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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. Wōve, imp.p. 1527and rarely p. p. of weave. See WEAVE.
  2. Wōv'en, p. p.p. 1527of weave. See WEAVE. Woven paper, or wove paper, writing paper having an even, uniform surface, without lines or water-marks. Tomlinson.
  3. Wowf, a.p. 1527Wayward; disordered or unsettled in intellect. [Scot.] W. Scott.
  4. Wow'-wow, n.p. 1527(Zoöl.) A species of long-armed ape of the genus Hylobates (H. agilis);—so called from its cry. Baird.
  5. Wōx or Wōx'en, imp. & p. p.p. 1527of wax. [Obs.] See WAX.
  6. Wrăck, n.p. 1527A marine plant (Zostera marina), out of which kelp is made, and which is also of great utility as a manure;—sometimes called sea-wrack or sea-wreck, sea-oak, and sea-tangle. It is found on rocks left…
  7. Wrăck, n.p. 1528Wreck. [Obs.] “A world devote to universal wrack.” Shak. 2. A thin, flying cloud; a rack. See RACK.
  8. Wräck, v. t.p. 1528To wreck. [Obs.] Milton. 2. To rack. [Rare.] Cowley.
  9. Wrăck'ful, a.p. 1528‘Ruinous; destructive.’
  10. Wräck'-gräss, n.p. 1528(Bot.) Sea-wrack; wrack.
  11. Wrāin'-bōlt, n.p. 1528The same as WRING-BOLT, q. v.
  12. Wraith, n.p. 1528An apparition of a person in his exact likeness, seen before death, or a little after; hence, an apparition; a specter; a vision; an unreal image. [Scot.] “O, hollow wraith of dying fame!” Tennyson.…
  13. Wräng'gle, v. i.p. 1528To engage in discussion; to argue; to debate; to dispute. [Obs.] 2. To dispute angrily; to quarrel peevishly and noisily; to brawl; to altercate. “In spite of occasional wranglings.” Macaulay. For a…
  14. Wrăn'gle, v. t.p. 1528To involve in contention. [Rare.] Sanderson.
  15. Wrăn'gle, n.p. 1528An angry dispute; a noisy quarrel; a squabble. Syn.—Altercation; bickering; brawl; jar; jangle; contest; controversy. See ALTERCATION.
  16. Wrāng'ler, n.p. 1528An angry disputant; one who disputes with heat or peevishness. “Noisy, contentious wranglers.” Watts. Senior wrangler (Cambridge University, Eng.), the student who passes the best examination in…
  17. Wrăng'ler-ship, n.p. 1528The honor or position of being a wrangler at Cambridge, England.
  18. Wrăng'gle-sōme, a.p. 1528Contentious; quarrelsome. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Moore.
  19. Wrăp (răp), v. t.p. 1528To wind or fold together. Then cometh Simon Peter, . . . and seeth . . . the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. John xx. 6…
  20. Wrāp, v. t.p. 1528To snatch up; to transport.
  21. Wräp, n.p. 1528A wrapper; — often used in the plural, for blankets, furs, shawls, &c., used in riding or traveling. Melville.
  22. Wrăp'page, n.p. 1528The act of wrapping. 2. That which wraps; envelope; covering.
  23. Wrăp'per, n.p. 1528One who, or that which, wraps. 2. That in which any thing is wrapped or inclosed; envelope; covering. 3. Specifically, a loose outer garment; an article of dress intended to be wrapped round the…
  24. Wrāp'rās-cal, n.p. 1528A coarse upper coat. [Cant.] Smart.
  25. Wrässe, n.p. 1528(Ichth.) A fish of several species of the genus Labrus, inhabiting the Mediterranean and Atlantic. It is a prickly-spined, hard-boned fish, with an oblong, scaly body, and a single dorsal fin. About…
  26. Wrāth, n.p. 1528Violent anger; vehement exasperation; indignation; rage; fury; ire. “When the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased.” Esth. ii. 1. Wrath is a fire, and jealousy a weed. Spencer. Now smoking and…
  27. Wrāth'ful, a.p. 1528Full of wrath; very angry; greatly incensed; ireful; as, a wrathful man. 2. Springing from, or expressing, wrath; as, a wrathful countenance. “Vehement and wrathful passions.” Spratt. Syn.—Furious…
  28. Wrāth'ful-ly, adv.p. 1528In a wrathful manner; with anger; angrily. Let us kill him boldly, but not wrathfully. Shak.
  29. Wrāth′ful-ness, n.p. 1528The state or quality of being wrathful; vehement anger.
  30. Wrāth'i-ly, adv.p. 1528In a wrathy manner; very angrily.
  31. Wrāth'less, a.p. 1528Free from anger. Waller.
  32. Wrāth'y, a.p. 1528Very angry. [Colloq.].
  33. Wraw, a.p. 1528Rueful; sad. [Obs.] Chaucer.
  34. Wrawl, v. i.p. 1528To cry, as a cat; to waul. [Obs.] Spenser.
  35. Wraw'ness, n.p. 1528The state or quality of being wraw; ruefulness; regret. [Obs.] Chaucer.
  36. Wreak, v. t.p. 1528To revenge; to avenge. [Obs. or obsolescent.] “Another's wrongs to wreak upon thyself.” Spenser. Come wreak his loss, whom bootless ye complain. Fairfax. 2. To execute in vengeance or passion; to…
  37. Wrēak, v. i.p. 1528To reck. [Obs.] Shak. What wreaked I of wintery ages past. Spencer.
  38. Wrēak, n.p. 1528Revenge; vengeance; furious passion; infliction; distress. [Obs.] Shak. Spenser.
  39. Wrēak'ful, a.p. 1528Revengeful; angry. [Obs.]
  40. Wrēak′ful-ly, adv.p. 1528In a wreakful manner; revengefully; angrily; furiously. [Obs.]
  41. Wrēak'less, a.p. 1528Unrevengeful; unrevenged; weak. So flies the wreakless shepherd from the wolf. Shak.
  42. Wrēath, n.p. 1528Something twisted or curled; as, a wreath of smoke; a wreath of flowers. He of his tortuous train Curled many a wanton wreath. Milton. 2. A garland; a chaplet, especially one given to a victor.…
  43. Wrēathe, v. t.p. 1528To cause to revolve or writhe; to twist about; to turn. [Obs. and rare.] And from so heavy sight his head did wreathe. Chapman. 2. To twist; to convolve; to wind one about another; to entwine. “Each…
  44. Wrēathe, v. i.p. 1528To be interwoven or entwined; as, a bower of wreathing trees. Dryden.
  45. Wreath'less, a.p. 1528Destitute of a wreath.
  46. Wrēath'-shĕll, n.p. 1528(Zoöl.) The spiral shell of a mollusk of the genus Turbo; screw-shell.
  47. Wreath'yp. 1528— Twisted; curled; spiral. “Wreathy spires.” Browne.
  48. Wrĕck, n.p. 1528Destruction; ruin; desolation. “The wreck of matter and the crush of worlds.” Addison. 2. Specifically, the destruction or injury of a vessel by being cast on shore, or on rocks, or by being disabled…
  49. Wrĕck, n.p. 1528Wreak. [Obs.] Spenser.
  50. Wrĕck, v. t.p. 1528To destroy, disable, or seriously damage, as a vessel, by driving against the shore or on rocks, by causing to become unseaworthy, to founder, or the like; to cause to suffer shipwreck. “Supposing…
  51. Wrĕck, v. i.p. 1528To suffer wreck or ruin; to be wrecked. [Rare.] Milton.
  52. Wrĕck, v. t.p. 1528To wreak. [Obs.]
  53. Wrĕck'age, n.p. 1528The act of wrecking. 2. That which has been wrecked.
  54. Wrĕck'er, n.p. 1528One who causes a wreck, as by false lights, and the like. 2. One who searches for the wrecks of vessels; as, (a.) One who visits a wreck for the purpose of plunder. (b.) One who is employed in saving…
  55. Wrĕck'ful, a.p. 1528Causing wreck; involving ruin. [Obs.]
  56. Wrĕck'-más'ter, n.p. 1528A person appointed by law to take charge of goods, &c., thrown on shore after a shipwreck.
  57. Wrēn, n.p. 1528(Ornith.) A small insessorial bird of the genus Troglodytes. Wrens feed on insects, &c., and are often very familiar with man.
  58. Wrĕnch, v. t.p. 1528To pull with a twist; to wrest, twist, or force by violence. Wrench his sword from him. Shak. Forthwith this frame of mine was wrenched With a woeful agony. Coleridge. 2. To strain; to sprain; to…
  59. Wrĕnch, n.p. 1528A violent twist, or a pull with twisting. The injurious effect upon biographic literature of all such wrenches to the truth, is diffused every where. De Quincey. 2. A sprain; an injury by twisting…
  60. Wrĕnch'-hăm'mer, n.p. 1528A wrench with the end shaped so as to admit of being used as a hammer.