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.)
Defn: 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.
WEAPONEDWeap"oned, a.
Defn: Furnished with weapons, or arms; armed; equipped.
WEAPONLESSWeap"on*less, a.
Defn: Having no weapon.
WEAPONRYWeap"on*ry, n.
Defn: Weapons, collectively; as, an array of weaponry. [Poetic]
WEARWear, n.
Defn: Same as Weir.
WEARWear, v. t. Etym: [Cf. Veer.] (Naut.)
Defn: 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.] Etym: [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.]
WEARWear, 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.
WEARWear, 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.
WEARABLEWear"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being worn; suitable to be worn.
WEARERWear"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.
WEARIABLEWea"ri*a*ble, a.
Defn: That may be wearied.
WEARIFULWea"ri*ful, a.
Defn: Abounding in qualities which cause weariness; wearisome.— Wea"ri*ful*ly, adv.
WEARILESSWea"ri*less, a.
Defn: Incapable of being wearied.
WEARILYWea"ri*ly, adv.
Defn: In a weary manner.
WEARINESSWea"ri*ness, n.
Defn: 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.
WEARINGWear"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.
WEARINGWear"ing, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or designed for, wear; as, wearing apparel.
WEARISHWear"ish, a. Etym: [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.
WEARISOMEWea"ri*some, a.
Defn: 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. SeeIrksome.— Wea"ri*some*ly, adv.— Wea"ri*some*ness, n.
WEARY Wea"ry, a. [Compar. Wearier; superl. Weariest.] Etym: [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.
WEARYWea"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.
WEARYWea"ry, v. i.
Defn: To grow tired; to become exhausted or impatient; as, to weary of an undertaking.
WEASAND Wea"sand, n. Etym: [OE. wesand, AS. wasend; akin to OFries. wasende, wasande; cf. OHG. weisunt.]
Defn: The windpipe; — called also, formerly, wesil. [Formerly, written also, wesand, and wezand.] Cut his weasand with thy knife. Shak.
WEASEL Wea"sel, n. Etym: [OE. wesele, AS. wesle; akin to D. wezel, G. wiesel, OHG. wisala, Icel. hreyivisla, Dan. väsel, Sw. vessla; of uncertain origin; cf. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: 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-FACEDWea"sel-faced`, a.
Defn: Having a thin, sharp face, like a weasel.
WEASERWea"ser, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The American merganser; — called also weaser sheldrake.[Local, U. S.]
WEASINESSWea"si*ness, n.
Defn: Quality or state of being weasy; full feeding; sensual indulgence. [Obs.] Joye.
WEASYWea"sy, a. Etym: [Cf. Weasand.]
Defn: Given to sensual indulgence; gluttonous. [Obs.] Joye.
WEATHER Weath"er, n. Etym: [OE. weder, AS. weder; akin to OS. wedar, OFries. weder, D. weder, weêr, G. wetter, OHG. wetar, Icel. veedhr, Dan. veir, Sw. väder 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.
WEATHERWeath"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 hisbroad 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.)
Defn: To sail or pass to the windward of; as, to weather a cape; to weather another ship.
4. (Falconry)
Defn: 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.
WEATHERWeath"er, v. i.
Defn: 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.
WEATHERWeath"er, a. (Naut.)
Defn: 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-BEATENWeath"er-beat`en, a.
Defn: Beaten or harassed by the weather; worn by exposure to the weather, especially to severe weather. Shak.
WEATHER-BITWeath"er-bit`, n. (Naut.)
Defn: A turn of the cable about the end of the windlass, without the bits.
WEATHERBITWeath"er*bit`, v. t. (Naut.)
Defn: To take another turn with, as a cable around a windlass.Totten.
WEATHER-BITTENWeath"er-bit`ten, a.
Defn: Eaten into, defaced, or worn, by exposure to the weather.Coleridge.
WEATHERBOARDWeath"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-BOARDWeath"er-board`, v. t. (Arch.)
Defn: 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-BOUNDWeath"er-bound`, a.
Defn: Kept in port or at anchor by storms; delayed by bad weather; as, a weather-bound vessel.
WEATHERCOCKWeath"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.
WEATHERCOCKWeath"er*cock`, v. t.
Defn: To supply with a weathercock; to serve as a weathercock for.Whose blazing wyvern weathercock the spire. Tennyson.
WEATHER-DRIVENWeath"er-driv`en, a.
Defn: Driven by winds or storms; forced by stress of weather. Carew.
WEATHEREDWeath"ered, a.
1. (Arch.)
Defn: Made sloping, so as to throw off water; as, a weathered cornice or window sill.
2. (Geol.)
Defn: Having the surface altered in color, texture, or composition, or the edges rounded off by exposure to the elements.
WEATHER-FENDWeath"er-fend`, v. t.
Defn: To defend from the weather; to shelter. Shak.[We] barked the white spruce to weather-fend the roof. Emerson.
WEATHERGLASSWeath"er*glass`, n.
Defn: 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.
WEATHERINGWeath"er*ing, n. (Geol.)
Defn: The action of the elements on a rock in altering its color, texture, or composition, or in rounding off its edges.
WEATHERLINESSWeath"er*li*ness, n. (Naut.)
Defn: The quality of being weatherly.
WEATHERLYWeath"er*ly, a. (Naut.)
Defn: Working, or able to sail, close to the wind; as, a weatherly ship. Cooper.
WEATHER MAPWeath"er map.
Defn: A map or chart showing the principal meteorological elements at a given hour and over an extended region. Such maps usually show the height of the barometer, the temperature of the air, the relative humidity, the state of the weather, and the direction and velocity of the wind. Isobars and isotherms outline the general distribution of temperature and pressure, while shaded areas indicate the sections over which rain has just fallen. Other lines inclose areas where the temperature has fallen or risen markedly. In tabular form are shown changes of pressure and of temperature, maximum and minimum temperatures, and total rain for each weather station since the last issue, usually 12 hours.
WEATHERMOSTWeath"er*most`, a. (Naut.)
Defn: Being farthest to the windward.
WEATHERPROOFWeath"er*proof`, a.
Defn: Proof against rough weather.
WEATHER SIGNALWeather signal.
Defn: Any signal giving information about the weather. The system used by the United States Weather Bureau includes temperature, cold or hot wave, rain or snow, wind direction, storm, and hurricane signals.
WEATHER STATIONWeather station. (Meteor.)
Defn: A station for taking meteorological observations, making weather forecasts, or disseminating such information. Such stations are of the first order when they make observations of all the important elements either hourly or by self-registering instruments; of the second order when only important observations are taken; of the third order when simpler work is done, as to record rainfall and maximum and minimum temperatures.
WEATHERWISEWeath"er*wise`, a.
Defn: Skillful in forecasting the changes of the weather. Hakluyt.
WEATHERWISERWeath"er*wis`er, n. Etym: [Cf. Waywiser.]
Defn: Something that foreshows the weather. [Obs.] Derham.
WEATHERWORNWeath"er*worn`, a.
Defn: Worn by the action of, or by exposure to, the weather.
WEAVEWeave, v. t. [imp. Wove; p. p. Woven, Wove; p. pr. & vb. n. Weaving.The regular imp. & p. p. Weaved (, is rarely used.] Etym: [OE. weven,AS. wefan; akin to D. weven, G. weben, OHG. weban, Icel. vefa, Sw.väfva, Dan. væve, 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.
WEAVEWeave, v. i.
1. To practice weaving; to work with a loom.
2. To become woven or interwoven.
WEAVEWeave, n.
Defn: A particular method or pattern of weaving; as, the cassimere weave.
WEAVERWeav"er, n.
1. One who weaves, or whose occupation is to weave. "Weavers of linen." P. Plowman.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A weaver bird.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An aquatic beetle of the genus Gyrinus. See Whirling. Weaver bird (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of Asiatic, Fast Indian, and African birds belonging to Ploceus and allied genera of the family Ploceidæ. 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 (Zoöl.), an East Indian marine univalve shell (Radius volva); — so called from its shape. See Illust. of Shuttle shell, under Shuttle.
WEAVERFISHWeav"er*fish`, n. Etym: [See Weever.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Weever.
WEAVINGWeav"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.)
Defn: 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.
WEAZANDWea"zand, n.
Defn: See Weasand. [Obs.]
WEAZENWea"zen, a. Etym: [See Wizen.]
Defn: Thin; sharp; withered; wizened; as, a weazen face.They were weazen and shriveled. Dickens.
WEAZENYWea"zen*y, a.
Defn: Somewhat weazen; shriveled. [Colloq.] "Weazeny, baked pears."Lowell.
WEBWeb, n. Etym: [OE. webbe, AS. webba. See Weave.]
Defn: A weaver. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WEBWeb, n. Etym: [OE. web, AS. webb; akin to D. web, webbe, OHG. weppi,G. gewebe, Icel. vefr, Sw. väf, Dan. væv. See Weave.]
1. That which is woven; a texture; textile fabric; esp., somethingwoven 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)
Defn: 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.)
Defn: 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.)
Defn: Pterygium; — called also webeye. Shak.
9. (Anat.)
Defn: 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. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The series of barbs implanted on each side of the shaft of a feather, whether stiff and united together by barbules, as in ordinary feathers, or soft and separate, as in downy feathers. See Feather.
Pin and web (Med.), two diseases of the eye, caligo and pterygium; — sometimes wrongly explained as one disease. See Pin, n., 8, and Web, n., 8. "He never yet had pinne or webbe, his sight for to decay." Gascoigne. — Web member (Engin.), one of the braces in a web system. — Web press, a printing press which takes paper from a roll instead of being fed with sheets. — Web system (Engin.), the system of braces connecting the flanges of a lattice girder, post, or the like.
WEBWeb, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Webbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Webbing.]
Defn: To unite or surround with a web, or as if with a web; to envelop; to entangle.
WEBBEDWebbed, a.
1. Provided with a web.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having the toes united by a membrane, or web; as, the webbed feet of aquatic fowls.
WEBBERWeb"ber, n.
Defn: One who forms webs; a weaver; a webster. [Obs.]
WEBBINGWeb"bing, n.
Defn: A woven band of cotton or flax, used for reins, girths, bed bottoms, etc.
WEBBYWeb"by, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a web or webs; like a web; filled orcovered with webs.Bats on their webby wings in darkness move. Crabbe.
WEBER We"ber, n. Etym: [From the name of Professor Weber, a German electrician.] (Elec.)
Defn: The standard unit of electrical quantity, and also of current.See Coulomb, and Amp. [Obs.]
WEBEYEWeb"eye`, n. (Med.)
Defn: See Web, n., 8.
WEB-FINGEREDWeb"-fin`gered, a.
Defn: Having the fingers united by a web for a considerable part of their length.
WEBFOOTWeb"foot`, n.; pl. Webfeet (.
1. A foot the toes of which are connected by a membrane.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any web-footed bird.
WEB-FOOTEDWeb"-foot`ed, a.
Defn: Having webbed feet; palmiped; as, a goose or a duck is a web- footed fowl.
WEBSTERWeb"ster, n. Etym: [AS. webbestre. See Web, Weave, and -ster.]
Defn: A weaver; originally, a female weaver. [Obs.] Brathwait.
WEBSTERITEWeb"ster*ite, n. Etym: [So named after Webster, the geologist.](Min.)
Defn: A hydrous sulphate of alumina occurring in white reniform masses.
WEB-TOEDWeb"-toed`, a.
Defn: Having the toes united by a web for a considerable part of their length.
WEBWORMWeb"worm`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of various species of moths whose gregarious larvæ eat the leaves of trees, and construct a large web to which they retreat when not feeding.
Note: The most destructive webworms belong to the family Bombycidæ, 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 (wêd), n. Etym: [AS. wedd; akin to OFries. wed, OD. wedde, OHG, wetti, G. wette a wager, Icel. veedh 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.]
Defn: 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.] Etym: [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. veedhja, Dan. vedde, Sw. vädja to appeal, Goth. gawadjon to betroth. See Wed, n.]
1. To take for husband or for wife by a formal ceremony; to marry; toespouse.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.
WEDWed, v. i.
Defn: To contact matrimony; to marry. "When I shall wed." Shak.
WEDDAHSWed"dahs, n. pl. (Ethnol.)
Defn: See Veddahs.
WEDDEDWed"ded, a.
1. Joined in wedlock; married. Let wwedded dame. Pope.
2. Of or pertaining to wedlock, or marriage. "Wedded love." Milton.
WEDDERWed"der, n.
Defn: See Wether. Sir W. Scott.
WEDDINGWed"ding, n. Etym: [AS. wedding.]
Defn: Nuptial ceremony; nuptial festivities; marriage; nuptials.Simple and brief was the wedding, as that of Ruth and of Boaz.Longfellow.
Note: Certain anniversaries of an unbroken marriage have received fanciful, and more or less appropriate, names. Thus, the fifth anniversary is called the wooden wedding; the tenth, the tin wedding; the fifteenth, the crystal wedding; the twentieth, the china wedding; the twenty-fifth, the silver wedding; the fiftieth, the golden wedding; the sixtieth, the diamond wedding. These anniversaries are often celebrated by appropriate presents of wood, tin, china, silver, gold, etc., given by friends.
Note: Wedding is often used adjectively; as, wedding cake, weddingcards, 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.
WEDERWed"er, n.
Defn: Weather. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WEDGE Wedge, n. Etym: [OE. wegge, AS. wecg; akin to D. wig, wigge, OHG. wecki, G. weck a (wedge-shaped) loaf, Icel. veggr, Dan. vægge, 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.)
Defn: 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.
WEDGEWedge, 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 inmore. 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)
Defn: To cut, as clay, into wedgelike masses, and work by dashing together, in order to expel air bubbles, etc. Tomlinson.
WEDGEBILLWedge"bill`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: 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-FORMEDWedge"-formed`, a.
Defn: Having the form of a wedge; cuneiform. Wedge-formed characters.See Arrow-headed characters, under Arrowheaded.
WEDGE GAUGE; WEDGE GAGEWedge gauge or gage .
Defn: A wedge with a graduated edge, to measure the width of a space into which it is thrust.
WEDGE GEARWedge gear.
Defn: A friction gear wheel with wedge-shaped circumferential grooves. — Wedge gearing.
WEDGE-SHAPEDWedge"-shaped`, a.
1. Having the shape of a wedge; cuneiform.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Broad and truncate at the summit, and tapering down to the base; as, a wedge-shaped leaf.
WEDGE-SHELLWedge"-shell`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of small marine bivalves belonging to Donax and allied genera in which the shell is wedge-shaped.
WEDGE-TAILEDWedge"-tailed", a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: 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.
WEDGEWISEWedge"wise`, adv.
Defn: In the manner of a wedge.
WEDGWOOD WAREWedg"wood` ware`. Etym: [From the name of the inventor, JosiahWedgwood, of England.]
Defn: 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.
WEDGYWedg"y, a.
Defn: Like a wedge; wedge-shaped.
WEDLOCKWed"lock, n. Etym: [AS. wedlac a pledge, be trothal; wedd a pledge +lac 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.
WEDLOCKWed"lock, v. t.
Defn: To marry; to unite in marriage; to wed. [R.] "Man thus wedlocked." Milton.
WEDNESDAY Wednes"day (; 48), n. Etym: [OE. wednesdai, wodnesdei, AS. Wodnes dæg, i. e., Woden's day (a translation of L. dies Mercurii); fr. Woden the highest god of the Teutonic peoples, but identified with the Roman god Mercury; akin to OS. Wodan, OHG. Wuotan, Icel. Oedhinn, D. woensdag Wednesday, Icel. oedhinsdagr, Dan. & Sw. onsdag. See Day, and cf. Woden, Wood, a.]
Defn: The fourth day of the week; the next day after Tuesday. AshWednesday. See in the Vocabulary.
WEE Wee, n. Etym: [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.]
Defn: A little; a bit, as of space, time, or distance. [Obs. orScot.]
WEEWee, a.
Defn: Very small; little. [Colloq. & Scot.]A little wee face, with a little yellow beard. Shak.
WEECH-ELMWeech"-elm`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: The wych-elm. [Obs.] Bacon.
WEED Weed, n. Etym: [OE. wede, AS. w, w; akin to OS. wadi, giwadi, OFries, w, w, OD. wade, OHG. wat, Icel. va, Zend vadh to clothe.]
1. A garment; clothing; especially, an upper or outer garment."Lowweeds." Spenser. "Woman's weeds." Shak. "This beggar woman'sweed." 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.
WEEDWeed, n.
Defn: A sudden illness or relapse, often attended with fever, which attacks women in childbed. [Scot.]
WEED Weed, n. Etym: [OE. weed, weod, AS. weód, wiód, akin to OS. wiod, LG. woden the stalks and leaves of vegetables D. wieden to weed, OS. wiodon.]
1. Underbrush; low shrubs. [Obs. or Archaic] One rushing forth out of the thickest weed. Spenser. A wild and wanton pard . . . Crouched fawning in the weed. Tennyson.
2. Any plant growing in cultivated ground to the injury of the crop or desired vegetation, or to the disfigurement of the place; an unsightly, useless, or injurious plant. Too much manuring filled that field with weeds. Denham.
Note: The word has no definite application to any particular plant, or species of plants. Whatever plants grow among corn or grass, in hedges, or elsewhere, and are useless to man, injurious to crops, or unsightly or out of place, are denominated weeds.
3. Fig.: Something unprofitable or troublesome; anything useless.
4. (Stock Breeding)
Defn: An animal unfit to breed from.
5. Tobacco, or a cigar. [Slang] Weed hook, a hook used for cutting away or extirpating weeds. Tusser.
WEEDWeed, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weeded; p. pr. & vb. n. Weeding.] Etym:[AS. weódian. 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)
Defn: To reject as unfit for breeding purposes.
WEEDERWeed"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, weeds, or frees from anything noxious.
WEEDERYWeed"er*y, n.
Defn: Weeds, collectively; also, a place full of weeds or for growing weeds. [R.] Dr. H. More.
WEEDINGWeed"ing,
Defn: a. & n. from Weed, v. Weeding chisel, a tool with a dividedchisel-like end, for cutting the roots of large weeds under ground.— Weeding forceps, an instrument for taking up some sorts of plantsin weeding.— Weeding fork, a strong, three-pronged fork, used in clearingground 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-RHIMWeed"ing-rhim`, n. Etym: [Cf. Prov. E. rim to remove.]
Defn: A kind of implement used for tearing up weeds esp. on summer fallows. [Prov. Eng.]
WEEDLESSWeed"less, a.
Defn: Free from weeds or noxious matter.
WEEDYWeed"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.]
WEEDYWeed"y, a.
Defn: Dressed in weeds, or mourning garments. [R. or Colloq.]She was as weedy as in the early days of her mourning. Dickens.
WEEK Week, n. Etym: [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.]
Defn: A period of seven days, usually that reckoned from one Sabbathor Sunday to the next.I fast twice in the week. Luke xviii. 12.
Note: Although it [the week] did not enter into the calendar of theGreeks, and was not introduced at Rome till after the reign ofTheodesius, it has been employed from time immemorial in almost allEastern 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.
WEEK-ENDWeek"-end", n.
Defn: The end of the week; specif., though loosely, the period observed commonly as a holiday, from Saturday noon or Friday night to Monday; as, to visit one for a week-end; also, a house party during a week-end.
WEEKLYWeek"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.
WEEKLYWeek"ly, n.; pl. Weeklies (.
Defn: A publication issued once in seven days, or appearing once a week.
WEEKLYWeek"ly, adv.
Defn: Once a week; by hebdomadal periods; as, each performs service weekly.
WEEKWAMWeek"wam, n.
Defn: See Wigwam. [R.]
WEELWeel, a. & adv.
Defn: Well. [Obs. or Scot.]
WEELWeel, n. Etym: [AS. wæl. *147.]
Defn: A whirlpool. [Obs.]
WEEL; WEELY Weel, Weel"y,Etym: [Prov. E. weel, weal, a wicker basket to catch eels; prob. akin to willow, and so called as made of willow twigs.]
Defn: A kind of trap or snare for fish, made of twigs. [Obs.] Carew.
WEEN Ween, v. i. Etym: [OE. wenen, AS. w, fr. w hope, expectation, opinion; akin to D. waan, OFries. w, OS. & OHG. wan, G. wahn delusion, Icel. van hope, expectation, Goth. w, and D. wanen to fancy, G. wähnen, Icel. vana to hope, Goth. w, and perhaps to E. winsome, wish.]
Defn: 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 ofan 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.
WEEPWeep, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The lapwing; the wipe; — so called from its cry.
WEEPWeep, obs.
Defn: imp. of Weep, for wept. Chaucer.
WEEP Weep, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wept; p. pr. & vb. n. Weeping.] Etym: [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.
WEEPWeep, 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.
WEEPERWeep"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. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The capuchin. See Capuchin, 3 (a).
WEEPFULWeep"ful, a.
Defn: Full of weeping or lamentation; grieving. [Obs.] Wyclif.
WEEPINGWeep"ing, n.
Defn: The act of one who weeps; lamentation with tears; shedding of tears.
WEEPINGWeep"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.
WEEPINGLYWeep"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a weeping manner.
WEEPING-RIPEWeep"ing-ripe`, a.
Defn: Ripe for weeping; ready to weep. [Obs.] Shak.
WEEPING TREE Weep"ing tree. (a) Any tree having pendulous branches. (b) A tree from which honeydew or other liquid secretions of insects drip in considerable quantities, esp. one infested by the larvæ of any species of the genus Ptylus, allied to the cuckoo spits, which in tropical countries secrete large quantities of a watery fluid.
WEERISHWeer"ish, a.
Defn: See Wearish. [Obs.]
WEESELWee"sel, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Weasel.
WEETWeet, a. & n.
Defn: Wet. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WEETWeet, v. i. [imp. Wot.] Etym: [See Wit to know.]
Defn: To know; to wit. [Obs.] Tyndale. Spenser.
WEET-BIRDWeet"-bird`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The wryneck; — so called from its cry. [Prov. Eng.]
WEETINGLYWeet"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: Knowingly. [Obs.] Spenser.
WEETLESSWeet"less, a.
Defn: Unknowing; also, unknown; unmeaning. [Obs.] Spenser.
WEET-WEET Weet"-weet`, n. Etym: [So called from its piping cry when disturbed.] (Zoöl.) (a) The common European sandpiper. (b) The chaffinch. [Prov. Eng.]
WEETWEETWeet"*weet`, n. [Native name in Victoria.]
Defn: A throwing toy, or implement, of the Australian aborigines, consisting of a cigar-shaped stick fastened at one end to a flexible twig. It weighs in all about two ounces, and is about two feet long.
WEEVERWee"ver, n. Etym: [Probably from F. vive, OF. vivre, a kind of fish,L. vipera viper. Cf. Viper.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of several species of edible marine fishes belonging to the genus Trachinus, of the family Trachinidæ. They have a broad spinose head, with the eyes looking upward. The long dorsal fin is supported by numerous strong, sharp spines which cause painful wounds.
Note: The two British species are the great, or greater, weever (Trachinus draco), which becomes a foot long (called also gowdie, sea cat, stingbull, and weaverfish), and the lesser weever (T. vipera), about half as large (called also otter pike, and stingfish).
WEEVIL Wee"vil, n. Etym: [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.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: 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 larvæ 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 larvæ 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.
WEEVILEDWee"viled, a.
Defn: Infested by weevils; as, weeviled grain. [Written also weevilled.]
WEEVILYWee"vil*y, a.
Defn: Having weevils; weeviled. [Written also weevilly.]
WEEZELWee"zel, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Weasel.
WEFTWeft, obs.
Defn: imp. & p. p. of Wave.
WEFTWeft, n. Etym: [Cf. Waif.]
Defn: A thing waved, waived, or cast away; a waif. [Obs.] "A forlorn weft." Spenser.
WEFTWeft, n. Etym: [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.
WEFTAGEWeft"age, n.
Defn: Texture. [Obs.] Grew.
WEGOTISMWe"go*tism, n. Etym: [From we, in imitation of egotism.]
Defn: Excessive use of the pronoun we; — called also weism. [Colloq. or Cant]
WEHRGELD; WEHRGELTWehr"geld`, Wehr"gelt`, n. (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: See Weregild.
WEHRWOLFWehr"wolf`, n.
Defn: See Werewolf.
WEIGELA; WEIGELIAWei"gel*a, Wei*ge"li*a, n. Etym: [NL. So named after C. E. Weigel, aGerman naturalist.] (Bot.)
Defn: A hardy garden shrub (Diervilla Japonica) belonging to theHoneysuckle family, with withe or red flowers. It was introduced fromChina.
WEIGHWeigh, n. (Naut.)
Defn: 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 difficultygot under weigh. Jowett (Thucyd.).
WEIGHWeigh, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weighed; p. pr. & vb. n. Weighing.] Etym:[OE. weien, weyen, weghen, AS. wegan to bear, move; akin to D. wegento weigh, G. wägen, wiegen, to weigh, bewegen to move, OHG. wegan,Icel. vega to move, carry, lift, weigh, Sw. väga 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.
WEIGHWeigh, 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.
WEIGHWeigh, n. Etym: [See Wey.]
Defn: A certain quantity estimated by weight; an English measure of weight. See Wey.
WEIGHABLEWeigh"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being weighed.
WEIGHAGEWeigh"age (; 48), n.
Defn: A duty or toil paid for weighing merchandise. Bouvier.
WEIGHBEAMWeigh"beam`, n.
Defn: A kind of large steelyard for weighing merchandise; — also called weighmaster's beam.
WEIGHBOARDWeigh"board`, n. (Mining)
Defn: Clay intersecting a vein. Weale.
WEIGHBRIDGEWeigh"bridge`, n.
Defn: A weighing machine on which loaded carts may be weighed; platform scales.
WEIGHERWeigh"er, n.
Defn: One who weighs; specifically, an officer whose duty it is to weigh commodities.
WEIGH-HOUSEWeigh"-*house`, n.; pl. Weigh-houses (.
Defn: A building at or within which goods, and the like, are weighed.
WEIGHINGWeigh"ing,
Defn: 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.
WEIGHLOCKWeigh"lock`, n.
Defn: A lock, as on a canal, in which boats are weighed and their tonnage is settled.