Chapter V: Moth (5)

WARREN War"ren, n. Etym: [Of. waresne, warenne, garene, F. garenne, from OF. warer, garer, to beware, to take care; of Teutonic origin; cf. OHG. war (in comp.), OS. war to take care, to observe, akin to E. wary. Wary.]

1. (Eng Law) (a) A place privileged, by prescription or grant the king, for keeping certain animals (as hares, conies, partridges, pheasants, etc.) called beasts and fowls of warren. Burrill. (b) A privilege which one has in his lands, by royal grant or prescription, of hunting and taking wild beasts and birds of warren, to the exclusion of any other person not entering by his permission. Spelman. They wend both warren and in waste. Piers Plowman.

Note: The warren is the next franchise in degree to the park; and a forest, which is the highest in dignity, comprehends a chase, a park, and a free warren.

2. A piece of ground for the breeding of rabbits.

3. A place for keeping flash, in a river.

WARRENER War"ren*er, n.

Defn: The keeper of a warren.

WARRIANGLE War`ri*an"gle, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Wariangle. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

WARRIE War"rie, v. t.

Defn: See Warye. [Obs.]

WARRIN War"rin, n. Etym: [From a native name.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An Australian lorikeet (Trichoglossus multicolor) remarkable for the variety and brilliancy of its colors; -- called also blue- bellied lorikeet, and blue-bellied parrot.

WARRIOR War"rior, n. Etym: [OE. werreour, OF. werreour, guerreor, from guerre, werre, war. See War, and Warray.]

Defn: A man engaged or experienced in war, or in the military life; a soldier; a champion. Warriors old with ordered spear and shield. Milton. Warrior ant (Zoöl.), a reddish ant (Formica sanguinea) native of Europe and America. It is one of the species which move in armies to capture and enslave other ants.

WARRIORESS War"rior*ess, n.

Defn: A female warrior. [Obs.] Spenser.

WARRY War"ry, v. t.

Defn: See Warye. [Obs.]

WARSAW War"saw, n. (Zoöl.) (a) The black grouper (Epinephelus nigritus) of the southern coasts of the United States. (b) The jewfish; -- called also guasa.

WART Wart, n. Etym: [OE. werte, AS. wearte; akin to D. wrat, G. warze, OHG. warza, Icel. varta, Sw. vårta, Dan. vorte; perh. orig., a growth, and akin to E. wort; or cf. L. verruca wart.]

1. (Med.)

Defn: A small, usually hard, tumor on the skin formed by enlargement of its vascular papillæ, and thickening of the epidermis which covers them.

2. An excrescence or protuberance more or less resembling a true wart; specifically (Bot.), a glandular excrescence or hardened protuberance on plants. Fig wart, Moist wart (Med.), a soft, bright red, pointed or tufted tumor found about the genitals, often massed into groups of large size. It is a variety of condyloma. Called also pointed wart, venereal wart. L. A. Duhring. -- Wart cress (Bot.), the swine's cress. See under Swine. -- Wart snake (Zoöl.), any one of several species of East Indian colubrine snakes of the genus Acrochordus, having the body covered with wartlike tubercles or spinose scales, and lacking cephalic plates and ventral scutes. -- Wart spurge (Bot.), a kind of wartwort (Euphorbia Helioscopia).

WARTED Wart"ed, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Having little knobs on the surface; verrucose; as, a warted capsule.

WART HOG Wart" hog`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Either one of two species of large, savage African wild hogs of the genus Phacochoerus. These animals have a pair of large, rough, fleshy tubercles behind the tusks and second pair behind the eyes. The tusks are large and strong, and both pairs curve upward. The body is scantily covered with bristles, but there is long dorsal mane. The South African species (Phacochoerus Æthiopicus) is the best known. Called also vlacke vark. The second species (P. Æliani) is native of the coasts of the Red Sea.

WARTLESS Wart"less, a.

Defn: Having no wart.

WARTWEED Wart"weed`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: Same as Wartwort.

WARTWORT Wart"wort`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A name given to several plants because they were thought to be a cure for warts, as a kind of spurge (Euphorbia Helioscopia), and the nipplewort (Lampsana communis).

WARTY Wart"y, a.

1. Having warts; full of warts; overgrow with warts; as, a warty leaf.

2. Of the nature of warts; as, a warty excrescence. Warty egg (Zoöl.), a marine univalve shell (Ovulum verrucosum), having the surface covered with wartlike elevations.

WARTY-BACK Wart"y-back`, n.

Defn: An American fresh-water mussel (Quadrula pustulosa). Its shell is used in making buttons.

WARWICKITE War"wick*ite, n. (Min.)

Defn: A dark brown or black mineral, occurring in prismatic crystals imbedded in limestone near Warwick, New York. It consists of the borate and titanate of magnesia and iron.

WARWORN War"worn`, a.

Defn: Worn with military service; as, a warworn soldier; a warworn coat. Shak.

WARY Wa"ry, a. [Compar. Warier; superl. Wariest.] Etym: [OE. war, AS. wær; akin to Icel. v, Dan. & Sw. var, Goth. wars, G. gewahr aware, OHG. wara notice, attention, Gr. Aware, Garment, Garnish, Garrison, Panorama, Ward, v. t. Ware, a., Warren.]

1. Cautious of danger; carefully watching and guarding against deception, artifices, and dangers; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous; careful. "Bear a wary eye." Shak. We should be wary, therefore, what persecution we raise against the living labors of public men. Milton.

2. Characterized by caution; guarded; careful. It behoveth our words to be wary and few. Hooker.

Syn. -- Cautious; circumspect; watchful. See Cautious.

WARYE War"ye, v. t. Etym: [AS. wergian, wyrgean. Cf. Worry.]

Defn: To curse; to curse; to execrate; to condemn; also, to vex. [Obs.] [Spelled also warrie, warry, and wary.] "Whom I thus blame and warye." Chaucer.

WAS Was. Etym: [AS. wæs, 2d pers. wære, 3d pers. wæs, pl. wæron, with the inf. wesan to be; akin to D. wezen, imp. was, OHG. wesan, imp. was, G. wesen, n., a being, essence, war was, Icel. vera to be, imp. var, Goth. wisan to be, to dwell, to remain, imp. was, Skr. vas to remain, to dwell. sq. root148. Cf. Vernacular, Wassail, Were, v.]

Defn: The first and third persons singular of the verb be, in the indicative mood, preterit (imperfect) tense; as, I was; he was.

WASE Wase, n. Etym: [Cf. Sw. vase a sheaf.]

Defn: A bundle of straw, or other material, to relieve the pressure of burdens carried upon the head. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

WASH Wash, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Washed; p. pr. & vb. n. Washing.] Etym: [OE. waschen, AS. wascan; akin to D. wasschen, G. waschen, OHG. wascan, Icel. & Sw. vaska, Dan. vaske, and perhaps to E. water. sq. root150.]

1. To cleanse by ablution, or dipping or rubbing in water; to apply water or other liquid to for the purpose of cleansing; to scrub with water, etc., or as with water; as, to wash the hands or body; to wash garments; to wash sheep or wool; to wash the pavement or floor; to wash the bark of trees. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, . . . he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person. Matt. xxvii. 24.

2. To cover with water or any liquid; to wet; to fall on and moisten; hence, to overflow or dash against; as, waves wash the shore. Fresh-blown roses washed with dew. Milton. [The landscape] washed with a cold, gray mist. Longfellow.

3. To waste or abrade by the force of water in motion; as, heavy rains wash a road or an embankment.

4. To remove by washing to take away by, or as by, the action of water; to drag or draw off as by the tide; -- often with away, off, out, etc.; as, to wash dirt from the hands. Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins. Acts xxii. 16. The tide will wash you off. Shak.

5. To cover with a thin or watery coat of color; to tint lightly and thinly.

6. To overlay with a thin coat of metal; as, steel washed with silver. To wash gold, etc., to treat earth or gravel, or crushed ore, with water, in order to separate the gold or other metal, or metallic ore, through their superior gravity. -- To wash the hands of. See under Hand.

WASH Wash, v. i.

1. To perform the act of ablution. Wash in Jordan seven times. 2 Kings v. 10.

2. To clean anything by rubbing or dipping it in water; to perform the business of cleansing clothes, ore, etc., in water. "She can wash and scour." Shak.

3. To bear without injury the operation of being washed; as, some calicoes do not wash. [Colloq.]

4. To be wasted or worn away by the action of water, as by a running or overflowing stream, or by the dashing of the sea; -- said of road, a beach, etc.

WASH Wash, n.

1. The act of washing; an ablution; a cleansing, wetting, or dashing with water; hence, a quantity, as of clothes, washed at once.

2. A piece of ground washed by the action of a sea or river, or sometimes covered and sometimes left dry; the shallowest part of a river, or arm of the sea; also, a bog; a marsh; a fen; as, the washes in Lincolnshire. "The Wash of Edmonton so gay." Cowper. These Lincoln washes have devoured them. Shak.

3. Substances collected and deposited by the action of water; as, the wash of a sewer, of a river, etc. The wash of pastures, fields, commons, and roads, where rain water hath a long time settled. Mortimer.

4. Waste liquid, the refuse of food, the collection from washed dishes, etc., from a kitchen, often used as food for pigs. Shak.

5. (Distilling) (a) The fermented wort before the spirit is extracted. (b) A mixture of dunder, molasses, water, and scummings, used in the West Indies for distillation. B. Edwards.

6. That with which anything is washed, or wetted, smeared, tinted, etc., upon the surface. Specifically: -- (a) A liquid cosmetic for the complexion. (b) A liquid dentifrice. (c) A liquid preparation for the hair; as, a hair wash. (d) A medical preparation in a liquid form for external application; a lotion. (e) (Painting) A thin coat of color, esp. water color. (j) A thin coat of metal laid on anything for beauty or preservation.

7. (Naut.) (a) The blade of an oar, or the thin part which enters the water. (b) The backward current or disturbed water caused by the action of oars, or of a steamer's screw or paddles, etc.

8. The flow, swash, or breaking of a body of water, as a wave; also, the sound of it.

9. Ten strikes, or bushels, of oysters. [Prov. Eng.] Wash ball, a ball of soap to be used in washing the hands or face. Swift. -- Wash barrel (Fisheries), a barrel nearly full of split mackerel, loosely put in, and afterward filled with salt water in order to soak the blood from the fish before salting. -- Wash bottle. (Chem.) (a) A bottle partially filled with some liquid through which gases are passed for the purpose of purifying them, especially by removing soluble constituents. (b) A washing bottle. See under Washing. -- Wash gilding. See Water gilding. -- Wash leather, split sheepskin dressed with oil, in imitation of chamois, or shammy, and used for dusting, cleaning glass or plate, etc.; also, alumed, or buff, leather for soldiers' belts.

WASH Wash, a.

1

Defn: Washy; weak. [Obs.] Their bodies of so weak and wash a temper. Beau. & Fl.

2. Capable of being washed without injury; washable; as, wash goods. [Colloq.]

WASHABLE Wash"a*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being washed without damage to fabric or color.

WASHBOARD Wash"board`, n.

1. A fluted, or ribbed, board on which clothes are rubbed in washing them.

2. A board running round, and serving as a facing for, the walls of a room, next to the floor; a mopboard.

3. (Naut.)

Defn: A broad, thin plank, fixed along the gunwale of boat to keep the sea from breaking inboard; also, a plank on the sill of a lower deck port, for the same purpose; -- called also wasteboard. Mar. Di

WASHBOWL Wash"bowl`, n.

Defn: A basin, or bowl, to hold water for washing one's hands, face, etc.

WASHDISH Wash"dish`, n.

1. A washbowl.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Washerwoman, 2. [Prov. Eng.]

WASH DRAWING Wash drawing. (Art)

Defn: In water-color painting, work in, or a work done chiefly in, washes, as distinguished from that done in stipple, in body color, etc.

WASHED Washed, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Appearing as if overlaid with a thin layer of different color; -- said of the colors of certain birds and insects.

WASHED SALE Washed sale.

Defn: Same as Wash sale.

WASHEN Wash"en, obs.

Defn: p. p. of Wash. Chaucer.

WASHER Wash"er, n. Etym: [AS. wæscere.]

1. One who, or that which, washes.

2. A ring of metal, leather, or other material, or a perforated plate, used for various purposes, as around a bolt or screw to form a seat for the head or nut, or around a wagon axle to prevent endwise motion of the hub of the wheel and relieve friction, or in a joint to form a packing, etc.

3. (Plumbing)

Defn: A fitting, usually having a plug, applied to a cistern, tub, sink, or the like, and forming the outlet opening.

4. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The common raccoon.

5. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Washerwoman, 2. [Prov. Eng.]

WASHERMAN Wash"er*man, n.; pl. Washermen (.

Defn: A man who washes clothes, esp. for hire, or for others.

WASHERWOMAN Wash"er*wom`an, n.; pl. Washerwomen (.

1. A woman who washes clothes, especially for hire, or for others.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The pied wagtail; -- so called in allusion to its beating the water with its tail while tripping along the leaves of water plants. [Prov. Eng.]

WASHHOUSE Wash"house`, n.

Defn: An outbuilding for washing, esp. one for washing clothes; a laundry.

WASHINESS Wash"i*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being washy, watery, or weak.

WASHING Wash"ing, n.

1. The act of one who washes; the act of cleansing with water; ablution.

2. The clothes washed, esp. at one time; a wash. Washing bear (Zoöl.), the raccoon. -- Washing bottle (Chem.), a bottle fitted with glass tubes passing through the cork, so that on blowing into one of the tubes a stream of water issuing from the other may be directed upon anything to be washed or rinsed, as a precipitate upon a filter, etc. -- Washing fluid, a liquid used as a cleanser, and consisting usually of alkaline salts resembling soaps in their action. -- Washing machine, a machine for washing; specifically, a machine for washing clothes. -- Washing soda. (Chem.) See Sodium carbonate, under Sodium. -- Washing stuff, any earthy deposit containing gold enough to pay for washing it; -- so called among gold miners.

WASHINGTONIAN Wash`ing*to"ni*an, a.

1. Pertaining to, or characteristic of, George Washington; as, a Washingtonian policy. Lowell.

2. Designating, or pertaining to, a temperance society and movement started in Baltimore in 1840 on the principle of total abstinence. -- n.

Defn: A member of the Washingtonian Society.

WASHOE PROCESS Wash"oe proc`ess. [From the Washoe district, Nevada.]

Defn: The process of treating silver ores by grinding in pans or tubs with the addition of mercury, and sometimes of chemicals such as blue vitriol and salt.

WASH-OFF Wash"-off`, a. (Calico Printing)

Defn: Capable of being washed off; not permanent or durable; -- said of colors not fixed by steaming or otherwise.

WASHOUT Wash"out`, n.

Defn: The washing out or away of earth, etc., especially of a portion of the bed of a road or railroad by a fall of rain or a freshet; also, a place, especially in the bed of a road or railroad, where the earth has been washed away.

WASHPOT Wash"pot`, n.

1. A pot or vessel in which anything is washed.

2. (Tin-Plate Manuf.)

Defn: A pot containing melted tin into which the plates are dipped to be coated.

WASH SALE Wash sale. (Stock Exchange)

Defn: A sale made in washing. See Washing, n., 3, above.

WASHSTAND Wash"stand`, n.

Defn: A piece of furniture holding the ewer or pitcher, basin, and other requisites for washing the person.

WASH STAND Wash stand.

Defn: In a stable or garage, a place in the floor prepared so that carriages or automobiles may be washed there and the water run off. [Cant]

WASHTUB Wash"tub`, n.

Defn: A tub in which clothes are washed.

WASHY Wash"y, a. Etym: [From Wash.]

1. Watery; damp; soft. "Washy ooze." Milton.

2. Lacking substance or strength; weak; thin; dilute; feeble; as, washy tea; washy resolutions. A polish . . . not over thin and washy. Sir H. Wotton.

3. Not firm or hardy; liable to sweat profusely with labor; as, a washy horse. [Local, U. S.]

WASITE Wa"site, n. Etym: [See Wasium.] (Min.)

Defn: A variety of allanite from Sweden supposed to contain wasium.

WASIUM Wa"si*um, n. Etym: [NL. So called from Wasa, or Vasa, the name of a former royal family of Sweden.] (Chem.)

Defn: A rare element supposed by Bahr to have been extracted from wasite, but now identified with thorium.

WASP Wasp, n. Etym: [OE. waspe, AS. wæps, wæfs; akin to D. wesp, G. wespe, OHG. wafsa, wefsa, Lith. vapsa gadfly, Russ. osa wasp, L. vespa, and perhaps to E. weave.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of numerous species of stinging hymenopterous insects, esp. any of the numerous species of the genus Vespa, which includes the true, or social, wasps, some of which are called yellow jackets.

Note: The social wasps make a complex series of combs, of a substance like stiff paper, often of large size, and protect them by a paperlike covering. The larvæ are reared in the cells of the combs, and eat insects and insect larvæ brought to them by the adults, but the latter feed mainly on the honey and pollen of flowers, and on the sweet juices of fruit. See Illust. in Appendix. Digger wasp, any one of numerous species of solitary wasps that make their nests in burrows which they dig in the ground, as the sand wasps. See Sand wasp, under Sand. -- Mud wasp. See under Mud. -- Potter wasp. See under Potter. -- Wasp fly, a species of fly resembling a wasp, but without a sting.

WASPISH Wasp"ish, a.

1. Resembling a wasp in form; having a slender waist, like a wasp.

2. Quick to resent a trifling affront; characterized by snappishness; irritable; irascible; petulant; snappish. He was naturally a waspish and hot man. Bp. Hall. Much do I suffer, much, to keep in peace This jealous, waspish, wrong-head, rhyming race. Pope.

Syn. -- Snappish; petulant; irritable; irascible; testy; peevish; captious. -- Wasp"ish*ly, adv. -- Wasp"ish*ness, n.

WASSAIL Was"sail, n. Etym: [AS. wes hal (or an equivalent form in another dialect) be in health, which was the form of drinking a health. The form wes is imperative. See Was, and Whole.]

1. An ancient expression of good wishes on a festive occasion, especially in drinking to some one. Geoffrey of Monmouth relates, on the authority of Walter Calenius, that this lady [Rowena], the daughter of Hengist, knelt down on the approach of the king, and, presenting him with a cup of wine, exclaimed, Lord king wæs heil, that is, literally, Health be to you. N. Drake.

2. An occasion on which such good wishes are expressed in drinking; a drinking bout; a carouse. "In merry wassail he . . . peals his loud song." Sir W. Scott. The king doth wake to-night and takes his rouse, Keeps wassail. Shak. The victors abandoned themselves to feasting and wassail. Prescott.

3. The liquor used for a wassail; esp., a beverage formerly much used in England at Christmas and other festivals, made of ale (or wine) flavored with spices, sugar, toast, roasted apples, etc.; -- called also lamb's wool. A jolly wassail bowl, A wassail of good ale. Old Song.

4. A festive or drinking song or glee. [Obs.] Have you done your wassail! 'T is a handsome, drowsy ditty, I'll assure you. Beau. & Fl.

WASSAIL Was"sail, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to wassail, or to a wassail; convivial; as, a wassail bowl. "Awassail candle, my lord, all tallow." Shak. Wassail bowl, a bowl in which wassail was mixed, and placed upon the table. "Spiced wassail bowl." J. Fletcher. "When the cloth was removed, the butler brought in a huge silver vessel . . . Its appearance was hailed with acclamation, being the wassail bowl so renowned in Christmas festivity." W. Irving. -- Wassail cup, a cup from which wassail was drunk.

WASSAIL Was"sail, v. i.

Defn: To hold a wassail; to carouse. Spending all the day, and good part of the night, in dancing, caroling, and wassailing. Sir P. Sidney.

WASSAILER Was"sail*er, n.

Defn: One who drinks wassail; one who engages in festivity, especially in drinking; a reveler. The rudeness and swilled insolence Of such late wassailers. Milton.

WAST Wast.

Defn: The second person singular of the verb be, in the indicative mood, imperfect tense; -- now used only in solemn or poetical style. See Was.

WASTAGE Wast"age, n.

Defn: Loss by use, decay, evaporation, leakage, or the like; waste.

WASTE Waste, a. Etym: [OE. wast, OF. wast, from L. vastus, influenced by the kindred German word; cf. OHG. wuosti, G. wüst, OS. w, D. woest, AS. weste. Cf. Vast.]

1. Desolate; devastated; stripped; bare; hence, dreary; dismal; gloomy; cheerless. The dismal situation waste and wild. Milton. His heart became appalled as he gazed forward into the waste darkness of futurity. Sir W. Scott.

2. Lying unused; unproductive; worthless; valueless; refuse; rejected; as, waste land; waste paper. But his waste words returned to him in vain. Spenser. Not a waste or needless sound, Till we come to holier ground. Milton. Ill day which made this beauty waste. Emerson.

3. Lost for want of occupiers or use; superfluous. And strangled with her waste fertility. Milton. Waste gate, a gate by which the superfluous water of a reservoir, or the like, is discharged. -- Waste paper. See under Paper. -- Waste pipe, a pipe for carrying off waste, or superfluous, water or other fluids. Specifically: (a) (Steam Boilers) An escape pipe. See under Escape. (b) (Plumbing) The outlet pipe at the bottom of a bowl, tub, sink, or the like. -- Waste steam. (a) Steam which escapes the air. (b) Exhaust steam. -- Waste trap, a trap for a waste pipe, as of a sink.

WASTE Waste, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Wasting.] Etym: [OE. wasten, OF. waster, guaster, gaster, F. gâter to spoil, L. vastare to devastate, to lay waste, fr. vastus waste, desert, uncultivated, ravaged, vast, but influenced by a kindred German word; cf. OHG. wuosten, G. wüsten, AS. westan. See Waste, a.]

1. To bring to ruin; to devastate; to desolate; to destroy. Thou barren ground, whom winter's wrath hath wasted, Art made a mirror to behold my plight. Spenser. The Tiber Insults our walls, and wastes our fruitful grounds. Dryden.

2. To wear away by degrees; to impair gradually; to diminish by constant loss; to use up; to consume; to spend; to wear out. Until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. Num. xiv. 33. O, were I able To waste it all myself, and leave ye none! Milton. Here condemned To waste eternal days in woe and pain. Milton. Wasted by such a course of life, the infirmities of age daily grew on him. Robertson.

3. To spend unnecessarily or carelessly; to employ prodigally; to expend without valuable result; to apply to useless purposes; to lavish vainly; to squander; to cause to be lost; to destroy by scattering or injury. The younger son gathered all together, and . . . wasted his substance with riotous living. Luke xv. 13. Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air. Gray.

4. (Law)

Defn: To damage, impair, or injure, as an estate, voluntarily, or by suffering the buildings, fences, etc., to go to decay.

Syn. -- To squander; dissipate; lavish; desolate.

WASTE Waste, v. i.

1. To be diminished; to lose bulk, substance, strength, value, or the like, gradually; to be consumed; to dwindle; to grow less. The time wasteth night and day. Chaucer. The barrel of meal shall not waste. 1 Kings xvii. 14. But man dieth, and wasteth away. Job xiv. 10.

2. (Sporting)

Defn: To procure or sustain a reduction of flesh; -- said of a jockey in preparation for a race, etc.

WASTE Waste, n. Etym: [OE. waste; cf. the kindred AS. w, OHG. w, wuosti, G. wüste. See Waste, a. & v.]

1. The act of wasting, or the state of being wasted; a squandering; needless destruction; useless consumption or expenditure; devastation; loss without equivalent gain; gradual loss or decrease, by use, wear, or decay; as, a waste of property, time, labor, words, etc. "Waste . . . of catel and of time." Chaucer. For all this waste of wealth loss of blood. Milton. He will never . . . in the way of waste, attempt us again. Shak. Little wastes in great establishments, constantly occurring, may defeat the energies of a mighty capital. L. Beecher.

2. That which is wasted or desolate; a devastated, uncultivated, or wild country; a deserted region; an unoccupied or unemployed space; a dreary void; a desert; a wilderness. "The wastes of Nature." Emerson. All the leafy nation sinks at last, And Vulcan rides in triumph o'er the waste. Dryden. The gloomy waste of waters which bears his name is his tomb and his monument. Bancroft.

3. That which is of no value; worthless remnants; refuse. Specifically: Remnants of cops, or other refuse resulting from the working of cotton, wool, hemp, and the like, used for wiping machinery, absorbing oil in the axle boxes of railway cars, etc.

4. (Law)

Defn: Spoil, destruction, or injury, done to houses, woods, fences, lands, etc., by a tenant for life or for years, to the prejudice of the heir, or of him in reversion or remainder.

Note: Waste is voluntary, as by pulling down buildings; or permissive, as by suffering them to fall for want of necessary repairs. Whatever does a lasting damage to the freehold is a waste. Blackstone.

5. (Mining)

Defn: Old or abandoned workings, whether left as vacant space or filled with refuse.

Syn. -- Prodigality; diminution; loss; dissipation; destruction; devastation; havoc; desolation; ravage.

WASTEBASKET Waste"bas`ket, n.

Defn: A basket used in offices, libraries, etc., as a receptacle for waste paper.

WASTEBOARD Waste"board`, n. (Naut.)

Defn: See Washboard, 3.

WASTEBOOK Waste"book`, n. (Com.)

Defn: A book in which rough entries of transactions are made, previous to their being carried into the journal.

WASTEFUL Waste"ful, c.

1. Full of waste; destructive to property; ruinous; as; wasteful practices or negligence; wasteful expenses.

2. Expending, or tending to expend, property, or that which is valuable, in a needless or useless manner; lavish; prodigal; as, a wasteful person; a wasteful disposition.

3. Waste; desolate; unoccupied; untilled. [Obs.] In wilderness and wasteful desert strayed. Spenser.

Syn. -- Lavish; profuse; prodigal; extravagant. -- Waste"ful*ly, adv. -- Waste"ful*ness, n.

WASTEL Was"tel, n. Etym: [OF. wastel, gastel, F. gâteau, LL. wastellus, fr. MHG. wastel a kind of bread; cf. OHG. & AS. wist food.]

Defn: A kind of white and fine bread or cake; -- called also wastel bread, and wastel cake. [Obs.] Roasted flesh or milk and wasted bread. Chaucer. The simnel bread and wastel cakes, which were only used at the tables of the highest nobility. Sir W. Scott.

WASTENESS Waste"ness, n.

1. The quality or state of being waste; a desolate state or condition; desolation. A day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness. Zeph. i. 15.

2. That which is waste; a desert; a waste. [R.] Through woods and wasteness wide him daily sought. Spenser.

WASTER Wast"er, n. Etym: [OE. wastour, OF. wasteor, gasteor. See Waste, v. t.]

1. One who, or that which, wastes; one who squanders; one who consumes or expends extravagantly; a spendthrift; a prodigal. He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. Prov. xviii. 9. Sconces are great wasters of candles. Swift.

2. An imperfection in the wick of a candle, causing it to waste; -- called also a thief. Halliwell.

3. A kind of cudgel; also, a blunt-edged sword used as a foil. Half a dozen of veneys at wasters with a good fellow for a broken head. Beau. & Fl. Being unable to wield the intellectual arms of reason, they are fain to betake them unto wasters. Sir T. Browne.

WASTETHRIFT Waste"thrift`, n.

Defn: A spendthrift. [Obs.]

WASTEWEIR Waste"weir`, n.

Defn: An overfall, or weir, for the escape, or overflow, of superfluous water from a canal, reservoir, pond, or the like.

WASTING Wast"ing, a.

Defn: Causing waste; also, undergoing waste; diminishing; as, a wasting disease; a wasting fortune. Wasting palsy (Med.), progressive muscular atrophy. See under Progressive.

WASTOR Wast"or, n.

Defn: A waster; a thief. [Obs. or R.] [Written also wastour.] Chaucer. Southey.

WASTOREL Wast"o*rel, n.

Defn: See Wastrel. [Obs.]

WASTREL Wast"rel, n.

1. Any waste thing or substance; as: (a) Waste land or common land. [Obs.] Carew. (b) A profligate. [Prov. Eng.] (c) A neglected child; a street Arab. [Eng.]

2. Anything cast away as bad or useless, as imperfect bricks, china, etc. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

WATCH Watch, n. Etym: [OE. wacche, AS. wæcce, fr. wacian to wake; akin to D. wacht, waak, G. wacht, wache. Wake, v. i. ]

1. The act of watching; forbearance of sleep; vigil; wakeful, vigilant, or constantly observant attention; close observation; guard; preservative or preventive vigilance; formerly, a watching or guarding by night. Shepherds keeping watch by night. Milton. All the long night their mournful watch they keep. Addison.

Note: Watch was formerly distinguished from ward, the former signifying a watching or guarding by night, and the latter a watching, guarding, or protecting by day Hence, they were not unfrequently used together, especially in the phrase to keep watch and ward, to denote continuous and uninterrupted vigilance or protection, or both watching and guarding. This distinction is now rarely recognized, watch being used to signify a watching or guarding both by night and by day, and ward, which is now rarely used, having simply the meaning of guard, or protection, without reference to time. Still, when she slept, he kept both watch and ward. Spenser. Ward, guard, or custodia, is chiefly applied to the daytime, in order to apprehend rioters, and robbers on the highway . . . Watch, is properly applicable to the night only, . . . and it begins when ward ends, and ends when that begins. Blackstone.

2. One who watches, or those who watch; a watchman, or a body of watchmen; a sentry; a guard. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch; go your way, make it as sure as ye can. Matt. xxvii. 65.

3. The post or office of a watchman; also, the place where a watchman is posted, or where a guard is kept. He upbraids Iago, that he made him Brave me upon the watch. Shak.

4. The period of the night during which a person does duty as a sentinel, or guard; the time from the placing of a sentinel till his relief; hence, a division of the night. I did stand my watch upon the hill. Shak. Might we but hear . . . Or whistle from the lodge, or village cock Count the night watches to his feathery dames. Milton.

5. A small timepiece, or chronometer, to be carried about the person, the machinery of which is moved by a spring.

Note: Watches are often distinguished by the kind of escapement used, as an anchor watch, a lever watch, a chronometer watch, etc. (see the Note under Escapement, n., 3); also, by the kind of case, as a gold or silver watch, an open-faced watch, a hunting watch, or hunter, etc.

6. (Naut.) (a) An allotted portion of time, usually four hour for standing watch, or being on deck ready for duty. Cf. Dogwatch. (b) That part, usually one half, of the officers and crew, who together attend to the working of a vessel for an allotted time, usually four hours. The watches are designated as the port watch, and the starboard watch. Anchor watch (Naut.), a detail of one or more men who keep watch on deck when a vessel is at anchor. -- To be on the watch, to be looking steadily for some event. -- Watch and ward (Law), the charge or care of certain officers to keep a watch by night and a guard by day in towns, cities, and other districts, for the preservation of the public peace. Wharton. Burrill. -- Watch and watch (Naut.), the regular alternation in being on watch and off watch of the two watches into which a ship's crew is commonly divided. -- Watch barrel, the brass box in a watch, containing the mainspring. -- Watch bell (Naut.), a bell struck when the half-hour glass is run out, or at the end of each half hour. Craig. -- Watch bill (Naut.), a list of the officers and crew of a ship as divided into watches, with their stations. Totten. -- Watch case, the case, or outside covering, of a watch; also, a case for holding a watch, or in which it is kept. -- Watch chain. Same as watch guard, below. -- Watch clock, a watchman's clock; see under Watchman. -- Watch fire, a fire lighted at night, as a signal, or for the use of a watch or guard. -- Watch glass. (a) A concavo-convex glass for covering the face, or dial, of a watch; -- also called watch crystal. (b) (Naut.) A half- hour glass used to measure the time of a watch on deck.(Chem.) A round concavo-convex glass of shallow depth used for certain manipulations of chemicals in a laboratory. -- Watch guard, a chain or cord by which a watch is attached to the person. -- Watch gun (Naut.), a gun sometimes fired on shipboard at 8 p. m., when the night watch begins. -- Watch light, a low-burning lamp used by watchers at night; formerly, a candle having a rush wick. -- Watch night, The last night of the year; -- so called by the Methodists, Moravians, and others, who observe it by holding religious meetings lasting until after midnight. -- Watch paper, an old-fashioned ornament for the inside of a watch case, made of paper cut in some fanciful design, as a vase with flowers, etc. -- Watch tackle (Naut.), a small, handy purchase, consisting of a tailed double block, and a single block with a hook.

WATCH Watch, v. i. Etym: [Cf. AS. woeccan, wacian. sq. root134. See Watch, n., Wake, v. i. ]

1. To be awake; to be or continue without sleep; to wake; to keep vigil. I have two nights watched with you. Shak. Couldest thou not watch one hour Mark xiv. 37.

2. To be attentive or vigilant; to give heed; to be on the lookout; to keep guard; to act as sentinel. Take ye heed, watch and pray. Mark xiii. 33. The Son gave signal high To the bright minister that watched. Milton.

3. To be expectant; to look with expectation; to wait; to seek opportunity. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning. Ps. cxxx. 6.

4. To remain awake with any one as nurse or attendant; to attend on the sick during the night; as, to watch with a man in a fever.

5. (Naut.)

Defn: To serve the purpose of a watchman by floating properly in its place; -- said of a buoy. To watch over, to be cautiously observant of; to inspect, superintend, and guard.

WATCH Watch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Watched; p. pr. & vb. n. Watching.]

1. To give heed to; to observe the actions or motions of, for any purpose; to keep in view; not to lose from sight and observation; as, to watch the progress of a bill in the legislature. Saul also sent messengers unto David's house to watch him, and to slay him. 1 Sam. xix. 11 I must cool a little, and watch my opportunity. Landor. In lazy mood I watched the little circles die. Longfellow.

2. To tend; to guard; to have in keeping. And flaming ministers, to watch and tend Their earthy charge. Milton. Paris watched the flocks in the groves of Ida. Broome.

WATCHDOG Watch"dog`, n.

Defn: A dog kept to watch and guard premises or property, and to give notice of the approach of intruders.

WATCHER Watch"er, n.

Defn: One who watches; one who sits up or continues; a diligent observer; specifically, one who attends upon the sick during the night.

WATCHES Watch"es, n. pl. (Bot.)

Defn: The leaves of Sarace. See Trumpets.

WATCHET Watchet, a. Etym: [Probably from F. vaciet bilberry, whortleberry; cf. L. vaccinium blueberry, whortleberry.]

Defn: Pale or light blue. [Obs.] "Watchet mantles." Spenser. Who stares in Germany at watchet eyes Dryden.

WATCHFUL Watch"ful, a.

Defn: Full of watch; vigilant; attentive; careful to observe closely; observant; cautious; -- with of before the thing to be regulated or guarded; as, to be watchful of one's behavior; and with against before the thing to be avoided; as, to be watchful against the growth of vicious habits. "Many a watchful night." Shak. "Happy watchful shepherds." Milton. 'Twixt prayer and watchful love his heart dividing. Keble.

Syn. -- Vigilant; attentive; cautious; observant; circumspect; wakeful; heedful. -- Watch"ful*ly, adv. -- Watch"ful*ness, n.

WATCHHOUSE Watch"house`, n.; pl. Watchhouses (.

1. A house in which a watch or guard is placed.

2. A place where persons under temporary arrest by the police of a city are kept; a police station; a lockup.

WATCHMAKER Watch"mak`er, n.

Defn: One whose occupation is to make and repair watches.

WATCHMAN Watch"man, n.; pl. Watchmen (.

1. One set to watch; a person who keeps guard; a guard; a sentinel.

2. Specifically, one who guards a building, or the streets of a city, by night. Watchman beetle (Zoöl.), the European dor. -- Watchman's clock, a watchman's detector in which the apparatus for recording the times of visiting several stations is contained within a single clock. -- Watchman's detector, or Watchman's time detector, an apparatus for recording the time when a watchman visits a station on his rounds. -- Watchman's rattle, an instrument having at the end of a handle a revolving arm, which, by the action of a strong spring upon cogs, produces, when in motion, a loud, harsh, rattling sound.

WATCH MEETING Watch meeting.

Defn: A religious meeting held in the closing hours of the year.

WATCHTOWER Watch"tow`er, n.

Defn: A tower in which a sentinel is placed to watch for enemies, the approach of danger, or the like.

WATCHWORD Watch"word`, n.

1. A word given to sentinels, and to such as have occasion to visit the guards, used as a signal by which a friend is known from an enemy, or a person who has a right to pass the watch from one who has not; a countersign; a password.

2. A sentiment or motto; esp., one used as a rallying cry or a signal for action. Nor deal in watchwords overmuch. Tennyson.

WATER Wa"ter, n. Etym: [AS. wæter; akin to OS. watar, OFries. wetir, weter, LG. & D. water, G. wasser, OHG. wazzar, Icel. vatn, Sw. vatten, Dan. vand, Goth. wat, O. Slav. & Russ. voda, Gr. udan water, ud to wet, and perhaps to L. unda wave. Dropsy, Hydra, Otter, Wet, Whisky.]

1. The fluid which descends from the clouds in rain, and which forms rivers, lakes, seas, etc. "We will drink water." Shak."Powers of fire, air, water, and earth." Milton.

Note: Pure water consists of hydrogen and oxygen, H2O, and is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, transparent liquid, which is very slightly compressible. At its maximum density, 39º Fahr. or 4º C., it is the standard for specific gravities, one cubic centimeter weighing one gram. It freezes at 32º Fahr. or 0º C. and boils at 212º Fahr. or 100º C. (see Ice, Steam). It is the most important natural solvent, and is frequently impregnated with foreign matter which is mostly removed by distillation; hence, rain water is nearly pure. It is an important ingredient in the tissue of animals and plants, the human body containing about two thirds its weight of water.

2. A body of water, standing or flowing; a lake, river, or other collection of water. Remembering he had passed over a small water a poor scholar when first coming to the university, he kneeled. Fuller.

3. Any liquid secretion, humor, or the like, resembling water; esp., the urine.

4. (Pharm.)

Defn: A solution in water of a gaseous or readily volatile substance; as, ammonia water. U. S. Pharm.

5. The limpidity and luster of a precious stone, especially a diamond; as, a diamond of the first water, that is, perfectly pure and transparent. Hence, of the first water, that is, of the first excellence.

6. A wavy, lustrous pattern or decoration such as is imparted to linen, silk, metals, etc. See Water, v. t., 3, Damask, v. t., and Damaskeen.

7. An addition to the shares representing the capital of a stock company so that the aggregate par value of the shares is increased while their value for investment is diminished, or "diluted." [Brokers' Cant]

Note: Water is often used adjectively and in the formation of many self-explaining compounds; as, water drainage; water gauge, or water- gauge; waterfowl, water-fowl, or water fowl; water-beaten; water- borne, water-circled, water-girdled, water-rocked, etc. Hard water. See under Hard. -- Inch of water, a unit of measure of quantity of water, being the quantity which will flow through an orifice one inch square, or a circular orifice one inch in diameter, in a vertical surface, under a stated constant head; also called miner's inch, and water inch. The shape of the orifice and the head vary in different localities. In the Western United States, for hydraulic mining, the standard aperture is square and the head from 4 to 9 inches above its center. In Europe, for experimental hydraulics, the orifice is usually round and the head from -- Mineral water, waters which are so impregnated with foreign ingredients, such as gaseous, sulphureous, and saline substances, as to give them medicinal properties, or a particular flavor or temperature. -- Soft water, water not impregnated with lime or mineral salts. -- To hold water. See under Hold, v. t. -- To keep one's head above water, to keep afloat; fig., to avoid failure or sinking in the struggles of life. [Colloq.] -- To make water. (a) To pass urine. Swift. (b) (Naut.) To admit water; to leak. -- Water of crystallization (Chem.), the water combined with many salts in their crystalline form. This water is loosely, but, nevertheless, chemically, combined, for it is held in fixed and definite amount for each substance containing it. Thus, while pure copper sulphate, CuSO4, is a white amorphous substance, blue vitriol, the crystallized form, CuSO4.5H2O, contains five molecules of water of crystallization. -- Water on the brain (Med.), hydrocephalus. -- Water on the chest (Med.), hydrothorax.

Note: Other phrases, in which water occurs as the first element, will be found in alphabetical order in the Vocabulary.

WATER Wa"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Watered; p. pr. & vb. n. Watering.] Etym: [AS. wæterian, gewæterian.]

1. To wet or supply with water; to moisten; to overflow with water; to irrigate; as, to water land; to water flowers. With tears watering the ground. Milton. Men whose lives gilded on like rivers that water the woodlands. Longfellow.

2. To supply with water for drink; to cause or allow to drink; as, to water cattle and horses.

3. To wet and calender, as cloth, so as to impart to it a lustrous appearance in wavy lines; to diversify with wavelike lines; as, to water silk. Cf. Water, n., 6.

4. To add water to (anything), thereby extending the quantity or bulk while reducing the strength or quality; to extend; to dilute; to weaken. To water stock, to increase the capital stock of a company by issuing new stock, thus diminishing the value of the individual shares. Cf. Water, n., 7. [Brokers' Cant]

WATER Wa"ter, v. i.

1. To shed, secrete, or fill with, water or liquid matter; as, his eyes began to water. If thine eyes can water for his death. Shak.

2. To get or take in water; as, the ship put into port to water. The mouth waters, a phrase denoting that a person or animal has a longing desire for something, since the sight of food often causes one who is hungry to have an increased flow of saliva.

WATER ADDER Wa"ter ad"der. (Zoöl.) (a) The water moccasin. (b) The common, harmless American water snake (Tropidonotus sipedon). See Illust. under Water Snake.

WATERAGE Wa"ter*age (; 48), n.

Defn: Money paid for transportation of goods, etc., by water. [Eng.]

WATER AGRIMONY Wa"ter ag"ri*mo*ny. (Bot.)

Defn: A kind of bur marigold (Bidens tripartita) found in wet places in Europe.

WATER ALOE Wa"ter al"oe. (Bot.)

Defn: See Water soldier.

WATER ANTELOPE Wa"ter an"te*lope.

Defn: See Water buck.

WATER ARUM Wa"ter a"rum. (Bot.)

Defn: An aroid herb (Calla palustris) having a white spathe. It is an inhabitant of the north temperate zone.

WATER BACK Wa"ter back`.

Defn: See under 1st Back.

WATER BAILIFF Wa"ter bail"iff.

Defn: An officer of the customs, whose duty it is to search vessels. [Eng.]

WATER BALLAST Wa"ter bal"last. (Naut.)

Defn: Water confined in specially constructed compartments in a vessel's hold, to serve as ballast.

WATER BAROMETER Wa"ter ba*rom"e*ter. (Physics)

Defn: A barometer in which the changes of atmospheric pressure are indicated by the motion of a column of water instead of mercury. It requires a column of water about thirty-three feet in height.

WATER BATH Wa"ter bath`.

Defn: A device for regulating the temperature of anything subjected to heat, by surrounding the vessel containing it with another vessel containing water which can be kept at a desired temperature; also, a vessel designed for this purpose.

WATER BATTERY Wa"ter bat"ter*y.

1. (Elec.)

Defn: A voltaic battery in which the exciting fluid is water.

2. (Mil.)

Defn: A battery nearly on a level with the water.

WATER BEAR Wa"ter bear`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any species of Tardigrada, 2. See Illust. of Tardigrada.

WATER-BEARER Wa"ter-bear`er, n. (Astron.)

Defn: The constellation Aquarius.

WATER BED Wa"ter bed`.

Defn: A kind of mattress made of, or covered with, waterproof fabric and filled with water. It is used in hospitals for bedridden patients.

WATER BEECH Wa"ter beech`. (Bot.)

Defn: The American hornbeam. See Hornbeam.

WATER BEETLE Wa"ter bee"tle. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of numerous species of aquatic beetles belonging to Dytiscus and allied genera of the family Dytiscidæ, and to various genera of the family Hydrophilidæ. These beetles swim with great agility, the fringed hind legs acting together like oars.

WATER BELLOWS Wa"ter bel"lows.

Defn: Same as Tromp.

WATER BIRD Wa"ter bird`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any aquatic bird; a water fowl.

WATER BLACKBIRD Wa"ter black"*bird. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The European water ousel, or dipper.

WATERBOARD Wa"ter*board`, n.

Defn: A board set up to windward in a boat, to keep out water. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

WATER BOATMAN Wa"ter boat`man. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A boat bug.

WATERBOK Wa"ter*bok`, n. Etym: [D.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A water buck.

WATER-BOUND Wa"ter-bound`, a.

Defn: Prevented by a flood from proceeding.

WATER BRAIN Wa"ter brain`.

Defn: A disease of sheep; gid.

WATER BRASH Wa"ter brash`. (Med.)

Defn: See under Brash.

WATER BREATHER Wa"ter breath"er. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any arthropod that breathes by means of gills.

WATER BRIDGE Wa"ter bridge`. (Steam Boilers)

Defn: See Water table.

WATER BUCK Wa"ter buck`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A large, heavy antelope (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) native of Central Africa. It frequents the banks of rivers and is a good swimmer. It has a white ring around the rump. Called also photomok, water antelope, and waterbok.

Note: The name is also applied to other related species, as the leche (Kobus leche), which has similar habits.

WATER BUFFALO Wa"ter buf"fa*lo. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The European buffalo.

WATER BUG Wa"ter bug`. (Zoöl.) (a) The Croton bug. (b) Any one of numerous species of large, rapacious, aquatic, hemipterous insects belonging to Belostoma, Benacus, Zaitha, and other genera of the family Belostomatidæ. Their hind legs are long and fringed, and act like oars. Some of these insects are of great size, being among the largest existing Hemiptera. Many of them come out of the water and fly about at night.

WATER BUTT Wa"ter butt`.

Defn: A large, open-headed cask, set up on end, to contain water. Dickens.

WATER CALTROP Wa"ter cal"trop. (Bot.)

Defn: The water chestnut.

WATER CAN Wa"ter can`. (Bot.)

Defn: Any one of several species of Nuphar; the yellow frog lily; -- so called from the shape of the seed vessel. See Nuphar, and cf. Candock. Dr. Prior.

WATER CANKER Wa"ter can"ker. (Med.)

Defn: See Canker, n., 1.

WATER CARRIAGE Wa"ter car"riage.

1. Transportation or conveyance by water; means of transporting by water.

2. A vessel or boat. [Obs.] Arbuthnot.

WATER CART Wa"ter cart`.

Defn: A cart carrying water; esp., one carrying water for sale, or for sprinkling streets, gardens, etc.

WATER CAVY Wa"ter ca"vy. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The capybara.

WATER CELERY Wa"ter cel"er*y. (Bot.)

Defn: A very acrid herb (Ranunculus sceleratus) growing in ditches and wet places; -- called also cursed crowfoot.

WATER CELL Wa"ter cell`.

Defn: A cell containing water; specifically (Zoöl.), one of the cells or chambers in which water is stored up in the stomach of a camel.

WATER CEMENT Wa"ter ce*ment".

Defn: Hydraulic cement.

WATER CHESTNUT Wa"ter chest"nut. (Bot.)

Defn: The fruit of Trapa natans and Trapa bicornis, Old World water plants bearing edible nutlike fruits armed with several hard and sharp points; also, the plant itself; -- called also water caltrop.

WATER CHEVROTAIN Wa"ter chev`ro*tain". (Zoöl.)

Defn: A large West African chevrotain (Hyæmoschus aquaticus). It has a larger body and shorter legs than the other allied species. Called also water deerlet.

WATER CHICKEN Wa"ter chick"en. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The common American gallinule.

WATER CHICKWEED Wa"ter chick"weed`. (Bot.)

Defn: A small annual plant (Montia fontana) growing in wet places in southern regions.

WATER CHINQUAPIN Wa"ter chin"qua*pin. (Bot.)

Defn: The American lotus, and its edible seeds, which somewhat resemble chinquapins. Cf. Yoncopin.

WATER CLOCK Wa"ter clock`.

Defn: An instrument or machine serving to measure time by the fall, or flow, of a certain quantity of water; a clepsydra.

WATER-CLOSET Wa"ter-clos`et, n.

Defn: A privy; especially, a privy furnished with a contrivance for introducing a stream of water to cleanse it.

WATER COCK Wa"ter cock`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A large gallinule (Gallicrex cristatus) native of Australia, India, and the East Indies. In the breeding season the male is black and has a fleshy red caruncle, or horn, on the top of its head. Called also kora.

WATER COLOR Wa"ter col`or. (Paint.)

1. A color ground with water and gum or other glutinous medium; a color the vehicle of which is water; -- so called in distinction from oil color.

Note: It preserves its consistency when dried in a solid cake, which is used by rubbing off a portion on a moistened palette. Moist water colors are water colors kept in a semifluid or pasty state in little metal tubes or pans.

2. A picture painted with such colors.

WATER-COLORIST Wa"ter-col`or*ist, n.

Defn: One who paints in water colors.

WATER COURSE Wa"ter course`.

1. A stream of water; a river or brook. Isa. xliv. 4.

2. A natural channel for water; also, a canal for the conveyance of water, especially in draining lands.

3. (Law)

Defn: A running stream of water having a bed and banks; the easement one may have in the flowing of such a stream in its accustomed course. A water course may be sometimes dry. Angell. Burrill.

WATERCOURSE Wa"ter*course`, n. (Shipbuilding)

Defn: One of the holes in floor or other plates to permit water to flow through.

WATER CRAFT Wa"ter craft`.

Defn: Any vessel or boat plying on water; vessels and boats, collectively.

WATER CRAKE Wa"ter crake`. (Zoöl.) (a) The dipper. (b) The spotted crake (Porzana maruetta). See Illust. of Crake. (c) The swamp hen, or crake, of Australia.

WATER CRANE Wa"ter crane`.

Defn: A goose-neck apparatus for supplying water from an elevated tank, as to the tender of a locomotive.

WATER CRESS Wa"ter cress`. (Bot.)

Defn: A perennial cruciferous herb (Nasturtium officinale) growing usually in clear running or spring water. The leaves are pungent, and used for salad and as an antiscorbutic.

WATER CROW Wa"ter crow`. Etym: [So called in allusion to its dark plumage.] (Zoöl.) (a) The dipper. (b) The European coot.

WATER CROWFOOT Wa"ter crow"foot`. (Bot.)

Defn: An aquatic kind of buttercup (Ranunculus aquatilis), used as food for cattle in parts of England. Great water crowfoot, an American water plant (Ranunculus multifidus), having deep yellow flowers.

WATER CURE Wa"ter cure`.

1. (Med.)

Defn: Hydropathy.

2. A hydropathic institution.

WATER DECK Wa"ter deck`.

Defn: A covering of painting canvas for the equipments of a dragoon's horse. Wilhelm.

WATER DEER Wa"ter deer`. (Zoöl.) (a) A small Chinese deer (Hydropotes inermis). Both sexes are destitute of antlers, but the male has large, descending canine tusks. (b) The water chevrotain.

WATER DEERLET Wa"ter deer"let.

Defn: See Water chevrotain.

WATER DEVIL Wa"ter dev"il. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The rapacious larva of a large water beetle (Hydrophilus piceus), and of other similar species. See Illust. of Water beetle.

WATER DOCK Wa"ter dock`. (Bot.)

Defn: A tall, coarse dock growing in wet places. The American water dock is Rumex orbiculatus, the European is R. Hydrolapathum.

WATER DOCTOR Wa"ter doc"tor. (Med.) (a) One who professes to be able to divine diseases by inspection of the urine. (b) A physician who treats diseases with water; an hydropathist.