Unabridged Dictionary - Letter W
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W
W (?), 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, §§ 266-268.
Waag
Waag (?), n. (Zo\'94l.) The grivet.
Waahoo
Waa*hoo" (?), n. (Bot.) The burning bush; -- said to be called after a
quack medicine made from it.
Wabble
Wab"ble (?), 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. <-- now
replaced by wobble. -->
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, Wacky
Wack"e (?), 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, Wadd
Wad, 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\'91dlian 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, 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 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 .
Wade
Wade (?), n. The act of wading. [Colloq.]
Wader
Wad"er (?), n.
1. One who, or that which, wades.
2. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) See Wader, 2.
Wadmol
Wad"mol (?), n. [Of Scand. origin; cf. Icel.va 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\'bed\'c6 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\'94l.) 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\'86ffla; 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. <-- 4. Any thin but rigid plate of solid material, esp. of
discoidal shape; -- a term used commonly to refer to the thin slices
of silicon used as starting material for the manufacture of integrated
circuits. -->
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: &hand; This verb is regular; but waft was formerly somwafted.
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: &hand; A fl ag 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. \'fb136. 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: &hand; Wa g 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\'94l.) 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\'d3n 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: &hand; Wa ge is us ed ad jectively an d 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\'94l.) 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.
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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: &hand; At co mmon la w a wa ger is co nsidered 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 (?), n. (Zo\'94l.) The young of the great black-backed gull
(Larus marinus), formerly considered a distinct species. [Prov. Eng.]
Waggery
Wag"ger*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 (?), n. The pied wagtail. [Prov. Eng.]
Waggish
Wag"gish , 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: &hand; In th e Un ited 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: &hand; 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\'94l.) Any one of many species of Old World
singing birds belonging to Motacilla and several allied genera of the
family Motacillid\'91. 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\'94l.) The panda.
Wahabee
Wa*ha"bee (?), n. [Ar. wah\'bebi.] 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\'84hlen.] 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\'91la; cf. Icel. v\'91, 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\'91gn; akin to D. & G. wagen, OHG.
wagan, Icel. & Sw. vagn, Dan. vogn, and E. way. 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.
3. (Zo\'94l.) Any one of numerous species of European moths of the
family Leucanid\'91.
NOTE: &hand; Th ey are reddish or yellowish, streaked or lined with
black and white. Their larv\'91 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 Bailey.
Waist
Waist (?), n. [OE. wast; originally, growth, akin to AS. weaxan to
grow; cf. AS. w\'91stm 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: &hand; Th e wa istcoat 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\'c7n to watch, be awake. \'fb134. 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.
_________________________________________________________________
Page 1623
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 . . . shallwait 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. <-- esp. one employed in a commercial dining
establishment, who takes the customers' orders, brings the meals, and
otherwise serves the customers who are seated at a table or counter.
-->
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: &hand; Th e 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 sv\'94k 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, D. waken, G.
wachen, OHG. wahh, Icel. vaka, Sw. vaken, Dan. vaage, Goth. wakan, v.
i., uswakjan, v. t., Skr. v\'bejay to rouse, to impel. 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\'91cnan; 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\'91us' 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: &hand; In Am erica th e na me 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\'94l.) 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\'94lr, 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&asdd;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\'belka 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: &hand; In th e 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 win in a walk. --> --
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.]
_________________________________________________________________
Page 1624
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\'94l.) 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\'94l.), 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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.<-- = a walk; a
cake-walk. -->
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. 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: &hand; Wa ll is of ten us ed ad jectively, an d al so 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\'94l.), 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\'94l.), 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\'94l.), 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\'94l.), 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\'94l.), 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\'94l.)
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\'94l.) A black variety of the jaguar; -- called
also tapir tiger. [Written also walla.]
Wallaroo
Wal`la*roo" (?), n. (Zo\'94l.) Any one of several species of kangaroos
of the genus Macropus, especially M. robustus, sometimes called the
great wallaroo.
Wallbird
Wall"bird` (?), n. (Zo\'94l.) The spotted flycatcher. [Prov. Eng.]
Waller
Wall"er (?), n. One who builds walls.
Waller
Wall"er, n. [G.] (Zo\'94l.) 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: &hand; Jo nson ha s de fined 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\'94l.) (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&edh;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: &hand; Sh akespeare, 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: &hand; Th e na me is so metimes 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\'94l.) 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\'82ge, 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. \'fb147. 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\'94l.) 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\'91lm, billow. \'fb147.] 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\'94t, Dan valn\'94d. 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.
_________________________________________________________________
Page 1625
NOTE: &hand; In so me 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\'91l. See Whale, and Horse.] (Zo\'94l.) 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: &hand; Th e wa lrus of th e 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\'91ma to feel nausea, v\'91minn 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\'94l.) 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\'a2mpi, Del. w\'bepe, 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: &hand; Th ese be ads we re of tw o 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\'94ndr, 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\'94l.),
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\'94l.), the whitefooted, or
deer, mouse. See Illust. of Mouse. -- Wandering spider (Zo\'94l.), 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\'94l.) 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: &hand; Th e na me is so metimes 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 to
lessen, Icel. vanr lacking, Goth. vans; cf. Gr. wanting, inferior.
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\'91mpferia 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: &hand; Wa nt wa s 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.
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Page 1626
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\'a2n 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, bellyWomb, 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\'94l.) 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, w, from Icel. v\'bepnat\'bek,
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\'91fecturam 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\'91pnu 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\'94l.)
The American elk (Cervus Canadensis). It is closely related to the
European red deer, which it somewhat exceeds in size.
NOTE: &hand; By so me 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 co njectured 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\'94l.) A gudgeon. [Prov. Eng.] <-- ## The Zool.
mark was in square brackets, inconsistent with normal usage. -->
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: &hand; 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
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\'91 of the gadfly in the backs of horses,
cattle, etc. Called also warblet, warbeetle, warnles.
2. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) Any one of numerous species of small Old World singing
birds belonging to the family Sylviid\'91, 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\'94l.) Any one of numerous species of small, often bright
colored, American singing birds of the family or subfamily
Mniotiltid\'91, or Sylvicolin\'91. They are allied to the Old World
warblers, but most of them are not particularly musical.
NOTE: &hand; Th e 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\'94l.) any American warbler of the genus Opornis, as
the Connecticut warbler (O. agilis). -- Creeping warbler (Zo\'94l.),
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\'94l.), 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\'94l.), any
American warbler of the genus Geothlypis, as the mourning ground
warbler (G. Philadelphia), and the Maryland yellowthroat (see
Yellowthroat). -- Wood warbler (Zo\'94l.), 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, -wards
-ward (?), -wards (?). [AS. -weard, -weardes; akin to OS. & OFries.
-ward. OHG. -wert, G. -w\'84rts, Icel. -ver\'ebr, Goth. -va\'a1r\'eds,
L. vertere to turn, versus toward, and E. worth to become. \'fb143.
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, ward a watcher, warden,
G. wart, OHG. wart, Icel. v\'94r a warden, a watch, Goth. -wards in
da\'a3rawards 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.
_________________________________________________________________
Page 1627
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 to watch,
take care, OFries. wardia, OHG. wart, G. warten to wait, wait on,
attend to, Icel. var to guarantee defend, Sw. v\'86rda 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. <-- chief officer 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, Wardenship
Ward"en*ry (?), 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\'ber.] (Bot.) Seaweed. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Ware goose
(Zo\'94l.), 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: &hand; 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\'91r. &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\'94l.) A Brazilian fly whose larv\'91 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\'89xported, 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\'81rgengel,
i. e., destroying angel, destroyer, killer, and E. worry.] (Zo\'94l.)
The red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio); -- called also w\'81rger,
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\'94l.) 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\'82ri 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\'82rison
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; -- 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
a belier or breaker of his agreement, word, or pledge; w covenant,
troth (akiverus true; see Very) + loga a liar (in comp.), le\'a2gan 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 madAddison.
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," 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.
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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 speakewarms 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\'94l.) An American freshwater bream, or sunfish
(Ch\'91nobryttus 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&asdd;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\'a1rpan; cf. Skr. vrj to twist. 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\'94l.) 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&emac;n to grant, warrant, G. gew\'84hren; 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.
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Page 1629
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 (in comp.), OS. war to take care, to observe, akin to E. wary.
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: &hand; Th e wa rren is th e ne xt 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\'94l.) See Wariangle. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Warrie
War"rie (?), v. t. See Warye. [Obs.]
Warrin
War"rin (?), n. [From a native name.] (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.), 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\'94l.) (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\'86rta, 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\'91, 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\'94l.), 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\'94l.) 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
\'92thiopicus) is the best known. Called also vlacke vark. The second
species (P. \'92liani) 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\'94l.), 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\'91r; akin to Icel. v, Dan. & Sw. var, Goth. wars, G. gewahr aware,
OHG. wara notice, attention, Gr. 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 (?). [AS. w\'91s, 2d pers. w&aemac;re, 3d pers. w\'91s, pl.
w&aemac;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 (?), 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 (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Washed (?); 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.<-- now, wash out. -->
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.
Di
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\'94l.) Same as Washerwoman, 2. [Prov. Eng.]
Washed
Washed (?), a. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'91scere.]
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\'94l.) The common raccoon.
5. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.), 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\'91ps, w\'91fs; akin to D. wesp, G.
wespe, OHG. wafsa, wefsa, Lith. vapsa gadfly, Russ. osa wasp, L.
vespa, and perhaps to E. weave.] (Zo\'94l.) 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: &hand; Th e 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\'91 are reared in the cells of
the combs, and eat insects and insect larv\'91 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.
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Page 1630
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\'bel (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\'91s 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\'81st, OS. w, D. woest, AS.
w&emac;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\'83ter 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\'81sten, AS. w&emac;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, OHG. w, wuost\'c6, G.
w\'81ste. 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: &hand; Wa ste 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 (?), c.
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\'83teau, 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 asset = 2nd sense.
Should be separate senses. --> 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 (?), n. [OE. wacche, AS. w\'91cce, fr. wacian to wake; akin to
D. wacht, waak, G. wacht, wache. 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: &hand; 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.<-- or electric or
electronic mechanisms. -->
NOTE: &hand; Wa tches ar e of ten di stinguished by th e ki nd 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.<-- (c) (Chem.) A round concavo-convex glass of shallow
depth used for certain manipulations of chemicals in a laboratory. -->
-- 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.
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Watchdog
Watch"dog` (?), n. A dog kept to watch and guard premises or property,
and to give notice of the approach of intruders.
Watcher
Watch"er (?), 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 (?), n. pl. (Bot.) The leaves of Sarace. See Trumpets.
Watch
Watch (?), 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\'94l.), 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 (?), n. [AS. w\'91ter; akin to OS. watar, OFries. wetir, weter,
LG. & D. water, G. wasser, OHG. wazzar, Icel. vatn, Sw. vatten, Dan.
vand, Goth. wat, O. Slav. & Russ. voda, Gr. udan water, ud to wet, and
perhaps to L. unda wave. 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: &hand; Pu re wa ter consists of hydrogen and oxygen, H2O, and
is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, transparent liquid, which is
very slightly compressible. At its maximum density, 39° Fahr. or 4°
C., it is the standard for specific gravities, one cubic centimeter
weighing one gram. It freezes at 32° Fahr. or 0° C. and boils at
212° Fahr. or 100° 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: &hand; Wa ter 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 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: &hand; Ot her ph rases, in wh ich wa ter 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\'91terian, gew\'91terian.]
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\'94l.) (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\'94l.) 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. <-- also used in some private homes. -->
Water beech
Wa"ter beech` (?). (Bot.) The American hornbeam. See Hornbeam.
Water beetle
Wa"ter bee"tle (?). (Zo\'94l.) Any one of numerous species of aquatic
beetles belonging to Dytiscus and allied genera of the family
Dytiscid\'91, and to various genera of the family Hydrophilid\'91.
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\'94l.) Any aquatic bird; a water fowl.
Water blackbird
Wa"ter black"*bird (?). (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) A boat bug.
Waterbok
Wa"ter*bok` (?), n. [D.] (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) Any arthropod that breathes by means
of gills.
Water bridge
Wa"ter bridge` (?). (Steam Boilers) See Water table.
Water buck
Wa"ter buck` (?). (Zo\'94l.) 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: &hand; Th e 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\'94l.) The European buffalo.
Water bug
Wa"ter bug` (?). (Zo\'94l.) (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\'91. 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.),
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\'94l.) A large West African chevrotain
(Hy\'91moschus 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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: &hand; It pr eserves it s co nsistency 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\'94l.) (a) The dipper. (b) The spotted crake
(Porzana maruetta). See Illust. of Crake. (c) The swamp hen, or crake,
of Australia.
_________________________________________________________________
Page 1632
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\'94l.) (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\'94l.) (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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) A dog accustomed to the water, or trained to retrieve
waterfowl. Retrievers, waters spaniels, and Newfoundland dogs are so
trained.
2. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) The osprey.
Water elder
Wa"ter el"der (?). (Bot.) The guelder-rose.
Water elephant
Wa"ter el"e*phant (?). (Zo\'94l.) 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.<-- = a fall? -->
3. A certain kind of neck scarf. T. Hughes.
Water feather. Water feather-foil
Wa"ter feath"er (?). 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\'94l.) 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\'91terfl&omac;d.] A flood of water; an
inundation.
Water flounder
Wa"ter floun"der (?). (Zo\'94l.) 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: &hand; Of aq uatic fowls, some are waders, or furnished with
long legs; others are swimmers, or furnished with webbed feet.
Water fox
Wa"ter fox` (?). (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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 (nanthe crocata) resembling the above.
Water hemp
Wa"ter hemp` (?). (Bot.) See under Hemp.
Water hen
Wa"ter hen` (?).
1. (Zo\'94l.) Any gallinule.
2. (Zo\'94l.) The common American coot.
Water hog
Wa"ter hog` (?). (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'91terisc.]
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 jacket
water jacket. A chamber surrounding a vessel or tube in which water
may be circulated, thereby regulating the temperature or supply of
heat to the vessel. Used in laboratory and manufacturing equipment.
water-jacketed. Having a water jacket; -- as, a water-jacketed
condenser. -->
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\'94l.) 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, Waterlandian
Wa`ter*land"er (?), 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\'94l.) 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\'91a, distinguished for its large floating leaves and
beautiful flowers. See Nymph\'91a.
NOTE: &hand; Th e na me is ex tended to va rious pl ants 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: &hand; In a ha lf-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\'94l.) 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: &hand; "T he wa termark in pa per 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) Any of numerous species of aquatic mites
belonging to Hydrachna and allied genera of the family Hydrachnid\'91,
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.
_________________________________________________________________
Page 1633
Water moccasin
Wa"ter moc"ca*sin (?). (Zo\'94l.) 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.<-- called
also cottonmouth, cottonmouth moccasin, and cottonmouth water
moccasin. -->
Water mole
Wa"ter mole` (?). (Zo\'94l.) (a) The shrew mole. See under Shrew. (b)
The duck mole. See under Duck.
Water monitor
Wa"ter mon"i*tor (?). (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'91a).
Water oat
Wa"ter oat` (?). Indian rice. See under Rice.
Water opossum
Wa"ter o*pos"sum (?). (Zo\'94l.) 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, Water ouzel
Wa"ter ou"sel (?), Wa"ter ou"zel. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) (a) The pintail. See Pintail, n., 1.
(b) The goosander. (c) The hooded merganser.
Water piet
Wa"ter pi"et (?). (Zo\'94l.) The water ousel.
Water pig
Wa"ter pig` (?).
1. (Zo\'94l.) The capybara.
2. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) (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. Water rattler
Wa"ter rat"tle (?). Wa"ter rat"tler (?). (Zo\'94l.) 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] <-- painting. --> Fairholt.
Water scorpion
Wa"ter scor"pi*on (?). (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) Any aquatic pulmonate gastropod belonging to Planorbis,
Limn\'91a, and allied genera; a pond snail.
2. (Mech.) The Archimedean screw. [R.]
Water snake
Wa"ter snake` (?). (Zo\'94l.) (a) A common North American colubrine
snake (Tropidonotus sipedon) which lives chiefly in the water. (b) Any
species of snakes of the family Homalopsid\'91, 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\'94l.) (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\'94l.) (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\'94l.) 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: &hand; Ta ll co lumns, 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° Fahr., or 4°
Centigrade; and from that point down to 32° Fahr., or 0° Centigrade,
or the freezing point, it expands.
Water thief
Wa"ter thief` (?). A pirate. [R.] Shak.
Water thrush
Wa"ter thrush` (?). (Zo\'94l.) (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\'94l.) 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.
<-- 2. A tall water storage tank in the shape of a tower. -->
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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) The American snakebird. See Snakebird.
Water tu tuy\'8are
Wa"ter tu tu`y\'8are" (?). A tuy\'8are 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.
_________________________________________________________________
Page 1634
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\'94l.) See Water moccasin.
Water vole
Wa"ter vole` (?). (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) (a) The dabchick. (b) The stormy petrel.
[Prov. Eng.]
Water-white
Wa"ter-white` (?), n. (Bot.) A vinelike plant (Vitis Carib\'91a)
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. <-- Water works. The
plant and equipment used to purify water for drinking and other
purposes, and to supply it to the mains of a town. -->
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\'91, 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\'91terig.]
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 107 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\'94l.) (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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) Any one of several species of honey eaters belonging to
Anthoch\'91ra and allied genera of the family Meliphagid\'91. 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: &hand; The best-known species (Anthoch\'91ra 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\'94l.) 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, Waught
Waucht, 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 number. Sir W. Scott.
Wave
Wave (?), v. t. See Wave. Sir H. Wotton. Burke.
Wave
Wave, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waved (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Waving.] [OE.
waven, AS. wafian to waver, to hesitate, to wonder; akin to w\'91fre
wavering, restless, MHG. wabern to be in motion, Icel. vafra to hover
about; cf. Icel. v\'befa 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. "[\'92neas] 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. 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\'94l.), 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\'91fre 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) The wapiti, or
wapiti, or American elk.
Wave
Wave (?), n. [See Woe.] Woe. [Obs.]
Wawe
Wawe (?), n. [OE. wawe, waghe; cf. Icel. v\'begr; 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\'84xa, Dan.
voxe, Goth. wahsjan, Gr. waksh, uksh, to grow. 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: &hand; Be eswax co nsists es sentially of ce rotic ac id
(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\'94l.) 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\'94l.), any one of several
species of scale insects belonging to the family Coccid\'91, 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\'94l.), a pyralid moth
(Galleria cereana) whose larv\'91 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\'91agia
utilis) of New Grenada, called by the inhabitants "arbol del cera." --
Wax yellow, a dull yellow, resembling the natural color of beeswax.
_________________________________________________________________
Page 1635
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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.), the Bohemian chatterer.
Waxiness
Wax"i*ness (?), n. Quality or state of being waxy.
Waxwing
Wax"wing` (?), n. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'84g, 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 go the way of all flesh. --> -- 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.
-- 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. See Way, and Broad.] (Bot.) The common
dooryard plantain (Plantago major).
Waybung
Way"bung` (?), n. (Zo\'94l.) 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 (?), pron.; pl. of I. [Poss. Our (our) or Ours (; obj. Us (. See
I.] [As. w; akin to OS. w\'c6, OFries. & LG. wi, D. wij, G. wir, Icel.
v, 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: &hand; We is fr equently us ed to ex press 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 (?), a. [Compar. Weaker (?); superl. Weakest.] [OE. weik, Icel.
veikr; akin to Sw. vek, Dan. veg soft, flexible, pliant, AS. w\'bec
weak, soft, pliant, D. week, G. weich, OHG. weih; all from the verb
seen in Icel. v\'c6kja to turn, veer, recede, AS. w\'c6can to yield,
give way, G. weichen, OHG. w\'c6hhan, akin to Skr. vij, and probably
to E. week, L. vicis a change, turn, Gr. 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: &hand; 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.
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Page 1636
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. w\'becian. 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\'94l.) Any fish of the genus Cynoscion; a
squeteague; -- so called from its tender mouth. See Squeteague.
Spotted weakfish (Zo\'94l.), 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\'94litic 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\'94hnen, OHG. giwennan, Icel. venja, Sw. v\'84nja, Dan. v\'91nne,
Icel. vanr accustomed, wont; cf. AS. \'bewenian to wean, G.
entw\'94hnen. 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; akin to OS. w, OFries. w, w,
D. wapen, G. waffe, OHG. waffan, w\'befan, Icel. v\'bepn, Dan. vaaben,
Sw. vapen, Goth. w, 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. 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 swore, 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 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.
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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; akin to OS. w, OHG. wu; of uncertain origin; cf. AS. w 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\'besend; akin to OFries.
w\'besende, w\'besande; 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\'c6sla, Dan. v\'84sel, Sw. vessla; of
uncertain origin; cf. Gr. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'88r, G. wetter, OHG. wetar, Icel. ve&edh;r, Dan.
veir, Sw. v\'84der 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\'84fva, Dan. v\'91ve, Gr. 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\'94l.) A weaver bird.
3. (Zo\'94l.) An aquatic beetle of the genus Gyrinus. See Whirling.
Weaver bird (Zo\'94l.), any one of numerous species of Asiatic, Fast
Indian, and African birds belonging to Ploceus and allied genera of
the family Ploceid\'91. 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\'94l.), 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\'94l.) 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\'84f, Dan. v\'91v. 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\'94l.) 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.
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Page 1638
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\'94l.) 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. [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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) Any one of various species of moths whose
gregarious larv\'91 eat the leaves of trees, and construct a large web
to which they retreat when not feeding.
NOTE: &hand; Th e mo st de structive we bworms belong to the family
Bombycid\'91, 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&ecr;d), n. [AS. wedd; akin to OFries. wed, OD. wedde, OHG,
wetti, G. wette a wager, Icel. ve&edh; a pledge, Sw. vad a wager, an
appeal, Goth. wadi a pledge, Lith. vaduti to redeem (a pledge), LL.
vadium, L. vas, vadis, bail, security, vadimonium security, and Gr.
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&edh;ja, Dan. vedde, Sw. v\'84dja to appeal, Goth.
gawadj&omac;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 wwedded 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: &hand; Ce rtain an niversaries 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: &hand; We dding 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\'91gge, 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'bec a pledge, be trothal; wedd a pledge +
l\'bec 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&omac;dnes
d\'91g, i. e., Woden's day (a translation of L. dies Mercurii); fr.
W&omac;den the highest god of the Teutonic peoples, but identified
with the Roman god Mercury; akin to OS. W&omac;dan, OHG. Wuotan, Icel.
O&edh;inn, D. woensdag Wednesday, Icel. &omac;&edh;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, w; akin to OS. w\'bedi, giw\'bedi,
OFries, w, w, OD. wade, OHG. w\'bet, Icel. v\'be, Zend vadh to
clothe.]
1. A garment; clothing; especially, an upper or outer garment.
"Lowweeds
." 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\'a2d, wi\'a2d, akin to OS. wiod, LG.
woden the stalks and leaves of vegetables D. wieden to weed, OS.
wiod&omac;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: &hand; 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\'a2dian. 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.
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Page 1639
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: &hand; 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\'d6l. \'fb147.] A whirlpool. [Obs.]
Weel, Weely
Weel (?), 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, fr. w hope, expectation, opinion;
akin to D. waan, OFries. w, OS. & OHG. w\'ben, G. wahn delusion, Icel.
v\'ben hope, expectation, Goth. w, and D. wanen to fancy, G.
w\'84hnen, Icel. v\'bena to hope, Goth. w, 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\'94l.) 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, from w lamentation; akin to OFries. w to lament, OS. w
lamentation, OHG. wuof, Icel. a shouting, crying, OS. w to lament,
OHG. wuoffan, wuoffen, Icel. , Goth. w.
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\'94l.) 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. <-- Illustr. of Weeping
willow. -->
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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) (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\'94l.) Any one of several species of
edible marine fishes belonging to the genus Trachinus, of the family
Trachinid\'91. 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. <-- Illustr. of Great weever
(Trachinus draco) -->
NOTE: &hand; Th e tw o Br itish sp ecies 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\'94l.) 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\'91 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\'91 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\'94l.) 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, Wehrgelt
Wehr"geld` (?), Wehr"gelt` (?), n. (O. Eng. Law) See Weregild.
Wehrwolf
Wehr"wolf` (?), n. See Werewolf.
Weigela, Weigelia
Wei"gel*a (?), 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 withe or red flowers. It was
introduced from China.
Weigh
Weigh (?), 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\'84gen, wiegen, to weigh, bewegen to move, OHG. wegan,
Icel. vega to move, carry, lift, weigh, Sw. v\'84ga to weigh, Dan.
veie, Goth. gawigan to shake, L. vehere to carry, Skr. vah. 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.
Weighhouse
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\'91tt, Sw. vigt, Dan. v\'91gt. 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: &hand; We ight di ffers fr om gr avity 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.
_________________________________________________________________
Page 1640
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, Wear
Weir (?), 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. vr 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 (?), n. [OE. wirde, werde, AS. wyrd fate, fortune, one of the
Fates, fr. weor to be, to become; akin to OS. wurd fate, OHG. wurt,
Icel. ur. 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: &hand; Sh akespeare us es th e te rm 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\'94l.) A New Zealand rail (Ocydromus australis)
which has wings so short as to be incapable of flight.
Wekau
We"kau (?), n. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) The meadow pipit. [Prov. Eng.]
Welaway
Wel"a*way (?), interj. [OE. welaway, walaway, weilawey; wei wo! (Icel.
vei) + la lo! (AS. l\'be) + wei wo!; cf. AS. w\'be l\'be w\'be. 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: &hand; We lcome is us ed el liptically fo r 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\'84lla to weld, uppv\'84lla to boil up, to
spring up, Dan. v\'91lde 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: &hand; 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 Phwelk 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\'94l.) 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: &hand; Us ed ad jectively 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. 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. 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\'84l, Goth. wa\'a1la; 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: &hand; 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: &hand; We ll, li ke ab ove, il l, 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\'94l.) 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
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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.
Wellingtenia
Wel`ling*te"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\'94l.) The sheatfish; -- called also waller.
Welsh
Welsh (?), a. [AS. w\'91lisc, welisc, from wealh a stranger,
foreigner, not of Saxon origin, a Welshman, a Celt, Gael; akin to OHG.
walh, whence G. w\'84lsch 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\'84lsch
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: &hand; Th e 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\'94l.) (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\'84lzen to welter,
OHG. walzan to roll, Icel. velta, Dan. v\'91lte, Sw. v\'84ltra,
v\'84lta; cf. Goth. waltjan; probably akin to E. wallow, well, v. i.
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\'91. 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\'84nda, 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, Wendish
Wend"ic (?), 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, Wenny
Wen"nish (?), Wen"ny (?), a. [From Wen.] Having the nature of a wen;
resembling a wen; as, a wennish excrescence.
Wenona
We*no"na (?), n. (Zo\'94l.) A sand snake (Charina plumbea) of Western
North America, of the family Erycid\'91.
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 (?). [AS. wre (thou) wast, w (we, you, they) were, w imp. subj.
See Was.] The imperfect indicative plural, and imperfect subjunctive
singular and plural, of the verb be. See Be.
Were
Were (?), n. [AS. wer; akin to OS. & OHG. wer, Goth. wa\'a1r, L. vir,
Skr. v\'c6ra. 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. 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\'84rwolf, w\'84hrwolf, wehrwolf, a werewolf, MHG.
werwolf. 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, n., Werke
Werk (?), n., 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\'94l.) An Australian lorikeet (Ptilosclera
versicolor) noted for the variety of its colors; -- called also varied
lorikeet.
Werre
Werre (?), n. War. [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Werrey
Wer"rey (?), v. t. To warray. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Werst
Werst (?), n. See Verst.
Wert
Wert (?), 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. 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 11° to the north or south,
respectively, of the point due west. -- West northwest, West
southwest, that point which lies 22° 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 Indian
West` In"di*a (?), 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, Westwards
West"ward (?), 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 (?), a. [Compar. Wetter (?); superl. Wettest.] [OE. wet, weet, AS.
wt; akin to OFries. wt, Icel. v\'betr, Sw. v\'86t, Dan. vaad, and E.
water. 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&aemac;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&aemac;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\'94l.) The chaffinch, whose cry is thought to
foretell rain. [Prov. Eng.]
Wether
Weth"er (?), n. [OE. wether, AS. we; akin to OS. wethar, withar, a
ram, D. weder, G. widder, OHG. widar, Icel. ver, Sw. v\'84dur, Dan.
v\'91dder, Goth. wiprus a lamb, L. vitulus calf, Skr. vatsa, L. vetus
old, Gr. 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: &hand; 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 weight. Weight.] A certain measure of
weight. [Eng.] "A weye of Essex cheese." Piers Plowman.
NOTE: &hand; A wey is 6 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\'94l.) (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.] <--
= whopper --> 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\'91l; akin to D. walvisch, G. wal,
walfisch, OHG. wal, Icel. hvalr, Dan. & Sw. hval, hvalfisk. Cf.
Narwhal, Walrus.] (Zo\'94l.) 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. <-- since the 1920's and the replacement of
whale oil by petroleum products and electricity, whales have been
hunted primarily for their meat. Due to dramatic decreases in the
whale population, the International Whaling Commission was formed to
regulate the hunt, so as to avoid extinction of the endangered
species. In the 1990's, only a few countries continued to hunt whales
in significant numbers. -->
NOTE: &hand; Th e ex isting 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\'94l.) (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\'94l.), 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\'94l.) (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\'94l.), 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: &hand; Wh alebone is ch iefly ob tained 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\'94l.) 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, Whop
Whap (?), 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: &hand; 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, Whop
Whap, Whop, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whapped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Whapping.] To beat or strike.
Whap, Whop
Whap, Whop, n. A blow, or quick, smart stroke.
Whapper, Whopper
Whap"per (?), Whop"per, n. [See Whap.] Something uncommonly large of
the kind; something astonishing; -- applied especially to a bold lie.
[Colloq.] <-- now usu. whopper. -->
Whapping, Whopping
Whap"ping (?), Whop"ping, a. Very large; monstrous; astonishing; as, a
whapping story. [Colloq.] <-- now usu. whopping. -->
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\'a1rban, hwarb\'d3n, 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: &hand; Th e pl ural 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\'94l.) (a) The common brown rat. (b) A neglected boy who lives
around the wharfs. [Slang]
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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, Wharling
Wharl (?), 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\'91t, neuter of hw\'be 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: &hand; Or iginally, 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: &hand; Wh at in th is 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 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: &hand; In su ch 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
\'82tag\'8are, as being a piece of furniture intended for receiving
miscellaneous articles of use or ornament. <-- also called a
whatnot shelf --> 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
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: &hand; Wh atever of ten fo llows a no un, be ing us ed
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
\'82tag\'8are.
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: &hand; Th e word is sometimes divided by tmesis. "What things
soever ye desire."
Mark xi. 24.
Whaul
Whaul (?), n. Same as Whall.
Whaup
Whaup (?), n. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) The harvest mite; -- so called from the
wheals, caused by its bite.
Wheat
Wheat (?), n. [OE. whete, AS. hwte; akin to OS. hwti, D. weit, G.
weizen, OHG. weizzi, Icel. hveiti, Sw. hvete, Dan. hvede, Goth.
hwaiteis, and E. while. 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: &hand; Of th is gr ain th e va rieties ar e 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\'94l.), any one of
several species of Aphis and allied genera, which suck the sap of
growing wheat. -- Wheat beetle. (Zo\'94l.) (a) A small, slender, rusty
brown beetle (Sylvanus Surinamensis) whose larv\'91 feed upon wheat,
rice, and other grains. (b) A very small, reddish brown, oval beetle
(Anobium paniceum) whose larv\'91 eat the interior of grains of wheat.
-- Wheat duck (Zo\'94l.), the American widgeon. [Western U. S.] --
Wheat fly. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'94l.) See Jointworm. -- Wheat louse (Zo\'94l.), any
wheat aphid. -- Wheat maggot (Zo\'94l.), the larva of a wheat midge.
-- Wheat midge. (Zo\'94l.) (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\'91 suck the juice of the young kernels and when full grown
change to pup\'91 in the earth. (b) The Hessian fly. See under
Hessian. -- Wheat moth (Zo\'94l.), any moth whose larv\'91 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\'94l.), a small brown thrips
(Thrips cerealium) which is very injurious to the grains of growing
wheat. -- Wheat weevil. (Zo\'94l.) (a) The grain weevil. (b) The rice
weevil when found in wheat.
Wheatbird
Wheat"bird` (?), n. (Zo\'94l.) A bird that feeds on wheat, especially
the chaffinch.
Wheatear
Wheat"ear` (?), n. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'91ten.] Made of wheat; as, wheaten bread.
Cowper.
Wheatsel bird
Wheat"sel bird` (?). (Zo\'94l.) The male of the chaffinch. [Prov.
Eng.]
Wheatstone's bridge
Wheat"stone's bridge` (?). (Elec.) See under Bridge.
Wheatworm
Wheat"worm` (?), n. (Zo\'94l.) 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\'a2l, hweogul, hweowol; akin
to D. wiel, Icel. hv\'c7l, Gr. cakra; cf. Icel. hj\'d3l, Dan. hiul,
Sw. hjul. \'fb218 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: &hand; Th is mo de of to rture is sa id 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: &hand; "T his me aning ha s 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.
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Page 1644
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\'89ry 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\'94l.), 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\'94l.),
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\'94l.), 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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, hw, a little, somewhat, hw 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. hwsan (cf. Icel. hv\'91sa to hiss, Sw.
hv\'84sa, Dan. hv\'91se); akin to AS. hwsta a cough, D. hoest, G.
husten, OHG. huosto, Icel. h, Lith. kosti to cough, Skr. k. &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\'94l.) 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 , , to overwhelm, cover over; akin to OS. bihwelbian, D. welven to
arch, G. w\'94lben, OHG. welben, Icel. hvelfa to overturn; cf. Gr.
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\'91nne, hwanne,
hwonne; akin to OS. hwan, OD. wan, OHG. wanne, G. wann when, wenn if,
when, Goth. hwan when, and to E. who. Who.]
1. At what time; -- used interrogatively.
When shall these things be? Matt. xxiv. 3.
NOTE: &hand; 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: &hand; Wh en wa s 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: &hand; Al l th e 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: &hand; 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, Where
Wher (?), 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; akin to D. waar, OS. hw, OHG.
hw\'ber, w\'ber, w\'be, 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: &hand; 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: &hand; Wh ere is of ten us ed 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: &hand; Wh ere is mu ch 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, Whereabouts
Where"a*bout` (?), Where"a*bouts` (?), adv.
1. About where; near what or which place; -- used interrogatively and
relatively; as, whereabouts did you meet him?
NOTE: &hand; In this sense, whereabouts is the common form.
2. Concerning which; about which. "The object whereabout they are
conversant." Hooker.
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Page 1645
Whereabout, Whereabouts
Where"a*bout` (?), 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\'84ttja, and AS. hw\'91t 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\'91sar, 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\'91; akin to OS. hwe, OFries.
hweder, OHG. hwedar, wedar, G. weder, conj., neither, Icel. hv\'berr
whether, Goth. hwa, Lith. katras, L. uter, Gr. katara, from the
interrogatively pronoun, in AS. hw\'be who. 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\'94l.) The green woodpecker, or
yaffle. See Yaffle. [Prov. Eng.]
Whetstone
Whet"stone` (?), n. [AS. hwetst\'ben.] 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: &hand; So me wh etstones ar e us ed 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\'91 of the back. [Prov. Eng.]
Dunglison.
Whew
Whew (hw&umac;), 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\'94l.) The European widgeon.
[Prov. Eng.]
Whey
Whey (?), n. [AS. hw\'91g; 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. 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\'be who + l\'c6c body; hence properly, of what sort or
kind; akin to OS. hwilik which, OFries. hwelik, D. welk, G. welch,
OHG. wel\'c6h, hwel\'c6h, Icel. hv\'c6l\'c6kr, Dan. & Sw. hvilken,
Goth. hwileiks, hwleiks; cf. L. qualis. 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: &hand; Th e wh ich wa s fo rmerly of ten us ed 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: &hand; Wh ich, re ferring 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, Whichsoever
Which*ev"er (?), 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\'94l.) 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: &hand; So me of th e sp ecies ar e 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\'94l.) 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
2. To change from one opinion or course to another; to use evasions;
to prevaricate; to be fickle.<-- to waffle; vacillate, equivocate,
flip-flop. -->
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.<-- a
waffler? -->
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.
_________________________________________________________________
Page 1646
NOTE: &hand; "W hifflers, or fi fers, ge nerally we nt fi rst 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\'94l) 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\'c6l; akin to OS. hw\'c6l, hw\'c6la, OFries.
hw\'c6le, D. wigl, G. weile, OHG. w\'c6la, hw\'c6la, hw\'c6l, Icel.
hv\'c6la a bed, hv\'c6ld rest, Sw. hvila, Dan. hvile, Goth. hweila a
time, and probably to L. quietus quiet, and perhaps to Gr. 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\'94l.) A kind of mollusk, a whelk. [Prov. Eng.]
2. (Zo\'94l.) The scoter. [Prov. Eng.]
Whilk
Whilk, pron. Which. [Obs. or Scot.]
NOTE: &hand; Wh ilk is so metimes used in Chaucer to represent the
Northern dialect.
Whilom
Whi"lom (?), adv. [AS. hw\'c6lum, properly, at times, dative pl. of
hw\'c6l; akin to G. weiland formerly, OHG. hw\'c6lm, 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\'94l.) 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. -- 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\'94l) Any one of several species
of small curlews, especially the European species (Numenius
ph\'91opus), 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, Whimsy
Whim"sey, 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\'94l.), the hedge sparrow. [Prov. Eng.] -- Whin Thrush (Zo\'94l.),
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\'94l.)
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\'c6nan to make a whistling, whizzing sound; akin
to Icel. hv\'c6na, Sw. hvina, Dan. hvine, and probably to G. wiehern
to neigh, OHG. wihn, hweijn; perhaps of imitative origin. Cf. Whinny,
v. i.] To utter a plaintive cry, as some animals; to mean 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 (?), n. [Cf. Scot. whin, quhene, a few, AS. hw, hwne, a
little, hwn 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\'c6nan to whistle, E. whine.]
1. A sword, or hanger. [Obs.]
2. [From the shape of the bill.] (Zo\'94l) (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.]
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Page 1647
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\'94l.), 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\'94l.), 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\'94l.), 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\'94l.) (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.<-- =
whip, 6 (a) -->
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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'94l.) 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\'91sar.
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\'91val 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\'94l.) 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\'91n\'91," take
up in length as much as four . . . arpents of land. Holland.
Whirlwig
Whirl"wig` (?), n. [Cf. Earwig.] (Zo\'94l.) 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: &hand; So me me teorologists ap ply 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.