Were

(wĕr, 57), imp. ind. pl. & imp. subj. sing. & pl. of be. [A-S. wære, wæron; N. H. Ger. war, wäret, wären, subj. wäret, wären; O. H. Ger. was, wäri, was, wârumes, wârut, wârun, subj. wäri, wäris, &c., M. H. Ger. was, waere, was, wāren, wāret, wāren, subj. waere, &c., Icel. vera, Sw. vara, Dan. være, to be. See WAS.] It is united with be to supply its want of tenses, as went is with go. See BE.

n. A dam. See WEAR. [Obs.] Sidney.

n. [A-S. wer. See supra.] A fine for slaying a man; the price or value of a man's life. [Obs.] Every man was valued at a certain sum, which was called his were. Bosworth.