Chapter V: Moth (7)

Defn: The longitudinal guides, or guiding surfaces, on the bed of a planer, lathe, or the like, along which a table or carriage moves.

12. (Law)

Defn: Right of way. See below. By the way, in passing; apropos; aside; apart from, though connected with, the main object or subject of discourse. -- By way of, for the purpose of; as being; in character of. -- Covert way. (Fort.) See Covered way, under Covered. -- In the family way. See under Family. -- In the way, so as to meet, fall in with, obstruct, hinder, etc. -- In the way with, traveling or going with; meeting or being with; in the presence of. -- Milky way. (Astron.) See Galaxy, 1. -- No way, No ways. See Noway, Noways, in the Vocabulary. -- On the way, traveling or going; hence, in process; advancing toward completion; as, on the way to this country; on the way to success. -- Out of the way. See under Out. -- Right of way (Law), a right of private passage over another's ground. It may arise either by grant or prescription. It may be attached to a house, entry, gate, well, or city lot, as well as to a country farm. Kent. -- To be under way, or To have way (Naut.), to be in motion, as when a ship begins to move. -- To give way. See under Give. -- To go one's way, or To come one's way, to go or come; to depart or come along. Shak. -- To go the way of all the earth, to die. -- To make one's way, to advance in life by one's personal efforts. -- To make way. See under Make, v. t. -- Ways and means. (a) Methods; resources; facilities. (b) (Legislation) Means for raising money; resources for revenue. -- Way leave, permission to cross, or a right of way across, land; also, rent paid for such right. [Eng] -- Way of the cross (Eccl.), the course taken in visiting in rotation the stations of the cross. See Station, n., 7 (c). -- Way of the rounds (Fort.), a space left for the passage of the rounds between a rampart and the wall of a fortified town. -- Way pane, a pane for cartage in irrigated land. See Pane, n., 4. [Prov. Eng.] -- Way passenger, a passenger taken up, or set down, at some intermediate place between the principal stations on a line of travel. -- Ways of God, his providential government, or his works. -- Way station, an intermediate station between principal stations on a line of travel, especially on a railroad. -- Way train, a train which stops at the intermediate, or way, stations; an accommodation train. -- Way warden, the surveyor of a road.

Syn. -- Street; highway; road. -- Way, Street, Highway, Road. Way is generic, denoting any line for passage or conveyance; a highway is literally one raised for the sake of dryness and convenience in traveling; a road is, strictly, a way for horses and carriages; a street is, etymologically, a paved way, as early made in towns and cities; and, hence, the word is distinctively applied to roads or highways in compact settlements. All keep the broad highway, and take delight With many rather for to go astray. Spenser. There is but one road by which to climb up. Addison. When night Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine. Milton.

WAY Way, v. t.

Defn: To go or travel to; to go in, as a way or path. [Obs.] "In land not wayed." Wyclif.

WAY Way, v. i.

Defn: To move; to progress; to go. [R.] On a time as they together wayed. Spenser.

WAYBILL Way"bill`, n.

Defn: A list of passengers in a public vehicle, or of the baggage or gods transported by a common carrier on a land route. When the goods are transported by water, the list is called a bill of lading.

WAYBREAD Way"bread`, n. Etym: [AS. wegbr. See Way, and Broad.] (Bot.)

Defn: The common dooryard plantain (Plantago major).

WAYBUNG Way"bung`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An Australian insessorial bird (Corcorax melanorhamphus) noted for the curious actions of the male during the breeding season. It is black with a white patch on each wing.

WAYED Wayed, a.

Defn: Used to the way; broken. [R.] A horse that is not well wayed; he starts at every bird that flies out the hedge. Selden.

WAYFARE Way"fare`, v. i. Etym: [Way + fare to go.]

Defn: To journey; to travel; to go to and fro. [Obs.] A certain Laconian, as he wayfared, came unto a place where there dwelt an old friend of his. Holland.

WAYFARE Way"fare`, n.

Defn: The act of journeying; travel; passage. [Obs.] Holland.

WAYFARER Way"far`er, n.

Defn: One who travels; a traveler; a passenger.

WAYFARING Way"far`ing, a.

Defn: Traveling; passing; being on a journey. "A wayfaring man." Judg. xix. 17. Wayfaring tree (Bot.), a European shrub (Viburnum lantana) having large ovate leaves and dense cymes of small white flowers. -- American wayfaring tree (Bot.), the (Viburnum lantanoides).

WAYGATE Way"gate`, n.

Defn: The tailrace of a mill. Knight.

WAY-GOING Way"-go`ing, a.

Defn: Going away; departing; of or pertaining to one who goes away. Way-going crop (Law of Leases), a crop of grain to which tenants for years are sometimes entitled by custom; grain sown in the fall to be reaped at the next harvest; a crop which will not ripen until after the termination of the lease. Burrill.

WAY-GOOSE Way"-goose`, n.

Defn: See Wayz-goose, n., 2. [Eng.]

WAYK Wayk, a.

Defn: Weak. [Obs.] Chaucer.

WAYLAY Way"lay`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waylaid; p. pr. & vb. n. Waylaying.] Etym: [Way + lay.]

Defn: To lie in wait for; to meet or encounter in the way; especially, to watch for the passing of, with a view to seize, rob, or slay; to beset in ambush. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshill shall rob those men that we have already waylaid. Shak. She often contrived to waylay him in his walks. Sir W. Scott.

WAYLAYER Way"lay`er, n.

Defn: One who waylays another.

WAYLESS Way"less, a.

Defn: Having no road or path; pathless.

WAYLEWAY Way"le*way, interj.

Defn: See Welaway. [Obs.]

WAYMAKER Way"mak`er, n.

Defn: One who makes a way; a precursor. [R.] Bacon.

WAYMARK Way"mark`, n.

Defn: A mark to guide in traveling.

WAYMENT Way"ment, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waymented; p. pr. & vb. n. Waymenting.] Etym: [OE. waymenten, OF. waimenter, gaimenter, guaimenter, from wai, guai, woe! (of Teutonic origin; see Woe) and L. lamentari to lament. See Lament.]

Defn: To lament; to grieve; to wail. [Written also waiment.] [Obs.] Thilke science . . . maketh a man to waymenten. Chaucer. For what boots it to weep and wayment, When ill is chanced Spenser.

WAYMENT Way"ment, n.

Defn: Grief; lamentation; mourning. [Written also waiment.] [Obs.] Spenser.

-WAYS -ways.

Defn: A suffix formed from way by the addition of the adverbial -s (see -wards). It is often used interchangeably with wise; as, endways or endwise; noways or nowise, etc.

WAY SHAFT Way" shaft`.

1. (Mach.)

Defn: A rock shaft.

2. (Mining)

Defn: An interior shaft, usually one connecting two levels. Raymond.

WAYSIDE Way"side`, n.

Defn: The side of the way; the edge or border of a road or path.

WAYSIDE Way"side`, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to the wayside; as, wayside flowers. "A wayside inn." Longfellow.

WAYWARD Way"ward, a. Etym: [OE. weiward, for aweiward, i. e., turned away. See Away, and -ward.]

Defn: Taking one's own way; disobedient; froward; perverse; willful. My wife is in a wayward mood. Shak. Wayward beauty doth not fancy move. Fairfax. Wilt thou forgive the wayward thought Keble. -- Way"ward*ly, adv. -- Way"ward*ness, n.

WAY-WISE Way"-wise`, a.

Defn: Skillful in finding the way; well acquainted with the way or route; wise from having traveled.

WAYWISER Way"wis`er, n. Etym: [Cf. G. wegweiser a waymark, a guide; weg way + weisen to show, direct.]

Defn: An instrument for measuring the distance which one has traveled on the road; an odometer, pedometer, or perambulator. The waywiser to a coach, exactly measuring the miles, and showing them by an index. Evelyn.

WAYWODE Way"wode, n. Etym: [Russ. voevoda, or Pol. woiewoda; properly, a leader of an army, a leader in war. Cf. Vaivode.]

Defn: Originally, the title of a military commander in various Slavonic countries; afterwards applied to governors of towns or provinces. It was assumed for a time by the rulers of Moldavia and Wallachia, who were afterwards called hospodars, and has also been given to some inferior Turkish officers. [Written also vaivode, voivode, waiwode, and woiwode.]

WAYWODESHIP Way"wode*ship, n.

Defn: The office, province, or jurisdiction of a waywode.

WAYWORN Way"worn`, a.

Defn: Wearied by traveling.

WAYZ-GOOSE Wayz"-goose`, n. Etym: [Wase stubble + goose.]

1. A stubble goose. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

2. An annual feast of the persons employed in a printing office. [Written also way-goose.] [Eng.]

WE We, pron.; pl. of I. [Poss. Our (our) or Ours (; obj. Us (. See I.] Etym: [As. w; akin to OS. wi, OFries. & LG. wi, D. wij, G. wir, Icel. v, Sw. & Dan. vi, Goth. weis, Skr. vayam. sq. root190.]

Defn: The plural nominative case of the pronoun of the first person; the word with which a person in speaking or writing denotes a number or company of which he is one, as the subject of an action expressed by a verb.

Note: We is frequently used to express men in general, including the speaker. We is also often used by individuals, as authors, editors, etc., in speaking of themselves, in order to avoid the appearance of egotism in the too frequent repetition of the pronoun I. The plural style is also in use among kings and other sovereigns, and is said to have been begun by King John of England. Before that time, monarchs used the singular number in their edicts. The German and the French sovereigns followed the example of King John in a. d. 1200.

WEAK Weak, a. [Compar. Weaker; superl. Weakest.] Etym: [OE. weik, Icel. veikr; akin to Sw. vek, Dan. veg soft, flexible, pliant, AS. wac weak, soft, pliant, D. week, G. weich, OHG. weih; all from the verb seen in Icel. vikja to turn, veer, recede, AS. wican to yield, give way, G. weichen, OHG. wihhan, akin to Skr. vij, and probably to E. week, L. vicis a change, turn, Gr. Week, Wink, v. i. Vicissitude.]

1. Wanting physical strength. Specifically: -- (a) Deficient in strength of body; feeble; infirm; sickly; debilitated; enfeebled; exhausted. A poor, infirm, weak, and despised old man. Shak. Weak with hunger, mad with love. Dryden.

(b) Not able to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain; as, a weak timber; a weak rope. (c) Not firmly united or adhesive; easily broken or separated into pieces; not compact; as, a weak ship. (d) Not stiff; pliant; frail; soft; as, the weak stalk of a plant. (e) Not able to resist external force or onset; easily subdued or overcome; as, a weak barrier; as, a weak fortress. (f) Lacking force of utterance or sound; not sonorous; low; small; feeble; faint. A voice not soft, weak, piping, and womanish. Ascham.

(g) Not thoroughly or abundantly impregnated with the usual or required ingredients, or with stimulating and nourishing substances; of less than the usual strength; as, weak tea, broth, or liquor; a weak decoction or solution; a weak dose of medicine. (h) Lacking ability for an appropriate function or office; as, weak eyes; a weak stomach; a weak magistrate; a weak regiment, or army.

2. Not possessing or manifesting intellectual, logical, moral, or political strength, vigor, etc. Specifically: - (a) Feeble of mind; wanting discernment; lacking vigor; spiritless; as, a weak king or magistrate. To think every thing disputable is a proof of a weak mind and captious temper. Beattie. Origen was never weak enough to imagine that there were two Gods. Waterland.

(b) Resulting from, or indicating, lack of judgment, discernment, or firmness; unwise; hence, foolish. If evil thence ensue, She first his weak indulgence will accuse. Milton.

(c) Not having full confidence or conviction; not decided or confirmed; vacillating; wavering. Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. Rom. xiv. 1.

(d) Not able to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable; as, weak resolutions; weak virtue. Guard thy heart On this weak side, where most our nature fails. Addison.

(e) Wanting in power to influence or bind; as, weak ties; a weak sense of honor of duty. (f) Not having power to convince; not supported by force of reason or truth; unsustained; as, a weak argument or case. "Convinced of his weak arguing." Milton. A case so weak . . . hath much persisted in. Hooker.

(g) Wanting in point or vigor of expression; as, a weak sentence; a weak style. (h) Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be prevalent; not potent; feeble. "Weak prayers." Shak. (i) Lacking in elements of political strength; not wielding or having authority or energy; deficient in the resources that are essential to a ruler or nation; as, a weak monarch; a weak government or state. I must make fair weather yet awhile, Till Henry be more weak, and I more strong. Shak. (k) (Stock Exchange)

Defn: Tending towards lower prices; as, a weak market.

3. (Gram.) (a) Pertaining to, or designating, a verb which forms its preterit (imperfect) and past participle by adding to the present the suffix - ed, -d, or the variant form -t; as in the verbs abash, abashed; abate, abated; deny, denied; feel, felt. See Strong, 19 (a). (b) Pertaining to, or designating, a noun in Anglo-Saxon, etc., the stem of which ends in -n. See Strong, 19 (b).

Note: Weak is often used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, weak-eyed, weak-handed, weak-hearted, weak-minded, weak-spirited, and the like.

Weak conjugation (Gram.), the conjugation of weak verbs; -- called also new, or regular, conjugation, and distinguished from the old, or irregular, conjugation. -- Weak declension (Anglo-Saxon Gram.), the declension of weak nouns; also, one of the declensions of adjectives. -- Weak side, the side or aspect of a person's character or disposition by which he is most easily affected or influenced; weakness; infirmity. -- Weak sore or ulcer (Med.), a sore covered with pale, flabby, sluggish granulations.

WEAK Weak, v. t. & i. Etym: [Cf. AS. w. wacian. See Weak, a.]

Defn: To make or become weak; to weaken. [R.] Never to seek weaking variety. Marston.

WEAKEN Weak"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weakened; p. pr. & vb. n. Weakening.]

1. To make weak; to lessen the strength of; to deprive of strength; to debilitate; to enfeeble; to enervate; as, to weaken the body or the mind; to weaken the hands of a magistrate; to weaken the force of an objection or an argument. Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Neh. vi. 9.

2. To reduce in quality, strength, or spirit; as, to weaken tea; to weaken any solution or decoction.

WEAKEN Weak"en, v. i.

Defn: To become weak or weaker; to lose strength, spirit, or determination; to become less positive or resolute; as, the patient weakened; the witness weakened on cross-examination. "His notion weakens, his discernings are lethargied." Shak.

WEAKENER Weak"en*er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, weakens. "[Fastings] weakeners of sin." South.

WEAKFISH Weak"fish`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any fish of the genus Cynoscion; a squeteague; -- so called from its tender mouth. See Squeteague. Spotted weakfish (Zoöl.), the spotted squeteague.

WEAK-HEARTED Weak"-heart`ed, a.

Defn: Having little courage; of feeble spirit; dispirited; faint- hearted. "Weak-hearted enemies." Shak.

WEAKISH Weak"ish, a.

Defn: Somewhat weak; rather weak.

WEAKISHNESS Weak"ish*ness, n.

Defn: Quality or state of being weakish.

WEAK-KNEED Weak"-kneed`, a.

Defn: Having weak knees; hence, easily yielding; wanting resolution. H. James.

WEAKLING Weak"ling, n. Etym: [Weak + -ling.]

Defn: A weak or feeble creature. Shak. "All looking on him as a weakling, which would post to the grave." Fuller. We may not be weaklings because we have a strong enemy. Latimer.

WEAKLING Weak"ling, a.

Defn: Weak; feeble. Sir T. North.

WEAKLY Weak"ly, adv.

Defn: In a weak manner; with little strength or vigor; feebly.

WEAKLY Weak"ly, a. [Compar. Weaklier; superl. Weakliest.]

Defn: Not strong of constitution; infirm; feeble; as, a weakly woman; a man of a weakly constitution.

WEAK-MINDED Weak"-mind`ed, a.

Defn: Having a weak mind, either naturally or by reason of disease; feebleminded; foolish; idiotic. -- Weak"-mind`ed*ness, n.

WEAKNESS Weak"ness, n.

1. The quality or state of being weak; want of strength or firmness; lack of vigor; want of resolution or of moral strength; feebleness.

2. That which is a mark of lack of strength or resolution; a fault; a defect. Many take pleasure in spreading abroad the weakness of an exalted character. Spectator.

Syn. -- Feebleness; debility; languor; imbecility; infirmness; infirmity; decrepitude; frailty; faintness.

WEAL Weal, n.

Defn: The mark of a stripe. See Wale.

WEAL Weal, v. t.

Defn: To mark with stripes. See Wale.

WEAL Weal, n. Etym: [OE. wele, AS. wela, weola, wealth, from wel well. See Well, adv., and cf. Wealth.]

1. A sound, healthy, or prosperous state of a person or thing; prosperity; happiness; welfare. God . . . grant you wele and prosperity. Chaucer. As we love the weal of our souls and bodies. Bacon. To him linked in weal or woe. Milton. Never was there a time when it more concerned the public weal that the character of the Parliament should stand high. Macaulay.

2. The body politic; the state; common wealth. [Obs.] The special watchmen of our English weal. Shak.

WEAL Weal, v. t.

Defn: To promote the weal of; to cause to be prosperous. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

WEAL-BALANCED Weal"-bal`anced, a.

Defn: Balanced or considered with reference to public weal. [Obs.] Shak.

WEALD Weald, n. Etym: [AS. See Wold.]

Defn: A wood or forest; a wooded land or region; also, an open country; -- often used in place names. Fled all night long by glimmering waste and weald, And heard the spirits of the waste and weald Moan as she fled. Tennyson. Weald clay (Geol.), the uppermost member of the Wealden strata. See Wealden.

WEALDEN Weald"en, a. Etym: [AS. weald, wald, a forest, a wood. So called because this formation occurs in the wealds, or woods, of Kent and Sussex. See Weald.] (Geol.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the lowest division of the Cretaceous formation in England and on the Continent, which overlies the Oölitic series.

WEALDEN Weald"en, n. (Geol.)

Defn: The Wealden group or strata.

WEALDISH Weald"ish, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to a weald, esp. to the weald in the county of Kent, England. [Obs.] Fuller.

WEALFUL Weal"ful, a.

Defn: Weleful. [Obs.] Chaucer.

WEALSMAN Weals"man, n.; pl. Wealsmen. Etym: [Weal + man.]

Defn: A statesman; a politician. [R.] Shak.

WEALTH Wealth, n. Etym: [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]

1. Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [Obs.] "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth." 1 Cor. x. 24.

2. Large possessions; a comparative abundance of things which are objects of human desire; esp., abundance of worldly estate; affluence; opulence; riches. I have little wealth to lose. Shak. Each day new wealth, without their care, provides. Dryden. Wealth comprises all articles of value and nothing else. F. A. Walker. Active wealth. See under Active.

Syn. -- Riches; affluence; opulence; abundance.

WEALTHFUL Wealth"ful, a.

Defn: Full of wealth; wealthy; prosperous. [R.] Sir T. More. -- Wealth"ful*ly, adv. [R.]

WEALTHILY Wealth"i*ly, adv.

Defn: In a wealthy manner; richly. I come to wive it wealthily in Padua. Shak.

WEALTHINESS Wealth"i*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being wealthy, or rich; richness; opulence.

WEALTHY Wealth"y, a. [Compar. Wealthier; superl. Wealthiest.]

1. Having wealth; having large possessions, or larger than most men, as lands, goods, money, or securities; opulent; affluent; rich. A wealthy Hebrew of my tribe. Shak. Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. Ps. lxvi. 12.

2. Hence, ample; full; satisfactory; abundant. [R.] The wealthy witness of my pen. B. Jonson.

WEAN Wean, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weaned; p. pr. & vb. n. Weaning.] Etym: [OE. wenen, AS. wenian, wennan, to accustom; akin to D. wennen, G. gewöhnen, OHG. giwennan, Icel. venja, Sw. vänja, Dan. vænne, Icel. vanr accustomed, wont; cf. AS. awenian to wean, G. entwöhnen. See Wont, a.]

1. To accustom and reconcile, as a child or other young animal, to a want or deprivation of mother's milk; to take from the breast or udder; to cause to cease to depend on the mother nourishment. And the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. Gen. xxi. 8.

2. Hence, to detach or alienate the affections of, from any object of desire; to reconcile to the want or loss of anything. "Wean them from themselves." Shak. The troubles of age were intended . . . to wean us gradually from our fondness of life. Swift.

WEAN Wean, n.

Defn: A weanling; a young child. I, being but a yearling wean. Mrs. Browning.

WEANEDNESS Wean"ed*ness, n.

Defn: Quality or state of being weaned.

WEANEL Wean"el, n.

Defn: A weanling. [Obs.] Spenser.

WEANLING Wean"ling,

Defn: a. & n. from Wean, v. The weaning of the whelp is the great test of the skill of the kennel man. J. H. Walsh. Weaning brash. (Med.) See under Brash.

WEANLING Wean"ling, n. Etym: [Wean + -ling.]

Defn: A child or animal newly weaned; a wean.

WEANLING Wean"ling, a.

Defn: Recently weaned. Milton.

WEAPON Weap"on, n. Etym: [OE. wepen, AS. w; akin to OS. w, OFries. w, w, D. wapen, G. waffe, OHG. waffan, wafan, Icel. vapn, Dan. vaaben, Sw. vapen, Goth. w, pl.; of uncertain origin. Cf. Wapentake.]

1. An instrument of offensive of defensive combat; something to fight with; anything used, or designed to be used, in destroying, defeating, or injuring an enemy, as a gun, a sword, etc. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. 2 Cor. x. 4. They, astonished, all resistance lost, All courage; down their idle weapons dropped. Milton.

2. Fig.: The means or instrument with which one contends against another; as, argument was his only weapon. "Woman's weapons, water drops." Shak.

3. (Bot.)

Defn: A thorn, prickle, or sting with which many plants are furnished. Concealed weapons. See under Concealed. -- Weapon salve, a salve which was supposed to cure a wound by being applied to the weapon that made it. [Obs.] Boyle.

WEAPONED Weap"oned, a.

Defn: Furnished with weapons, or arms; armed; equipped.

WEAPONLESS Weap"on*less, a.

Defn: Having no weapon.

WEAPONRY Weap"on*ry, n.

Defn: Weapons, collectively; as, an array of weaponry. [Poetic]

WEAR Wear, n.

Defn: Same as Weir.

WEAR Wear, v. t. Etym: [Cf. Veer.] (Naut.)

Defn: To cause to go about, as a vessel, by putting the helm up, instead of alee as in tacking, so that the vessel's bow is turned away from, and her stern is presented to, the wind, and, as she turns still farther, her sails fill on the other side; to veer.

WEAR Wear, v. t. [imp. Wore; p. p. Worn; p. pr. & vb. n. Wearing. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the imp. & p. p. being Weared.] Etym: [OE. weren, werien, AS. werian to carry, to wear, as arms or clothes; akin to OHG. werien, weren, to clothe, Goth. wasjan, L. vestis clothing, vestire to clothe, Gr. vas. Cf. Vest.]

1. To carry or bear upon the person; to bear upon one's self, as an article of clothing, decoration, warfare, bondage, etc.; to have appendant to one's body; to have on; as, to wear a coat; to wear a shackle. What compass will you wear your farthingale Shak. On her white breast a sparkling cross swore, Which Jews might kiss, and infidels adore. Pope.

2. To have or exhibit an appearance of, as an aspect or manner; to bear; as, she wears a smile on her countenance. "He wears the rose of youth upon him." Shak. His innocent gestures wear A meaning half divine. Keble.

3. To use up by carrying or having upon one's self; hence, to consume by use; to waste; to use up; as, to wear clothes rapidly.

4. To impair, waste, or diminish, by continual attrition, scraping, percussion, on the like; to consume gradually; to cause to lower or disappear; to spend. That wicked wight his days doth wear. Spenser. The waters wear the stones. Job xiv. 19.

5. To cause or make by friction or wasting; as, to wear a channel; to wear a hole.

6. To form or shape by, or as by, attrition. Trials wear us into a liking of what, possibly, in the first essay, displeased us. Locke. To wear away, to consume; to impair, diminish, or destroy, by gradual attrition or decay. -- To wear off, to diminish or remove by attrition or slow decay; as, to wear off the nap of cloth. -- To wear on or upon, to wear. [Obs.] "[I] weared upon my gay scarlet gites [gowns.]" Chaucer. -- To wear out. (a) To consume, or render useless, by attrition or decay; as, to wear out a coat or a book. (b) To consume tediously. "To wear out miserable days." Milton. (c) To harass; to tire. "[He] shall wear out the saints of the Most High." Dan vii. 25. (d) To waste the strength of; as, an old man worn out in military service. -- To wear the breeches. See under Breeches. [Colloq.]

WEAR Wear, v. i.

1. To endure or suffer use; to last under employment; to bear the consequences of use, as waste, consumption, or attrition; as, a coat wears well or ill; -- hence, sometimes applied to character, qualifications, etc.; as, a man wears well as an acquaintance.

2. To be wasted, consumed, or diminished, by being used; to suffer injury, loss, or extinction by use or time; to decay, or be spent, gradually. "Thus wore out night." Milton. Away, I say; time wears. Shak. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and this people that is with thee. Ex. xviii. 18. His stock of money began to wear very low. Sir W. Scott. The family . . . wore out in the earlier part of the century. Beaconsfield. To wear off, to pass away by degrees; as, the follies of youth wear off with age. -- To wear on, to pass on; as, time wears on. G. Eliot. -- To wear weary, to become weary, as by wear, long occupation, tedious employment, etc.

WEAR Wear, n.

1. The act of wearing, or the state of being worn; consumption by use; diminution by friction; as, the wear of a garment.

2. The thing worn; style of dress; the fashion. Motley wear. Shak. Wear and tear, the loss by wearing, as of machinery in use; the loss or injury to which anything is subjected by use, accident, etc.

WEARABLE Wear"a*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being worn; suitable to be worn.

WEARER Wear"er, n.

1. One who wears or carries as appendant to the body; as, the wearer of a cloak, a sword, a crown, a shackle, etc. Cowls, hoods, and habits, with their wearers, tossed, And fluttered into rags. Milton.

2. That which wastes or diminishes.

WEARIABLE Wea"ri*a*ble, a.

Defn: That may be wearied.

WEARIFUL Wea"ri*ful, a.

Defn: Abounding in qualities which cause weariness; wearisome. -- Wea"ri*ful*ly, adv.

WEARILESS Wea"ri*less, a.

Defn: Incapable of being wearied.

WEARILY Wea"ri*ly, adv.

Defn: In a weary manner.

WEARINESS Wea"ri*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being weary or tried; lassitude; exhaustion of strength; fatigue. With weariness and wine oppressed. Dryden. A man would die, though he were neither valiant nor miserable, only upon a weariness to do the same thing so oft over and over. Bacon.

WEARING Wear"ing, n.

1. The act of one who wears; the manner in which a thing wears; use; conduct; consumption. Belike he meant to ward, and there to see his wearing. Latimer.

2. That which is worn; clothes; garments. [Obs.] Give me my nightly wearing and adieu. Shak.

WEARING Wear"ing, a.

Defn: Pertaining to, or designed for, wear; as, wearing apparel.

WEARISH Wear"ish, a. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain, but perhaps akin to weary.]

1. Weak; withered; shrunk. [Obs.] "A wearish hand." Ford. A little, wearish old man, very melancholy by nature. Burton.

2. Insipid; tasteless; unsavory. [Obs.] Wearish as meat is that is not well tasted. Palsgrave.

WEARISOME Wea"ri*some, a.

Defn: Causing weariness; tiresome; tedious; weariful; as, a wearisome march; a wearisome day's work; a wearisome book. These high wild hills and rough uneven ways Draws out our miles, and makes them wearisome. Shak.

Syn. -- Irksome; tiresome; tedious; fatiguing; annoying; vexatious. See Irksome. -- Wea"ri*some*ly, adv. -- Wea"ri*some*ness, n.

WEARY Wea"ry, a. [Compar. Wearier; superl. Weariest.] Etym: [OE. weri, AS. w; akin to OS. w, OHG. wu; of uncertain origin; cf. AS. w to ramble.]

1. Having the strength exhausted by toil or exertion; worn out in respect to strength, endurance, etc.; tired; fatigued. I care not for my spirits if my legs were not weary. Shak. [I] am weary, thinking of your task. Longfellow.

2. Causing weariness; tiresome. "Weary way." Spenser. "There passed a weary time." Coleridge.

3. Having one's patience, relish, or contentment exhausted; tired; sick; -- with of before the cause; as, weary of marching, or of confinement; weary of study.

Syn. -- Fatigued; tiresome; irksome; wearisome.

WEARY Wea"ry, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wearied; p. pr. & vb. n. Wearying.]

1. To reduce or exhaust the physical strength or endurance of; to tire; to fatigue; as, to weary one's self with labor or traveling. So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers. Shak.

2. To make weary of anything; to exhaust the patience of, as by continuance. I stay too long by thee; I weary thee. Shak.

3. To harass by anything irksome. I would not cease To weary him with my assiduous cries. Milton. To weary out, to subdue or exhaust by fatigue.

Syn. -- To jade; tire; fatigue; fag. See Jade.

WEARY Wea"ry, v. i.

Defn: To grow tired; to become exhausted or impatient; as, to weary of an undertaking.

WEASAND Wea"sand, n. Etym: [OE. wesand, AS. wasend; akin to OFries. wasende, wasande; cf. OHG. weisunt.]

Defn: The windpipe; -- called also, formerly, wesil. [Formerly, written also, wesand, and wezand.] Cut his weasand with thy knife. Shak.

WEASEL Wea"sel, n. Etym: [OE. wesele, AS. wesle; akin to D. wezel, G. wiesel, OHG. wisala, Icel. hreyivisla, Dan. väsel, Sw. vessla; of uncertain origin; cf. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of various species of small carnivores belonging to the genus Putorius, as the ermine and ferret. They have a slender, elongated body, and are noted for the quickness of their movements and for their bloodthirsty habit in destroying poultry, rats, etc. The ermine and some other species are brown in summer, and turn white in winter; others are brown at all seasons. Malacca weasel, the rasse. -- Weasel coot, a female or young male of the smew; -- so called from the resemblance of the head to that of a weasel. Called also weasel duck. -- Weasel lemur, a short-tailed lemur (Lepilemur mustelinus). It is reddish brown above, grayish brown below, with the throat white.

WEASEL-FACED Wea"sel-faced`, a.

Defn: Having a thin, sharp face, like a weasel.

WEASER Wea"ser, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The American merganser; -- called also weaser sheldrake. [Local, U. S.]

WEASINESS Wea"si*ness, n.

Defn: Quality or state of being weasy; full feeding; sensual indulgence. [Obs.] Joye.

WEASY Wea"sy, a. Etym: [Cf. Weasand.]

Defn: Given to sensual indulgence; gluttonous. [Obs.] Joye.

WEATHER Weath"er, n. Etym: [OE. weder, AS. weder; akin to OS. wedar, OFries. weder, D. weder, weêr, G. wetter, OHG. wetar, Icel. veedhr, Dan. veir, Sw. väder wind, air, weather, and perhaps to OSlav. vedro fair weather; or perhaps to Lith. vetra storm, Russ. vieter', vietr', wind, and E. wind. Cf. Wither.]

1. The state of the air or atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness, or any other meteorological phenomena; meteorological condition of the atmosphere; as, warm weather; cold weather; wet weather; dry weather, etc. Not amiss to cool a man's stomach this hot weather. Shak. Fair weather cometh out of the north. Job xxxvii. 22.

2. Vicissitude of season; meteorological change; alternation of the state of the air. Bacon.

3. Storm; tempest. What gusts of weather from that gathering cloud My thoughts presage! Dryden.

4. A light rain; a shower. [Obs.] Wyclif. Stress of weather, violent winds; force of tempests. -- To make fair weather, to flatter; to give flattering representations. [R.] -- To make good, or bad, weather (Naut.), to endure a gale well or ill; -- said of a vessel. Shak. -- Under the weather, ill; also, financially embarrassed. [Colloq. U. S.] Bartlett. -- Weather box. Same as Weather house, below. Thackeray. -- Weather breeder, a fine day which is supposed to presage foul weather. -- Weather bureau, a popular name for the signal service. See Signal service, under Signal, a. [U.S.] -- Weather cloth (Naut.), a long piece of canvas of tarpaulin used to preserve the hammocks from injury by the weather when stowed in the nettings. -- Weather door. (Mining) See Trapdoor, 2. -- Weather gall. Same as Water gall, 2. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell. -- Weather house, a mechanical contrivance in the form of a house, which indicates changes in atmospheric conditions by the appearance or retirement of toy images. Peace to the artist whose ingenious thought Devised the weather house, that useful toy! Cowper. -- Weather molding, or Weather moulding (Arch.), a canopy or cornice over a door or a window, to throw off the rain. -- Weather of a windmill sail, the obliquity of the sail, or the angle which it makes with its plane of revolution. -- Weather report, a daily report of meteorological observations, and of probable changes in the weather; esp., one published by government authority. -- Weather spy, a stargazer; one who foretells the weather. [R.] Donne. -- Weather strip (Arch.), a strip of wood, rubber, or other material, applied to an outer door or window so as to cover the joint made by it with the sill, casings, or threshold, in order to exclude rain, snow, cold air, etc.

WEATHER Weath"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weathered; p. pr. & vb. n. Weathering.]

1. To expose to the air; to air; to season by exposure to air. [An eagle] soaring through his wide empire of the air To weather his broad sails. Spenser. This gear lacks weathering. Latimer.

2. Hence, to sustain the trying effect of; to bear up against and overcome; to sustain; to endure; to resist; as, to weather the storm. For I can weather the roughest gale. Longfellow. You will weather the difficulties yet. F. W. Robertson.

3. (Naut.)

Defn: To sail or pass to the windward of; as, to weather a cape; to weather another ship.

4. (Falconry)

Defn: To place (a hawk) unhooded in the open air. Encyc. Brit. To weather a point. (a) (Naut.) To pass a point of land, leaving it on the lee side. (b) Hence, to gain or accomplish anything against opposition. -- To weather out, to encounter successfully, though with difficulty; as, to weather out a storm.

WEATHER Weath"er, v. i.

Defn: To undergo or endure the action of the atmosphere; to suffer meteorological influences; sometimes, to wear away, or alter, under atmospheric influences; to suffer waste by weather. The organisms . . . seem indestructible, while the hard matrix in which they are imbedded has weathered from around them. H. Miller.

WEATHER Weath"er, a. (Naut.)

Defn: Being toward the wind, or windward -- opposed to lee; as, weather bow, weather braces, weather gauge, weather lifts, weather quarter, weather shrouds, etc. Weather gauge. (a) (Naut.) The position of a ship to the windward of another. (b) Fig.: A position of advantage or superiority; advantage in position. To veer, and tack, and steer a cause Against the weather gauge of laws. Hudibras. -- Weather helm (Naut.), a tendency on the part of a sailing vessel to come up into the wind, rendering it necessary to put the helm up, that is, toward the weather side. -- Weather shore (Naut.), the shore to the windward of a ship. Totten. -- Weather tide (Naut.), the tide which sets against the lee side of a ship, impelling her to the windward. Mar. Dict.

WEATHER-BEATEN Weath"er-beat`en, a.

Defn: Beaten or harassed by the weather; worn by exposure to the weather, especially to severe weather. Shak.

WEATHER-BIT Weath"er-bit`, n. (Naut.)

Defn: A turn of the cable about the end of the windlass, without the bits.

WEATHERBIT Weath"er*bit`, v. t. (Naut.)

Defn: To take another turn with, as a cable around a windlass. Totten.

WEATHER-BITTEN Weath"er-bit`ten, a.

Defn: Eaten into, defaced, or worn, by exposure to the weather. Coleridge.

WEATHERBOARD Weath"er*board`, n.

1. (Naut.) (a) That side of a vessel which is toward the wind; the windward side. (b) A piece of plank placed in a porthole, or other opening, to keep out water.

2. (a) (Arch.) A board extending from the ridge to the eaves along the slope of the gable, and forming a close junction between the shingling of a roof and the side of the building beneath. (b) A clapboard or feather-edged board used in weatherboarding.

WEATHER-BOARD Weath"er-board`, v. t. (Arch.)

Defn: To nail boards upon so as to lap one over another, in order to exclude rain, snow, etc. Gwilt.

WEATHERBOARDING Weath"er*board`ing, n. (Arch.) (a) The covering or siding of a building, formed of boards lapping over one another, to exclude rain, snow, etc. (b) Boards adapted or intended for such use.

WEATHER-BOUND Weath"er-bound`, a.

Defn: Kept in port or at anchor by storms; delayed by bad weather; as, a weather-bound vessel.

WEATHERCOCK Weath"er*cock`, n.

1. A vane, or weather vane; -- so called because originally often in the figure of a cock, turning on the top of a spire with the wind, and showing its direction. "As a wedercok that turneth his face with every wind." Chaucer. Noisy weathercocks rattled and sang of mutation. Longfellow.

2. Hence, any thing or person that turns easily and frequently; one who veers with every change of current opinion; a fickle, inconstant person.

WEATHERCOCK Weath"er*cock`, v. t.

Defn: To supply with a weathercock; to serve as a weathercock for. Whose blazing wyvern weathercock the spire. Tennyson.

WEATHER-DRIVEN Weath"er-driv`en, a.

Defn: Driven by winds or storms; forced by stress of weather. Carew.

WEATHERED Weath"ered, a.

1. (Arch.)

Defn: Made sloping, so as to throw off water; as, a weathered cornice or window sill.

2. (Geol.)

Defn: Having the surface altered in color, texture, or composition, or the edges rounded off by exposure to the elements.

WEATHER-FEND Weath"er-fend`, v. t.

Defn: To defend from the weather; to shelter. Shak. [We] barked the white spruce to weather-fend the roof. Emerson.

WEATHERGLASS Weath"er*glass`, n.

Defn: An instrument to indicate the state of the atmosphere, especially changes of atmospheric pressure, and hence changes of weather, as a barometer or baroscope. Poor man's weatherglass. (Bot.) See under Poor.

WEATHERING Weath"er*ing, n. (Geol.)

Defn: The action of the elements on a rock in altering its color, texture, or composition, or in rounding off its edges.

WEATHERLINESS Weath"er*li*ness, n. (Naut.)

Defn: The quality of being weatherly.

WEATHERLY Weath"er*ly, a. (Naut.)

Defn: Working, or able to sail, close to the wind; as, a weatherly ship. Cooper.

WEATHER MAP Weath"er map.

Defn: A map or chart showing the principal meteorological elements at a given hour and over an extended region. Such maps usually show the height of the barometer, the temperature of the air, the relative humidity, the state of the weather, and the direction and velocity of the wind. Isobars and isotherms outline the general distribution of temperature and pressure, while shaded areas indicate the sections over which rain has just fallen. Other lines inclose areas where the temperature has fallen or risen markedly. In tabular form are shown changes of pressure and of temperature, maximum and minimum temperatures, and total rain for each weather station since the last issue, usually 12 hours.

WEATHERMOST Weath"er*most`, a. (Naut.)

Defn: Being farthest to the windward.

WEATHERPROOF Weath"er*proof`, a.

Defn: Proof against rough weather.

WEATHER SIGNAL Weather signal.

Defn: Any signal giving information about the weather. The system used by the United States Weather Bureau includes temperature, cold or hot wave, rain or snow, wind direction, storm, and hurricane signals.

WEATHER STATION Weather station. (Meteor.)

Defn: A station for taking meteorological observations, making weather forecasts, or disseminating such information. Such stations are of the first order when they make observations of all the important elements either hourly or by self-registering instruments; of the second order when only important observations are taken; of the third order when simpler work is done, as to record rainfall and maximum and minimum temperatures.

WEATHERWISE Weath"er*wise`, a.

Defn: Skillful in forecasting the changes of the weather. Hakluyt.

WEATHERWISER Weath"er*wis`er, n. Etym: [Cf. Waywiser.]

Defn: Something that foreshows the weather. [Obs.] Derham.

WEATHERWORN Weath"er*worn`, a.

Defn: Worn by the action of, or by exposure to, the weather.

WEAVE Weave, v. t. [imp. Wove; p. p. Woven, Wove; p. pr. & vb. n. Weaving. The regular imp. & p. p. Weaved (, is rarely used.] Etym: [OE. weven, AS. wefan; akin to D. weven, G. weben, OHG. weban, Icel. vefa, Sw. väfva, Dan. væve, Gr. spider, lit., wool weaver. Cf. Waper, Waffle, Web, Weevil, Weft, Woof.]

1. To unite, as threads of any kind, in such a manner as to form a texture; to entwine or interlace into a fabric; as, to weave wool, silk, etc.; hence, to unite by close connection or intermixture; to unite intimately. This weaves itself, perforce, into my business. Shak. That in their green shops weave the smooth-haired silk To deck her sons. Milton. And for these words, thus woven into song. Byron.

2. To form, as cloth, by interlacing threads; to compose, as a texture of any kind, by putting together textile materials; as, to weave broadcloth; to weave a carpet; hence, to form into a fabric; to compose; to fabricate; as, to weave the plot of a story. When she weaved the sleided silk. Shak. Her starry wreaths the virgin jasmin weaves. Ld. Lytton.

WEAVE Weave, v. i.

1. To practice weaving; to work with a loom.

2. To become woven or interwoven.

WEAVE Weave, n.

Defn: A particular method or pattern of weaving; as, the cassimere weave.

WEAVER Weav"er, n.

1. One who weaves, or whose occupation is to weave. "Weavers of linen." P. Plowman.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A weaver bird.

3. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An aquatic beetle of the genus Gyrinus. See Whirling. Weaver bird (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of Asiatic, Fast Indian, and African birds belonging to Ploceus and allied genera of the family Ploceidæ. Weaver birds resemble finches and sparrows in size, colors, and shape of the bill. They construct pensile nests composed of interlaced grass and other similar materials. In some of the species the nest is retort-shaped, with the opening at the bottom of the tube. -- Weavers' shuttle (Zoöl.), an East Indian marine univalve shell (Radius volva); -- so called from its shape. See Illust. of Shuttle shell, under Shuttle.

WEAVERFISH Weav"er*fish`, n. Etym: [See Weever.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Weever.

WEAVING Weav"ing, n.

1. The act of one who, or that which, weaves; the act or art of forming cloth in a loom by the union or intertexture of threads.

2. (Far.)

Defn: An incessant motion of a horse's head, neck, and body, from side to side, fancied to resemble the motion of a hand weaver in throwing the shuttle. Youatt.

WEAZAND Wea"zand, n.

Defn: See Weasand. [Obs.]

WEAZEN Wea"zen, a. Etym: [See Wizen.]

Defn: Thin; sharp; withered; wizened; as, a weazen face. They were weazen and shriveled. Dickens.

WEAZENY Wea"zen*y, a.

Defn: Somewhat weazen; shriveled. [Colloq.] "Weazeny, baked pears." Lowell.

WEB Web, n. Etym: [OE. webbe, AS. webba. See Weave.]

Defn: A weaver. [Obs.] Chaucer.

WEB Web, n. Etym: [OE. web, AS. webb; akin to D. web, webbe, OHG. weppi, G. gewebe, Icel. vefr, Sw. väf, Dan. væv. See Weave.]

1. That which is woven; a texture; textile fabric; esp., something woven in a loom. Penelope, for her Ulysses' sake, Devised a web her wooers to deceive. Spenser. Not web might be woven, not a shuttle thrown, or penalty of exile. Bancroft.

2. A whole piece of linen cloth as woven.

3. The texture of very fine thread spun by a spider for catching insects at its prey; a cobweb. "The smallest spider's web." Shak.

4. Fig.: Tissue; texture; complicated fabrication. The somber spirit of our forefathers, who wove their web of life with hardly a . . . thread of rose-color or gold. Hawthorne. Such has been the perplexing ingenuity of commentators that it is difficult to extricate the truth from the web of conjectures. W. Irving.

5. (Carriages)

Defn: A band of webbing used to regulate the extension of the hood.

6. A thin metal sheet, plate, or strip, as of lead. And Christians slain roll up in webs of lead. Fairfax. Specifically: - (a) The blade of a sword. [Obs.] The sword, whereof the web was steel, Pommel rich stone, hilt gold. Fairfax.

(b) The blade of a saw. (c) The thin, sharp part of a colter. (d) The bit of a key.

7. (Mach. & Engin.)

Defn: A plate or thin portion, continuous or perforated, connecting stiffening ribs or flanges, or other parts of an object. Specifically: -- (a) The thin vertical plate or portion connecting the upper and lower flanges of an lower flanges of an iron girder, rolled beam, or railroad rail. (b) A disk or solid construction serving, instead of spokes, for connecting the rim and hub, in some kinds of car wheels, sheaves, etc. (c) The arm of a crank between the shaft and the wrist. (d) The part of a blackmith's anvil between the face and the foot.

8. (Med.)

Defn: Pterygium; -- called also webeye. Shak.

9. (Anat.)

Defn: The membrane which unites the fingers or toes, either at their bases, as in man, or for a greater part of their length, as in many water birds and amphibians.

10. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The series of barbs implanted on each side of the shaft of a feather, whether stiff and united together by barbules, as in ordinary feathers, or soft and separate, as in downy feathers. See Feather.

Pin and web (Med.), two diseases of the eye, caligo and pterygium; -- sometimes wrongly explained as one disease. See Pin, n., 8, and Web, n., 8. "He never yet had pinne or webbe, his sight for to decay." Gascoigne. -- Web member (Engin.), one of the braces in a web system. -- Web press, a printing press which takes paper from a roll instead of being fed with sheets. -- Web system (Engin.), the system of braces connecting the flanges of a lattice girder, post, or the like.

WEB Web, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Webbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Webbing.]

Defn: To unite or surround with a web, or as if with a web; to envelop; to entangle.

WEBBED Webbed, a.

1. Provided with a web.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having the toes united by a membrane, or web; as, the webbed feet of aquatic fowls.

WEBBER Web"ber, n.

Defn: One who forms webs; a weaver; a webster. [Obs.]

WEBBING Web"bing, n.

Defn: A woven band of cotton or flax, used for reins, girths, bed bottoms, etc.

WEBBY Web"by, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to a web or webs; like a web; filled or covered with webs. Bats on their webby wings in darkness move. Crabbe.

WEBER We"ber, n. Etym: [From the name of Professor Weber, a German electrician.] (Elec.)

Defn: The standard unit of electrical quantity, and also of current. See Coulomb, and Amp. [Obs.]

WEBEYE Web"eye`, n. (Med.)

Defn: See Web, n., 8.

WEB-FINGERED Web"-fin`gered, a.

Defn: Having the fingers united by a web for a considerable part of their length.

WEBFOOT Web"foot`, n.; pl. Webfeet (.

1. A foot the toes of which are connected by a membrane.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any web-footed bird.

WEB-FOOTED Web"-foot`ed, a.

Defn: Having webbed feet; palmiped; as, a goose or a duck is a web- footed fowl.

WEBSTER Web"ster, n. Etym: [AS. webbestre. See Web, Weave, and -ster.]

Defn: A weaver; originally, a female weaver. [Obs.] Brathwait.

WEBSTERITE Web"ster*ite, n. Etym: [So named after Webster, the geologist.] (Min.)

Defn: A hydrous sulphate of alumina occurring in white reniform masses.

WEB-TOED Web"-toed`, a.

Defn: Having the toes united by a web for a considerable part of their length.

WEBWORM Web"worm`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of various species of moths whose gregarious larvæ eat the leaves of trees, and construct a large web to which they retreat when not feeding.

Note: The most destructive webworms belong to the family Bombycidæ, as the fall webworm (Hyphantria textor), which feeds on various fruit and forest trees, and the common tent caterpillar, which feeds on various fruit trees (see Tent caterpillar, under Tent.) The grapevine webworm is the larva of a geometrid moth (see Vine inchworm, under Vine).

WED Wed (wêd), n. Etym: [AS. wedd; akin to OFries. wed, OD. wedde, OHG, wetti, G. wette a wager, Icel. veedh a pledge, Sw. vad a wager, an appeal, Goth. wadi a pledge, Lith. vaduti to redeem (a pledge), LL. vadium, L. vas, vadis, bail, security, vadimonium security, and Gr. Athlete, Gage a pledge, Wage.]

Defn: A pledge; a pawn. [Obs.] Gower. Piers Plowman. Let him be ware, his neck lieth to wed [i. e., for a security]. Chaucer.

WED Wed, v. t. [imp. Wedded; p. p. Wedded or Wed; p. pr. & vb. n. Wedding.] Etym: [OE. wedden, AS. weddian to covenant, promise, to wed, marry; akin to OFries. weddia to promise, D. wedden to wager, to bet, G. wetten, Icel. veedhja, Dan. vedde, Sw. vädja to appeal, Goth. gawadjon to betroth. See Wed, n.]

1. To take for husband or for wife by a formal ceremony; to marry; to espouse. With this ring I thee wed. Bk. of Com. Prayer. I saw thee first, and wedded thee. Milton.

2. To join in marriage; to give in wedlock. And Adam, wedded to another Eve, Shall live with her. Milton.

3. Fig.: To unite as if by the affections or the bond of marriage; to attach firmly or indissolubly. Thou art wedded to calamity. Shak. Men are wedded to their lusts. Tillotson. [Flowers] are wedded thus, like beauty to old age. Cowper.

4. To take to one's self and support; to espouse. [Obs.] They positively and concernedly wedded his cause. Clarendon.

WED Wed, v. i.

Defn: To contact matrimony; to marry. "When I shall wed." Shak.

WEDDAHS Wed"dahs, n. pl. (Ethnol.)

Defn: See Veddahs.

WEDDED Wed"ded, a.

1. Joined in wedlock; married. Let wwedded dame. Pope.

2. Of or pertaining to wedlock, or marriage. "Wedded love." Milton.

WEDDER Wed"der, n.

Defn: See Wether. Sir W. Scott.

WEDDING Wed"ding, n. Etym: [AS. wedding.]

Defn: Nuptial ceremony; nuptial festivities; marriage; nuptials. Simple and brief was the wedding, as that of Ruth and of Boaz. Longfellow.

Note: Certain anniversaries of an unbroken marriage have received fanciful, and more or less appropriate, names. Thus, the fifth anniversary is called the wooden wedding; the tenth, the tin wedding; the fifteenth, the crystal wedding; the twentieth, the china wedding; the twenty-fifth, the silver wedding; the fiftieth, the golden wedding; the sixtieth, the diamond wedding. These anniversaries are often celebrated by appropriate presents of wood, tin, china, silver, gold, etc., given by friends.

Note: Wedding is often used adjectively; as, wedding cake, wedding cards, wedding clothes, wedding day, wedding feast, wedding guest, wedding ring, etc. Let her beauty be her wedding dower. Shak. Wedding favor, a marriage favor. See under Marriage.

WEDER Wed"er, n.

Defn: Weather. [Obs.] Chaucer.

WEDGE Wedge, n. Etym: [OE. wegge, AS. wecg; akin to D. wig, wigge, OHG. wecki, G. weck a (wedge-shaped) loaf, Icel. veggr, Dan. vægge, Sw. vigg, and probably to Lith. vagis a peg. Cf. Wigg.]

1. A piece of metal, or other hard material, thick at one end, and tapering to a thin edge at the other, used in splitting wood, rocks, etc., in raising heavy bodies, and the like. It is one of the six elementary machines called the mechanical powers. See Illust. of Mechanical powers, under Mechanical.

2. (Geom.)

Defn: A solid of five sides, having a rectangular base, two rectangular or trapezoidal sides meeting in an edge, and two triangular ends.

3. A mass of metal, especially when of a wedgelike form. "Wedges of gold." Shak.

4. Anything in the form of a wedge, as a body of troops drawn up in such a form. In warlike muster they appear, In rhombs, and wedges, and half-moons, and wings. Milton.

5. The person whose name stands lowest on the list of the classical tripos; -- so called after a person (Wedgewood) who occupied this position on the first list of 1828. [Cant, Cambridge Univ., Eng.] C. A. Bristed. Fox wedge. (Mach. & Carpentry) See under Fox. -- Spherical wedge (Geom.), the portion of a sphere included between two planes which intersect in a diameter.

WEDGE Wedge, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wedged; p. pr. & vb. n. Wedging.]

1. To cleave or separate with a wedge or wedges, or as with a wedge; to rive. "My heart, as wedged with a sigh, would rive in twain." Shak.