Defn: Having performed wonders; able to perform wonderful things.[Obs.] Shak.
WONDERERWon"der*er, n.
Defn: One who wonders.
WONDERFULWon"der*ful, a.
Defn: Adapted to excite wonder or admiration; surprising; strange; astonishing.
Syn.— Marvelous; amazing. See Marvelous.— Won"der*ful*ly, adv.— Won"der*ful*ness, n.
WONDERINGLYWon"der*ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a wondering manner.
WONDERLANDWon"der*land`, n.
Defn: A land full of wonders, or marvels. M. Arnold.
WONDERLYWon"der*ly, adv. Etym: [AS. wundorlice.]
Defn: Wonderfully; wondrously. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WONDERMENTWon"der*ment, n.
Defn: Surprise; astonishment; a wonderful appearance; a wonder.Bacon.All the common sights they view, Their wonderment engage. Sir W.Scott.
WONDEROUSWon"der*ous, a.
Defn: Same as Wondrous.
WONDERSWon"ders, adv.
Defn: See Wondrous. [Obs.]They be wonders glad thereof. Sir T. More.
WONDERSTRUCKWon"der*struck`, a.
Defn: Struck with wonder, admiration, or surprise. Dryden.
WONDERWORKWon"der*work`, n. Etym: [AS. wundorweorc.]
Defn: A wonderful work or act; a prodigy; a miracle. Such as in strange land He found in wonderworks of God and Nature's hand. Byron.
WONDER-WORKERWon"der-work`er, n.
Defn: One who performs wonders, or miracles.
WONDER-WORKINGWon"der-work`ing, a.
Defn: Doing wonders or surprising things.
WONDROUSWon"drous, adv. Etym: [OE. wonders, adv. (later also adj.). SeeWonder, n., and cf. -wards.]
Defn: In a wonderful or surprising manner or degree; wonderfully.For sylphs, yet mindful of their ancient race, Are, as when women,wondrous fond of place. Pope.And now there came both mist and snow, And it grew wondrous cold.Coleridge.
WONDROUSWon"drous, a.
Defn: Wonderful; astonishing; admirable; marvelous; such as excitesurprise and astonishment; strange.That I may . . . tell of all thy wondrous works. Ps. xxvi. 7.— Won"drous*ly, adv.— Won"drous*ness, n.Chloe complains, and wondrously's aggrieved. Granville.
WONEWone, v. i. Etym: [OE. wonen, wunen, wonien, wunien, AS. wunian.Wont, a.]
Defn: To dwell; to abide. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.Their habitation in which they woned. Chaucer.
WONEWone, n. Etym: [OE. See Wone, v. i., Wont, a.]
1. Dwelling; habitation; abode. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. Custom; habit; wont; use; usage. [Obs.] To liven in delight was all his wone. Chaucer.
WONGWong, n. Etym: [AS. wang, wong.]
Defn: A field. [Obs.] Spelman. "Woods and wonges." Havelok the Dane.
WONGERWong"er, n.
Defn: See Wanger. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WONINGWon"ing, n.
Defn: Dwelling. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WON'TWon't.
Defn: A colloquial contraction of woll not. Will not. See Will.
Note: Often pronounced wûnt in New England.
WONT Wont, a. Etym: [For woned, p. p. of won, wone, to dwell, AS. wunian; akin to D. wonen, OS. wun, OHG, won, G. wohnen, and AS. wund, gewuna, custom, habit; orig. probably, to take pleasure; cf. Icel. una to dwell, to enjoy, Goth. wunan to rejoice (in unwunands sad); and akin to Skr. van to like, to wish. Wean, Win.]
Defn: Using or doing customarily; accustomed; habituated; used. "As he was wont to go." Chaucer. If the ox were wont to push with his horn. Ex. xxi. 29.
WONTWont, n.
Defn: Custom; habit; use; usage.They are . . . to be called out to their military motions, under skyor covert, according to the season, as was the Roman wont. Milton.From childly wont and ancient use. Cowper.
WONTWont, v. i. [imp. Wont, p. p. Wont, or Wonted; p. pr. & vb. n.Wonting.]
Defn: To be accustomed or habituated; to be used.A yearly solemn feast she wont to make. Spenser.
WONTWont, v. t.
Defn: To accustom; — used reflexively.
WONTEDWont"ed, a.
Defn: Accustomed; customary; usual.Again his wonted weapon proved. Spenser.Like an old piece of furniture left alone in its wonted corner. SirW. Scott.She was wonted to the place, and would not remove. L'Estrange.
WONTEDNESSWont"ed*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being accustomed. [R.] Eikon Basilike.
WONTLESSWont"less, a.
Defn: Unaccustomed. [Obs.] Spenser.
WOO Woo, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wooed; p. pr. & vb. n. Wooing.] Etym: [OE. wowen, wo, AS. w, fr. w bent, crooked, bad; akin to OS. wah evil, Goth. unwahs blameless, Skr. va to waver, and perhaps to E. vaccilate.]
1. To solicit in love; to court. Each, like the Grecian artist, wooes The image he himself has wrought. Prior.
2. To court solicitously; to invite with importunity.Thee, chantress, oft the woods among I woo, to hear thy even song.Milton.I woo the wind That still delays his coming. Bryant.
WOOWoo, v. i.
Defn: To court; to make love. Dryden.
WOODWood, a. Etym: [OE. wod, AS. w; akin to OHG. wuot, Icel. , Goth. w,D. woede madness, G. wuth, wut, also to AS. w song, Icel. , L. vatesa seer, a poet. Cf. Wednesday.]
Defn: Mad; insane; possessed; rabid; furious; frantic. [Obs.][Written also wode.]Our hoste gan to swear as [if] he were wood. Chaucer.
WOODWood, v. i.
Defn: To grow mad; to act like a madman; to mad. Chaucer.
WOODWood, n. Etym: [OE. wode, wude, AS. wudu, wiodu; akin to OHG. witu,Icel. vi, Dan. & Sw. ved wood, and probably to Ir. & Gael. fiodh, W.gwydd trees, shrubs.]
1. A large and thick collection of trees; a forest or grove; — frequently used in the plural. Light thickens, and the crow Makes wing to the rooky wood. Shak.
2. The substance of trees and the like; the hard fibrous substance which composes the body of a tree and its branches, and which is covered by the bark; timber. "To worship their own work in wood and stone for gods." Milton.
3. (Bot.)
Defn: The fibrous material which makes up the greater part of the stems and branches of trees and shrubby plants, and is found to a less extent in herbaceous stems. It consists of elongated tubular or needle-shaped cells of various kinds, usually interwoven with the shinning bands called silver grain.
Note: Wood consists chiefly of the carbohydrates cellulose and lignin, which are isomeric with starch.
4. Trees cut or sawed for the fire or other uses. Wood acid, Wood vinegar (Chem.), a complex acid liquid obtained in the dry distillation of wood, and containing large quantities of acetic acid; hence, specifically, acetic acid. Formerly called pyroligneous acid. — Wood anemone (Bot.), a delicate flower (Anemone nemorosa) of early spring; — also called windflower. See Illust. of Anemone. — Wood ant (Zoöl.), a large ant (Formica rufa) which lives in woods and forests, and constructs large nests. — Wood apple (Bot.). See Elephant apple, under Elephant. — Wood baboon (Zoöl.), the drill. — Wood betony. (Bot.) (a) Same as Betony. (b) The common American lousewort (Pedicularis Canadensis), a low perennial herb with yellowish or purplish flowers. — Wood borer. (Zoöl.) (a) The larva of any one of numerous species of boring beetles, esp. elaters, longicorn beetles, buprestidans, and certain weevils. See Apple borer, under Apple, and Pine weevil, under Pine. (b) The larva of any one of various species of lepidopterous insects, especially of the clearwing moths, as the peach-tree borer (see under Peach), and of the goat moths. (c) The larva of various species of hymenopterous of the tribe Urocerata. See Tremex. (d) Any one of several bivalve shells which bore in wood, as the teredos, and species of Xylophaga. (e) Any one of several species of small Crustacea, as the Limnoria, and the boring amphipod (Chelura terebrans). — Wood carpet, a kind of floor covering made of thin pieces of wood secured to a flexible backing, as of cloth. Knight. — Wood cell (Bot.), a slender cylindrical or prismatic cell usually tapering to a point at both ends. It is the principal constituent of woody fiber. — Wood choir, the choir, or chorus, of birds in the woods. [Poetic] Coleridge. — Wood coal, charcoal; also, lignite, or brown coal. — Wood cricket (Zoöl.), a small European cricket (Nemobius sylvestris). — Wood culver (Zoöl.), the wood pigeon. — Wood cut, an engraving on wood; also, a print from such an engraving. — Wood dove (Zoöl.), the stockdove. — Wood drink, a decoction or infusion of medicinal woods. — Wood duck (Zoöl.) (a) A very beautiful American duck (Aix sponsa). The male has a large crest, and its plumage is varied with green, purple, black, white, and red. It builds its nest in trees, whence the name. Called also bridal duck, summer duck, and wood widgeon. (b) The hooded merganser. (c) The Australian maned goose (Chlamydochen jubata). — Wood echo, an echo from the wood. — Wood engraver. (a) An engraver on wood. (b) (Zoöl.) Any of several species of small beetles whose larvæ bore beneath the bark of trees, and excavate furrows in the wood often more or less resembling coarse engravings; especially, Xyleborus xylographus. — Wood engraving. (a) The act or art engraving on wood; xylography. (b) An engraving on wood; a wood cut; also, a print from such an engraving. — Wood fern. (Bot.) See Shield fern, under Shield. — Wood fiber. (a) (Bot.) Fibrovascular tissue. (b) Wood comminuted, and reduced to a powdery or dusty mass. — Wood fretter (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of beetles whose larvæ bore in the wood, or beneath the bark, of trees. — Wood frog (Zoöl.), a common North American frog (Rana sylvatica) which lives chiefly in the woods, except during the breeding season. It is drab or yellowish brown, with a black stripe on each side of the head. — Wood germander. (Bot.) See under Germander. — Wood god, a fabled sylvan deity. — Wood grass. (Bot.) See under Grass. — Wood grouse. (Zoöl.) (a) The capercailzie. (b) The spruce partridge. See under Spruce. — Wood guest (Zoöl.), the ringdove. [Prov. Eng.] — Wood hen. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of several species of Old World short-winged rails of the genus Ocydromus, including the weka and allied species. (b) The American woodcock. — Wood hoopoe (Zoöl.), any one of several species of Old World arboreal birds belonging to Irrisor and allied genera. They are closely allied to the common hoopoe, but have a curved beak, and a longer tail. — Wood ibis (Zoöl.), any one of several species of large, long- legged, wading birds belonging to the genus Tantalus. The head and neck are naked or scantily covered with feathers. The American wood ibis (Tantalus loculator) is common in Florida. — Wood lark (Zoöl.), a small European lark (Alauda arborea), which, like, the skylark, utters its notes while on the wing. So called from its habit of perching on trees. — Wood laurel (Bot.), a European evergreen shrub (Daphne Laureola). — Wood leopard (Zoöl.), a European spotted moth (Zeuzera æsculi) allied to the goat moth. Its large fleshy larva bores in the wood of the apple, pear, and other fruit trees. — Wood lily (Bot.), the lily of the valley. — Wood lock (Naut.), a piece of wood close fitted and sheathed with copper, in the throating or score of the pintle, to keep the rudder from rising. — Wood louse (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of numerous species of terrestrial isopod Crustacea belonging to Oniscus, Armadillo, and related genera. See Sow bug, under Sow, and Pill bug, under Pill. (b) Any one of several species of small, wingless, pseudoneuropterous insects of the family Psocidæ, which live in the crevices of walls and among old books and papers. Some of the species are called also book lice, and deathticks, or deathwatches. — Wood mite (Zoöl.), any one of numerous small mites of the family Oribatidæ. They are found chiefly in woods, on tree trunks and stones. — Wood mote. (Eng. Law) (a) Formerly, the forest court. (b) The court of attachment. — Wood nettle. (Bot.) See under Nettle. — Wood nightshade (Bot.), woody nightshade. — Wood nut (Bot.), the filbert. — Wood nymph. (a) A nymph inhabiting the woods; a fabled goddess of the woods; a dryad. "The wood nymphs, decked with daisies trim." Milton. (b) (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of handsomely colored moths belonging to the genus Eudryas. The larvæ are bright-colored, and some of the species, as Eudryas grata, and E. unio, feed on the leaves of the grapevine. (c) (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of handsomely colored South American humming birds belonging to the genus Thalurania. The males are bright blue, or green and blue. — Wood offering, wood burnt on the altar. We cast the lots . . . for the wood offering. Neh. x. 34. — Wood oil (Bot.), a resinous oil obtained from several East Indian trees of the genus Dipterocarpus, having properties similar to those of copaiba, and sometimes substituted for it. It is also used for mixing paint. See Gurjun. — Wood opal (Min.), a striped variety of coarse opal, having some resemblance to wood. — Wood paper, paper made of wood pulp. See Wood pulp, below. — Wood pewee (Zoöl.), a North American tyrant flycatcher (Contopus virens). It closely resembles the pewee, but is smaller. — Wood pie (Zoöl.), any black and white woodpecker, especially the European great spotted woodpecker. — Wood pigeon. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of numerous species of Old World pigeons belonging to Palumbus and allied genera of the family Columbidæ. (b) The ringdove. — Wood puceron (Zoöl.), a plant louse. — Wood pulp (Technol.), vegetable fiber obtained from the poplar and other white woods, and so softened by digestion with a hot solution of alkali that it can be formed into sheet paper, etc. It is now produced on an immense scale. — Wood quail (Zoöl.), any one of several species of East Indian crested quails belonging to Rollulus and allied genera, as the red- crested wood quail (R. roulroul), the male of which is bright green, with a long crest of red hairlike feathers. — Wood rabbit (Zoöl.), the cottontail. — Wood rat (Zoöl.), any one of several species of American wild rats of the genus Neotoma found in the Southern United States; — called also bush rat. The Florida wood rat (Neotoma Floridana) is the best-known species. — Wood reed grass (Bot.), a tall grass (Cinna arundinacea) growing in moist woods. — Wood reeve, the steward or overseer of a wood. [Eng.] — Wood rush (Bot.), any plant of the genus Luzula, differing from the true rushes of the genus Juncus chiefly in having very few seeds in each capsule. — Wood sage (Bot.), a name given to several labiate plants of the genus Teucrium. See Germander. — Wood screw, a metal screw formed with a sharp thread, and usually with a slotted head, for insertion in wood. — Wood sheldrake (Zoöl.), the hooded merganser. — Wood shock (Zoöl.), the fisher. See Fisher, 2. — Wood shrike (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of Old World singing birds belonging to Grallina, Collyricincla, Prionops, and allied genera, common in India and Australia. They are allied to the true shrikes, but feed upon both insects and berries. — Wood snipe. (Zoöl.) (a) The American woodcock. (b) An Asiatic snipe (Gallinago nemoricola). — Wood soot, soot from burnt wood. — Wood sore. (Zoöl.) See Cuckoo spit, under Cuckoo. — Wood sorrel (Bot.), a plant of the genus Oxalis (Oxalis Acetosella), having an acid taste. See Illust. (a) of Shamrock. — Wood spirit. (Chem.) See Methyl alcohol, under Methyl. — Wood stamp, a carved or engraved block or stamp of wood, for impressing figures or colors on fabrics. — Wood star (Zoöl.), any one of several species of small South American humming birds belonging to the genus Calothorax. The male has a brilliant gorget of blue, purple, and other colors. — Wood sucker (Zoöl.), the yaffle. — Wood swallow (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of Old World passerine birds belonging to the genus Artamus and allied genera of the family Artamidæ. They are common in the East Indies, Asia, and Australia. In form and habits they resemble swallows, but in structure they resemble shrikes. They are usually black above and white beneath. — Wood tapper (Zoöl.), any woodpecker. — Wood tar. See under Tar. — Wood thrush, (Zoöl.) (a) An American thrush (Turdus mustelinus) noted for the sweetness of its song. See under Thrush. (b) The missel thrush. — Wood tick. See in Vocabulary. — Wood tin. (Min.). See Cassiterite. — Wood titmouse (Zoöl.), the goldcgest. — Wood tortoise (Zoöl.), the sculptured tortoise. See under Sculptured. — Wood vine (Bot.), the white bryony. — Wood vinegar. See Wood acid, above. — Wood warbler. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of numerous species of American warblers of the genus Dendroica. See Warbler. (b) A European warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix); — called also green wren, wood wren, and yellow wren. — Wood worm (Zoöl.), a larva that bores in wood; a wood borer. — Wood wren. (Zoöl.) (a) The wood warbler. (b) The willow warbler.
WOODWood, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wooded; p. pr. & vb. n. Wooding.]
Defn: To supply with wood, or get supplies of wood for; as, to wood a steamboat or a locomotive.
WOODWood, v. i.
Defn: To take or get a supply of wood.
WOODBINDWood"bind`, n.
Defn: Woodbine. Dryden.A garland . . . of woodbind or hawthorn leaves. Chaucer.
WOODBINE Wood"bine`, n. Etym: [AS. wudubind black ivy; — so named as binding about trees. See Wood, and Bind, v. t.] (Bot.) (a) A climbing plant having flowers of great fragrance (Lonicera Periclymenum); the honeysuckle. (b) The Virginia creeper. See Virginia creeper, under Virginia. [Local, U. S.] Beatrice, who even now Is couched in the woodbine coverture. Shak.
WOOD-BOUNDWood"-bound`, a.
Defn: Incumbered with tall, woody hedgerows.
WOODBURY-TYPEWood"bur*y-type`, n. Etym: [After the name of the inventor, W.Woodbury.]
1. A process in photographic printing, in which a relief pattern in gelatin, which has been hardened after certain operations, is pressed upon a plate of lead or other soft metal. An intaglio impression in thus produced, from which pictures may be directly printed, but by a slower process than in common printing.
2. A print from such a plate.
WOODCHAT Wood"chat`, n. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of several species of Asiatic singing birds belonging to the genera Ianthia and Larvivora. They are closely allied to the European robin. The males are usually bright blue above, and more or less red or rufous beneath. (b) A European shrike (Enneoctonus rufus). In the male the head and nape are rufous red; the back, wings, and tail are black, varied with white.
WOODCHUCKWood"chuck`, n.
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A common large North American marmot (Arctomys monax). It is usually reddish brown, more or less grizzled with gray. It makes extensive burrows, and is often injurious to growing crops. Called also ground hog.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The yaffle, or green woodpecker. [Prov. Eng.]
WOODCOCKWood"cock`, n. Etym: [AS. wuducoc.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of several species of long-billed limicoline birds belonging to the genera Scolopax and Philohela. They are mostly nocturnal in their habits, and are highly esteemed as game birds.
Note: The most important species are the European (Scolopax rusticola) and the American woodcock (Philohela minor), which agree very closely in appearance and habits.
2. Fig.: A simpleton. [Obs.] If I loved you not, I would laugh at you, and see you Run your neck into the noose, and cry, "A woodcock!" Beau. & Fl. Little woodcock. (a) The common American snipe. (b) The European snipe. — Sea woodcock fish, the bellows fish. — Woodcock owl, the short-eared owl (Asio brachyotus). — Woodcock shell, the shell of certain mollusks of the genus Murex, having a very long canal, with or without spines. — Woodcock snipe. See under Snipe.
WOODCRACKERWood"crack`er, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The nuthatch. [Prov. Eng.]
WOODCRAFTWood"craft`, n.
Defn: Skill and practice in anything pertaining to the woods, especially in shooting, and other sports in the woods. Men of the glade and forest! leave Your woodcraft for the field of fight. Bryant.
WOODCUTWood"cut`, n.
Defn: An engraving on wood; also, a print from it. Same as Wood cut, under Wood.
WOODCUTTERWood"cut`ter, n.
1. A person who cuts wood.
2. An engraver on wood. [R.]
WOODCUTTINGWood"cut`ting, n.
1. The act or employment of cutting wood or timber.
2. The act or art of engraving on wood. [R.]
WOODEDWood"ed, a.
Defn: Supplied or covered with wood, or trees; as, land wooded andwatered.The brook escaped from the eye down a deep and wooded dell. Sir W.Scott.
WOODENWood"en, a.
1. Made or consisting of wood; pertaining to, or resembling, wood; as, a wooden box; a wooden leg; a wooden wedding.
2. Clumsy; awkward; ungainly; stiff; spiritless. When a bold man is out of countenance, he makes a very wooden figure on it. Collier. His singing was, I confess, a little wooden. G. MacDonald. Wooden spoon. (a) (Cambridge University, Eng.) The last junior optime who takes a university degree, — denoting one who is only fit to stay at home and stir porridge. "We submit that a wooden spoon of our day would not be justified in calling Galileo and Napier blockheads because they never heard of the differential calculus." Macaulay. (b) In some American colleges, the lowest appointee of the junior year; sometimes, one especially popular in his class, without reference to scholarship. Formerly, it was a custom for classmates to present to this person a wooden spoon with formal ceremonies. — Wooden ware, a general name for buckets, bowls, and other articles of domestic use, made of wood. — Wooden wedding. See under Wedding.
WOODENLYWood"en*ly, adv.
Defn: Clumsily; stupidly; blockishly. R. North.
WOODENNESSWood"en*ness, n.
Defn: Quality of being wooden; clumsiness; stupidity; blockishness.We set our faces against the woodenness which then characterizedGerman philology. Sweet.
WOOD GUMWood gum. (Chem.)
Defn: Xylan.
WOODHACK; WOODHACKERWood"hack`, Wood"hack`er, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The yaffle. [Prov. Eng.]
WOODHEWERWood"hew`er, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A woodpecker.
WOODHOLEWood"hole`, n.
Defn: A place where wood is stored.
WOODHOUSEWood"house`, n.
Defn: A house or shed in which wood is stored, and sheltered from the weather.
WOOD HYACINTHWood hyacinth.
Defn: A European squill (Scilla nonscripta) having a scape bearing a raceme of drooping blue, purple, white, or sometimes pink, bell- shaped flowers.
WOODINESSWood"i*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being woody. Evelyn.
WOODKNACKERWood"knack`er, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The yaffle.
WOODLANDWood"land, n.
Defn: Land covered with wood or trees; forest; land on which trees are suffered to grow, either for fuel or timber. Here hills and vales, the woodland and the plain, Here earth and water seem to strive again. Pope. Woodlands and cultivated fields are harmoniously blended. Bancroft.
WOODLANDWood"land, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to woods or woodland; living in the forest;sylvan.She had a rustic, woodland air. Wordsworth.Like summer breeze by woodland stream. Keble.Woodland caribou. (Zoöl.) See under Caribou.
WOODLANDERWood"land*er, n.
Defn: A dweller in a woodland.
WOOD-LAYERWood"-lay`er, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A young oak, or other timber plant, laid down in a hedge among the whitethorn or other plants used in hedges.
WOODLESSWood"less, a.
Defn: Having no wood; destitute of wood. Mitford.— Wood"less*ness, n.
WOODLYWood"ly, adv.
Defn: In a wood, mad, or raving manner; madly; furiously. [Obs.]Chaucer.
WOODMANWood"man, n.; pl. Woodmen (. [Written also woodsman.]
1. A forest officer appointed to take care of the king's woods; a forester. [Eng.]
2. A sportsman; a hunter. [The duke] is a better woodman than thou takest him for. Shak.
3. One who cuts down trees; a woodcutter. Woodman, spare that tree. G. P. Morris.
4. One who dwells in the woods or forest; a bushman.
WOODMEILWood"meil, n.
Defn: See Wadmol.
WOODMONGERWood"mon`ger, n.
Defn: A wood seller. [Obs.]
WOODNESSWood"ness, n. Etym: [From Wood mad.]
Defn: Anger; madness; insanity; rage. [Obs.] Spenser.Woodness laughing in his rage. Chaucer.
WOOD-NOTEWood"-note`, n. Etym: [Wood, n. + note.]
Defn: A wild or natural note, as of a forest bird. [R.] Or sweetest Shakespeare, fancy's child, Warble his native wood-notes wild. Milton.
WOOD PARTRIDGE Wood partridge. (a) Any of several small partridges of Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and neighboring regions belonging to the genera Caloperdix, Rollulus, and Melanoperdix. (b) The Canada grouse. [Local, U. S.]
WOODPECKWood"peck`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A woodpecker. [Obs.]
WOODPECKERWood"peck`er, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of scansorial birds belonging toPicus and many allied genera of the family Picidæ.
Note: These birds have the tail feathers pointed and rigid at the tip to aid in climbing, and a strong chisellike bill with which they are able to drill holes in the bark and wood of trees in search of insect larvæ upon which most of the species feed. A few species feed partly upon the sap of trees (see Sap sucker, under Sap), others spend a portion of their time on the ground in search of ants and other insects. The most common European species are the greater spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopus major), the lesser spotted woodpecker (D. minor), and the green woodpecker, or yaffle (see Yaffle). The best- known American species are the pileated woodpecker (see under Pileated), the ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis), which is one of the largest known species, the red-headed woodpecker, or red-head (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), the red-bellied woodpecker (M. Carolinus) (see Chab), the superciliary woodpecker (M. superciliaris), the hairy woodpecker (Dryobates villosus), the downy woodpecker (D. pubescens), the three-toed, woodpecker (Picoides Americanus), the golden-winged woodpecker (see Flicker), and the sap suckers. See also Carpintero. Woodpecker hornbill (Zoöl.), a black and white Asiatic hornbill (Buceros pica) which resembles a woodpecker in color.
WOODROCKWood"rock`, n. (Min.)
Defn: A compact woodlike variety of asbestus.
WOODRUFF; WOODROOFWood"ruff`, Wood"roof`, n. Etym: [AS. wudurofe. See Wood, n., and cf.Ruff a plaited collar.] (Bot.)
Defn: A little European herb (Asperula odorata) having a pleasant taste. It is sometimes used for flavoring wine. See Illust. of Whorl.
WOOD-SAREWood"-sare`, n. Etym: [Wood + Prov. E. sare for sore.] (Bot.)
Defn: A kind of froth seen on herbs. [Obs.]
WOOD-SEREWood"-sere`, n.
Defn: The time when there no sap in the trees; the winter season.[Written also wood-seer.] [Obs.] Tusser.
WOODSMANWoods"man, n.; pl. Woodsmen (.
Defn: A woodman; especially, one who lives in the forest.
WOOD'S METALWood's" met"al.
Defn: A fusible alloy consisting of one or two parts of cadmium, two parts of tin, four of lead, with seven or eight part of bismuth. It melts at from 66º to 71º C. See Fusible metal, under Fusible.
WOODSTONEWood"stone`, n. (Min.)
Defn: A striped variety of hornstone, resembling wood in appearance.
WOODSYWoods"y, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the woods or forest. [Colloq. U. S.]It [sugar making] is woodsy, and savors of trees. J. Burroughs.
WOOD TICKWood" tick`. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of several species of ticks of the genus Ixodes whose young cling to bushes, but quickly fasten themselves upon the bodies of any animal with which they come in contact. When they attach themselves to the human body they often produce troublesome sores. The common species of the Northern United States is Ixodes unipunctata.
WOODWALLWood"wall`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The yaffle. [Written also woodwale, and woodwele.]
WOODWARDWood"ward`, n. (Eng. Forest Law)
Defn: An officer of the forest, whose duty it was to guard the woods.
WOODWARDIA Wood*war"di*a, n. Etym: [NL. After Thomas J. Woodward, an English botanist.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of ferns, one species of which (Woodwardia radicans) is a showy plant in California, the Azores, etc.
WOOD-WASH; WOOD-WAX; WOOD-WAXENWood"-wash`, Wood"-wax`, Wood"-wax`en, n. Etym: [AS. wuduweaxe.](Bot.)
Defn: Same as Woadwaxen.
WOODWORKWood"work`, n.
Defn: Work made of wood; that part of any structure which is wrought of wood.
WOODWORMWood"worm`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Wood worm, under Wood.
WOODYWood"y, a.
1. Abounding with wood or woods; as, woody land. "The woody wilderness." Bryant. Secret shades Of woody Ida's inmost grove. Milton.
2. Consisting of, or containing, wood or woody fiber; ligneous; as, the woody parts of plants.
3. Of or pertaining to woods; sylvan. [R.] "Woody nymphs, fair Hamadryades." Spenser. Woody fiber. (Bot.) (a) Fiber or tissue consisting of slender, membranous tubes tapering at each end. (b) A single wood cell. See under Wood. Goodale. — Woody nightshade. (Bot.). See Bittersweet, 3 (a). — Woody pear (Bot.), the inedible, woody, pear-shaped fruit of several Australian proteaceous trees of the genus Xylomelum; — called also wooden pear.
WOOERWoo"er, n. Etym: [AS. wogere. See Woo, v. t.]
Defn: One who wooes; one who courts or solicits in love; a suitor. "A thriving wooer." Gibber.
WOOFWoof, n. Etym: [OE. oof, AS. , , aweb; on, an, on + wef, web, fr.wefan to weave. The initial w is due to the influence of E. weave.See On, Weave, and cf. Abb.]
1. The threads that cross the warp in a woven fabric; the weft; the filling; the thread usually carried by the shuttle in weaving.
2. Texture; cloth; as, a pall of softest woof. Pope.
WOOFELLWoo"fell, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The European blackbird. "The woofell near at hand that hath a golden bill." Drayton.
WOOFYWoof"y, a.
Defn: Having a close texture; dense; as, a woofy cloud. J. Baillie.
WOOHOOWoo`hoo", n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The sailfish.
WOOINGLYWoo"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a wooing manner; enticingly; with persuasiveness. Shak.
WOOKWook", obs. imp. of Wake.
Defn: Woke. Chaucer.
WOOLWool, n. Etym: [OE. wolle, wulle, AS. wull; akin to D. wol, OHG.wolla, G. wolle, Icel. & Sw. ull, Dan. uld, Goth, wulla, Lith. vilna,Russ. volna, L. vellus, Skr. wool, Flannel, Velvet.]
1. The soft and curled, or crisped, species of hair which grows on sheep and some other animals, and which in fineness sometimes approaches to fur; — chiefly applied to the fleecy coat of the sheep, which constitutes a most essential material of clothing in all cold and temperate climates.
Note: Wool consists essentially of keratin.
2. Short, thick hair, especially when crisped or curled. Wool of bat and tongue of dog. Shak.
3. (Bot.)
Defn: A sort of pubescence, or a clothing of dense, curling hairs onthe surface of certain plants. Dead pulled wool, wool pulled from acarcass.— Mineral wool. See under Mineral.— Philosopher's wool. (Chem.) See Zinc oxide, under Zinc.— Pulled wool, wool pulled from a pelt, or undressed hide.— Slag wool. Same as Mineral wool, under Mineral.— Wool ball, a ball or mass of wool.— Wool burler, one who removes little burs, knots, or extraneousmatter, from wool, or the surface of woolen cloth.— Wool comber. (a) One whose occupation is to comb wool. (b) Amachine for combing wool.— Wool grass (Bot.), a kind of bulrush (Scirpus Eriophorum) withnumerous clustered woolly spikes.— Wool scribbler. See Woolen scribbler, under Woolen, a.— Wool sorter's disease (Med.), a disease, resembling malignantpustule, occurring among those who handle the wool of goats andsheep.— Wool staple, a city or town where wool used to be brought to theking's staple for sale. [Eng.] — Wool stapler. (a) One who deals inwool. (b) One who sorts wool according to its staple, or itsadaptation to different manufacturing purposes.— Wool winder, a person employed to wind, or make up, wool intobundles to be packed for sale.
WOOLDWoold, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Woolded; p. pr. & vb. n. Woolding.] Etym:[D. woelen, bewoelen; akin to G. wuhlen, bewuhlen. *146.] (Naut.)
Defn: To wind, or wrap; especially, to wind a rope round, as a mast or yard made of two or more pieces, at the place where it has been fished or scarfed, in order to strengthen it.
WOOLDERWoold"er, n.
1. (Naut.)
Defn: A stick used to tighten the rope in woolding.
2. (Rope Making)
Defn: One of the handles of the top, formed by a wooden pin passing through it. See 1st Top, 2.
WOOLDING Woold"ing, n. (Naut.) (a) The act of winding or wrapping anything with a rope, as a mast. (b) A rope used for binding masts and spars.
WOOL-DYEDWool"-dyed`, a.
Defn: Dyed before being made into cloth, in distinction from piece- dyed; ingrain.
WOOLEDWooled, a.
Defn: Having (such) wool; as, a fine-wooled sheep.
WOOLEN Wool"en, a. Etym: [OE. wollen; cf. AS. wyllen. See Wool.] [Written also woollen.]
1. Made of wool; consisting of wool; as, woolen goods.
2. Of or pertaining to wool or woolen cloths; as, woolen manufactures; a woolen mill; a woolen draper. Woolen scribbler, a machine for combing or preparing wool in thin, downy, translucent layers.
WOOLENWool"en, n. Etym: [Written also woollen.]
Defn: Cloth made of wool; woollen goods.
WOOLENETWool`en*et", n.
Defn: A thin, light fabric of wool. [Written also woollenet, woolenette, and woollenette.]
WOOLERTWoo"lert, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The barn owl. [Prov. Eng.] [Written also oolert, and owlerd.]
WOOLFELLWool"fell`, n. Etym: [Wool + fell a skin.]
Defn: A skin with the wool; a skin from which the wool has not been sheared or pulled. [Written also woolfel.]
WOOLGATHERINGWool"gath`er*ing, a.
Defn: Indulging in a vagrant or idle exercise of the imagination; roaming upon a fruitless quest; idly fanciful.
WOOLGATHERINGWool"gath`er*ing, n.
Defn: Indulgence in idle imagination; a foolish or useless pursuit ordesign.His wits were a woolgathering, as they say. Burton.
WOOLGROWERWool"grow`er, n.
Defn: One who raises sheep for the production of wool.— Wool"grow`ing, n.
WOOL-HALLWool"-hall`, n.
Defn: A trade market in the woolen districts. [Eng.]
WOOLHEADWool"head`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The buffel duck.
WOOLLINESSWool"li*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being woolly.
WOOLLYWool"ly, a.
1. Consisting of wool; as, a woolly covering; a woolly fleece.
2. Resembling wool; of the nature of wool. "My fleece of woolly hair." Shak.
3. Clothed with wool. "Woolly breeders." Shak.
4. (Bot.)
Defn: Clothed with a fine, curly pubescence resembling wool. Woolly bear (Zoöl.), the hairy larva of several species of bombycid moths. The most common species in the United States are the salt-marsh caterpillar (see under Salt), the black and red woolly bear, or larva of the Isabella moth (see Illust., under Isabella Moth), and the yellow woolly bear, or larva of the American ermine moth (Spilosoma Virginica). — Woolly butt (Bot.), an Australian tree (Eucalyptus longifolia), so named because of its fibrous bark. — Woolly louse (Zoöl.), a plant louse (Schizoneura, or Erisoma, lanigera) which is often very injurious to the apple tree. It is covered with a dense coat of white filaments somewhat resembling fine wool or cotton. In exists in two forms, one of which infests the roots, the other the branches. See Illust. under Blight. — Woolly macaco (Zoöl.), the mongoose lemur. — Woolly maki (Zoöl.), a long-tailed lemur (Indris laniger) native of Madagascar, having fur somewhat like wool; — called also avahi, and woolly lemur. — Woolly monkey (Zoöl.), any South American monkey of the genus Lagothrix, as the caparro. — Woolly rhinoceros (Paleon.), an extinct rhinoceros (Rhinoceros tichorhinus) which inhabited the arctic regions, and was covered with a dense coat of woolly hair. It has been found frozen in the ice of Siberia, with the flesh and hair well preserved.
WOOLLY-HEADWool"ly-head`, n.
Defn: A negro. [Low]
WOOLMANWool"man, n.; pl. Woolmen (.
Defn: One who deals in wool.
WOOLPACKWool"pack`, n.
Defn: A pack or bag of wool weighing two hundred and forty pounds.
WOOLSACKWool"sack`, n.
Defn: A sack or bag of wool; specifically, the seat of the lord chancellor of England in the House of Lords, being a large, square sack of wool resembling a divan in form.
WOOLSEYWool"sey, n. Etym: [From Wool.]
Defn: Linsey-woolsey.
WOOLSTOCKWool"stock`, n.
Defn: A heavy wooden hammer for milling cloth.
WOOLWARDWool"ward, adv. Etym: [Wool + -ward.]
Defn: In wool; with woolen raiment next the skin. [Obs.]
WOOLWARD-GOINGWool"ward-go`ing, n.
Defn: A wearing of woolen clothes next the skin as a matter ofpenance. [Obs.]Their . . . woolward-going, and rising at midnight. Tyndale.
WOONWoon, n.
Defn: Dwelling. See Wone. [Obs.]
WOORALIWoo"ra*li, n.
Defn: Same as Curare.
WOOSYWoos"y, a.
Defn: Oozy; wet. [Obs.] Drayton.
WOOTZ Wootz (woots), n. Etym: [Perhaps a corruption of Canarese ukku steel.]
Defn: A species of steel imported from the East Indies, valued for making edge tools; Indian steel. It has in combination a minute portion of alumina and silica.
WOOYENWoo"yen, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Yuen.
WOPENWo"pen, obs. p. p. of Weep.
Defn: Wept. Chaucer.
WORBLEWor"ble, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Wormil.
WORD Word, n. Etym: [AS. word; akin to OFries. & OS. word, D. woord, G. wort, Icel. oredh, Sw. & Dan. ord, Goth. waúrd, OPruss. wirds, Lith. vardas a name, L. verbum a word; or perhaps to Gr. "rh`twr an orator. Cf. Verb.]
1. The spoken sign of a conception or an idea; an articulate or vocal sound, or a combination of articulate and vocal sounds, uttered by the human voice, and by custom expressing an idea or ideas; a single component part of human speech or language; a constituent part of a sentence; a term; a vocable. "A glutton of words." Piers Plowman. You cram these words into mine ears, against The stomach of my sense. Shak. Amongst men who confound their ideas with words, there must be endless disputes. Locke.
2. Hence, the written or printed character, or combination of characters, expressing such a term; as, the words on a page.
3. pl.
Defn: Talk; discourse; speech; language.Why should calamity be full of words Shak.Be thy words severe; Sharp as he merits, but the sword forbear.Dryden.
4. Account; tidings; message; communication; information; — used only in the singular. I pray you . . . bring me word thither How the world goes. Shak.
5. Signal; order; command; direction. Give the word through. Shak.
6. Language considered as implying the faith or authority of the person who utters it; statement; affirmation; declaration; promise. Obey thy parents; keep thy word justly. Shak. I know you brave, and take you at your word. Dryden. I desire not the reader should take my word. Dryden.
7. pl.
Defn: Verbal contention; dispute.Some words there grew 'twixt Somerset and me. Shak.
8. A brief remark or observation; an expression; a phrase, clause, or short sentence. All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Gal. v. 14. She said; but at the happy word "he lives," My father stooped, re- fathered, o'er my wound. Tennyson. There is only one other point on which I offer a word of remark. Dickens. By word of mouth, orally; by actual speaking. Boyle. — Compound word. See under Compound, a. — Good word, commendation; favorable account. "And gave the harmless fellow a good word." Pope. — In a word, briefly; to sum up. — In word, in declaration; in profession. "Let us not love in word, . . . but in deed and in truth." 1 John iii. 8. — Nuns of the Word Incarnate (R. C. Ch.), an order of nuns founded in France in 1625, and approved in 1638. The order, which also exists in the United States, was instituted for the purpose of doing honor to the "Mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God." — The word, or The Word. (Theol.) (a) The gospel message; esp., the Scriptures, as a revelation of God. "Bold to speak the word without fear." Phil. i. 14. (b) The second person in the Trinity before his manifestation in time by the incarnation; among those who reject a Trinity of persons, some one or all of the divine attributes personified. John i. 1. — To eat one's words, to retract what has been said. — To have the words for, to speak for; to act as spokesman. [Obs.] "Our host hadde the wordes for us all." Chaucer. — Word blindness (Physiol.), inability to understand printed or written words or symbols, although the person affected may be able to see quite well, speak fluently, and write correctly. Landois & Stirling. — Word deafness (Physiol.), inability to understand spoken words, though the person affected may hear them and other sounds, and hence is not deaf. — Word dumbness (Physiol.), inability to express ideas in verbal language, though the power of speech is unimpaired. — Word for word, in the exact words; verbatim; literally; exactly; as, to repeat anything word for word. — Word painting, the act of describing an object fully and vividly by words only, so as to present it clearly to the mind, as if in a picture. — Word picture, an accurate and vivid description, which presents an object clearly to the mind, as if in a picture. — Word square, a series of words so arranged that they can be read vertically and horizontally with like results.
Syn.— See Term.
WORDWord, v. i.
Defn: To use words, as in discussion; to argue; to dispute. [R.]
WORDWord, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Worded; p. pr. & vb. n. Wording.]
1. To express in words; to phrase. The apology for the king is the same, but worded with greater deference to that great prince. Addison.
2. To ply with words; also, to cause to be by the use of a word or words. [Obs.] Howell.
3. To flatter with words; to cajole. [Obs.] Shak. To word it, to bandy words; to dispute. [Obs.] "To word it with a shrew." L'Estrange.
WORDBOOKWord"book`, n. Etym: [Cf. D. woordenboek, G. wörterbuch.]
Defn: A collection of words; a vocabulary; a dictionary; a lexicon.
WORD-CATCHERWord"-catch`er, n.
Defn: One who cavils at words.
WORDERWord"er, n.
Defn: A speaker. [Obs.] Withlock.
WORDILYWord"i*ly, adv.
Defn: In a wordy manner.
WORDINESSWord"i*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being wordy, or abounding with words; verboseness. Jeffrey.
WORDINGWord"ing, n.
Defn: The act or manner of expressing in words; style of expression;phrasing.It is believed this wording was above his known style. Milton.
WORDISHWord"ish, a.
Defn: Respecting words; full of words; wordy. [R.] Sir P. Sidney.— Word"ish*ness, n.The truth they hide by their dark woordishness. Sir K. Digby.
WORDLEWor"dle, n.
Defn: One of several pivoted pieces forming the throat of an adjustable die used in drawing wire, lead pipe, etc. Knight.
WORDLESSWord"less, a.
Defn: Not using words; not speaking; silent; speechless. Shak.
WORD METHODWord method. (Education)
Defn: A method of teaching reading in which words are first taken as single ideograms and later analyzed into their phonetic and alphabetic elements; — contrasted with the alphabet and sentence methods.
WORDPLAYWord"play`, n.
Defn: A more or less subtle playing upon the meaning of words.
WORDSMANWords"man, n.
Defn: One who deals in words, or in mere words; a verbalist. [R.]"Some speculative wordsman." H. Bushnell.
WORDYWord"y, a. [Compar. Wordier; superl. Wordiest.]
1. Of or pertaining to words; consisting of words; verbal; as, a wordy war. Cowper.
2. Using many words; verbose; as, a wordy speaker.
3. Containing many words; full of words. We need not lavish hours in wordy periods. Philips.
WOREWore,
Defn: imp. of Wear.
WOREWore,
Defn: imp. of Ware.
WORKWork, n. Etym: [OE. work, werk, weork, AS. weorc, worc; akin toOFries. werk, wirk, OS., D., & G. werk, OHG. werc, werah, Icel. & Sw.verk, Dan. værk, Goth. gawaúrki, Gr. verez to work. Bulwark, Energy,Erg, Georgic, Liturgy, Metallurgy, Organ, Surgeon, Wright.]
1. Exertion of strength or faculties; physical or intellectual effort directed to an end; industrial activity; toil; employment; sometimes, specifically, physically labor. Man hath his daily work of body or mind Appointed. Milton.
2. The matter on which one is at work; that upon which one spends labor; material for working upon; subject of exertion; the thing occupying one; business; duty; as, to take up one's work; to drop one's work. Come on, Nerissa; I have work in hand That you yet know not of. Shak. In every work that he began . . . he did it with all his heart, and prospered. 2 Chron. xxxi. 21.
3. That which is produced as the result of labor; anything accomplished by exertion or toil; product; performance; fabric; manufacture; in a more general sense, act, deed, service, effect, result, achievement, feat. To leave no rubs or blotches in the work. Shak. The work some praise, And some the architect. Milton. Fancy . . . Wild work produces oft, and most in dreams. Milton. The composition or dissolution of mixed bodies . . . is the chief work of elements. Sir K. Digby.
4. Specifically: (a) That which is produced by mental labor; a composition; a book; as, a work, or the works, of Addison. (b) Flowers, figures, or the like, wrought with the needle; embroidery. I am glad I have found this napkin; . . . I'll have the work ta'en out, And give 't Iago. Shak. (c) pl.
Defn: Structures in civil, military, or naval engineering, as docks, bridges, embankments, trenches, fortifications, and the like; also, the structures and grounds of a manufacturing establishment; as, iron works; locomotive works; gas works. (d) pl.
Defn: The moving parts of a mechanism; as, the works of a watch.
5. Manner of working; management; treatment; as, unskillful work spoiled the effect. Bp. Stillingfleet.
6. (Mech.)
Defn: The causing of motion against a resisting force. The amount of work is proportioned to, and is measured by, the product of the force into the amount of motion along the direction of the force. See Conservation of energy, under Conservation, Unit of work, under Unit, also Foot pound, Horse power, Poundal, and Erg. Energy is the capacity of doing work . . . Work is the transference of energy from one system to another. Clerk Maxwell.
7. (Mining)
Defn: Ore before it is dressed. Raymond.
8. pl. (Script.)
Defn: Performance of moral duties; righteous conduct.He shall reward every man according to his works. Matt. xvi. 27.Faith, if it hath not works, is dead. James ii. 17.Muscular work (Physiol.), the work done by a muscle through the powerof contraction.— To go to work, to begin laboring; to commence operations; tocontrive; to manage. "I 'll go another way to work with him." Shak.— To set on work, to cause to begin laboring; to set to work.[Obs.] Hooker.— To set to work, to employ; to cause to engage in any business orlabor.
WORK Work, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Worked, or Wrought (; p. pr. & vb. n. Working.] Etym: [AS. wyrcean (imp. worthe, wrohte, p. p. geworht, gewroht); akin to OFries. werka, wirka, OS. wirkian, D. werken, G. wirken, Icel. verka, yrkja, orka, Goth. waúrkjan. *145. See Work, n.]
1. To exert one's self for a purpose; to put forth effort for the attainment of an object; to labor; to be engaged in the performance of a task, a duty, or the like. O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work, To match thy goodness Shak. Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you. Ex. v. 18. Whether we work or play, or sleep or wake, Our life doth pass. Sir J. Davies.
2. Hence, in a general sense, to operate; to act; to perform; as, a machine works well. We bend to that the working of the heart. Shak.
3. Hence, figuratively, to be effective; to have effect or influence;to conduce.We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.Rom. viii. 28.This so wrought upon the child, that afterwards he desired to betaught. Locke.She marveled how she could ever have been wrought upon to marry him.Hawthorne.
4. To carry on business; to be engaged or employed customarily; to perform the part of a laborer; to labor; to toil. They that work in fine flax . . . shall be confounded. Isa. xix. 9.
5. To be in a state of severe exertion, or as if in such a state; to be tossed or agitated; to move heavily; to strain; to labor; as, a ship works in a heavy sea. Confused with working sands and rolling waves. Addison.
6. To make one's way slowly and with difficulty; to move or penetrate laboriously; to proceed with effort; — with a following preposition, as down, out, into, up, through, and the like; as, scheme works out by degrees; to work into the earth. Till body up to spirit work, in bounds Proportioned to each kind. Milton.
7. To ferment, as a liquid. The working of beer when the barm is put in. Bacon.
8. To act or operate on the stomach and bowels, as a cathartic. Purges . . . work best, that is, cause the blood so to do, . . . in warm weather or in a warm room. Grew.
To work at, to be engaged in or upon; to be employed in. — To work to windward (Naut.), to sail or ply against the wind; to tack to windward. Mar. Dict.
WORKWork, v. t.
1. To labor or operate upon; to give exertion and effort to; to prepare for use, or to utilize, by labor. He could have told them of two or three gold mines, and a silver mine, and given the reason why they forbare to work them at that time. Sir W. Raleigh.
2. To produce or form by labor; to bring forth by exertion or toil; to accomplish; to originate; to effect; as, to work wood or iron into a form desired, or into a utensil; to work cotton or wool into cloth. Each herb he knew, that works or good or ill. Harte.
3. To produce by slow degrees, or as if laboriously; to bring gradually into any state by action or motion. "Sidelong he works his way." Milton. So the pure, limpid stream, when foul with stains Of rushing torrents and descending rains, Works itself clear, and as it runs, refines, Till by degrees the floating mirror shines. Addison.
4. To influence by acting upon; to prevail upon; to manage; to lead. "Work your royal father to his ruin." Philips.
5. To form with a needle and thread or yarn; especially, to embroider; as, to work muslin.
6. To set in motion or action; to direct the action of; to keep at work; to govern; to manage; as, to work a machine. Knowledge in building and working ships. Arbuthnot. Now, Marcus, thy virtue's the proof; Put forth thy utmost strength, work every nerve. Addison. The mariners all 'gan work the ropes, Where they were wont to do. Coleridge.
7. To cause to ferment, as liquor. To work a passage (Naut.), to pay for a passage by doing work. — To work double tides (Naut.), to perform the labor of three days in two; — a phrase which alludes to a practice of working by the night tide as well as by the day. — To work in, to insert, introduce, mingle, or interweave by labor or skill. — To work into, to force, urge, or insinuate into; as, to work one's self into favor or confidence. — To work off, to remove gradually, as by labor, or a gradual process; as, beer works off impurities in fermenting. — To work out. (a) To effect by labor and exertion. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Phil. ii. 12. (b) To erase; to efface. [R.] Tears of joy for your returning spilt, Work out and expiate our former guilt. Dryden. (c) To solve, as a problem. (d) To exhaust, as a mine, by working. — To work up. (a) To raise; to excite; to stir up; as, to work up the passions to rage. The sun, that rolls his chariot o'er their heads, Works up more fire and color in their cheeks. Addison. (b) To expend in any work, as materials; as, they have worked up all the stock. (c) (Naut.) To make over or into something else, as yarns drawn from old rigging, made into spun yarn, foxes, sennit, and the like; also, to keep constantly at work upon needless matters, as a crew in order to punish them. R. H. Dana, Jr.
WORKABLEWork"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being worked, or worth working; as, a workable mine; workable clay.
WORKADAYWork"a*day`, n.
Defn: See Workyday.
WORKBAGWork"bag`, n.
Defn: A bag for holding implements or materials for work; especially, a reticule, or bag for holding needlework, and the like.
WORKBASKETWork"bas`ket, n.
Defn: A basket for holding materials for needlework, or the like.
WORKBENCHWork"bench`, n.
Defn: A bench on which work is performed, as in a carpenter's shop.
WORKBOXWork"box`, n.
Defn: A box for holding instruments or materials for work.
WORKDAYWork"day`, n. & a. Etym: [AS. weorcdæg.]
Defn: A day on which work is performed, as distinguished from Sunday, festivals, etc., a working day.
WORKERWork"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, works; a laborer; a performer; as, a worker in brass. Professors of holiness, but workers of iniquity. Shak.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the neuter, or sterile, individuals of the social ants, bees, and white ants. The workers are generally females having the sexual organs imperfectly developed. See Ant, and White ant, under White.
WORKFELLOWWork"fel`low, n.
Defn: One engaged in the same work with another; a companion in work.
WORKFOLKWork"folk`, n.
Defn: People that labor.
WORKFULWork"ful, a.
Defn: Full of work; diligent. [R.]
WORKHOUSEWork"house`, n.; pl. Workhouses. Etym: [AS. weorch.]
1. A house where any manufacture is carried on; a workshop.
2. A house in which idle and vicious persons are confined to labor.
3. A house where the town poor are maintained at public expense, and provided with labor; a poorhouse.
WORKINGWork"ing,
Defn: a & n. from Work. The word must cousin be to the working. Chaucer. Working beam. See Beam, n. 10. — Working class, the class of people who are engaged in manual labor, or are dependent upon it for support; laborers; operatives; — chiefly used in the plural. — Working day. See under Day, n. — Working drawing, a drawing, as of the whole or part of a structure, machine, etc., made to a scale, and intended to be followed by the workmen. Working drawings are either general or detail drawings. — Working house, a house where work is performed; a workhouse. — Working point (Mach.), that part of a machine at which the effect required; the point where the useful work is done.
WORKING-DAYWork"ing-day, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or characteristic of, working days, or workdays; everyday; hence, plodding; hard-working. O, how full of briers in this working-day world. Shak.
WORKINGMANWork"ing*man, n.; pl. Workingmen (.
Defn: A laboring man; a man who earns his daily support by manual labor.
WORKLESSWork"less, a.
1. Without work; not laboring; as, many people were still workless.
2. Not carried out in practice; not exemplified in fact; as, workless faith. [Obs.] Sir T. More.
WORKMANWork"man, n.; pl. Workmen. Etym: [AS. weorcmann.]
1. A man employed in labor, whether in tillage or manufactures; a worker.
2. Hence, especially, a skillful artificer or laborer.
WORKMANLIKEWork"man*like`, a.
Defn: Becoming a workman, especially a skillful one; skillful; well performed.
WORKMANLYWork"man*ly, a.