Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
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.Wĕst'er-ly, adv. p. 1505Tending, going, or moving, toward the west; as, a man traveling westerly.Wēst'ern, a. p. 1505Situated in the west, or in the region nearly in the direction of west; being in that quarter where the sun sets; as, the western shore of France; the western ocean. 2. Moving toward the west; as…Wēst'ern-er, n. p. 1505A native or inhabitant of the west.Wēst'ing, n. p. 1505Space or distance westward; distance toward the west; as, the westing and southing of a ship. 2. (Naut. & Surv.) The distance, reckoned toward the west, between the two meridians passing through the…Wĕst'ling, n. p. 1505One who lives in the west; one who inhabits a western country; a westerner. [Rare.]Wĕst'ward, adv. p. 1505Toward the west; as, to ride or sail westward. “Some star that's westward from the pole.” Shak.Wēst'ward-ly, adv. p. 1505In a direction toward the west; as, to pass westwardly.Wēst'y, a. p. 1505Dizzy; giddy. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.Wĕt, a. p. 1505Containing water; full of moisture; as, wet land, or a wet cloth; or having water or other liquid upon the surface; as, a wet table. “Wet cheeks.” Shak. 2. Very damp; rainy; as, wet weather; a wet…Wĕt, n. p. 1505Water or wetness; moisture or humidity in considerable degree. Now the sun, with more effectual beams, Had cheered the face of earth, and dried the wet From drooping plant. Milton. 2. Rainy weather…Wĕt, v. t. p. 1505To fill or moisten with water or other liquid; to sprinkle or humectate; to cause to have water or other fluid adherent to the surface; to dip or soak in liquor; as, to wet a sponge; to wet the…Wēt'-dŏck, n. p. 1505A dock where the water is shut in and kept at a given level. See DOCK.Wēth'er, n. p. 1505A castrated ram.Wĕt'ness, n. p. 1505The state of being wet; moisture; humidity; as, the wetness of land; the wetness of a cloth. 2. A watery or moist state of the atmosphere; a state of being rainy, foggy, or misty; as, the wetness of…Wĕt'-nûrse, n. p. 1505A nurse who suckles a child, especially the child of another woman;—opposed to dry-nurse.Wĕt'-shōd, a. p. 1505Having the feet wet with the shoes or boots on.Wĕt'tish, a. p. 1505Somewhat wet; moist; humid. [Rare.]Wē'vil, n. p. 1505The same as WEEVIL, q. v.Wēx, v. t. or i. p. 1505To grow; to wax. See WAX. [Obs.]Wēy, n. p. 1505A certain measure of weight. [Eng.] ☞ A wey is 6½ tods of 28 pounds of wool; a load or 5 quarters of wheat; 40 bushels of salt, each weighing 56 pounds; 32 cloves of cheese, each weighing 7 pounds…Wē'zand, n. p. 1505The same as WEASAND, q. v. [Obs.]Whăck, v. t. p. 1505To strike; to beat; to give a heavy or resounding blow to; to thrash. [Colloq. or vulgar.]Whăck, v. i. p. 1505To strike any thing with a smart blow. To whack away, to continue striking heavy blows; as, to whack away at a log. [Colloq. or vulgar.]Whăck, n. p. 1505A smart, resounding blow.Whāck'er, n. p. 1505Any thing very large; a great lie; a whopper. [Colloq. and vulgar.] Halliwell.Whāck'ing, a. p. 1505Very large. [Prov. Eng. Colloq. and vulgar, U. S.] Halliwell.