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An American Dictionary of the English Language

Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)

Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865

Entries
95,912
Pages
1,538
Illustrations
2,133

Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.

  1. Wea'sy, a.p. 1501Given to sensual indulgence; gluttonous. [Obs. and rare.] Joye.
  2. Weath'er, n.p. 1501The air or atmosphere with respect to its state as regards heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness, or any other meteorological phenomena; meteorological condition of…
  3. Wēath'er, v. t.p. 1501To expose to the air; to air; to season by exposure to air. Like to an eagle soaring To weather his broad sails. Spencer. This gear lacks weathering. Latimer. 2. (Naut.) To sail to the windward of…
  4. Wēath'er, v. i.p. 1501To undergo or endure the action of the atmosphere; to suffer meteorological influences; sometimes, to wear away or alter under atmospheric influences. The organisms . . . seem indestructible, while…
  5. Wēath’er, a.p. 1501(Naut.) Toward the wind, or windward; — often used in composition; as, weather-bow, weather-braces, weather-gage, weather-lifts, weather-quarter, weather-shrouds, and the like. To carry a weather…
  6. Wēath'er-bēat'en, a.p. 1501Beaten or harassed by the weather; worn by exposure to the weather, especially to severe weather.
  7. Wēath’er-bīt, n.p. 1501(Naut.) A turn of the cable about the end of the windlass, without the bits.
  8. Wēath'er-bīt, v. t.p. 1501(Naut.) To take another turn with, as a cable around a windlass. Totten.
  9. Wēath'er-bit'ten, a.p. 1501Defaced or worn by exposure to the weather. Coleridge.
  10. Wēath’er-bōard, n.p. 1501(Naut.) (a.) That side of a ship which is toward the wind; the windward side. (b.) A piece of plank placed in the ports of a ship, when laid up in ordinary, and serving as a protection from bad…
  11. Weath'er-bōard, v. t.p. 1501(Arch.) To nail boards upon so as to lap one over another, in order to exclude rain, snow, and the like. Gwilt.
  12. Weath’er-board’ing, n.p. 1501The act of nailing up boards, lapping one over another; also, the boards themselves, when so nailed.
  13. Weath'er-bound, a.p. 1501Delayed by bad weather.
  14. Weath'er-breed'er, n.p. 1501A fine day which is supposed to presage foul weather.
  15. Weath'er-clŏth, n.p. 1501(Naut.) A long piece of canvas or tarpaulin used to preserve the hammocks from injury by the weather when stowed, or to defend persons from the wind and spray. Mar. Dict.
  16. Weath'er-cock, n.p. 1501A vane, or weather-vane; — so called because originally often in the figure of a cock, turning on the top of a spire with the wind, and showing its direction. Noisy weather-cocks rattled and sang of…
  17. Weath'er-driv'en, a.p. 1501Driven by winds or storms; forced by stress of weather. Carew.
  18. Weath'ered, a.p. 1501(Arch.) Made sloping, so as to throw off water; —said of horizontal parts of stone-work, as window-sills, cornices, and the like, when so formed. 2. (Geol.) Having the surface altered in color…
  19. Weath'er-fēnd, v. t.p. 1501To defend from the weather; to shelter. [Obs.]
  20. Wĕath'er-gāge, n.p. 1501The position of a ship to the windward of another; hence, a position of advantage or superiority. To veer, and tack, and steer a cause Against the weather-gage of laws. Hudibras.
  21. Weath’er-gall, n.p. 1501A watery appearance accompanying the rainbow; a secondary or broken rainbow; a water-gall. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
  22. Wĕath'er-glass, n.p. 1501An instrument to indicate the state of the atmosphere, especially changes of atmospheric pressure, and hence changes of weather; a barometer, baroscope, or the like.
  23. Weath'er-hĕlm, n.p. 1501(Naut.) A tendency in steering to come up into the wind, rendering it necessary to put the helm up. Dana.
  24. Weath'er-house, n.p. 1501A mechanical contrivance, in the form of a house, to show the state of the weather. Peace to the artist whose ingenious thought Devised the weather-house, that useful toy. Cooper.
  25. Weath'er-ing, n.p. 1501(Geol.) The action of the elements on a rock in altering its color, texture, or composition, or in rounding off its edges. Dana.
  26. Weath'er-ly, a.p. 1501(Naut.) Working well to the windward; as, a weatherly ship. J. F. Cooper.
  27. Weath'er-mōst, a.p. 1501Being furthest to the windward.
  28. Weath'er-mōld'ing or Weath'er-mōuld'ing, n.p. 1501(Arch.) A canopy or cornice over doors or windows, to throw off the rain.
  29. Wēath'er-proof, a.p. 1501Proof against rough weather.
  30. Weath'er-roll, n.p. 1501(Naut.) The roll of a ship to the windward;—opposed to lee-lurch.
  31. Wĕath'er-shōre, n.p. 1501(Naut.) The shore to the windward of a ship. Totten.
  32. Weath'er-sīde, n.p. 1501(Naut.) The windward side of a vessel.
  33. Weath'er-spy, n.p. 1501A star-gazer; one who foretells the weather. [Rare.] Donne.
  34. Weath'er-strĭp, n.p. 1501(Arch.) A strip of wood or other material placed on the outside of an outer door so as to cover the joint made by it with the casings or the threshold, in order to exclude rain in a storm.
  35. Wēath'er-tīde, n.p. 1501(Naut.) The tide which sets against the lee-side of a ship, impelling her to the windward. Mar. Dict.
  36. Wĕath'er-wīse, a.p. 1501Skillful in foreseeing the changes or state of the weather.
  37. Weath'er-wis'er, n.p. 1501Something that foreshows the weather. [Obs.] Derham.
  38. Wēave, v. t.p. 1501To unite, as threads of any kind, in such a manner as to form a texture; to entwine or interlace into a fabric; as, to weave wool, silk, and the like; hence, to unite by close connection or…
  39. Wēave, v. i.p. 1501To practice weaving; to work with a loom. 2. To become woven or interwoven.
  40. Wēav'er, n.p. 1501One who weaves; one whose occupation is to weave. 2. (Ornith.) One of a sub-family of passerine birds, natives of Africa and the East Indies;—so called because they construct curious and often…
  41. Weav'er-fish, n.p. 1501(Ichth.) A fish of the perch family. See WEEVER.
  42. Weav'ing, n.p. 1501The act or art of forming cloth in a loom, by the union or intertexture of threads. 2. The task or work to be done in making cloth. 3. (Far.) A peculiar and incessant motion of a horse's head, neck…
  43. Wea'zand, n.p. 1501The same as WEASAND. Shak.
  44. Wea'zen, a.p. 1501Thin; sharp; as, a weazen face. We had never seen such dissatisfied children. It was not merely that they were weazen and shrivelled,—though they were certainly that too,—but they looked absolutely…
  45. Web, n.p. 1501A weaver. [Obs.] 2. That which is woven; texture; textile fabric; hence, locally, a piece of linen cloth. Penelope, for her Ulysses’ sake, Devised a web her wooers to deceive. Spenser. Not a web…
  46. Wĕb, v. t.p. 1501To unite or surround with a web, or as if with a web; to envelop; to entangle.
  47. Wĕbbed, a.p. 1501Having the toes united by a membrane, or web; as, the webbed feet of aquatic fowls.
  48. Web'ber, n.p. 1501One who forms webs; a weaver; a webster. [Obs.]
  49. Wĕb'bing, n.p. 1501A strong fabric of hemp, two or three inches wide, made for supporting the seats of stuffed chairs, sofas, and the like.
  50. Wĕb'by, a.p. 1501Pertaining to, or like, a web; consisting of, filled with, or covered with, webs. Bats on their webby wings in darkness move. Crabbe.
  51. Wĕb'-eye, n.p. 1501(Med.) The same as WEB, 4.
  52. Wĕb'-fŏŏt, n.p. 1501A foot the toes of which are connected by a membrane.
  53. Wĕb'-foot'ed, a.p. 1501Having webbed feet; palmiped; as, a goose or duck is a web-footed fowl.
  54. Web'ster, n.p. 1501A weaver;—originally, a female weaver. See STER. [Obs.] Braithwaite.
  55. Wĕb'ster-ite, n.p. 1501(Min.) A dull, earthy, opaque mineral, of a white color, consisting chiefly of sulphuric acid, alumina, and water. Dana.
  56. Wĕd, v. t.p. 1501To take for husband or for wife; to marry. Since the day I saw thee first, and wedded thee. — Milton. 2. To join in marriage; to give in wedlock, or as husband and wife. And Adam, wedded to another…
  57. Wĕd, v. i.p. 1502To contract matrimony; to marry. “When shall I wed?” Shak.
  58. Wēd, n.p. 1502A pledge. [Obs.] Gower.
  59. Wĕd'ded, a.p. 1502Of, or pertaining to, wedlock or marriage. “Wedded love.” Milton.
  60. Wĕd'der, n.p. 1502A castrated ram; a wether. W. Scott.