Dictionary
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.
Whāle'bōne, n. p. 1505A firm, elastic substance resembling bone, taken from the upper jaw of the right whale, used as a stiffening in stays, fans, screens, and for various other purposes; baleen. ☞ The whalebone occurs in…Whāle'-fin, n. p. 1505(Com.) Whalebone. Simmonds.Whāle'-fish'er-y, n. p. 1505The fishery or occupation of taking whales.Whāle'man, n. p. 1505A man employed in the whale-fishery.Whāl'er, n. p. 1505A ship or a person employed in the whale-fishery.Whā'l'er, n. p. 1505One who whales or beats; a big, strong fellow; hence, any thing of great or unusual size. [Colloq. and vulgar, U. S.] Bartlett.Whāle'-shōt, n. p. 1505The spermaceti or matter from the head of the whale;—so called by Dutch and English whalers. Simmonds.Whāl'ing, a. p. 1505Connected with, or pertaining to, the pursuit of whales; as, a whaling voyage.Whall, n. p. 1505(Med.) A light color of the iris in horses; wall-eye. [Written also whaull.]Whall'y, a. p. 1505Having the iris of light color;—said of horses. “Whally eyes.” Spenser.Whāme, n. p. 1505(Entom.) A species of fly of the genus Tabānus; the burrel-fly or gad-fly.Whām'mel, v. t. p. 1505To turn over; to whemmel. [Prov. Eng.]Whăng, n. p. 1505A leather thong. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]Whāng, v. t. p. 1505To beat. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Grose.Whān-gee' or Whān-ghee', n. p. 1505See WANGHEE.Whap, v. i. p. 1506To throw one's self quickly, or by an abrupt motion; to turn suddenly; as, she whapped down on the floor; the fish whapped over. [Written also whop.] Bartlett. ☞ The word is used adverbially in the…Whap, v. t. p. 1506To beat or strike.Whap, n. p. 1506A blow, or quick, smart stroke. Jamieson. Wright.Whap'per, n. p. 1506Something uncommonly large of the kind;—applied especially to a bold lie. [Scot. Colloq. and vulgar, Eng. and U. S.]Whap'ping, a. p. 1506Very large; monstrous; extraordinary; as, a whapping story. [Colloq. and low.]Wharf, n. p. 1506A perpendicular bank or mound of timber or stone and earth, raised on the shore of a harbor, river, canal, or the like, or extending some distance into the water, for the convenience of lading and…Wharf, v. t. p. 1506To guard or secure by a wharf or firm wall of timber or stone; to furnish with a wharf or wharves. 2. To place upon a wharf; to bring to a wharf.Wharf'age, n. p. 1506The fee or duty paid for the privilege of using a wharf for loading or unloading goods. 2. A wharf, or wharves in general; wharfing.Wharf'-boat, n. p. 1506A kind of boat moored at the side of a river, &c., and used for a wharf, in places where the height of the water is so variable that a fixed wharf would be useless. [U. S.] Bartlett.Wharf'ing, n. p. 1506Wharfs in general.Wharf'in-ger, n. p. 1506A man who has the care of a wharf, or the proprietor of a wharf.Wharl, n. p. 1506Inability to pronounce the letter r, and the sound produced by trying to do so. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] They have all a strange, uncouth wharling in their speech. Fuller.Wharp, n. p. 1506A kind of fine sand from the banks of the Trent, used as a polishing powder. [Eng.]What, pron. p. 1506An interrogative pronoun, employed in asking questions as to things, inanimate objects, or creatures other than man, corresponding thus to who, which is used for persons; as, what is this? what did…What, n. p. 1506Something; thing; stuff. [Obs.] And gave him for to feed, Such homely what as serves the simple clown. Spenser.What p. 1506interrog. adv. Why? for what purpose? [Obs. and rare.] But what do I stand reckoning upon advantages and gains lost by the misrule and turbulency of the prelates? What do I pick up so thriftily their…What-ēv’er, pron. p. 1506Any thing soever which; the thing or things of any kind; being this or that; of one nature or another; one thing or another; any thing that may be; all that; the whole that; all particulars that.…What'-nŏt, n. p. 1506A kind of stand or piece of household furniture, having shelves for books, ornaments, and the like; an étagère.What’so p. 1506indef. pron. Whatsoever; whatever; any thing that. [Obs.] Whatso the heaven in his wide vault contains. Spenser.What'so-ev'er, a. p. 1506Whatever. “In whatsoever shape to lurk.” Milton.Whaul, n. p. 1506The same as WHALL, q. v.Whēal, n. p. 1506A pustule. [Obs.] Wiseman. 2. A mark raised by a stroke; a weal; a wale.Wheal, n. p. 1506(Mining.) A mine. Weale.Wheat, n. p. 1506(Bot.) A plant of the genus Triticum, and the seed of the plant, which furnishes a white flour for bread, and, next to rice, is the grain most generally used by the human race. Common Wheat (Triticum…Wheat'-bĭrd, n. p. 1506A bird that feeds on wheat.Wheat'-ēar, n. p. 1506An ear of wheat. 2. (Syn. op., §130.) (Ornith.) A small bird, common in Europe, and found in Greenland; Saxicola œnanthe; fallow-chat, or fallow-finch. See FALLOW-FINCH.Wheat'en, a. p. 1506Made of wheat; as, wheaten bread. 2. Made of, or adorned with, wheat. [Obs.]Wheat'-fly, n. p. 1506(Entom.) One of several insects injurious to wheat, including the Hessian-fly, wheat-moth, and others;—applied especially to a small insect of the genus Cecidomyia (C. tritici).Wheat'-grass, n. p. 1506(Bot.) A grassy plant of the genus Triticum (T. caninum), growing in the northern parts of the United States. Gray.Wheat'-moth, n. p. 1506(Entom.) An insect whose grubs devour the grains of wheat, chiefly after it is harvested; grain-moth. ¶ The name is chiefly applied to two lepidopterous insects, the moths of which are also called…Wheat'-plūm, n. p. 1506A sort of plum.Whee'dle, v. t. p. 1506To entice by soft words; to cajole; to flatter. “The unlucky art of wheedling fools.” Dryden. 2. To gain or get away by flattery.Whee'dle, v. t. p. 1506To flatter; to coax.Wheel, n. p. 1506Dan. hvel, hvíl, the axle of a spinning-wheel; allied to Goth. valjan, to roll.] 1. A circular frame turning on an axis; a rotating disk, whether solid, or composed of an outer rim, spokes, or radii…Wheel, v. t. p. 1507To convey on wheels; as, to wheel a load of hay or wood. 2. To put into a rotatory motion; to cause to turn or revolve; to cause to gyrate; to make or perform in a circle. “In many a whistling circle…Wheel, v. i. p. 1507To turn on an axis, or as on an axis; to revolve; to move about; to rotate. The moon . . . always shows the same face to us, not once wheeling upon her own center. Bentley. 2. To change direction, as…Wheel'-ăn'i-mal or Wheel'-ăn'i-māl/ēule, n. p. 1507(Zoöl.) One of a class of animalcules, with arms for taking their prey resembling wheels; a rotifer.Wheel'-ba-ròm'e-ter, n. p. 1507A barometer having its scale on a circular dial, the index of which is moved by a thread passing over a pulley on its axis from an iron float, which rests on the mercury in an open, vertical branch…Wheel'bār-rōw, n. p. 1507A light frame with a box for conveying articles, having two handles and one wheel, and rolled by a single person.Wheel'-bōat, n. p. 1507A boat with wheels, to be used either on water or upon inclined planes or railways.Wheel'-cār'riage, n. p. 1507A carriage moved on wheels.Wheeled, p. a. p. 1507Having wheels; — used chiefly in composition; as, a four-wheeled carriage.Wheel'er, n. p. 1507One who wheels or turns. 2. A maker of wheels; a wheelwright. [Obs.] 3. A wheel-horse. See WHEEL-HORSE. 4. A worker on sewed muslin. [Eng.] Simmonds.Wheel'-hôrse, n. p. 1507One of the hindmost horses in a carriage, or those nearest to the wheels, as opposed to the leaders, or forward horses;—called also wheeler.Wheel'-house, n. p. 1507(Naut.) (a.) A small house or shelter on deck, which contains the steering-wheel. (b.) The paddle-box of steam-vessels.