Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Wēll'-sĕt, a. p. 1504Having good symmetry of parts.Wĕll'-sĭnk'er, n. p. 1504One who sinks or digs wells.Wĕll'-sĭnk'ing, n. p. 1504The art or process of sinking or digging a well or wells.Wēll'-spēd, a. p. 1504Having good success.Wēll'-spōk'en, a. p. 1504Speaking well; speaking with fitness or grace; or speaking kindly. 2. Spoken with propriety; as, well-spoken words.Wēll'-spring, n. p. 1504A fountain; a spring; a source of continual supply. Understanding is a well-spring of life unto him that hath it; but the instruction of fools is folly. Prov. xvi. 22.Wĕll'-stâir/cāse, n. p. 1504(Archl.) A winding stairway inclosed within walls; a stairway with a well-hole.Wēll'-sweep, n. p. 1504A long pole balanced upon a high post and used in drawing water by means of a bucket from a well; a sweep. See SWEEP.Wĕll'-wa/ter, n. p. 1504The water that flows into a well from subterraneous springs; water drawn from a well.Wēll'-will'er, n. p. 1504One who wishes well or means kindly. [Rare.] “A well-will'er of yours.” Brydges.Wĕll'-wĭsh, n. p. 1504A wish of happiness. Addison.Wēll'-wīsh'er, n. p. 1504One who wishes another well; a person benevolently or friendly inclined.Wēlsh, a. p. 1504(Geog.) Belonging or relating to Wales, or its inhabitants. [Rarely written also Welch.] Welsh flannel, the finest kind of flannel, made from the fleeces of the flocks of the Welsh mountains, and…Wĕlsh, n. sing. or pl. p. 1504(sing.) The language of Wales, or of the Welsh. 2. (pl.) (Geog.) The natives or inhabitants of Wales. ☞ The Welsh call themselves Cymry, in the plural, and a Welshman Cymro, and their country Cymru…Wĕlsh'man, n. p. 1504A native or inhabitant of Wales; one of the Welsh.Wĕl'sȯme, a. p. 1504Prosperous; well. [Obs.] Wycliffe.Wĕl'sȯme-ly, adv. p. 1504In a welsome manner; prosperously; well. [Obs.] Wycliffe.Wĕlt or Welt-joint, n. p. 1504That which, being folded or brought round, serves to guard, strengthen, or adorn something; as, (a.) A small cord covered with cloth and sewed on a seam or border to strengthen it; an edge of cloth…Wëlt, v. t. p. 1504To furnish with a welt; to sew a welt on.Wëlt, v. t. p. 1504To welter or wither; to wilt. [Rare.]Wĕl'ter, v. i. p. 1504To roll, as the body of an animal; to wallow; to tumble about, especially in any thing foul or defiling. “The priests at the altar . . . weltering in their blood.” Landor. When we welter in pleasures…Wēl'ter, v. t. p. 1504To wither; to wilt. [Rare.] “Weltered hearts and blighted memories.” I. Taylor.Wĕl'ter, n. p. 1504That in which one welters or wallows; filth; mire; slough. “The foul welter of our so-called religious or other controversies.” Carlyle.Wĕm, n. p. 1504A spot; a scar. [Obs.] Brerewood.Wēm, v. t. p. 1504To corrupt; to vitiate. [Obs.]Wĕm, n. p. 1504The abdomen; the uterus; the womb. [Rare.] Dunglison.Wĕm'less, a. p. 1504Without a wem or blemish; spotless; unspotted. [Obs.] Chaucer.Wĕn, n. p. 1504(Med.) A circumscribed, indolent tumor, without inflammation or change of color of the skin;—sometimes applied also to an encysted tumor, and to bronchocele. Dunglison.Wĕnch, n. p. 1504A young woman; a girl; a maiden. [Obs.] That they may send again, My most sweet wench, and gifts to boot. Chapman. 2. A low, vicious, coarse young woman; a drab; a strumpet. It is not a digression to…Wĕnch, v. i. p. 1504To frequent the company of wenches, or women of ill fame.Wĕnch'er, n. p. 1504One who wenches; a lewd man.Wēnch'less, a. p. 1505Without a wench. Shak.Wēnd, v. i. p. 1505To go; to pass; to betake one's self. To Athens shall the lovers wend. Shak. 2. To turn round. [Obs.]Wēnd, v. t. p. 1505To direct; to betake;—used chiefly reflexively, or in the phrase to wend one's way. Wend thee to Branksome home on foot. W. Scott.Wēnd, n. p. 1505(O. Law.) A large extent of ground; a perambulation; a circuit. [Obs.] Burrill.Wēn'nel, n. p. 1505A weanel. See WEANEL. [Obs.]Wĕn'nish or Wĕn'ny, a. p. 1505Having the nature of a wen; resembling a wen.Wēnt, imp. p. 1505of wend;— now used as the preterit of go, but in origin having no connection with it.Wēnt, n. p. 1505Turn; direction; bent. [Obs. and rare.] He knew the diverse went of mortal ways. Spenser. 2. Course; way; journey. [Obs.] But here my weary team, nigh spent, Shall breathe itself after so long a…Wēn’kle-trāp, n. p. 1505A mollusk of the genus Scalaria, especially S. pretiosa, having a spiral shell.Wēpt, imp. & p. p. p. 1505of weep.Wēre, imp. p. 1505ind. 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…Wēre, n. p. 1505A dam. See WEAR. [Obs.] Sidney.Wēre, n. p. 1505A 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.Wēre'gild, n. p. 1505(O. Eng. Law.) The price of a man's head; a compensation paid for a man killed, partly to the king for the loss of a subject, partly to the lord of the vassal, and partly to the next of kin. It was…Wēre'-wolf, n. p. 1505Man-wolf; a person fabulously regarded as capable of becoming a wolf at pleasure.Wer-nē'ri-an, a. p. 1505Of, pertaining to, or according to the system of Werner, the German mineralogist and geologist, who arranged minerals in classes, &c., according to their external characters, and advocated the theory…Wĕr'ner-ite, n. p. 1505(Min.) The common grayish or white variety of scapolite.Wēŕst, n. p. 1505A certain Russian measure of length; a verst. See VERST.Wērt p. 1505The second person singular of were, used as the subjunctive imperfect tense of be. See WERE.Wē'sand or Wē'sil, n. p. 1505See WEASAND. [Obs.]Wēs'ley-an, a. p. 1505Of, or pertaining to, Wesley or Wesleyanism.Wēs'ley-an, n. p. 1505(Eccl.) One who adopts the principles of Wesleyanism; a Methodist.Wēs'ley-an-ism, n. p. 1505(Eccl.) The system of doctrines and church polity inculcated by John Wesley, the founder of the sect of Methodists; Methodism.Wēst, n. p. 1505The direction or quarter of the heavens where the sun sets; that one of the cardinal points which is midway between north and south, and on the left side of a person facing north; the point…Wēst, a. p. 1505Situated toward the west, or in the direction of the setting sun; relating to the west. This shall be your west border. Num. xxxiv. 6. 2. Coming or moving from the west, or western region; as, a west…Wēst, adv. p. 1505To the western region; at the westward; more westward; as, Ireland lies west of England.Wēst, v. i. p. 1505To pass to the west; to set, as the sun. [Obs.] Chaucer. 2. To turn or move toward the west; to veer from the north or south toward the west.Wēst'er-ing, a. p. 1505Passing to the west. Toward heaven's descent had sloped his westering wheel. Milton. The glow of autumn's westering day. Whittier.Wēst'er-ly, a. p. 1505Being toward the west; situated in the western region; as, the westerly parts of England. 2. Moving from the westward; as, a westerly wind.