called also camper. See
{Gibbon}. [Written also {wow-wow}.]
Wove \Wove\,
p. pr. & rare vb. n. of {Weave}.
Woven \Wov"en\,
p. p. of {Weave}.
{Woven paper}, or {Wove paper}, writing paper having an even,
uniform surface, without watermarks.
Wowe \Wowe\, v. t. & i.
To woo. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wowf \Wowf\, a.
Disordered or unsettled in intellect; deranged. [Scot.] --Sir
W. Scott.
Wowke \Wowke\, n.
Week. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wow-wow \Wow"-wow"\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Wou-wou}.
Wox \Wox\, obs.
imp. of {Wax}. --Gower.
Woxen \Wox"en\, obs.
p. p. of {Wax}. --Chaucer.
Wrack \Wrack\, n.
A thin, flying cloud; a rack.
Wrack \Wrack\, v. t.
To rack; to torment. [R.]
Wrack \Wrack\, n. [OE. wrak wreck. See {Wreck}.]
1. Wreck; ruin; destruction. [Obs.] --Chaucer. ``A world
devote to universal wrack.'' --Milton.
2. Any marine vegetation cast up on the shore, especially
plants of the genera {Fucus}, {Laminaria}, and {Zostera},
which are most abundant on northern shores.
3. (Bot.) Coarse seaweed of any kind.
{Wrack grass}, or {Grass wrack} (Bot.), eelgrass.
Wrack \Wrack\, v. t.
To wreck. [Obs.] --Dryden.
Wrackful \Wrack"ful\, a.
Ruinous; destructive. [Obs.]
Wrain-bolt \Wrain"-bolt`\, n.
Same as {Wringbolt}.
Wraith \Wraith\, n. [Scot. wraith, warth; probably originally, a
guardian angel, from Icel. v["o]r[eth]r a warden, guardian,
akin to E. ward. See {Ward} a guard.]
1. An apparition of a person in his exact likeness, seen
before death, or a little after; hence, an apparition; a
specter; a vision; an unreal image. [Scot.]
She was uncertain if it were the gypsy or her
wraith. --Sir W.
Scott.
O, hollow wraith of dying fame. --Tennyson.
2. Sometimes, improperly, a spirit thought to preside over
the waters; -- called also {water wraith}. --M. G. Lewis.
Wrangle \Wran"gle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wrangled}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Wrangling}.] [OE. wranglen to wrestle. See {Wrong},
{Wring}.]
1. To argue; to debate; to dispute. [Obs.]
2. To dispute angrily; to quarrel peevishly and noisily; to
brawl; to altercate. ``In spite of occasional
wranglings.'' --Macaulay.
For a score of kingdoms you should wrangle. --Shak.
He did not know what it was to wrangle on
indifferent points. --Addison.
Wrangle \Wran"gle\, v. t.
To involve in a quarrel or dispute; to embroil. [R.] --Bp.
Sanderson.
Wrangle \Wran"gle\, n.
An angry dispute; a noisy quarrel; a squabble; an
altercation.
Syn: Altercation; bickering; brawl; jar; jangle; contest;
controversy. See {Altercation}.
Wrangler \Wran"gler\, n.
1. An angry disputant; one who disputes with heat or
peevishness. ``Noisy and contentious wranglers.'' --I.
Watts.
2. One of those who stand in the first rank of honors in the
University of Cambridge, England. They are called,
according to their rank, senior wrangler, second wrangler,
third wrangler, etc. Cf. {Optime}.
Wranglership \Wran"gler*ship\, n.
The honor or position of being a wrangler at the University
of Cambridge, England.
Wranglesome \Wran"gle*some\, a.
Contentious; quarrelsome. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
Wrannock \Wran"nock\, Wranny \Wran"ny\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The common wren. [Prov. Eng.]
Wrap \Wrap\, v. t. [A corrupt spelling of rap.]
To snatch up; transport; -- chiefly used in the p. p. wrapt.
Lo! where the stripling, wrapt in wonder, roves.
--Beattie.
Wrap \Wrap\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wrapped}or {Wrapt}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Wrapping}.] [OE. wrappen, probably akin to E. warp.
[root]144. Cf. {Warp}.]
1. To wind or fold together; to arrange in folds.
Then cometh Simon Peter, . . . and seeth . . . the
napkin that was about his head, not lying with the
linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by
itself. --John xx. 6,
7.
Like one that wraps the drapery of his couch About
him, and lies down to pleasant dreams. --Bryant.
2. To cover by winding or folding; to envelop completely; to
involve; to infold; -- often with up.
I . . . wrapt in mist Of midnight vapor, glide
obscure. --Milton.
3. To conceal by enveloping or infolding; to hide; hence, to
involve, as an effect or consequence; to be followed by.
Wise poets that wrap truth in tales. --Carew.
{To be wrapped up in}, to be wholly engrossed in; to be
entirely dependent on; to be covered with.
Leontine's young wife, in whom all his happiness was
wrapped up, died in a few days after the death of
her daughter. --Addison.
Things reflected on in gross and transiently . . .
are thought to be wrapped up in impenetrable
obscurity. --Locke.
Wrap \Wrap\, n.
A wrapper; -- often used in the plural for blankets, furs,
shawls, etc., used in riding or traveling.
Wrappage \Wrap"page\ (?; 48), n.
1. The act of wrapping.
2. That which wraps; envelope; covering.
Wrapper \Wrap"per\, n.
1. One who, or that which, wraps.
2. That in which anything is wrapped, or inclosed; envelope;
covering.
3. Specifically, a loose outer garment; an article of dress
intended to be wrapped round the person; as, a morning
wrapper; a gentleman's wrapper.
Wraprascal \Wrap"ras`cal\, n.
A kind of coarse upper coat, or overcoat, formerly worn.
Wrasse \Wrasse\, n. [W. gwrachen.] (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of numerous edible, marine, spiny-finned fishes of
the genus {Labrus}, of which several species are found in the
Mediterranean and on the Atlantic coast of Europe. Many of
the species are bright-colored.
Note: Among the European species are the ballan wrasse
({Labrus maculatus}), the streaked wrasse ({L.
lineatus}), the red wrasse ({L. mixtus}), the comber
wrasse ({L. comber}), the blue-striped, or cook, wrasse
(see {Peacock fish}, under {Peacock}), the rainbow
wrasse ({L. vulgaris}), and the seawife.
Wrastle \Wras"tle\, v. i. [OE. wrastlen. See {Wrestle}.]
To wrestle. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]
Who wrastleth best naked, with oil enoint. --Chaucer.
Wrath \Wrath\ (?; 277), n. [OE. wrathe, wra[thorn][thorn]e,
wrethe, wr[ae][eth][eth]e, AS. wr[=ae][eth][eth]o, fr.
wr[=a][eth] wroth; akin to Icel. rei[eth]i wrath. See
{Wroth}, a.]
1. Violent anger; vehement exasperation; indignation; rage;
fury; ire.
Wrath is a fire, and jealousy a weed. --Spenser.
When the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased.
--Esther ii.
1.
Now smoking and frothing Its tumult and wrath in.
--Southey.
2. The effects of anger or indignation; the just punishment
of an offense or a crime. ``A revenger to execute wrath
upon him that doeth evil.'' --Rom. xiii. 4.
Syn: Anger; fury; rage; ire; vengeance; indignation;
resentment; passion. See {Anger}.
Wrath \Wrath\, a.
See {Wroth}. [Obs.]
Wrath \Wrath\, v. t.
To anger; to enrage; -- also used impersonally. [Obs.] ``I
will not wrathen him.'' --Chaucer.
If him wratheth, be ywar and his way shun. --Piers
Plowman.
Wrathful \Wrath"ful\, a.
1. Full of wrath; very angry; greatly incensed; ireful;
passionate; as, a wrathful man.
2. Springing from, or expressing, wrath; as, a wrathful
countenance. ``Wrathful passions.'' --Sprat.
Syn: Furious; raging; indignant; resentful. --
{Wrath"ful*ly}, adv. -- {Wrath"ful*ness}, n.
Wrathily \Wrath"i*ly\, adv.
In a wrathy manner; very angrily; wrathfully. [Colloq.]
Wrathless \Wrath"less\, a.
Free from anger or wrath. --Waller.
Wrathy \Wrath"y\, a.
Very angry. [Colloq.]
Wraw \Wraw\, a. [Cf. dial. Sw. vr[*a] willful, disobedient.]
Angry; vexed; wrathful. [Obs.]
With this speech the cock wex wroth and wraw.
--Chaucer.
Wrawful \Wraw"ful\, a.
Ill-tempered. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wrawl \Wrawl\, v. i. [Cf. Dan. vraale, Sw. vr[*a]la to brawl, to
roar, Dan. vraal a bawling, roaring, vr[ae]le to cry, weep,
whine.]
To cry, as a cat; to waul. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Wrawness \Wraw"ness\, n.
Peevishness; ill temper; anger. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wray \Wray\, v. t. [AS. wr?gan to accuse. See {Bewray}.]
To reveal; to disclose. [Obs.]
To no wight thou shalt this counsel wray. --Chaucer.
Wreak \Wreak\, v. i.
To reck; to care. [Obs.] --Shak.
Wreak \Wreak\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wreaked}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wreaking}.] [OE. wrek?? to revenge, punish, drive out, AS.
wrecan; akin to OFries. wreka, OS. wrekan to punish, D.
wreken to avenge, G. r["a]chen, OHG. rehhan, Icel. reka to
drive, to take vengeance, Goth. wrikan to persecute, Lith.
vargas distress, vargti to suffer distress, L. urgere to
drive, urge, Gr. ? to shut, Skr. ? to turn away. Cf. {Urge},
{Wreck}, {Wretch}.]
1. To revenge; to avenge. [Archaic]
He should wreake him on his foes. --Chaucer.
Another's wrongs to wreak upon thyself. --Spenser.
Come wreak his loss, whom bootless ye complain.
--Fairfax.
2. To execute in vengeance or passion; to inflict; to hurl or
drive; as, to wreak vengeance on an enemy.
On me let Death wreak all his rage. --Milton.
Now was the time to be avenged on his old enemy, to
wreak a grudge of seventeen years. --Macaulay.
But gather all thy powers, And wreak them on the
verse that thou dost weave. --Bryant.
Wreak \Wreak\, n. [Cf. AS. wr[ae]c exile, persecution, misery.
See {Wreak}, v. t.]
Revenge; vengeance; furious passion; resentment. [Obs.]
--Shak. Spenser.
Wreaken \Wreak"en\, obs.
p. p. of {Wreak}. --Chaucer.
Wreaker \Wreak"er\, n. [See {Wreak}.]
Avenger. [Obs.]
The stork, the wrekere of avouterye [adultery].
--Chaucer.
Wreakful \Wreak"ful\, a.
Revengeful; angry; furious. [Obs.] -- {Wreak"ful*ly}, adv.
[Obs.]
Wreakless \Wreak"less\, a.
Unrevengeful; weak. [Obs.]
Wreath \Wreath\ (?; 277), n.; pl. {Wreaths}. [OE. wrethe, AS.
wr[=ae][eth] a twisted band, fr. wr[=i][eth]an to twist. See
{Writhe}.]
1. Something twisted, intertwined, or curled; as, a wreath of
smoke; a wreath of flowers. ``A wrethe of gold.''
--Chaucer.
[He] of his tortuous train Curled many a wanton
wreath. --Milton.
2. A garland; a chaplet, esp. one given to a victor.
Conquest doth grant He dear wreath to the Grecian
combatant. --Chapman.
Far back in the ages, The plow with wreaths was
crowned. --Bryant.
3. (Her.) An appendage to the shield, placed above it, and
supporting the crest (see Illust. of {Crest}). It
generally represents a twist of two cords of silk, one
tinctured like the principal metal, the other like the
principal color in the arms.
Wreathe \Wreathe\, v. t. [imp. {Wreathed}; p. p. {Wreathed};
Archaic {Wreathen}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wreathing}.] [See
{Wreath}, n.] [Written also {wreath}.]
1. To cause to revolve or writhe; to twist about; to turn.
[Obs.]
And from so heavy sight his head did wreathe.
--Spenser.
2. To twist; to convolve; to wind one about another; to
entwine.
The nods and smiles of recognition into which this
singular physiognomy was wreathed. --Sir W.
Scott.
From his slack hand the garland wreathed for Eve
Down dropped. --Milton.
3. To surround with anything twisted or convolved; to
encircle; to infold.
Each wreathed in the other's arms. --Shak.
Dusk faces with withe silken turbants wreathed.
--Milton.
And with thy winding ivy wreathes her lance.
--Dryden.
4. To twine or twist about; to surround; to encircle.
In the flowers that wreathe the sparkling bowl, Fell
adders hiss. --Prior.
Wreathe \Wreathe\, v. i.
To be intewoven or entwined; to twine together; as, a bower
of wreathing trees. --Dryden.
Wreathen \Wreath"en\, a.
Twisted; made into a wreath. ``Wreathen work of pure gold.''
--Ex. xxviii. 22.
Wreathless \Wreath"less\, a.
Destitute of a wreath.
Wreath-shell \Wreath"-shell`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A marine shell of the genus {Turbo}. See {Turbo}.
Wreathy \Wreath"y\, a.
Wreathed; twisted; curled; spiral; also, full of wreaths.
``Wreathy spires, and cochleary turnings about.'' --Sir T.
Browne.
Wrecche \Wrec"che\, n.
A wretch. [Obs.]
Wrecche \Wrec"che\, a.
Wretched. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wreche \Wreche\, n.
Wreak. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wreck \Wreck\, v. t. & n.
See 2d & 3d {Wreak}.
Wreck \Wreck\, n. [OE. wrak, AS. wr[ae]c exile, persecution,
misery, from wrecan to drive out, punish; akin to D. wrak,
adj., damaged, brittle, n., a wreck, wraken to reject, throw
off, Icel. rek a thing drifted ashore, Sw. vrak refuse, a
wreck, Dan. vrag. See {Wreak}, v. t., and cf. {Wrack} a
marine plant.] [Written also {wrack}.]
1. The destruction or injury of a vessel by being cast on
shore, or on rocks, or by being disabled or sunk by the
force of winds or waves; shipwreck.
Hard and obstinate As is a rock amidst the raging
floods, 'Gainst which a ship, of succor desolate,
Doth suffer wreck, both of herself and goods.
--Spenser.
2. Destruction or injury of anything, especially by violence;
ruin; as, the wreck of a railroad train.
The wreck of matter and the crush of worlds.
--Addison.
Its intellectual life was thus able to go on amidst
the wreck of its political life. --J. R. Green.
3. The ruins of a ship stranded; a ship dashed against rocks
or land, and broken, or otherwise rendered useless, by
violence and fracture; as, they burned the wreck.
4. The remain of anything ruined or fatally injured.
To the fair haven of my native home, The wreck of
what I was, fatigued I come. --Cowper.
5. (Law) Goods, etc., which, after a shipwreck, are cast upon
the land by the sea. --Bouvier.
Wreck \Wreck\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wrecked}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wrecking}.]
1. To destroy, disable, or seriously damage, as a vessel, by
driving it against the shore or on rocks, by causing it to
become unseaworthy, to founder, or the like; to shipwreck.
Supposing that they saw the king's ship wrecked.
--Shak.
2. To bring wreck or ruin upon by any kind of violence; to
destroy, as a railroad train.
3. To involve in a wreck; hence, to cause to suffer ruin; to
balk of success, and bring disaster on.
Weak and envied, if they should conspire, They wreck
themselves. --Daniel.
Wreck \Wreck\, v. i.
1. To suffer wreck or ruin. --Milton.
2. To work upon a wreck, as in saving property or lives, or
in plundering.
Wreckage \Wreck"age\ (?; 48), n.
1. The act of wrecking, or state of being wrecked.
2. That which has been wrecked; remains of a wreck.
Wrecker \Wreck"er\, n.
1. One who causes a wreck, as by false lights, and the like.
2. One who searches fro, or works upon, the wrecks of
vessels, etc. Specifically:
(a) One who visits a wreck for the purpose of plunder.
(b) One who is employed in saving property or lives from a
wrecked vessel, or in saving the vessel; as, the
wreckers of Key West.
3. A vessel employed by wreckers.
Wreckfish \Wreck"fish`\, n. [So called because it often comes in
with wreckage.] (Zo["o]l.)
A stone bass.
Wreckful \Wreck"ful\, a.
Causing wreck; involving ruin; destructive. ``By wreckful
wind.'' --Spenser.
Wrecking \Wreck"ing\,
a. & n. from {Wreck}, v.
{Wrecking car} (Railway), a car fitted up with apparatus and
implements for removing the wreck occasioned by an
accident, as by a collision.
{Wrecking pump}, a pump especially adapted for pumping water
from the hull of a wrecked vessel.
Wreck-master \Wreck"-mas`ter\, n.
A person appointed by law to take charge of goods, etc.,
thrown on shore after a shipwreck.
Wreke \Wreke\ (r[=e]k), Wreeke \Wreeke\, v. t.
See 2d {Wreak}. [Obs.]
Wren \Wren\ (r[e^]n), n. [OE. wrenne, AS. wrenna, wr[ae]nna,
perhaps akin to wr[=ae]ne lascivious.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of small singing
birds belonging to {Troglodytes} and numerous allied of
the family {Troglodytid[ae]}.
Note: Among the species best known are the house wren
({Troglodytes a["e]don}) common in both Europe and
America, and the American winter wren ({T. hiemalis}).
See also {Cactus wren}, {Marsh wren}, and {Rock wren},
under {Cactus}, {Marsh}, and {Rock}.
2. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of small singing
birds more or less resembling the true wrens in size and
habits.
Note: Among these are several species of European warblers;
as, the reed wren (see {Reed warbler}
(a), under {Reed}), the sedge wren (see {Sedge warbler},
under {Sedge}), the willow wren (see {Willow warbler},
under {Willow}), the golden-crested wren, and the
ruby-crowned wren (see {Kinglet}).
{Ant wren}, any one of numerous South American birds of the
family {Formicarid[ae]}, allied to the ant thrushes.
{Blue wren}, a small Australian singing bird ({Malurus
cyaneus}), the male of which in the breeding season is
bright blue. Called also {superb warbler}.
{Emu wren}. See in the Vocabulary.
{Wren babbler}, any one of numerous species of small timaline
birds belonging to {Alcippe}, {Stachyris}, {Timalia}, and
several allied genera. These birds are common in Southern
Asia and the East Indies.
{Wren tit}. See {Ground wren}, under {Ground}.
{Wren warbler}, any one of several species of small Asiatic
and African singing birds belonging to {Prinia} and allied
genera. These birds are closely allied to the tailor
birds, and build their nests in a similar manner. See also
{Pincpinc}.
Wrench \Wrench\ (r[e^]nch), n. [OE. wrench deceit, AS. wrenc
deceit, a twisting; akin to G. rank intrigue, crookedness,
renken to bend, twist, and E. wring. [root]144. See {Wring},
and cf. {Ranch}, v. t.]
1. Trick; deceit; fraud; stratagem. [Obs.]
His wily wrenches thou ne mayst not flee. --Chaucer.
2. A violent twist, or a pull with twisting.
He wringeth them such a wrench. --Skelton.
The injurious effect upon biographic literature of
all such wrenches to the truth, is diffused
everywhere. --De Quincey.
3. A sprain; an injury by twisting, as in a joint.
4. Means; contrivance. [Obs.] --Bacon.
5. An instrument, often a simple bar or lever with jaws or an
angular orifice either at the end or between the ends, for
exerting a twisting strain, as in turning bolts, nuts,
screw taps, etc.; a screw key. Many wrenches have
adjustable jaws for grasping nuts, etc., of different
sizes.
6. (Mech.) The system made up of a force and a couple of
forces in a plane perpendicular to that force. Any number
of forces acting at any points upon a rigid body may be
compounded so as to be equivalent to a wrench.
{Carriage wrench}, a wrench adapted for removing or
tightening the nuts that confine the wheels on the axles,
or for turning the other nuts or bolts of a carriage or
wagon.
{Monkey wrench}. See under {Monkey}.
{Wrench hammer}, a wrench with the end shaped so as to admit
of being used as a hammer.
Wrench \Wrench\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wrenched}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wrenching}.] [OE. wrenchen, AS. wrencan to deceive,
properly, to twist, from wrenc guile, deceit, a twisting.
????. See {Wrench}, n.]
1. To pull with a twist; to wrest, twist, or force by
violence.
Wrench his sword from him. --Shak.
Forthwith this frame of mine was wrenched With a
woeful agony. --Coleridge.
2. To strain; to sprain; hence, to distort; to pervert.
You wrenched your foot against a stone. --Swift.
Wrest \Wrest\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wrested}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wresting}.] [OE. wresten, AS. wr?stan; akin to wr?? a
twisted band, and wr[=i]?n to twist. See {Writhe}.]
1. To turn; to twist; esp., to twist or extort by violence;
to pull of force away by, or as if by, violent wringing or
twisting. ``The secret wrested from me.'' --Milton.
Our country's cause, That drew our swords, now
secret wrests them from our hand. --Addison.
They instantly wrested the government out of the
hands of Hastings. --Macaulay.
2. To turn from truth; to twist from its natural or proper
use or meaning by violence; to pervert; to distort.
Wrest once the law to your authority. --Shak.
Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor. --Ex.
xxiii. 6.
Their arts of wresting, corrupting, and false
interpreting the holy text. --South.
3. To tune with a wrest, or key. [Obs.]
Wrest \Wrest\, n.
1. The act of wresting; a wrench; a violent twist; hence,
distortion; perversion. --Hooker.
2. Active or moving power. [Obs.] --Spenser.
3. A key to tune a stringed instrument of music.
The minstrel . . . wore round his neck a silver
chain, by which hung the wrest, or key, with which
he tuned his harp. --Sir W.
Scott.
4. A partition in a water wheel, by which the form of the
buckets is determined.
{Wrest pin} (Piano Manuf.), one of the pins around which the
ends of the wires are wound in a piano. --Knight.
{Wrest plank} (Piano Manuf.), the part in which the wrest
pins are inserted.
Wrester \Wrest"er\, n.
One who wrests.
Wrestle \Wres"tle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wrestled}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Wrestling}.] [OE. wrestlen, wrastlen, AS. wr?stlian,
freq. of wr?stan to wrest; akin to OD. wrastelen to wrestle.
See {Wrest}, v. t.]
1. To contend, by grappling with, and striving to trip or
throw down, an opponent; as, they wrestled skillfully.
To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit, and he that
escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him
well. --Shak.
Another, by a fall in wrestling, started the end of
the clavicle from the sternum. --Wiseman.
2. Hence, to struggle; to strive earnestly; to contend.
Come, wrestle with thy affections. --Shak.
We wrestle not against flesh and blood. --Eph. vi.
12.
Difficulties with which he had himself wrestled.
--M. Arnold.
Wrestle \Wres"tle\, v. t.
To wrestle with; to seek to throw down as in wrestling.
Wrestle \Wres"tle\, n.
A struggle between two persons to see which will throw the
other down; a bout at wrestling; a wrestling match; a
struggle.
Whom in a wrestle the giant catching aloft, with a
terrible hug broke three of his ribs. --Milton.
Wrestler \Wres"tler\, n. [AS. wr[=ae]stlere.]
One who wrestles; one who is skillful in wrestling.
Wretch \Wretch\, n. [OE. wrecche, AS. wrecca, wr[ae]cca, an
exile, a wretch, fr. wrecan to drive out, punish; properly,
an exile, one driven out, akin to AS. wr[ae]c an exile, OS.
wrekkio a stranger, OHG. reccheo an exile. See {Wreak}, v.
t.]
1. A miserable person; one profoundly unhappy. ``The wretch
that lies in woe.'' --Shak.
Hovered thy spirit o'er thy sorrowing son, Wretch
even then, life's journey just begun? --Cowper.
2. One sunk in vice or degradation; a base, despicable
person; a vile knave; as, a profligate wretch.
Note: Wretch is sometimes used by way of slight or ironical
pity or contempt, and sometimes to express tenderness;
as we say, poor thing. ``Poor wretch was never frighted
so.'' --Drayton.
Wretched \Wretch"ed\, a.
1. Very miserable; sunk in, or accompanied by, deep
affliction or distress, as from want, anxiety, or grief;
calamitous; woeful; very afflicting. ``To what wretched
state reserved!'' --Milton.
O cruel! Death! to those you are more kind Than to
the wretched mortals left behind. --Waller.
2. Worthless; paltry; very poor or mean; miserable; as, a
wretched poem; a wretched cabin.
3. Hatefully contemptible; despicable; wicked. [Obs.]
``Wretched ungratefulness.'' --Sir P. Sidney.
Nero reigned after this Claudius, of all men
wretchedest, ready to all manner [of] vices.
--Capgrave.
Wretchedly \Wretch"ed*ly\, adv.
In a wretched manner; miserably; despicable.
Wretchedness \Wretch"ed*ness\, n.
1. The quality or state of being wretched; utter misery.
--Sir W. Raleigh.
2. A wretched object; anything despicably. [Obs.]
Eat worms and such wretchedness. --Chaucer.
Wretchful \Wretch"ful\, a.
Wretched. [Obs.] --Wyclif.
Wretchless \Wretch"less\, a. [See {Reckless}.]
Reckless; hence, disregarded. [Obs.] -- {Wretch"less*ly},
adv. [Obs.] -- {Wretch"less*ness}, n. [Obs.] --Bk. of Com.
Prayer.
Your deaf ears should listen Unto the wretchless
clamors of the poor. --J. Webster.
Wrey \Wrey\, v. t.
See {Wray}. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wrie \Wrie\, a. & v.
See {Wry}. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wrig \Wrig\, v. i.
To wriggle. [Obs.] --Skelton.
Wriggle \Wrig"gle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wriggled}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Wriggling}.] [Freq. of wrig, probably from OE. wrikken to
move to and fro; cf. LG. wriggeln, D. wrikken, Sw. vricka,
Dan. vrikke.]
To move the body to and fro with short, writhing motions,
like a worm; to squirm; to twist uneasily or quickly about.
Both he and successors would often wriggle in their
seats, as long as the cushion lasted. --Swift.
Wriggle \Wrig"gle\, v. t.
To move with short, quick contortions; to move by twisting
and squirming; like a worm.
Covetousness will wriggle itself out at a small hole.
--Fuller.
Wriggling his body to recover His seat, and cast his
right leg over. --Hudibras.
Wriggle \Wrig"gle\, a.
Wriggling; frisky; pliant; flexible. [Obs.] ``Their wriggle
tails.'' --Spenser.
Wriggler \Wrig"gler\, n.
One who, or that which, wriggles. --Cowper.
Wright \Wright\, n. [OE. wrighte, writhe, AS. wyrtha, fr.
wyrcean to work. [root]145. See {Work}.]
One who is engaged in a mechanical or manufacturing business;
an artificer; a workman; a manufacturer; a mechanic; esp., a
worker in wood; -- now chiefly used in compounds, as in
millwright, wheelwright, etc.
He was a well good wright, a carpenter. --Chaucer.
Wrightine \Wright"ine\, n. (Chem.)
A rare alkaloid found in the bark of an East Indian
apocynaceous tree ({Wrightia antidysenterica}), and extracted
as a bitter white crystalline substance. It was formerly used
as a remedy for diarrh[oe]a. Called also {conessine}, and
{neriine}.
Wring \Wring\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wrung}, Obs. {Wringed}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Wringing}.] [OE. wringen, AS. wringan; akin to
LG. & D. wringen, OHG. ringan to struggle, G. ringen, Sw.
vr["a]nga to distort, Dan. vringle to twist. Cf. {Wrangle},
{Wrench}, {Wrong}.]
1. To twist and compress; to turn and strain with violence;
to writhe; to squeeze hard; to pinch; as, to wring clothes
in washing. ``Earnestly wringing Waverley's hand.'' --Sir
W. Scott. ``Wring him by the nose.'' --Shak.
[His steed] so sweat that men might him wring.
--Chaucer.
The king began to find where his shoe did wring him.
--Bacon.
The priest shall bring it [a dove] unto the altar,
and wring off his head. --Lev. i. 15.
2. Hence, to pain; to distress; to torment; to torture.
Too much grieved and wrung by an uneasy and strait
fortune. --Clarendon.
Didst thou taste but half the griefs That wring my
soul, thou couldst not talk thus coldly. --Addison.
3. To distort; to pervert; to wrest.
How dare men thus wring the Scriptures? --Whitgift.
4. To extract or obtain by twisting and compressing; to
squeeze or press (out); hence, to extort; to draw forth by
violence, or against resistance or repugnance; -- usually
with out or form.
Your overkindness doth wring tears from me. --Shak.
He rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the
fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the
fleece. --Judg. vi.
38.
5. To subject to extortion; to afflict, or oppress, in order
to enforce compliance.
To wring the widow from her 'customed right. --Shak.
The merchant adventures have been often wronged and
wringed to the quick. --Hayward.
6. (Naut.) To bend or strain out of its position; as, to
wring a mast.
Wring \Wring\, v. i.
To writhe; to twist, as with anguish.
'T is all men's office to speak patience To those that
wring under the load of sorrow. --Shak.
Look where the sister of the king of France Sits
wringing of her hands, and beats her breast. --Marlowe.
Wring \Wring\, n.
A writhing, as in anguish; a twisting; a griping. [Obs.]
--Bp. Hall.
Wringbolt \Wring"bolt`\, n. (Shipbuilding)
A bolt used by shipwrights, to bend and secure the planks
against the timbers till they are fastened by bolts, spikes,
or treenails; -- not to be confounded with ringbolt.
Wringer \Wring"er\, n.
1. One who, or that which, wrings; hence, an extortioner.
2. A machine for pressing water out of anything, particularly
from clothes after they have been washed.
Wringing \Wring"ing\,
a. & n. from {Wring}, v.
{Wringing machine}, a wringer. See {Wringer}, 2.
Wringstaff \Wring"staff`\, n.; pl. {Wringstaves}. (Shipbuilding)
A strong piece of plank used in applying wringbolts.
Wrinkle \Wrin"kle\, n.
A winkle. [Local, U. S.]
Wrinkle \Wrin"kle\, n. [OE. wrinkil, AS. wrincle; akin to OD.
wrinckel, and prob. to Dan. rynke, Sw. rynka, Icel. hrukka,
OHG. runza, G. runzel, L. ruga. ????.]
1. A small ridge, prominence, or furrow formed by the
shrinking or contraction of any smooth substance; a
corrugation; a crease; a slight fold; as, wrinkle in the
skin; a wrinkle in cloth. ``The wrinkles in my brows.''
--Shak.
Within I do not find wrinkles and used heart, but
unspent youth. --Emerson.
2. hence, any roughness; unevenness.
Not the least wrinkle to deform the sky. --Dryden.
3. [Perhaps a different word, and a dim. AS. wrenc a
twisting, deceit. Cf. {Wrench}, n.] A notion or fancy; a
whim; as, to have a new wrinkle. [Colloq.]
Wrinkle \Wrin"kle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wrinkled}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Wrinkling}.]
1. To contract into furrows and prominences; to make a
wrinkle or wrinkles in; to corrugate; as, wrinkle the skin
or the brow. ``Sport that wrinkled Care derides.''
--Milton.
Her wrinkled form in black and white arrayed.
--Pope.
2. Hence, to make rough or uneven in any way.
A keen north wind that, blowing dry, Wrinkled the
face of deluge, as decayed. --Milton.
Then danced we on the wrinkled sand. --Bryant.
{To wrinkle at}, to sneer at. [Obs.] --Marston.
Wrinkle \Wrin"kle\, v. i.
To shrink into furrows and ridges.
Wrinkly \Wrin"kly\, a.
Full of wrinkles; having a tendency to be wrinkled;
corrugated; puckered. --G. Eliot.
His old wrinkly face grew quite blown out at last.
--Carlyle.
Wrist \Wrist\, n. [OE. wriste, wrist, AS. wrist; akin to OFries.
wriust, LG. wrist, G. rist wrist, instep, Icel. rist instep,
Dan. & Sw. vrist, and perhaps to E. writhe.]
1. (Anat.) The joint, or the region of the joint, between the
hand and the arm; the carpus. See {Carpus}.
He took me by the wrist, and held me hard. --Shak.
2. (Mach.) A stud or pin which forms a journal; -- also
called {wrist pin}.
{Bridle wrist}, the wrist of the left hand, in which a
horseman holds the bridle.
{Wrist clonus}. [NL. clonus, fr. Gr. ?. See {Clonic}.] (Med.)
A series of quickly alternating movements of flexion and
extension of the wrist, produced in some cases of nervous
disease by suddenly bending the hand back upon the
forearm.
{Wrist drop} (Med.), paralysis of the extensor muscles of the
hand, affecting the hand so that when an attempt is made
to hold it out in line with the forearm with the palm
down, the hand drops. It is chiefly due to plumbism.
Called also {hand drop}.
{Wrist plate} (Steam Engine), a swinging plate bearing two or
more wrists, for operating the valves.
Wristband \Wrist"band\, n.
The band of the sleeve of a shirt, or other garment, which
covers the wrist.
Wrister \Wrist"er\, n.
A covering for the wrist.
Wristlet \Wrist"let\, n.
An elastic band worn around the wrist, as for the purpose of
securing the upper part of a glove.
Writ \Writ\, obs.
3d pers. sing. pres. of {Write}, for writeth. --Chaucer.
Writ \Writ\, archaic
imp. & p. p. of {Write}. --Dryden.
Writ \Writ\, n. [AS. writ, gewrit. See {Write}.]
1. That which is written; writing; scripture; -- applied
especially to the Scriptures, or the books of the Old and
New testaments; as, sacred writ. ``Though in Holy Writ not
named.'' --Milton.
Then to his hands that writ he did betake, Which he
disclosing read, thus as the paper spake. --Spenser.
Babylon, so much spoken of in Holy Writ. --Knolles.
2. (Law) An instrument in writing, under seal, in an
epistolary form, issued from the proper authority,
commanding the performance or nonperformance of some act
by the person to whom it is directed; as, a writ of entry,
of error, of execution, of injunction, of mandamus, of
return, of summons, and the like.
Note: Writs are usually witnessed, or tested, in the name of
the chief justice or principal judge of the court out
of which they are issued; and those directed to a
sheriff, or other ministerial officer, require him to
return them on a day specified. In former English law
and practice, writs in civil cases were either original
or judicial; the former were issued out of the Court of
Chancery, under the great seal, for the summoning of a
defendant to appear, and were granted before the suit
began and in order to begin the same; the latter were
issued out of the court where the original was
returned, after the suit was begun and during the
pendency of it. Tomlins. Brande. Encyc. Brit. The term
writ is supposed by Mr. Reeves to have been derived
from the fact of these formul[ae] having always been
expressed in writing, being, in this respect,
distinguished from the other proceedings in the ancient
action, which were conducted orally.
{Writ of account}, {Writ of capias}, etc. See under
{Account}, {Capias}, etc.
{Service of a writ}. See under {Service}.
Writability \Writ`a*bil"i*ty\, n.
Ability or capacity to write. [R.] --Walpole.
Writable \Writ"a*ble\, a.
Capable of, or suitable for, being written down.
Writative \Writ"a*tive\, a.
Inclined to much writing; -- correlative to talkative. [R.]
--Pope.
Write \Write\, v. t. [imp. {Wrote}; p. p. {Written}; Archaic
imp. & p. p. {Writ}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Writing}.] [OE. writen,
AS. wr[=i]tan; originally, to scratch, to score; akin to OS.
wr[=i]tan to write, to tear, to wound, D. rijten to tear, to
rend, G. reissen, OHG. r[=i]zan, Icel. r[=i]ta to write,
Goth. writs a stroke, dash, letter. Cf. {Race} tribe,
lineage.]
1. To set down, as legible characters; to form the conveyance
of meaning; to inscribe on any material by a suitable
instrument; as, to write the characters called letters; to
write figures.
2. To set down for reading; to express in legible or
intelligible characters; to inscribe; as, to write a deed;
to write a bill of divorcement; hence, specifically, to
set down in an epistle; to communicate by letter.
Last night she enjoined me to write some lines to
one she loves. --Shak.
I chose to write the thing I durst not speak To her
I loved. --Prior.
3. Hence, to compose or produce, as an author.
I purpose to write the history of England from the
accession of King James the Second down to a time
within the memory of men still living. --Macaulay.
4. To impress durably; to imprint; to engrave; as, truth
written on the heart.
5. To make known by writing; to record; to prove by one's own
written testimony; -- often used reflexively.
He who writes himself by his own inscription is like
an ill painter, who, by writing on a shapeless
picture which he hath drawn, is fain to tell
passengers what shape it is, which else no man could
imagine. --Milton.
{To write to}, to communicate by a written document to.
{Written laws}, laws deriving their force from express
legislative enactment, as contradistinguished from
unwritten, or common, law. See the Note under {Law}, and
{Common law}, under {Common}, a.
Write \Write\, v. i.
1. To form characters, letters, or figures, as representative
of sounds or ideas; to express words and sentences by
written signs. --Chaucer.
So it stead you, I will write, Please you command.
--Shak.
2. To be regularly employed or occupied in writing, copying,
or accounting; to act as clerk or amanuensis; as, he
writes in one of the public offices.
3. To frame or combine ideas, and express them in written
words; to play the author; to recite or relate in books;
to compose.
They can write up to the dignity and character of
the authors. --Felton.
4. To compose or send letters.
He wrote for all the Jews that went out of his realm
up into Jewry concerning their freedom. --1 Esdras
iv. 49.
Writer \Writ"er\, n. [AS. wr[=i]tere.]
1. One who writes, or has written; a scribe; a clerk.
They [came] that handle the pen of the writer.
--Judg. v. 14.
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. --Ps. xlv.
1.
2. One who is engaged in literary composition as a
profession; an author; as, a writer of novels.
This pitch, as ancient writers do report, doth
defile. --Shak.
3. A clerk of a certain rank in the service of the late East
India Company, who, after serving a certain number of
years, became a factor.
{Writer of the tallies} (Eng. Law), an officer of the
exchequer of England, who acted as clerk to the auditor of
the receipt, and wrote the accounts upon the tallies from
the tellers' bills. The use of tallies in the exchequer
has been abolished. --Wharton (Law. Dict.)
{Writer's} {cramp, palsy, or spasm} (Med.), a painful
spasmodic affection of the muscles of the fingers, brought
on by excessive use, as in writing, violin playing,
telegraphing, etc. Called also {scrivener's palsy}.
{Writer to the signet}. See under {Signet}.
Writership \Writ"er*ship\, n.
The office of a writer.
Writhe \Writhe\, v. t. [imp. {Writhed}; p. p. {Writhed}, Obs. or
Poetic {Writhen}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Writhing}.] [OE. writhen,
AS. wr[=i]?an to twist; akin to OHG. r[=i]dan, Icel. r[=i]?a,
Sw. vrida, Dan. vride. Cf. {Wreathe}, {Wrest}, {Wroth}.]
1. To twist; to turn; now, usually, to twist or turn so as to
distort; to wring. ``With writhing [turning] of a pin.''
--Chaucer.
Then Satan first knew pain, And writhed him to and
fro. --Milton.
Her mouth she writhed, her forehead taught to frown.
--Dryden.
His battle-writhen arms, and mighty hands.
--Tennyson.
2. To wrest; to distort; to pervert.
The reason which he yieldeth showeth the least part
of his meaning to be that whereunto his words are
writhed. --Hooker.
3. To extort; to wring; to wrest. [R.]
The nobility hesitated not to follow the example of their
sovereign in writhing money from them by every species of
oppression. --Sir W.
Scott.
Writhe \Writhe\, v. i.
To twist or contort the body; to be distorted; as, to writhe
with agony. Also used figuratively.
After every attempt, he felt that he had failed, and
writhed with shame and vexation. --Macaulay.
Writhen \Writh"en\, a.
Having a twisted distorted from.
A writhen staff his step unstable guides. --Fairfax.
Writhle \Wri"thle\, v. t. [Freq. of writhe.]
To wrinkle. [Obs.] --Shak.
Writing \Writ"ing\, n.
1. The act or art of forming letters and characters on paper,
wood, stone, or other material, for the purpose of
recording the ideas which characters and words express, or
of communicating them to others by visible signs.
2. Anything written or printed; anything expressed in
characters or letters; as:
(a) Any legal instrument, as a deed, a receipt, a bond, an
agreement, or the like.
(b) Any written composition; a pamphlet; a work; a
literary production; a book; as, the writings of
Addison.
(c) An inscription.
And Pilate wrote a title . . . And the writing
was, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
--John xix.
19.
3. Handwriting; chirography.
{Writing book}, a book for practice in penmanship.
{Writing desk}, a desk with a sloping top for writing upon;
also, a case containing writing materials, and used in a
similar manner.
{Writing lark} (Zo["o]l.), the European yellow-hammer; -- so
called from the curious irregular lines on its eggs.
[Prov. Eng.]
{Writing machine}. Same as {Typewriter}.
{Writing master}, one who teaches the art of penmanship.
{Writing obligatory} (Law), a bond.
{Writing paper}, paper intended for writing upon with ink,
usually finished with a smooth surface, and sized.
{Writing school}, a school for instruction in penmanship.
{Writing table}, a table fitted or used for writing upon.
Written \Writ"ten\,
p. p. of {Write}, v.
Wrizzle \Wriz"zle\, v. t.
To wrinkle. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Wroken \Wro"ken\, obs.
p. p. of {Wreak}. --Chaucer.
Wrong \Wrong\, obs.
imp. of {Wring}. Wrung. --Chaucer.
Wrong \Wrong\ (?; 115), a. [OE. wrong, wrang, a. & n., AS.
wrang, n.; originally, awry, wrung, fr. wringan to wring;
akin to D. wrang bitter, Dan. vrang wrong, Sw. vr[*a]ng,
Icel. rangr awry, wrong. See {Wring}.]
1. Twisted; wry; as, a wrong nose. [Obs.] --Wyclif (Lev. xxi.
19).
2. Not according to the laws of good morals, whether divine
or human; not suitable to the highest and best end; not
morally right; deviating from rectitude or duty; not just
or equitable; not true; not legal; as, a wrong practice;
wrong ideas; wrong inclinations and desires.
3. Not fit or suitable to an end or object; not appropriate
for an intended use; not according to rule; unsuitable;
improper; incorrect; as, to hold a book with the wrong end
uppermost; to take the wrong way.
I have deceived you both; I have directed you to
wrong places. --Shak.
4. Not according to truth; not conforming to fact or intent;
not right; mistaken; erroneous; as, a wrong statement.
5. Designed to be worn or placed inward; as, the wrong side
of a garment or of a piece of cloth.
Syn: Injurious; unjust; faulty; detrimental; incorrect;
erroneous; unfit; unsuitable.
Wrong \Wrong\, adv.
In a wrong manner; not rightly; amiss; morally ill;
erroneously; wrongly.
Ten censure wrong for one that writes amiss. --Pope.
Wrong \Wrong\, n. [AS. wrang. See {Wrong}, a.]
That which is not right. Specifically:
(a) Nonconformity or disobedience to lawful authority, divine
or human; deviation from duty; -- the opposite of moral
{right}.
When I had wrong and she the right. --Chaucer.
One spake much of right and wrong. --Milton.
(b) Deviation or departure from truth or fact; state of
falsity; error; as, to be in the wrong.
(c) Whatever deviates from moral rectitude; usually, an act
that involves evil consequences, as one which inflicts
injury on a person; any injury done to, or received from;
another; a trespass; a violation of right.
Friend, I do thee no wrong. --Matt. xx.
18.
As the king of England can do no wrong, so neither
can he do right but in his courts and by his
courts. --Milton.
The obligation to redress a wrong is at least as
binding as that of paying a debt. --E. Evereth.
Note: Wrongs, legally, are private or public. Private wrongs
are civil injuries, immediately affecting individuals;
public wrongs are crimes and misdemeanors which affect
the community. --Blackstone.
Wrong \Wrong\ (?; 115), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wronged}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Wronging}.]
1. To treat with injustice; to deprive of some right, or to
withhold some act of justice from; to do undeserved harm
to; to deal unjustly with; to injure.
He that sinneth . . . wrongeth his own soul. --Prov.
viii. 36.
2. To impute evil to unjustly; as, if you suppose me capable
of a base act, you wrong me.
I rather choose To wrong the dead, to wrong myself
and you, Than I will wrong such honorable men.
--Shak.
Wrongdoer \Wrong"do`er\, n.
1. One who injures another, or who does wrong.
2. (Law) One who commits a tort or trespass; a trespasser; a
tort feasor. --Ayliffe.
Wrongdoing \Wrong"do`ing\, n.
Evil or wicked behavior or action.
Wronger \Wrong"er\, n.
One who wrongs or injures another. --Shak. ``Wrongers of the
world.'' --Tennyson.
Wrongful \Wrong"ful\, a.
Full of wrong; injurious; unjust; unfair; as, a wrongful
taking of property; wrongful dealing. -- {Wrong"ful*ly}, adv.
-- {Wrong"ful*ness}, n.
Wronghead \Wrong"head`\, n.
A person of a perverse understanding or obstinate character.
[R.]
Wronghead \Wrong"head`\, a.
Wrongheaded. [R.] --Pope.
Wrongheaded \Wrong"head`ed\, a.
Wrong in opinion or principle; having a perverse
understanding; perverse. -- {Wrong"head`ed*ly}, adv. --
{Wrong"head`ed*ness}, n. --Macaulay.
Wrongless \Wrong"less\, a.
Not wrong; void or free from wrong. [Obs.] --
{Wrong"less*ly}, adv. [Obs.] --Sir P. Sidney.
Wrongly \Wrong"ly\, adv.
In a wrong manner; unjustly; erroneously; wrong; amiss; as,
he judges wrongly of my motives. ``And yet wouldst wrongly
win.'' --Shak.
Wrongness \Wrong"ness\, n.
The quality or state of being wrong; wrongfulness; error;
fault.
The best great wrongnesses within themselves. --Bp.
Butler.
The rightness or wrongness of this view. --Latham.
Wrongous \Wron"gous\, a. [Cf. OE. wrongwis. See {Wrong}, and cf.
{Righteous}.]
1. Constituting, or of the nature of, a wrong; unjust;
wrongful. [R.]
2. (Scots Law) Not right; illegal; as, wrongous imprisonment.
--Craig.
Wrong-timed \Wrong"-timed`\ (?; 115), a.
Done at an improper time; ill-timed.
Wroot \Wroot\, obs.
imp. of {Write}. Wrote. --Chaucer.
Wrote \Wrote\, v. i. [OE. wroten. See 1st {Root}.]
To root with the snout. See 1st {Root}. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wrote \Wrote\,
imp. & archaic p. p. of {Write}.
Wroth \Wroth\, a. [OE. wroth, wrap, AS. wr[=a][eth] wroth,
crooked, bad; akin to wr[=i][eth]an to writhe, and to OS.
wr[=e][eth]angry, D. wreed cruel, OHG. reid twisted, Icel.
rei[eth]r angry, Dan. & Sw. vred. See {Writhe}, and cf.
{Wrath}.]
Full of wrath; angry; incensed; much exasperated; wrathful.
``Wroth to see his kingdom fail.'' --Milton.
Revel and truth as in a low degree, They be full wroth
[i. e., at enmity] all day. --Chaucer.
Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. --Gen.
iv. 5.
Wrought \Wrought\,
imp. & p. p. of {Work}.
Alas that I was wrought [created]! --Chaucer.
Wrought \Wrought\, a.
Worked; elaborated; not rough or crude.
{Wrought iron}. See under {Iron}.
Wrung \Wrung\,
imp. & p. p. of {Wring}.
Wry \Wry\, v. t. [AS. wre['o]n.]
To cover. [Obs.]
Wrie you in that mantle. --Chaucer.
Wry \Wry\, a. [Compar. {Wrier}; superl. {Wriest}.] [Akin to OE.
wrien to twist, to bend, AS. wrigian to tend towards, to
drive.]
1. Turned to one side; twisted; distorted; as, a wry mouth.
2. Hence, deviating from the right direction; misdirected;
out of place; as, wry words.
Not according to the wry rigor of our neighbors, who
never take up an old idea without some extravagance
in its application. --Landor.
3. Wrested; perverted.
He . . . puts a wry sense upon Protestant writers.
--Atterbury.
{Wry face}, a distortion of the countenance indicating
impatience, disgust, or discomfort; a grimace.
Wry \Wry\, v. i.
1. To twist; to writhe; to bend or wind.
2. To deviate from the right way; to go away or astray; to
turn side; to swerve.
This Phebus gan awayward for to wryen. --Chaucer.
How many Must murder wives much better than
themselves For wrying but a little! --Shak.
Wry \Wry\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wried}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Wrying}.] [OE. wrien. See {Wry}, a.]
To twist; to distort; to writhe; to wrest; to vex. --Sir P.
Sidney.
Guests by hundreds, not one caring If the dear host's
neck were wried. --R. Browning.
Wrybill \Wry"bill`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Crookbill}.
Wrymouth \Wry"mouth`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of several species of large, elongated, marine fishes
of the genus {Cryptacanthodes}, especially {C. maculatus} of
the American coast. A whitish variety is called {ghostfish}.
Wryneck \Wry"neck\, n. (Med.)
1. A twisted or distorted neck; a deformity in which the neck
is drawn to one side by a rigid contraction of one of the
muscles of the neck; torticollis.
2. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of Old World birds
of the genus {Jynx}, allied to the woodpeckers;
especially, the common European species ({J. torguilla});
-- so called from its habit of turning the neck around in
different directions. Called also {cuckoo's mate},
{snakebird}, {summer bird}, {tonguebird}, and
{writheneck}.
Wrynecked \Wry"necked`\, a.
Having a distorted neck; having the deformity called wryneck.
Wryness \Wry"ness\, n.
The quality or state of being wry, or distorted. --W.
Montagu.
Wrythen \Wryth"en\, obs. p. p. of {Writhe}.
Writhen.
Wulfenite \Wul"fen*ite\, n. [So named after F. X. Wulfen, an
Australian mineralogist.] (Min.)
Native lead molybdate occurring in tetragonal crystals,
usually tabular, and of a bright orange-yellow to red, gray,
or brown color; -- also called {yellow lead ore}.
Wull \Wull\, v. t. & i.
See 2d {Will}.
Pour out to all that wull. --Spenser.
Wung-out \Wung"-out`\, a.
Having the sails set in the manner called wing-and-wing.
[Sailors' slang]
Wurbagool \Wur"ba*gool\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A fruit bat ({Pteropus medius}) native of India. It is
similar to the flying fox, but smaller.
Wurmal \Wur"mal\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
See {Wormil}.
Wurraluh \Wur"ra*luh\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The Australian white-quilled honey eater ({Entomyza
albipennis}).
Wust \Wust\, Wuste \Wuste\, obs.
imp. of {Wit}. --Piers Plowman.
Wyandots \Wy`an*dots"\, n. pl.; sing. {Wyandot}. (Ethnol.)
Same as {Hurons}. [Written also {Wyandottes}, and {Yendots}.]
Wych-elm \Wych"-elm`\, n. [OE. wiche a kind of elm, AS. wice a
kind of tree. Cf. {Wicker}.] (Bot.)
A species of elm ({Ulmus montana}) found in Northern and
Western Europe; Scotch elm.
Note: By confusion this word is often written witch-elm.
Wych-hazel \Wych"-ha`zel\, n. (Bot.)
The wych-elm; -- so called because its leaves are like those
of the hazel.
Wyclifite \Wyc"lif*ite\, Wycliffite \Wyc"liff*ite\, n.
A follower of Wyclif, the English reformer; a Lollard.
Wyd \Wyd\, a.
Wide. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wye \Wye\, n.; pl. {Wyes}.
1. The letter Y.
2. A kind of crotch. See {Y}, n.
(a) .
Wyke \Wyke\, n.
Week. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wyla \Wy"la\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A helmeted Australian cockatoo ({Calyptorhynchus funereus});
-- called also {funeral cockatoo}.
Wynd \Wynd\, n. [See {Wind} to turn.]
A narrow lane or alley. [Scot.] --Jamieson.
The narrow wynds, or alleys, on each side of the
street. --Bryant.
Wynkernel \Wyn"ker*nel\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The European moor hen. [Prov. Eng.]
Wynn \Wynn\, n.
A kind of timber truck, or carriage.
Wype \Wype\, n.
The wipe, or lapwing. [Prov. Eng.]
Wythe \Wythe\, n. (Naut.).
Same as {Withe}, n., 4.
Wys \Wys\, a.
Wise. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Wyte \Wyte\ (w[imac]t), Wyten \Wy"ten\ (w[imac]"t'n), obs.
pl. pres. of {Wit}.
Wyvern \Wy"vern\, n. (Her.)
Same as {Wiver}.