Defn: Becoming a skillful workman; skillful; well performed; workmanlike.
WORKMANLYWork"man*ly, adv.
Defn: In a skillful manner; in a manner becoming a skillful workman.Shak.
WORKMANSHIPWork"man*ship, n.
1. The art or skill of a workman; the execution or manner of making anything. Due reward For her praiseworthy workmanship to yield. Spenser. Beauty is nature's brag, and must be shown . . . Where most may wonder at the workmanship. Milton.
2. That which is effected, made, or produced; manufacture, something made by manual labor. Not any skilled in workmanship embossed. Spenser. By how much Adam exceeded all men in perfection, by being the immediate workmanship of God. Sir W. Raleigh.
WORKMASTERWork"mas`ter, n.
Defn: The performer of any work; a master workman. [R.] Spenser.
WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ACTWorkmen's compensation act. (Law)
Defn: A statute fixing the compensation that a workman may recover from an employer in case of accident, esp. the British act of 6 Edw. VII. c. 58 (1906) giving to a workman, except in certain cases of "serious and willful misconduct," a right against his employer to a certain compensation on the mere occurrence of an accident where the common law gives the right only for negligence of the employer.
WORKROOMWork"room`, n.
Defn: Any room or apartment used especially for labor.
WORKSHIPWork"ship, n.
Defn: Workmanship. [R.]
WORKSHOPWork"shop`, n.
Defn: A shop where any manufacture or handiwork is carried on.
WORKTABLEWork"ta`ble, n.
Defn: A table for holding working materials and implements; esp., a small table with drawers and other conveniences for needlework, etc.
WORKWAYS; WORKWISEWork"ways`, Work"wise`, adv.
Defn: In a working position or manner; as, a T rail placed workwise, i.e., resting on its base.
WORKWOMANWork"wom`an, n.; pl. Workwomen (, n.
Defn: A woman who performs any work; especially, a woman skilled in needlework.
WORKYDAYWork"y*day`, n. Etym: [See Workday, Workingday.]
Defn: A week day or working day, as distinguished from Sunday or a holiday. Also used adjectively. [Written also workiday, and workaday.] [Obs. or Colloq.] Prithee, tell her but a workyday fortune. Shak.
WORLD World, n. Etym: [OE. world, werld, weorld, weoreld, AS. weorold, worold; akin to OS. werold, D. wereld, OHG. weralt, worolt, werolt, werlt, G. welt, Icel. veröld, Sw. verld, Dan. verden; properly, the age of man, lifetime, humanity; AS. wer a man + a word akin to E. old; cf. AS. yld lifetime, age, ylde men, humanity. Cf. Werewolf, Old.]
1. The earth and the surrounding heavens; the creation; the system of created things; existent creation; the universe. The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen. Rom. 1. 20. With desire to know, What nearer might concern him, how this world Of heaven and earth conspicuous first began. Milton.
2. Any planet or heavenly body, especially when considered as inhabited, and as the scene of interests analogous with human interests; as, a plurality of worlds. "Lord of the worlds above." I. Watts. Amongst innumerable stars, that shone Star distant, but high-hand seemed other worlds. Milton. There may be other worlds, where the inhabitants have never violated their allegiance to their almighty Sovereign. W. B. Sprague.
3. The earth and its inhabitants, with their concerns; the sum of human affairs and interests. That forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought death into the world, and all our woe. Milton.
4. In a more restricted sense, that part of the earth and its concerns which is known to any one, or contemplated by any one; a division of the globe, or of its inhabitants; human affairs as seen from a certain position, or from a given point of view; also, state of existence; scene of life and action; as, the Old World; the New World; the religious world; the Catholic world; the upper world; the future world; the heathen world. One of the greatest in the Christian world Shall be my surety. Shak. Murmuring that now they must be put to make war beyond the world's end — for so they counted Britain. Milton.
5. The customs, practices, and interests of men; general affairs of life; human society; public affairs and occupations; as, a knowledge of the world. Happy is she that from the world retires. Waller. If knowledge of the world makes man perfidious, May Juba ever live in ignorance. Addison.
6. Individual experience of, or concern with, life; course of life; sum of the affairs which affect the individual; as, to begin the world with no property; to lose all, and begin the world anew.
7. The inhabitants of the earth; the human race; people in general; the public; mankind. Since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can say against it. Shak. Tell me, wench, how will the world repute me For undertaking so unstaid a journey Shak.
8. The earth and its affairs as distinguished from heaven; concerns of this life as distinguished from those of the life to come; the present existence and its interests; hence, secular affairs; engrossment or absorption in the affairs of this life; worldly corruption; the ungodly or wicked part of mankind. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. John xvii. 9. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 1 John ii. 15, 16.
9. As an emblem of immensity, a great multitude or quantity; a large number. "A world of men." Chapman. "A world of blossoms for the bee." Bryant. Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company. Shak. A world of woes dispatched in little space. Dryden. All . . . in the world, all that exists; all that is possible; as, all the precaution in the world would not save him. — A world to see, a wonder to see; something admirable or surprising to see. [Obs.] O, you are novices; 't is a world to see How tame, when men and women are alone, A meacock wretch can make the curstest shrew. Shak. — For all the world. (a) Precisely; exactly. (b) For any consideration. — Seven wonders of the world. See in the Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction. — To go to the world, to be married. [Obs.] "Thus goes every one to the world but I . . . ; I may sit in a corner and cry heighho for a husband!" Shak. — World's end, the end, or most distant part, of the world; the remotest regions. — World without end, eternally; forever; everlastingly; as if in a state of existence having no end. Throughout all ages, world without end. Eph. iii. 21.
WORLDLINESSWorld"li*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being worldly; a predominant passion for obtaining the good things of this life; covetousness; addictedness to gain and temporal enjoyments; worldly-mindedness.
WORLDLINGWorld"ling, Etym: [World + -ling.]
Defn: A person whose soul is set upon gaining temporal possessions;one devoted to this world and its enjoyments.A foutre for the world and worldlings base. Shak.If we consider the expectations of futurity, the worldling gives upthe argument. Rogers.And worldlings blot the temple's gold. Keble.
WORLDLYWorld"ly, a. Etym: [AS. woroldlic.]
1. Relating to the world; human; common; as, worldly maxims; worldly actions. "I thus neglecting worldly ends." Shak. Many years it hath continued, standing by no other worldly mean but that one only hand which erected it. Hooker.
2. Pertaining to this world or life, in contradistinction from the life to come; secular; temporal; devoted to this life and its enjoyments; bent on gain; as, worldly pleasures, affections, honor, lusts, men. With his soul fled all my worldly solace. Shak.
3. Lay, as opposed to clerical. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WORLDLYWorld"ly, adv.
Defn: With relation to this life; in a worldly manner.Subverting worldly strong and worldly wise By simply meek. Milton.
WORLDLY-MINDEDWorld"ly-mind`ed, a.
Defn: Devoted to worldly interests; mindful of the affairs of the present life, and forgetful of those of the future; loving and pursuing this world's goods, to the exclusion of piety and attention to spiritual concerns. — World"ly*mind`ed*ness, n.
WORLDLYWISE; WORLDLY-WISEWorld"ly*wise`, World"ly`-*wise`, a.
Defn: Wise in regard to things of this world. Bunyan.
WORLD-WIDEWorld"-wide`, a.
Defn: Extended throughout the world; as, world-wide fame. Tennyson.
WORMWorm (wûrm), n. Etym: [OE. worm, wurm, AS. wyrm; akin to D. worm, OS.& G. wurm, Icel. ormr, Sw. & Dan. orm, Goth. waúrms, L. vermis, Gr.Vermicelli, Vermilion, Vermin.]
1. A creeping or a crawling animal of any kind or size, as a serpent, caterpillar, snail, or the like. [Archaic] There came a viper out of the heat, and leapt on his hand. When the men of the country saw the worm hang on his hand, they said, This man must needs be a murderer. Tyndale (Acts xxviii. 3, 4). 'T is slander, Whose edge is sharper than the sword, whose tongue Outvenoms all the worms of Nile. Shak. When Cerberus perceived us, the great worm, His mouth he opened and displayed his tusks. Longfellow.
2. Any small creeping animal or reptile, either entirely without feet, or with very short ones, including a great variety of animals; as, an earthworm; the blindworm. Specifically: (Zoöl.) (a) Any helminth; an entozoön. (b) Any annelid. (c) An insect larva. (d) pl.
Defn: Same as Vermes.
3. An internal tormentor; something that gnaws or afflicts one's mind with remorse. The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul! Shak.
4. A being debased and despised. I am a worm, and no man. Ps. xxii. 6.
5. Anything spiral, vermiculated, or resembling a worm; as: (a) The thread of a screw. The threads of screws, when bigger than can be made in screw plates, are called worms. Moxon.
(b) A spiral instrument or screw, often like a double corkscrew, used for drawing balls from firearms. (c) (Anat.) A certain muscular band in the tongue of some animals, as the dog; the lytta. See Lytta. (d) The condensing tube of a still, often curved and wound to economize space. See Illust. of Still. (e) (Mach.) A short revolving screw, the threads of which drive, or are driven by, a worm wheel by gearing into its teeth or cogs. See Illust. of Worm gearing, below. Worm abscess (Med.), an abscess produced by the irritation resulting from the lodgment of a worm in some part of the body. — Worm fence. See under Fence. — Worm gear. (Mach.) (a) A worm wheel. (b) Worm gearing. — Worm gearing, gearing consisting of a worm and worm wheel working together. — Worm grass. (Bot.) (a) See Pinkroot, 2 (a). (b) The white stonecrop (Sedum album) reputed to have qualities as a vermifuge. Dr. Prior. — Worm oil (Med.), an anthelmintic consisting of oil obtained from the seeds of Chenopodium anthelminticum. — Worm powder (Med.), an anthelmintic powder. — Worm snake. (Zoöl.) See Thunder snake (b), under Thunder. — Worm tea (Med.), an anthelmintic tea or tisane. — Worm tincture (Med.), a tincture prepared from dried earthworms, oil of tartar, spirit of wine, etc. [Obs.] — Worm wheel, a cogwheel having teeth formed to fit into the spiral spaces of a screw called a worm, so that the wheel may be turned by, or may turn, the worm; — called also worm gear, and sometimes tangent wheel. See Illust. of Worm gearing, above.
WORMWorm, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wormed; p. pr. & vb. n. Worming.]
Defn: To work slowly, gradually, and secretly. When debates and fretting jealousy Did worm and work within you more and more, Your color faded. Herbert.
WORMWorm, v. t.
1. To effect, remove, drive, draw, or the like, by slow and secret means; — often followed by out. They find themselves wormed out of all power. Swift. They . . . wormed things out of me that I had no desire to tell. Dickens.
2. To clean by means of a worm; to draw a wad or cartridge from, as a firearm. See Worm, n. 5 (b).
3. To cut the worm, or lytta, from under the tongue of, as a dog, for the purpose of checking a disposition to gnaw. The operation was formerly supposed to guard against canine madness. The men assisted the laird in his sporting parties, wormed his dogs, and cut the ears of his terrier puppies. Sir W. Scott.
4. (Naut.)
Defn: To wind rope, yarn, or other material, spirally round, between the strands of, as a cable; to wind with spun yarn, as a small rope. Ropes . . . are generally wormed before they are served. Totten. To worm one's self into, to enter into gradually by arts and insinuations; as, to worm one's self into favor.
WORMALWor"mal, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Wormil.
WORM-EATENWorm"-eat`en, a.
1. Eaten, or eaten into, by a worm or by worms; as, worm-eaten timber. Concave as a covered goblet, or a worm-eaten nut. Shak.
2. Worn-out; old; worthless. [R.] Sir W. Raleigh.— Worm"-eat`en*ness, n. [R.] Dr. John Smith.
WORMEDWormed, a.
Defn: Penetrated by worms; injured by worms; worm-eaten; as, wormed timber.
WORMHOLEWorm"hole`, n.
Defn: A burrow made by a worm.
WORMIANWor"mi*an, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Discovered or described by Olanus Wormius, a Danish anatomist. Wormian bones, small irregular plates of bone often interposed in the sutures between the large cranial bones.
WORMILWor"mil, n. Etym: [Cf. 1st Warble.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any botfly larva which burrows in or beneath the skin of domestic and wild animals, thus producing sores. They belong to various species of Hypoderma and allied genera. Domestic cattle are often infested by a large species. See Gadfly. Called also warble, and worble. [Written also wormal, wormul, and wornil.]
2. (Far.)
Defn: See 1st Warble, 1 (b).
WORMLINGWorm"ling, n.
Defn: A little worm. O dusty wormling! dost thou strive and stand With heaven's high monarch Sylvester.
WORMSEEDWorm"seed`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: Any one of several plants, as Artemisia santonica, and Chenopodium anthelminticum, whose seeds have the property of expelling worms from the stomach and intestines. Wormseed mustard, a slender, cruciferous plant (Erysinum cheiranthoides) having small lanceolate leaves.
WORM-SHAPEDWorm"-shaped`, a.
Defn: Shaped like a worm; as, a worm-shaped root.
WORM-SHELLWorm"-shell`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any species of Vermetus.
WORMULWor"mul, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Wornil.
WORMWOOD Worm"wood, n. Etym: [AS. werm, akin to OHG. wermuota, wormuota, G. wermuth, wermut; of uncertain origin.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A composite plant (Artemisia Absinthium), having a bitter and slightly aromatic taste, formerly used as a tonic and a vermifuge, and to protect woolen garments from moths. It gives the peculiar flavor to the cordial called absinthe. The volatile oil is a narcotic poison. The term is often extended to other species of the same genus.
2. Anything very bitter or grievous; bitterness. Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood. Deut. xxix. 18. Roman wormwood (Bot.), an American weed (Ambrosia artemisiæfolia); hogweed. — Tree wormwood (Bot.), a species of Artemisia (probably Artemisia variabilis) with woody stems. — Wormwood hare (Zoöl.), a variety of the common hare (Lepus timidus); — so named from its color.
WORMYWorm"y, a. [Compar. Wormier; superl. Wormiest.]
1. Containing a worm; abounding with worms. "Wormy beds." Shak.
2. Like or pertaining to a worm; earthy; groveling.
WORNWorn,
Defn: p. p. of Wear. Worn land, land that has become exhausted by tillage, or which for any reason has lost its fertility.
WORNILWor"nil, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Wormil.
WORN-OUTWorn"-out`, a.
Defn: Consumed, or rendered useless, by wearing; as, worn-out garments.
WORRAL; WORRELWor"ral, Wor"rel, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An Egyptian fork-tongued lizard, about four feet long when full grown.
WORRIERWor"ri*er, n.
Defn: One who worries.
WORRIMENTWor"ri*ment, n. Etym: [See Worry.]
Defn: Trouble; anxiety; worry. [Colloq. U. S.]
WORRISOMEWor"ri*some, a.
Defn: Inclined to worry or fret; also, causing worry or annoyance.
WORRITWor"rit, v. t.
Defn: To worry; to annoy. [Illiterate]
WORRITWor"rit, n.
Defn: Worry; anxiety. [Illiterate]
WORRY Wor"ry, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Worried; p. pr. & vb. n. Worrying.] Etym: [OE. worowen, wirien, to strangle, AS. wyrgan in awyrgan; akin to D. worgen, wurgen, to strangle, OHG. wurgen, G. würgen, Lith. verszti, and perhaps to E. wring.]
1. To harass by pursuit and barking; to attack repeatedly; also, to tear or mangle with the teeth. A hellhound that doth hunt us all to death; That dog that had his teeth before his eyes, To worry lambs and lap their gentle blood. Shak.
2. To harass or beset with importunity, or with care an anxiety; to vex; to annoy; to torment; to tease; to fret; to trouble; to plague. "A church worried with reformation." South. Let them rail, And worry one another at their pleasure. Rowe. Worry him out till he gives consent. Swift.
3. To harass with labor; to fatigue. [Colloq.]
WORRYWor"ry, v. i.
Defn: To feel or express undue care and anxiety; to manifest disquietude or pain; to be fretful; to chafe; as, the child worries; the horse worries.
WORRYWor"ry, n.; pl. Worries (.
Defn: A state of undue solicitude; a state of disturbance from care and anxiety; vexation; anxiety; fret; as, to be in a worry. "The whir and worry of spindle and of loom." Sir T. Browne.
WORRYINGLYWor"ry*ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a worrying manner.
WORSE Worse, a., compar. of Bad. Etym: [OE. werse, worse, wurse, AS. wiersa, wyrsa, a comparative with no corresponding positive; akin to OS. wirsa, OFries. wirra, OHG. wirsiro, Icel. verri, Sw. värre, Dan. värre, Goth. waírsiza, and probably to OHG. werran to bring into confusion, E. war, and L. verrere to sweep, sweep along. As bad has no comparative and superlative, worse and worst are used in lieu of them, although etymologically they have no relation to bad.]
Defn: Bad, ill, evil, or corrupt, in a greater degree; more bad orevil; less good; specifically, in poorer health; more sick; — usedboth in a physical and moral sense.Or worse, if men worse can devise. Chaucer.[She] was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. Mark v. 26.Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse. 2 Tim. iii. 13.There are men who seem to believe they are not bad while another canbe found worse. Rambler."But I love him." "Love him Worse and worse." Gay.
WORSEWorse, n.
1. Loss; disadvantage; defeat. "Judah was put to the worse before Israel." Kings xiv. 12.
2. That which is worse; something less good; as, think not the worse of him for his enterprise.
WORSE Worse, adv. Etym: [AS. wiers, wyrs; akin to OS. & OHG. wirs, Icel. verr, Goth, waírs; a comparative adverb with no corresponding positive. See Worse, a.]
Defn: In a worse degree; in a manner more evil or bad.Now will we deal worse with thee than with them. Gen. xix. 9.
WORSEWorse, v. t. Etym: [OE. wursien, AS. wyrsian to become worse.]
Defn: To make worse; to put disadvantage; to discomfit; to worst. SeeWorst, v.Weapons more violent, when next we meet, May serve to better us andworse our foes. Milton.
WORSENWors"en, v. t.
1. To make worse; to deteriorate; to impair. It is apparent that, in the particular point of which we have been conversing, their condition is greatly worsened. Southey.
2. To get the better of; to worst. [R.]
WORSENWors"en, v. i.
Defn: To grow or become worse. De Quincey.Indifferent health, which seemed rather to worsen than improve.Carlyle.
WORSERWors"er, a.
Defn: Worse. [R.]Thou dost deserve a worser end. Beau. & Fl.From worser thoughts which make me do amiss. Bunyan.A dreadful quiet felt, and, worser far Than arms, a sullen intervalof war. Dryden.
Note: This old and redundant form of the comparative occurs occasionally in the best authors, although commonly accounted a vulgarism. It has, at least, the analogy of lesser to sanction its issue. See Lesser. "The experience of man's worser nature, which intercourse with ill-chosen associates, by choice or circumstance, peculiarly teaches." Hallam.
WORSHIP Wor"ship, n. Etym: [OE. worshipe, wuredhscipe, AS. weoredhscipe; weoredh worth + -scipe -ship. See Worth, a., and -ship.]
1. Excellence of character; dignity; worth; worthiness. [Obs.] Shak.A man of worship and honour. Chaucer.Elfin, born of noble state, And muckle worship in his native land.Spenser.
2. Honor; respect; civil deference. [Obs.] Of which great worth and worship may be won. Spenser. Then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. Luke xiv. 10.
3. Hence, a title of honor, used in addresses to certain magistrates and others of rank or station. My father desires your worships' company. Shak.
4. The act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being; religious reverence and homage; adoration, or acts of reverence, paid to God, or a being viewed as God. "God with idols in their worship joined." Milton. The worship of God is an eminent part of religion, and prayer is a chief part of religious worship. Tillotson.
5. Obsequious or submissive respect; extravagant admiration; adoration. 'T is your inky brows, your black silk hair, Your bugle eyeballs, nor your cheek of cream, That can my spirits to your worship. Shak.
6. An object of worship.In attitude and aspect formed to be At once the artist's worship anddespair. Longfellow.Devil worship, Fire worship, Hero worship, etc. See under Devil,Fire, Hero, etc.
WORSHIP Wor"ship, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Worshiped or Worshipped; p. pr. & vb. n. Worshiping or Worshipping.]
1. To respect; to honor; to treat with civil reverence. [Obsoles.]Chaucer.Our grave . . . shall have a tongueless mouth, Not worshiped with awaxen epitaph. Shak.This holy image that is man God worshipeth. Foxe.
2. To pay divine honors to; to reverence with supreme respect and veneration; to perform religious exercises in honor of; to adore; to venerate. But God is to be worshiped. Shak. When all our fathers worshiped stocks and stones. Milton.
3. To honor with extravagant love and extreme submission, as a lover; to adore; to idolize. With bended knees I daily worship her. Carew.
Syn.— To adore; revere; reverence; bow to; honor.
WORSHIPWor"ship, v. i.
Defn: To perform acts of homage or adoration; esp., to performreligious service.Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say that in Jerusalemis the place where men ought to worship. John iv. 20.Was it for this I have loved . . . and worshiped in silenceLongfellow.
WORSHIPABILITYWor`ship*a*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality of being worthy to be worshiped. [R.] Coleridge.
WORSHIPABLEWor"ship*a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being worshiped; worthy of worship. [R.] Carlyle.
WORSHIPERWor"ship*er, n.
Defn: One who worships; one who pays divine honors to any being or thing; one who adores. [Written also worshipper.]
WORSHIPFULWor"ship*ful, a.
Defn: Entitled to worship, reverence, or high respect; claiming respect; worthy of honor; — often used as a term of respect, sometimes ironically. "This is worshipful society." Shak. [She is] so dear and worshipful. Chaucer. — Wor"ship*ful*ly, adv. — Wor"ship*ful*ness, n.
WORST Worst, a., superl. of Bad. Etym: [OE. werst, worste, wurste, AS. wyrst, wierst, wierrest. See Worse, a.]
Defn: Bad, evil, or pernicious, in the highest degree, whether in a physical or moral sense. See Worse. "Heard so oft in worst extremes." Milton. I have a wife, the worst that may be. Chaucer. If thou hadst not been born the worst of men, Thou hadst been a knave and flatterer. Shak.
WORSTWorst, n.
Defn: That which is most bad or evil; the most severe, pernicious, calamitous, or wicked state or degree. The worst is not So long as we can say, This is the worst. Shak. He is always sure of finding diversion when the worst comes to the worst. Addison.
WORSTWorst, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Worsted; p. pr. & vb. n. Worsting.] Etym:[See Worse, v. t. & a.]
Defn: To gain advantage over, in contest or competition; to get the better of; to defeat; to overthrow; to discomfit. The . . . Philistines were worsted by the captivated ark. South.
WORSTWorst, v. i.
Defn: To grow worse; to deteriorate. [R.] "Every face . . . worsting." Jane Austen.
WORSTEDWorst"ed, n. Etym: [From Worsted, now spelled Worstead, a town inNorfolk, England; for Worthstead. See Worth, n., and Stead.]
1. Well-twisted yarn spun of long-staple wool which has been combed to lay the fibers parallel, used for carpets, cloth, hosiery, gloves, and the like.
2. Fine and soft woolen yarn, untwisted or lightly twisted, used in knitting and embroidery.
WORT Wort, n. Etym: [OE. wort, wurt, AS. wyrt herb, root; akin to OS. wurt, G. wurz, Icel. jurt, urt, Dan. urt, Sw. ört, Goth. waúrts a root, L. radix, Gr. root, n. Cf. Licorice, Orchard, Radish, Root, n., Whortleberry, Wort an infusion of malt.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant of any kind.
Note: This word is now chiefly used in combination, as in colewort, figwort, St. John's-wort, woundwort, etc.
2. pl.
Defn: Cabbages.
WORT Wort, n. Etym: [OE. worte, wurte, AS. wyrte; akin to OD. wort, G. würze, bierwürze, Icel. virtr, Sw. vört. See Wort an herb.]
Defn: An infusion of malt which is unfermented, or is in the act of fermentation; the sweet infusion of malt, which ferments and forms beer; hence, any similar liquid in a state of incipient fermentation.
Note: Wort consists essentially of a dilute solution of sugar, which by fermentation produces alcohol and carbon dioxide.
WORTH Worth, v. i. Etym: [OE. worthen, wurÞen, to become, AS. weorthan; akin to OS. werthan, D. worden, G. werden, OHG. werdan, Icel. vertha, Sw. varda, Goth. waírpan, L. vertere to turn, Skr. vrt, v. i., to turn, to roll, to become. *143. Cf. Verse, -ward, Weird.]
Defn: To be; to become; to betide; — now used only in the phrases, woe worth the day, woe worth the man, etc., in which the verb is in the imperative, and the nouns day, man, etc., are in the dative. Woe be to the day, woe be to the man, etc., are equivalent phrases. I counsel . . . to let the cat worthe. Piers Plowman. He worth upon [got upon] his steed gray. Chaucer.
WORTHWorth, a. Etym: [OE. worth, wurÞ, AS. weorth, wurE; akin to OFries.werth, OS. werth, D. waard, OHG. werd, G. wert, werth, Icel. verthr,Sw. värd, Dan. værd, Goth. waírps, and perhaps to E. wary. Cf.Stalwart, Ware an article of merchandise, Worship.]
1. Valuable; of worthy; estimable; also, worth while. [Obs.] It was not worth to make it wise. Chaucer.
2. Equal in value to; furnishing an equivalent for; proper to be exchanged for. A ring he hath of mine worth forty ducats. Shak. All our doings without charity are nothing worth. Bk. of Com. Prayer. If your arguments produce no conviction, they are worth nothing to me. Beattie.
3. Deserving of; — in a good or bad sense, but chiefly in a goodsense.To reign is worth ambition, though in hell. Milton.This is life indeed, life worth preserving. Addison.
4. Having possessions equal to; having wealth or estate to the valueof.At Geneva are merchants reckoned worth twenty hundred crowns.Addison.Worth while, or Worth the while. See under While, n.
WORTH Worth, n. Etym: [OE. worth, wurÞ, AS. weorth, wurth; weorth, wurth, adj. See Worth, a.]
1. That quality of a thing which renders it valuable or useful; sum of valuable qualities which render anything useful and sought; value; hence, often, value as expressed in a standard, as money; equivalent in exchange; price. What 's worth in anything But so much money as 't will bring Hudibras.
2. Value in respect of moral or personal qualities; excellence; virtue; eminence; desert; merit; usefulness; as, a man or magistrate of great worth. To be of worth, and worthy estimation. Shak. As none but she, who in that court did dwell, Could know such worth, or worth describe so well. Waller. To think how modest worth neglected lies. Shenstone.
Syn.— Desert; merit; excellence; price; rate.
WORTHFULWorth"ful, a.
Defn: Full of worth; worthy; deserving. Marston.
WORTHILYWor"thi*ly, adv.
Defn: In a worthy manner; excellently; deservedly; according to merit; justly; suitably; becomingly. You worthily succeed not only to the honors of your ancestors, but also to their virtues. Dryden. Some may very worthily deserve to be hated. South.
WORTHINESSWor"thi*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being worthy; desert; merit; excellence; dignity; virtue; worth. Who is sure he hath a soul, unless It see, and judge, and follow worthiness Donne. She is not worthy to be loved that hath not some feeling of her own worthiness. Sir P. Sidney. The prayers which our Savior made were for his own worthiness accepted. Hooker.
WORTHLESSWorth"less, a. Etym: [AS. weorthleás.]
Defn: Destitute of worth; having no value, virtue, excellence, dignity, or the like; undeserving; valueless; useless; vile; mean; as, a worthless garment; a worthless ship; a worthless man or woman; a worthless magistrate. 'T is a worthless world to win or lose. Byron. — Worth"less*ly, adv. — Worth"less*ness, n.
WORTHWHILE worthwhile, adj.
Defn: Worth the time or effort spent. See worth while. worthy.— worthwhileness.
WORTHYWor"thy, a. [Compar. Worthier (; superl. Worthiest.] Etym: [OE.worthi, wurÞi, from worth, wurÞ, n.; cf. Icel. verthugr, D. waardig,G. würdig, OHG. wirdig. See Worth, n.]
1. Having worth or excellence; possessing merit; valuable; deserving; estimable; excellent; virtuous. Full worthy was he in his lordes war. Chaucer. These banished men that I have kept withal Are men endued with worthy qualities. Shak. Happier thou mayst be, worthier canst not be. Milton. This worthy mind should worthy things embrace. Sir J. Davies.
2. Having suitable, adapted, or equivalent qualities or value; — usually with of before the thing compared or the object; more rarely, with a following infinitive instead of of, or with that; as, worthy of, equal in excellence, value, or dignity to; entitled to; meriting; — usually in a good sense, but sometimes in a bad one. No, Warwick, thou art worthy of the sway. Shak. The merciless Macdonwald, Worthy to be a rebel. Shak. Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. Matt. iii. 11. And thou art worthy that thou shouldst not know More happiness. Milton. The lodging is well worthy of the guest. Dryden.
3. Of high station; of high social position. [Obs.] Worthy women of the town. Chaucer. Worthiest of blood (Eng. Law of Descent), most worthy of those of the same blood to succeed or inherit; — applied to males, and expressive of the preference given them over females. Burrill.
WORTHYWor"thy, n.; pl. Worthies (.
Defn: A man of eminent worth or value; one distinguished for useful and estimable qualities; a person of conspicuous desert; — much used in the plural; as, the worthies of the church; political worthies; military worthies. The blood of ancient worthies in his veins. Cowper.
WORTHYWor"thy, v. t.
Defn: To render worthy; to exalt into a hero. [Obs.] Shak.
WOSTWost,
Defn: 2d pers. sing. pres. of Wit, to know. [Obs.] Spenser.
WOTWot,
Defn: 1st & 3d pers. sing. pres. of Wit, to know. See the Note underWit, v. [Obs.]Brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it. Acts iii. 17.
WOTEST; WOTTESTWot"est, Wot"test,
Defn: 2d pers. sing. pres. of Wit, to know. [Obs.]
WOTETH; WOTTETHWot"eth, Wot"teth,
Defn: 3d pers. sing. pres. of Wit, to know. [Obs.] "He wotteth neither what he babbleth, nor what he meaneth." Tyndale.
WOULWoul, v. i.
Defn: To howl. [Obs.] Wyclif.
WOULDWould, imp. of Will. Etym: [OE. & AS. wolde. See Will, v. t.]
Defn: Commonly used as an auxiliary verb, either in the past tense or in the conditional or optative present. See 2d & 3d Will.
Note: Would was formerly used also as the past participle of Will.Right as our Lord hath would. Chaucer.
WOULDWould, n.
Defn: See 2d Weld.
WOULD-BEWould"-be
Defn: ' (as, a would-be poet.
WOULDINGWould"ing, n.
Defn: Emotion of desire; inclination; velleity. [Obs.] Hammond.
WOULDINGNESSWould"ing*ness, n.
Defn: Willingness; desire. [Obs.]
WOULFE BOTTLEWoulfe" bot`tle, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A kind of wash bottle with two or three necks; — so called after the inventor, Peter Woulfe, an English chemist.
WOUNDWound,
Defn: imp. & p. p. of Wind to twist, and Wind to sound by blowing.
WOUNDWound, n. Etym: [OE. wounde, wunde, AS. wund; akin to OFries. wunde,OS. wunda, D. wonde, OHG. wunta, G. wunde, Icel. und, and to AS.,OS., & G. wund sore, wounded, OHG. wunt, Goth. wunds, and perhapsalso to Goth. winnan to suffer, E. win. *140. Cf. Zounds.]
1. A hurt or injury caused by violence; specifically, a breach of the skin and flesh of an animal, or in the substance of any creature or living thing; a cut, stab, rent, or the like. Chaucer. Showers of blood Rained from the wounds of slaughtered Englishmen. Shak.
2. Fig.: An injury, hurt, damage, detriment, or the like, to feeling, faculty, reputation, etc.
3. (Criminal Law)
Defn: An injury to the person by which the skin is divided, or its continuity broken; a lesion of the body, involving some solution of continuity.
Note: Walker condemns the pronunciation woond as a "capricious novelty." It is certainly opposed to an important principle of our language, namely, that the Old English long sound written ou, and pronounced like French ou or modern English oo, has regularly changed, when accented, into the diphthongal sound usually written with the same letters ou in modern English, as in ground, hound, round, sound. The use of ou in Old English to represent the sound of modern English oo was borrowed from the French, and replaced the older and Anglo-Saxon spelling with u. It makes no difference whether the word was taken from the French or not, provided it is old enough in English to have suffered this change to what is now the common sound of ou; but words taken from the French at a later time, or influenced by French, may have the French sound. Wound gall (Zoöl.), an elongated swollen or tuberous gall on the branches of the grapevine, caused by a small reddish brown weevil (Ampeloglypter sesostris) whose larvæ inhabit the galls.
WOUNDWound, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wounded; p. pr. & vb. n. Wounding.] Etym:[AS. wundian. *140. See Wound, n.]
1. To hurt by violence; to produce a breach, or separation of parts, in, as by a cut, stab, blow, or the like. The archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers. 1 Sam. xxxi. 3.
2. To hurt the feelings of; to pain by disrespect, ingratitude, or the like; to cause injury to. When ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. 1 Cor. viii. 12.
WOUNDABLEWound"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being wounded; vulnerable. [R.] Fuller.
WOUNDERWound"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, wounds.
WOUNDILYWound"i*ly, adv.
Defn: In a woundy manner; excessively; woundy. [Obs.]
WOUNDLESSWound"less, a.
Defn: Free from wound or hurt; exempt from being wounded; invulnerable. "Knights whose woundless armor rusts." Spenser. [Slander] may miss our name, And hit the woundless air. Shak.
WOUNDWORTWound"wort`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: Any one of certain plants whose soft, downy leaves have been used for dressing wounds, as the kidney vetch, and several species of the labiate genus Stachys.
WOUNDYWound"y, a.
Defn: Excessive. [Obs.] Such a world of holidays, that 't a woundy hindrance to a poor man that lives by his labor. L'Estrange.
WOUNDYWound"y, adv.
Defn: Excessively; extremely. [Obs.]A am woundy cold. Ford.
WOURALIWou"ra*li, n.
Defn: Same as Curare.
WOU-WOUWou"-wou`, n. Etym: [So called from its cry.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The agile, or silvery, gibbon; — called also camper. SeeGibbon. [Written also wow-wow.]
WOVEWove,
Defn: p. pr. & rare vb. n. of Weave.
WOVENWov"en,
Defn: p. p. of Weave. Woven paper, or Wove paper, writing paper having an even, uniform surface, without watermarks.
WOWEWowe, v. t. & i.
Defn: To woo. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WOWFWowf, a.
Defn: Disordered or unsettled in intellect; deranged. [Scot.] Sir W.Scott.
WOWKEWowke, n.
Defn: Week. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WOW-WOWWow"-wow", n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Wou-wou.
WOXWox, obs.
Defn: imp. of Wax. Gower.
WOXENWox"en, obs.
Defn: p. p. of Wax. Chaucer.
WRACKWrack, n.
Defn: A thin, flying cloud; a rack.
WRACKWrack, v. t.
Defn: To rack; to torment. [R.]
WRACKWrack, n. Etym: [OE. wrak wreck. See Wreck.]
1. Wreck; ruin; destruction. [Obs.] Chaucer. "A world devote to universal wrack." Milton. wrack and ruin
2. Any marine vegetation cast up on the shore, especially plants of the genera Fucus, Laminaria, and Zostera, which are most abundant on northern shores.
3. (Bot.)
Defn: Coarse seaweed of any kind. Wrack grass, or Grass wrack (Bot.), eelgrass.
WRACKWrack, v. t.
Defn: To wreck. [Obs.] Dryden.
WRACKFULWrack"ful, a.
Defn: Ruinous; destructive. [Obs.]
WRAIN-BOLTWrain"-bolt`, n.
Defn: Same as Wringbolt.
WRAITH Wraith, n. Etym: [Scot. wraith, warth; probably originally, a guardian angel, from Icel. vörthr a warden, guardian, akin to E. ward. See Ward a guard.]
1. An apparition of a person in his exact likeness, seen before death, or a little after; hence, an apparition; a specter; a vision; an unreal image. [Scot.] She was uncertain if it were the gypsy or her wraith. Sir W. Scott. O, hollow wraith of dying fame. Tennyson.
2. Sometimes, improperly, a spirit thought to preside over the waters; — called also water wraith. M. G. Lewis.
WRANGLEWran"gle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wrangled; p. pr. & vb. n. Wrangling.]Etym: [OE. wranglen to wrestle. See Wrong, Wring.]
1. To argue; to debate; to dispute. [Obs.]
2. To dispute angrily; to quarrel peevishly and noisily; to brawl; to altercate. "In spite of occasional wranglings." Macaulay. For a score of kingdoms you should wrangle. Shak. He did not know what it was to wrangle on indifferent points. Addison.
WRANGLEWran"gle, v. t.
Defn: To involve in a quarrel or dispute; to embroil. [R.] Bp.Sanderson.
WRANGLEWran"gle, n.
Defn: An angry dispute; a noisy quarrel; a squabble; an altercation.
Syn.— Altercation; bickering; brawl; jar; jangle; contest; controversy.See Altercation.
WRANGLERWran"gler, n.
1. An angry disputant; one who disputes with heat or peevishness. "Noisy and contentious wranglers." I. Watts.
2. One of those who stand in the first rank of honors in the University of Cambridge, England. They are called, according to their rank, senior wrangler, second wrangler, third wrangler, etc. Cf. Optime.
WRANGLERSHIPWran"gler*ship, n.
Defn: The honor or position of being a wrangler at the University ofCambridge, England.
WRANGLESOMEWran"gle*some, a.
Defn: Contentious; quarrelsome. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
WRANNOCK; WRANNYWran"nock, Wran"ny, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The common wren. [Prov. Eng.]
WRAPWrap, v. t. Etym: [A corrupt spelling of rap.]
Defn: To snatch up; transport; — chiefly used in the p. p. wrapt.Lo! where the stripling, wrapt in wonder, roves. Beattie.
WRAPWrap, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wrapped or Wrapt; p. pr. & vb. n.Wrapping.] Etym: [OE. wrappen, probably akin to E. warp. *144. Cf.Warp.]
1. To wind or fold together; to arrange in folds. Then cometh Simon Peter, . . . and seeth . . . the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. John xx. 6, 7. Like one that wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams. Bryant.
2. To cover by winding or folding; to envelop completely; to involve; to infold; — often with up. I . . . wrapt in mist Of midnight vapor, glide obscure. Milton.
3. To conceal by enveloping or infolding; to hide; hence, to involve, as an effect or consequence; to be followed by. Wise poets that wrap truth in tales. Carew. To be wrapped up in, to be wholly engrossed in; to be entirely dependent on; to be covered with. Leontine's young wife, in whom all his happiness was wrapped up, died in a few days after the death of her daughter. Addison. Things reflected on in gross and transiently . . . are thought to be wrapped up in impenetrable obscurity. Locke.
WRAPWrap, n.
Defn: A wrapper; — often used in the plural for blankets, furs, shawls, etc., used in riding or traveling.
WRAPPAGEWrap"page (; 48), n.
1. The act of wrapping.
2. That which wraps; envelope; covering.
WRAPPERWrap"per, n.
1. One who, or that which, wraps.
2. That in which anything is wrapped, or inclosed; envelope; covering.
3. Specifically, a loose outer garment; an article of dress intended to be wrapped round the person; as, a morning wrapper; a gentleman's wrapper.
WRAPRASCALWrap"ras`cal, n.
Defn: A kind of coarse upper coat, or overcoat, formerly worn.
WRASSEWrasse, n. Etym: [W. gwrachen.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous edible, marine, spiny-finned fishes of the genus Labrus, of which several species are found in the Mediterranean and on the Atlantic coast of Europe. Many of the species are bright- colored.
Note: Among the European species are the ballan wrasse (Labrus maculatus), the streaked wrasse (L. lineatus), the red wrasse (L. mixtus), the comber wrasse (L. comber), the blue-striped, or cook, wrasse (see Peacock fish, under Peacock), the rainbow wrasse (L. vulgaris), and the seawife.
WRASTLEWras"tle, v. i. Etym: [OE. wrastlen. See Wrestle.]
Defn: To wrestle. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]Who wrastleth best naked, with oil enoint. Chaucer.
WRATH Wrath, n. Etym: [OE. wrathe, wraÞ\'ede, wrethe, wræ\'ebthe, AS. wræ\'ebtho, fr. wra\'eb wroth; akin to Icel. reithi wrath. See Wroth, a.]
1. Violent anger; vehement exasperation; indignation; rage; fury;ire.Wrath is a fire, and jealousy a weed. Spenser.When the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased. Esther ii. 1.Now smoking and frothing Its tumult and wrath in. Southey.
2. The effects of anger or indignation; the just punishment of an offense or a crime. "A revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." Rom. xiii. 4.
Syn. — Anger; fury; rage; ire; vengeance; indignation; resentment; passion. See Anger.
WRATHWrath, a.
Defn: See Wroth. [Obs.]
WRATHWrath, v. t.
Defn: To anger; to enrage; — also used impersonally. [Obs.] "I will not wrathen him." Chaucer. If him wratheth, be ywar and his way shun. Piers Plowman.
WRATHFULWrath"ful, a.
1. Full of wrath; very angry; greatly incensed; ireful; passionate; as, a wrathful man.
2. Springing from, or expressing, wrath; as, a wrathful countenance. "Wrathful passions." Sprat.
Syn.— Furious; raging; indignant; resentful.— Wrath"ful*ly, adv.— Wrath"ful*ness, n.
WRATHILYWrath"i*ly, adv.
Defn: In a wrathy manner; very angrily; wrathfully. [Colloq.]
WRATHLESSWrath"less, a.
Defn: Free from anger or wrath. Waller.
WRATHYWrath"y, a.
Defn: Very angry. [Colloq.]
WRAWWraw, a. Etym: [Cf. dial. Sw. vrå willful, disobedient.]
Defn: Angry; vexed; wrathful. [Obs.]With this speech the cock wex wroth and wraw. Chaucer.
WRAWFULWraw"ful, a.
Defn: Ill-tempered. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WRAWLWrawl, v. i. Etym: [Cf. Dan. vraale, Sw. vråla to brawl, to roar,Dan. vraal a bawling, roaring, vræle to cry, weep, whine.]
Defn: To cry, as a cat; to waul. [Obs.] Spenser.
WRAWNESSWraw"ness, n.
Defn: Peevishness; ill temper; anger. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WRAYWray, v. t. Etym: [AS. wr to accuse. See Bewray.]
Defn: To reveal; to disclose. [Obs.]To no wight thou shalt this counsel wray. Chaucer.
WREAKWreak, v. i.
Defn: To reck; to care. [Obs.] Shak.
WREAK Wreak, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wreaked; p. pr. & vb. n. Wreaking.] Etym: [OE. wrek to revenge, punish, drive out, AS. wrecan; akin to OFries. wreka, OS. wrekan to punish, D. wreken to avenge, G. rächen, OHG. rehhan, Icel. reka to drive, to take vengeance, Goth. wrikan to persecute, Lith. vargas distress, vargti to suffer distress, L. urgere to drive, urge, Gr. Urge, Wreck, Wretch.]
1. To revenge; to avenge. [Archaic]He should wreake him on his foes. Chaucer.Another's wrongs to wreak upon thyself. Spenser.Come wreak his loss, whom bootless ye complain. Fairfax.
2. To execute in vengeance or passion; to inflict; to hurl or drive; as, to wreak vengeance on an enemy. On me let Death wreak all his rage. Milton. Now was the time to be avenged on his old enemy, to wreak a grudge of seventeen years. Macaulay. But gather all thy powers, And wreak them on the verse that thou dost weave. Bryant.
WREAK Wreak, n. Etym: [Cf. AS. wræc exile, persecution, misery. See Wreak, v. t.]
Defn: Revenge; vengeance; furious passion; resentment. [Obs.] Shak.Spenser.
WREAKENWreak"en, obs.
Defn: p. p. of Wreak. Chaucer.
WREAKERWreak"er, n. Etym: [See Wreak.]
Defn: Avenger. [Obs.]The stork, the wrekere of avouterye [adultery]. Chaucer.
WREAKFULWreak"ful, a.
Defn: Revengeful; angry; furious. [Obs.] — Wreak"ful*ly, adv. [Obs.]
WREAKLESSWreak"less, a.
Defn: Unrevengeful; weak. [Obs.]
WREATH Wreath, n.; pl. Wreaths. Etym: [OE. wrethe, AS. wræedh a twisted band, fr. wriedhan to twist. See Writhe.]
1. Something twisted, intertwined, or curled; as, a wreath of smoke; a wreath of flowers. "A wrethe of gold." Chaucer. [He] of his tortuous train Curled many a wanton wreath. Milton.
2. A garland; a chaplet, esp. one given to a victor. Conquest doth grant He dear wreath to the Grecian combatant. Chapman. Far back in the ages, The plow with wreaths was crowned. Bryant.
3. (Her.)
Defn: An appendage to the shield, placed above it, and supporting the crest (see Illust. of Crest). It generally represents a twist of two cords of silk, one tinctured like the principal metal, the other like the principal color in the arms.
WREATHE Wreathe, v. t. [imp. Wreathed; p. p. Wreathed; Archaic Wreathen; p. pr. & vb. n. Wreathing.] Etym: [See Wreath, n.] [Written also wreath.]
1. To cause to revolve or writhe; to twist about; to turn. [Obs.] And from so heavy sight his head did wreathe. Spenser.
2. To twist; to convolve; to wind one about another; to entwine. The nods and smiles of recognition into which this singular physiognomy was wreathed. Sir W. Scott. From his slack hand the garland wreathed for Eve Down dropped. Milton.
3. To surround with anything twisted or convolved; to encircle; toinfold.Each wreathed in the other's arms. Shak.Dusk faces with withe silken turbants wreathed. Milton.And with thy winding ivy wreathes her lance. Dryden.
4. To twine or twist about; to surround; to encircle. In the flowers that wreathe the sparkling bowl, Fell adders hiss. Prior.
WREATHEWreathe, v. i.
Defn: To be intewoven or entwined; to twine together; as, a bower of wreathing trees. Dryden.
WREATHENWreath"en, a.
Defn: Twisted; made into a wreath. "Wreathen work of pure gold." Ex. xxviii. 22.
WREATHLESSWreath"less, a.
Defn: Destitute of a wreath.
WREATH-SHELLWreath"-shell`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A marine shell of the genus Turbo. See Turbo.
WREATHYWreath"y, a.
Defn: Wreathed; twisted; curled; spiral; also, full of wreaths."Wreathy spires, and cochleary turnings about." Sir T. Browne.
WRECCHEWrec"che, n.
Defn: A wretch. [Obs.]
WRECCHEWrec"che, a.
Defn: Wretched. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WRECHEWreche, n.
Defn: Wreak. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WRECKWreck, v. t. & n.
Defn: See 2d & 3d Wreak.
WRECK Wreck, n. Etym: [OE. wrak, AS. wræc exile, persecution, misery, from wrecan to drive out, punish; akin to D. wrak, adj., damaged, brittle, n., a wreck, wraken to reject, throw off, Icel. rek a thing drifted ashore, Sw. vrak refuse, a wreck, Dan. vrag. See Wreak, v. t., and cf. Wrack a marine plant.] [Written also wrack.]
1. The destruction or injury of a vessel by being cast on shore, or on rocks, or by being disabled or sunk by the force of winds or waves; shipwreck. Hard and obstinate As is a rock amidst the raging floods, 'Gainst which a ship, of succor desolate, Doth suffer wreck, both of herself and goods. Spenser.
2. Destruction or injury of anything, especially by violence; ruin; as, the wreck of a railroad train. The wreck of matter and the crush of worlds. Addison. Its intellectual life was thus able to go on amidst the wreck of its political life. J. R. Green.
3. The ruins of a ship stranded; a ship dashed against rocks or land, and broken, or otherwise rendered useless, by violence and fracture; as, they burned the wreck.
4. The remain of anything ruined or fatally injured. To the fair haven of my native home, The wreck of what I was, fatigued I come. Cowper.
5. (Law)
Defn: Goods, etc., which, after a shipwreck, are cast upon the land by the sea. Bouvier.
WRECKWreck, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wrecked; p. pr. & vb. n. Wrecking.]
1. To destroy, disable, or seriously damage, as a vessel, by driving it against the shore or on rocks, by causing it to become unseaworthy, to founder, or the like; to shipwreck. Supposing that they saw the king's ship wrecked. Shak.
2. To bring wreck or ruin upon by any kind of violence; to destroy, as a railroad train.
3. To involve in a wreck; hence, to cause to suffer ruin; to balk of success, and bring disaster on. Weak and envied, if they should conspire, They wreck themselves. Daniel.
WRECKWreck, v. i.
1. To suffer wreck or ruin. Milton.
2. To work upon a wreck, as in saving property or lives, or in plundering.
WRECKAGEWreck"age (; 48), n.
1. The act of wrecking, or state of being wrecked.
2. That which has been wrecked; remains of a wreck.
WRECKERWreck"er, n.
1. One who causes a wreck, as by false lights, and the like.
2. One who searches fro, or works upon, the wrecks of vessels, etc. Specifically: (a) One who visits a wreck for the purpose of plunder. (b) One who is employed in saving property or lives from a wrecked vessel, or in saving the vessel; as, the wreckers of Key West.
3. A vessel employed by wreckers.
WRECKFISH Wreck"fish`, n. Etym: [So called because it often comes in with wreckage.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A stone bass.
WRECKFULWreck"ful, a.
Defn: Causing wreck; involving ruin; destructive. "By wreckful wind."Spenser.
WRECKINGWreck"ing,
Defn: a. & n. from Wreck, v. Wrecking car (Railway), a car fitted up with apparatus and implements for removing the wreck occasioned by an accident, as by a collision. — Wrecking pump, a pump especially adapted for pumping water from the hull of a wrecked vessel.
WRECK-MASTERWreck"-mas`ter, n.
Defn: A person appointed by law to take charge of goods, etc., thrown on shore after a shipwreck.
WREKE; WREEKEWreke, Wreeke, v. t.
Defn: See 2d Wreak. [Obs.]
WREN Wren, n. Etym: [OE. wrenne, AS. wrenna, wrænna, perhaps akin to wr lascivious.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of small singing birds belonging toTroglodytes and numerous allied of the family Troglodytidæ.
Note: Among the species best known are the house wren (Troglodytes aëdon) common in both Europe and America, and the American winter wren (T. hiemalis). See also Cactus wren, Marsh wren, and Rock wren, under Cactus, Marsh, and Rock.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of small singing birds more or less resembling the true wrens in size and habits.
Note: Among these are several species of European warblers; as, the reed wren (see Reed warbler (a), under Reed), the sedge wren (see Sedge warbler, under Sedge), the willow wren (see Willow warbler, under Willow), the golden-crested wren, and the ruby-crowned wren (see Kinglet). Ant wren, any one of numerous South American birds of the family Formicaridæ, allied to the ant thrushes. — Blue wren, a small Australian singing bird (Malurus cyaneus), the male of which in the breeding season is bright blue. Called also superb warbler. — Emu wren. See in the Vocabulary. — Wren babbler, any one of numerous species of small timaline birds belonging to Alcippe, Stachyris, Timalia, and several allied genera. These birds are common in Southern Asia and the East Indies. — Wren tit. See Ground wren, under Ground. — Wren warbler, any one of several species of small Asiatic and African singing birds belonging to Prinia and allied genera. These birds are closely allied to the tailor birds, and build their nests in a similar manner. See also Pincpinc.
WRENCH Wrench, n. Etym: [OE. wrench deceit, AS. wrenc deceit, a twisting; akin to G. rank intrigue, crookedness, renken to bend, twist, and E. wring. Wring, and cf. Ranch, v. t.]
1. Trick; deceit; fraud; stratagem. [Obs.] His wily wrenches thou ne mayst not flee. Chaucer.
2. A violent twist, or a pull with twisting. He wringeth them such a wrench. Skelton. The injurious effect upon biographic literature of all such wrenches to the truth, is diffused everywhere. De Quincey.
3. A sprain; an injury by twisting, as in a joint.
4. Means; contrivance. [Obs.] Bacon.
5. An instrument, often a simple bar or lever with jaws or an angular orifice either at the end or between the ends, for exerting a twisting strain, as in turning bolts, nuts, screw taps, etc.; a screw key. Many wrenches have adjustable jaws for grasping nuts, etc., of different sizes.