W (continued 3)

WATER GILDING Wa"ter gild"ing.

Defn: The act, or the process, of gilding metallic surfaces by covering them with a thin coating of amalgam of gold, and then volatilizing the mercury by heat; — called also wash gilding.

WATER GLASS Wa"ter glass`. (Chem.)

Defn: See Soluble glass, under Glass.

WATER GOD Wa"ter god`. (Myth.)

Defn: A fabulous deity supposed to dwell in, and preside over, some body of water.

WATER GRASS Water grass. (a) A tall march perennial grass (Paspalum dilatatum) of the southern United States and the American tropics. (b) Manna grass. (c) The grass Chloris elegans. (d) [Dial. Eng.] (1) Velvet grass. (2)

Defn: The water cress. (3)

Defn: One of various horsetails.

WATER GRUEL Wa"ter gru"el.

Defn: A liquid food composed of water and a small portion of meal, or other farinaceous substance, boiled and seasoned.

WATER HAMMER Wa"ter ham"mer. (Physics)

1. A vessel partly filled with water, exhausted of air, and hermetically sealed. When reversed or shaken, the water being unimpeded by air, strikes the sides in solid mass with a sound like that of a hammer.

2. A concussion, or blow, made by water in striking, as against the sides of a pipe or vessel containing it.

WATER HARE Wa"ter hare. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A small American hare or rabbit (Lepus aquaticus) found on or near the southern coasts of the United States; — called also water rabbit, and swamp hare.

WATER HEMLOCK Wa"ter hem"lock. (Bot) (a) A poisonous umbelliferous plant (Cicuta virosa) of Europe; also, any one of several plants of that genus. (b) A poisonous plant () resembling the above.

WATER HEMP Wa"ter hemp`. (Bot.)

Defn: See under Hemp.

WATER HEN Wa"ter hen`.

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any gallinule.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The common American coot.

WATER HOG Wa"ter hog`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The capybara.

WATER HOREHOUND Wa"ter hore"hound`. (Bot.)

Defn: Bugleweed.

WATERHORSE Wa"ter*horse`, n.

Defn: A pile of salted fish heaped up to drain.

WATER HYACINTH Wa"ter hy"a*cinth. (Bot.)

Defn: Either of several tropical aquatic plants of the genus Eichhornia, related to the pickerel weed.

WATER ICE Wa"ter ice`.

Defn: Water flavored, sweetened, and frozen, to be eaten as a confection.

WATERIE Wa"ter*ie, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The pied wagtail; — so called because it frequents ponds.

WATER INCH Wa"ter inch`.

Defn: Same as Inch of water, under Water.

WATERINESS Wa"ter*i*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being watery; moisture; humidity.

WATERING Wa"ter*ing,

Defn: a. & n. from Water, v. Watering call (Mil.), a sound of trumpet or bugle summoning cavalry soldiers to assemble for the purpose of watering their horses. — Watering cart, a sprinkling cart. See Water. — Watering place. (a) A place where water may be obtained, as for a ship, for cattle, etc. (b) A place where there are springs of medicinal water, or a place by the sea, or by some large body of water, to which people resort for bathing, recreation, boating, etc. — Watering pot. (a) A kind of bucket fitted with a rose, or perforated nozzle, — used for watering flowers, paths, etc. (b) (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of marine bivalve shells of the genus Aspergillum, or Brechites. The valves are small, and consolidated with the capacious calcareous tube which incases the entire animal. The tube is closed at the anterior end by a convex disk perforated by numerous pores, or tubules, and resembling the rose of a watering pot. — Watering trough, a trough from which cattle, horses, and other animals drink.

WATERISH Wa"ter*ish, a. Etym: [AS. wæterisc.]

1. Resembling water; thin; watery. Feed upon such nice and waterish diet. Shak.

2. Somewhat watery; moist; as, waterish land.

WATERISHNESS Wa"ter*ish*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being waterish.

WATER JACKET Wa"ter jac"ket.

Defn: A chamber surrounding a vessel or tube in which water may be circulated, thereby regulating the temperature or supply of heat to the vessel. Used in laboratory and manufacturing equipment. water- jacketed. Having a water jacket; — as, a water-jacketed condenser.

WATER JOINT Wa"ter joint`. (Arch.)

Defn: A joint in a stone pavement where the stones are left slightly higher than elsewhere, the rest of the surface being sunken or dished. The raised surface is intended to prevent the settling of water in the joints.

WATER JUNKET Wa"ter jun"ket. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The common sandpiper.

WATER-LAID Wa"ter-laid`, a.

Defn: Having a left-hand twist; — said of cordage; as, a water-laid, or left-hand, rope.

WATERLANDER; WATERLANDIAN Wa`ter*land"er, Wa`ter*land"i*an n. (Eccl. Hist.)

Defn: One of a body of Dutch Anabaptists who separated from the Mennonites in the sixteenth century; — so called from a district in North Holland denominated Waterland.

WATER LAVEROCK Wa"ter la"ver*ock. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The common sandpiper.

WATERLEAF Wa"ter*leaf`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: Any plant of the American genus Hydrophyllum, herbs having white or pale blue bell-shaped flowers. Gray.

WATER LEG Wa"ter leg`. (Steam Boilers)

Defn: See Leg, 7.

WATER LEMON Wa"ter lem"on. (Bot.)

Defn: The edible fruit of two species of passion flower (Passiflora laurifolia, and P. maliformis); — so called in the West Indies.

WATERLESS Wa"ter*less, a.

Defn: Destitute of water; dry. Chaucer.

WATER LETTUCE Wa"ter let"tuce. (Bot.)

Defn: A plant (Pistia stratiotes) which floats on tropical waters, and forms a rosette of spongy, wedge-shaped leaves. J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).

WATER LEVEL Wa"ter lev"el.

1. The level formed by the surface of still water.

2. A kind of leveling instrument. See under Level, n.

WATER LILY Wa"ter lil`y. (Bot.)

Defn: A blossom or plant of any species of the genus Nymphæa, distinguished for its large floating leaves and beautiful flowers. See Nymphæa.

Note: The name is extended to various plants of other related genera, as Nuphar, Euryale, Nelumbo, and Victoria. See Euryale, Lotus, and Victoria, 1.

WATER LIME Wa"ter lime`.

Defn: Hydraulic lime.

WATER LINE Wa"ter line`.

1. (Shipbuilding)

Defn: Any one of certain lines of a vessel, model, or plan, parallel with the surface of the water at various heights from the keel.

Note: In a half-breadth plan, the water lines are outward curves showing the horizontal form of the ship at their several heights; in a sheer plan, they are projected as straight horizontal lines.

2. (Naut.)

Defn: Any one of several lines marked upon the outside of a vessel, corresponding with the surface of the water when she is afloat on an even keel. The lowest line indicates the vessel's proper submergence when not loaded, and is called the light water line; the highest, called the load water line, indicates her proper submergence when loaded. Water-line model (Shipbuilding), a model of a vessel formed of boards which are shaped according to the water lines as shown in the plans and laid upon each other to form a solid model.

WATER LIZARD Wa"ter liz"ard. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any aquatic lizard of the genus Varanus, as the monitor of the Nile. See Monitor, n., 3.

WATER LOCUST Wa"ter lo"cust. (Bot.)

Defn: A thorny leguminous tree (Gleditschia monosperma) which grows in the swamps of the Mississippi valley.

WATER-LOGGED Wa"ter-logged, a.

Defn: Filled or saturated with water so as to be heavy, unmanageable, or loglike; — said of a vessel, when, by receiving a great quantity of water into her hold, she has become so heavy as not to be manageable by the helm.

WATERMAN Wa"ter*man, n.; pl. Watermen (.

1. A man who plies for hire on rivers, lakes, or canals, or in harbors, in distinction from a seaman who is engaged on the high seas; a man who manages fresh-water craft; a boatman; a ferryman.

2. An attendant on cab stands, etc., who supplies water to the horses. [Eng.] Dickens.

3. A water demon. Tylor.

WATERMANSHIP Wa"ter*man*ship`, n.

1. The business or skill of a waterman.

2. Art of, or skill in, rowing; oarsmanship; specif., skill in managing the blade in the water, as distinguished from managing arms, body, etc., in the stroke.

WATERMARK Wa"ter*mark`, n.

1. A mark indicating the height to which water has risen, or at which it has stood; the usual limit of high or low water.

2. A letter, device, or the like, wrought into paper during the process of manufacture.

Note: "The watermark in paper is produced by bending the wires of the mold, or by wires bent into the shape of the required letter or device, and sewed to the surface of the mold; — it has the effect of making the paper thinner in places. The old makers employed watermarks of an eccentric kind. Those of Caxton and other early printers were an oxhead and star, a collared dog's head, a crown, a shield, a jug, etc. A fool's cap and bells, employed as a watermark, gave the name to foolscap paper; a postman's horn, such as was formerly in use, gave the name to post paper." Tomlinson.

3. (Naut.)

Defn: See Water line, 2. [R.]

WATER MEADOW Wa"ter mead"ow. (Agric.)

Defn: A meadow, or piece of low, flat land, capable of being kept in a state of fertility by being overflowed with water from some adjoining river or stream.

WATER MEASURE Wa"ter meas"ure.

Defn: A measure formerly used for articles brought by water, as coals, oysters, etc. The water-measure bushel was three gallons larger than the Winchester bushel. Cowell.

WATER MEASURER Wa"ter meas"ur*er. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of numerous species of water; the skater. See Skater, n., 2.

WATERMELON Wa"ter*mel`on, n. (Bot.)

Defn: The very large ovoid or roundish fruit of a cucurbitaceous plant (Citrullus vulgaris) of many varieties; also, the plant itself. The fruit sometimes weighs many pounds; its pulp is usually pink in color, and full of a sweet watery juice. It is a native of tropical Africa, but is now cultivated in many countries. See Illust. of Melon.

WATER METER Wa"ter me"ter.

Defn: A contrivance for measuring a supply of water delivered or received for any purpose, as from a street main.

WATER MILFOIL Wa"ter mil"foil. (Bot.)

Defn: Any plant of the genus Myriophyllum, aquatic herbs with whorled leaves, the submersed ones pinnately parted into capillary divisions.

WATER MILL Wa"ter mill`.

Defn: A mill whose machinery is moved by water; — distinguished from a windmill, and a steam mill.

WATER MINT Wa"ter mint`.

Defn: A kind of mint (Mentha aquatica) growing in wet places, and sometimes having a perfume resembling bergamot.

WATER MITE Wa"ter mite`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any of numerous species of aquatic mites belonging to Hydrachna and allied genera of the family Hydrachnidæ, usually having the legs fringed and adapted for swimming. They are often red or red and black in color, and while young are parasites of fresh-water insects and mussels. Called also water tick, and water spider.

WATER MOCCASIN Wa"ter moc"ca*sin. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A venomous North American snake (Ancistrodon piscivorus) allied to the rattlesnake but destitute of a rattle. It lives in or about pools and ponds, and feeds largely of fishes. Called also water snake, water adder, water viper.

WATER MOLE Wa"ter mole`. (Zoöl.) (a) The shrew mole. See under Shrew. (b) The duck mole. See under Duck.

WATER MONITOR Wa"ter mon"i*tor. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A very large lizard (Varanaus salvator) native of India. It frequents the borders of streams and swims actively. It becomes five or six feet long. Called also two-banded monitor, and kabaragoya. The name is also applied to other aquatic monitors.

WATER MONKEY Water monkey.

Defn: A jar or bottle, as of porous earthenware, in which water is cooled by evaporation.

WATER MOTOR Wa"ter mo"tor.

1. A water engine.

2. A water wheel; especially, a small water wheel driven by water from a street main.

WATER MOUSE Wa"ter mouse`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of several species of mice belonging to the genus Hydromys, native of Australia and Tasmania. Their hind legs are strong and their toes partially webbed. They live on the borders of streams, and swim well. They are remarkable as being the only rodents found in Australia.

WATER MURRAIN Wa"ter mur"rain.

Defn: A kind of murrain affecting cattle. Crabb.

WATER NEWT Wa"ter newt`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of numerous species of aquatic salamanders; a triton.

WATER NYMPH Wa"ter nymph`.

1. (Myth.)

Defn: A goddess of any stream or other body of water, whether one of the Naiads, Nereids, or Oceanides.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: A water lily (Nymphæa).

WATER OAT Wa"ter oat`.

Defn: Indian rice. See under Rice.

WATER OPOSSUM Wa"ter o*pos"sum. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Yapock, and the Note under Opossum.

WATER ORDEAL Wa"ter or"de*al.

Defn: Same as Ordeal by water. See the Note under Ordeal, n., 1.

WATER OUSEL; WATER OUZEL Wa"ter ou"sel, Wa"ter ou"zel. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of several species of small insessorial birds of the genus Cinclus (or Hydrobates), especially the European water ousel (C. aquaticus), and the American water ousel (C. Mexicanus). These birds live about the water, and are in the habit of walking on the bottom of streams beneath the water in search of food.

WATER PARSNIP Wa"ter pars"nip. (Bot.)

Defn: Any plant of the aquatic umbelliferous genus Sium, poisonous herbs with pinnate or dissected leaves and small white flowers.

WATER PARTING Water parting. (Phys. Geog.)

Defn: A summit from the opposite sides of which rain waters flow to different streams; a line separating the drainage districts of two streams or coasts; a divide.

WATER PARTRIDGE Wa"ter par"tridge. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The ruddy duck. [Local, U. S.]

WATER PENNYWORT Wa"ter pen"ny*wort`. (Bot.)

Defn: Marsh pennywort. See under Marsh.

WATER PEPPER Wa"ter pep"per. (Bot.) (a) Smartweed. (b) Waterwort.

WATER PHEASANT Wa"ter pheas"ant. (Zoöl.) (a) The pintail. See Pintail, n., 1. (b) The goosander. (c) The hooded merganser.

WATER PIET Wa"ter pi"et. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The water ousel.

WATER PIG Wa"ter pig`.

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The capybara.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The gourami.

WATER PILLAR Wa"ter pil"lar.

Defn: A waterspout. [Obs.]

WATER PIMPERNEL Wa"ter pim"per*nel. (Bot.)

Defn: A small white-flowered shrub; brookweed.

WATER PIPE Wa"ter pipe.

Defn: A pipe for conveying water.

WATER PITCHER Wa"ter pitch"er.

1. A pitcher for water.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: One of a family of plants having pitcher-shaped leaves. The sidesaddle flower (Sarracenia purpurea) is the type.

WATER PLANT Wa"ter plant`.

Defn: A plant that grows in water; an aquatic plant.

WATER PLANTAIN Wa"ter plan"tain. (Bot.)

Defn: A kind of plant with acrid leaves. See under 2d Plantain.

WATER PLATE Wa"ter plate`.

Defn: A plate heated by hot water contained in a double bottom or jacket. Knight.

WATER POA Wa"ter po"a. (Bot.)

Defn: Meadow reed grass. See under Reed.

WATER POCKET Water pocket.

Defn: A water hole in the bed of an intermittent stream, esp. the bowl at the foot of a cliff over which the stream leaps when in the flood stage. [Western U. S.]

WATER POISE Wa"ter poise`.

Defn: A hydrometer.

WATER PORE Wa"ter pore`

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A pore by which the water tubes of various invertebrates open externally.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: One of certain minute pores in the leaves of some plants. They are without true guardian cells, but in other respects closely resemble ordinary stomata. Goodale.

WATERPOT Wa"ter*pot`, n.

Defn: A vessel for holding or conveying water, or for sprinkling water on cloth, plants, etc.

WATER POWER Wa"ter pow"er.

1. The power of water employed to move machinery, etc.

2. A fall of water which may be used to drive machinery; a site for a water mill; a water privilege.

WATER POX Wa"ter pox`. (Med.)

Defn: A variety of chicken pox, or varicella. Dunglison.

WATER PRIVILEGE Wa"ter priv"i*lege.

Defn: The advantage of using water as a mechanical power; also, the place where water is, or may be, so used. See under Privilege.

WATERPROOF Wa"ter*proof`, a.

Defn: Proof against penetration or permeation by water; impervious to water; as, a waterproof garment; a waterproof roof.

WATERPROOF Wa"ter*proof`, n.

1. A substance or preparation for rendering cloth, leather, etc., impervious to water.

2. Cloth made waterproof, or any article made of such cloth, or of other waterproof material, as rubber; esp., an outer garment made of such material.

WATERPROOF Wa"ter*proof`, v. t.

Defn: To render impervious to water, as cloth, leather, etc.

WATERPROOFING Wa"ter*proof`ing, n.

1. The act or process of making waterproof.

2. Same as Waterproof, n., 1.

WATER PURSLANE Wa"ter purs"lane. (Bot.)

Defn: See under Purslane.

WATER QUALM Wa"ter qualm`. (Med.)

Defn: See Water brash, under Brash.

WATER RABBIT Wa"ter rab"bit. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Water hare.

WATER RADISH Wa"ter rad"ish. (Bot.)

Defn: A coarse yellow-flowered plant (Nasturtium amphibium) related to the water cress and to the horse-radish.

WATER RAIL Wa"ter rail`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of numerous species of rails of the genus Rallus, as the common European species (Rallus aquaticus). See Illust. of Rail.

WATER RAM Wa"ter ram`.

Defn: An hydraulic ram.

WATER RAT Wa"ter rat`.

1. (Zoöl.) (a) The water vole. See under Vole. (b) The muskrat. (c) The beaver rat. See under Beaver.

2. A thief on the water; a pirate.

WATER RATE Wa"ter rate`.

Defn: A rate or tax for a supply of water.

WATER RATTLE; WATER RATTLER Wa"ter rat"tle or Wa"ter rat"tler. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus); — so called from its preference for damp places near water.

WATER-RET Wa"ter-ret`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Water-retted; p. pr. & vb. n. Water- retting.]

Defn: To ret, or rot, in water, as flax; to water-rot.

WATER RICE Wa"ter rice".

Defn: Indian rice. See under Rice.

WATER ROCKET Wa"ter rock"et.

1. (Bot.)

Defn: A cruciferous plant (Nasturtium sylvestre) with small yellow flowers.

2. A kind of firework to be discharged in the water.

WATER-ROT Wa"ter-rot`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Water-rotted; p. pr. & vb. n. Water- rotting.]

Defn: To rot by steeping in water; to water-ret; as, to water-rot hemp or flax.

WATER SAIL Wa"ter sail`. (Naut.)

Defn: A small sail sometimes set under a studding sail or under a driver boom, and reaching nearly to the water.

WATER SAPPHIRE Wa"ter sap"phire. Etym: [Equiv. to F. saphir d'eau.] (Min.)

Defn: A deep blue variety of iolite, sometimes used as a gem; — called also saphir d'eau.

WATERSCAPE Wa"ter*scape", n. Etym: [Cf. Landscape.]

Defn: A sea view; — distinguished from landscape. [Jocose] Fairholt.

WATER SCORPION Wa"ter scor"pi*on. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Nepa.

WATER SCREW Wa"ter screw`.

Defn: A screw propeller.

WATERSHED Wa"ter*shed`, n. Etym: [Cf. G. wasserscheide; wasser water + scheide a place where two things separate, fr. scheiden to separate.]

1. The whole region or extent of country which contributes to the supply of a river or lake.

2. The line of division between two adjacent rivers or lakes with respect to the flow of water by natural channels into them; the natural boundary of a basin.

WATER SHIELD Wa"ter shield`. (Bot.)

Defn: An aquatic American plant (Brasenia peltata) having floating oval leaves, and the covered with a clear jelly.

WATERSHOOT Wa"ter*shoot`, n.

1. A sprig or shoot from the root or stock of a tree. [Obs.]

2. (Arch.)

Defn: That which serves to guard from falling water; a drip or dripstone.

3. A trough for discharging water.

WATER SHREW Wa"ter shrew`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of several species of shrews having fringed feet and capable of swimming actively. The two common European species (Crossopus fodiens, and C. ciliatus) are the best known. The most common American water shrew, or marsh shrew (Neosorex palustris), is rarely seen, owing to its nocturnal habits.

WATER SNAIL Wa"ter snail`.

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any aquatic pulmonate gastropod belonging to Planorbis, Limnæa, and allied genera; a pond snail.

2. (Mech.)

Defn: The Archimedean screw. [R.]

WATER SNAKE Wa"ter snake`. (Zoöl.) (a) A common North American colubrine snake (Tropidonotus sipedon) which lives chiefly in the water. (b) Any species of snakes of the family Homalopsidæ, all of which are aquatic in their habits.

WATER-SOAK Wa"ter-soak`, v. t.

Defn: To soak water; to fill the interstices of with water.

WATER SOLDIER Wa"ter sol`dier. (Bot.)

Defn: An aquatic European plant (Stratiotes aloides) with bayonet- shaped leaves.

WATER SOUCHY Wa"ter souch`y. (Cookery)

Defn: A dish consisting of small fish stewed and served in a little water. [Written also water souchet.] See Zoutch.

WATER SPANIEL Wa"ter span"iel.

Defn: A curly-haired breed of spaniels, naturally very fond of the water.

WATER SPARROW Wa"ter spar"row. (Zoöl.) (a) The reed warbler. [Prov. Eng.] (b) The reed bunting. [Prov. Eng.]

WATER SPEEDWELL Wa"ter speed"well. (Bot.)

Defn: A kind of speedwell (Veronica Anagallis) found in wet places in Europe and America.

WATER SPIDER Wa"ter spi"der. (Zoöl.) (a) An aquatic European spider (Argyoneta aquatica) which constructs its web beneath the surface of the water on water plants. It lives in a bell-shaped structure of silk, open beneath like a diving bell, and filled with air which the spider carries down in the form of small bubbles attached one at a time to the spinnerets and hind feet. Called also diving spider. (b) A water mite. (c) Any spider that habitually lives on or about the water, especially the large American species (Dolomedes lanceolatus) which runs rapidly on the surface of water; — called also raft spider.

WATER SPINNER Wa"ter spin`ner. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The water spider.

WATERSPOUT Wa"ter*spout`, n.

Defn: A remarkable meteorological phenomenon, of the nature of a tornado or whirlwind, usually observed over the sea, but sometimes over the land.

Note: Tall columns, apparently of cloud, and reaching from the sea to the clouds, are seen moving along, often several at once, sometimes straight and vertical, at other times inclined and tortuous, but always in rapid rotation. At their bases, the sea is violently agitated and heaped up with a leaping or boiling motion, water, at least in some cases, being actually carried up in considerable quantity, and scattered round from a great height, as solid bodies are by tornadoes on land. Sir J. Herschel.

WATER SPRITE Wa"ter sprite`.

Defn: A sprite, or spirit, imagined as inhabiting the water. J. R. Drake.

WATER-STANDING Wa"ter-stand`ing, a.

Defn: Tear-filled. [R.] "Many an orphan's water-standing eye." Shak.

WATER STAR GRASS Wa"ter star" grass`. (Bot.)

Defn: An aquatic plant (Schollera graminea) with grassy leaves, and yellow star-shaped blossoms.

WATER STARWORT Wa"ter star"wort`.

Defn: See under Starwort.

WATER SUPPLY Wa"ter sup*ply".

Defn: A supply of water; specifically, water collected, as in reservoirs, and conveyed, as by pipes, for use in a city, mill, or the like.

WATER TABBY Wa"ter tab"by.

Defn: A kind of waved or watered tabby. See Tabby, n., 1.

WATER TABLE Wa"ter ta"ble. (Arch.)

Defn: A molding, or other projection, in the wall of a building, to throw off the water, — generally used in the United States for the first table above the surface of the ground (see Table, n., 9), that is, for the table at the top of the foundation and the beginning of the upper wall.

WATERTATH Wa"ter*tath`, n. Etym: [Water + tath, n.]

Defn: A kind of coarse grass growing in wet grounds, and supposed to be injurious to sheep. [Prov. Eng.]

WATER TELESCOPE Water telescope.

1. (Optics) A telescope in which the medium between the objective and the eye piece is water instead of air, used in some experiments in aberration.

2. A telescope devised for looking into a body of water.

WATER TENDER Water tender. (Nav.)

Defn: In the United States navy, a first-class petty officer in charge in a fireroom. He "tends" water to the boilers, sees that fires are properly cleaned and stoked, etc. There is also a rating of chief water tender, who is a chief petty officer.

WATER THERMOMETER Wa"ter ther*mom"e*ter. (Physics)

Defn: A thermometer filled with water instead of mercury, for ascertaining the precise temperature at which water attains its maximum density. This is about 39º Fahr., or 4º Centigrade; and from that point down to 32º Fahr., or 0º Centigrade, or the freezing point, it expands.

WATER THIEF Wa"ter thief`.

Defn: A pirate. [R.] Shak.

WATER THRUSH Wa"ter thrush`. (Zoöl.) (a) A North American bird of the genus Seiurus, belonging to the Warbler family, especially the common species (S. Noveboracensis). (b) The European water ousel. (b) The pied wagtail.

WATER THYME Wa"ter thyme`. (Bot.)

Defn: See Anacharis.

WATER TICK Wa"ter tick`.

Defn: Same as Water mite.

WATER TIGER Wa"ter ti"ger. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A diving, or water, beetle, especially the larva of a water beetle. See Illust. b of Water beetle.

WATER-TIGHT Wa"ter-tight`, a.

Defn: So tight as to retain, or not to admit, water; not leaky.

WATER TORCH Wa"ter torch`. (Bot.)

Defn: The common cat-tail (Typha latifolia), the spike of which makes a good torch soaked in oil. Dr. Prior.

WATER TOWER Wa"ter tow"er.

Defn: A large metal pipe made to be extended vertically by sections, and used for discharging water upon burning buildings.

WATER TREE Wa"ter tree`. (Bot.)

Defn: A climbing shrub (Tetracera alnifolia, or potatoria) of Western Africa, which pours out a watery sap from the freshly cut stems.

WATER TREFOIL Wa"ter tre"foil`. (Bot.)

Defn: The buck bean.

WATER TUBE Wa"ter tube`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of a system of tubular excretory organs having external openings, found in many invertebrates. They are believed to be analogous in function to the kidneys of vertebrates. See Illust. under Trematodea, and Sporocyst.

WATER TUPELO Wa"ter tu"pe*lo. (Bot.)

Defn: A species of large tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) growing in swamps in the southern of the United States. See Ogeechee lime.

WATER TURKEY Wa"ter tur"key. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The American snakebird. See Snakebird.

WATER TU TUYERE Wa"ter tu tu`yère".

Defn: A tuyère kept cool by water circulating within a casing. It is used for hot blast.

WATER TU TWIST Wa"ter tu twist`.

Defn: Yarn made by the throstle, or water frame.

WATER VINE Wa"ter vine`. (Bot.)

Defn: Any plant of the genus Phytocrene, climbing shrubs of Asia and Africa, the stems of which are singularly porous, and when cut stream with a limpid potable juice.

WATER VIOLET Wa"ter vi"o*let. (Bot.)

Defn: See under Violet.

WATER VIPER Wa"ter vi"per. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Water moccasin.

WATER VOLE Wa"ter vole`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See under Vole.

WATER WAGTAIL Wa"ter wag"tail`.

Defn: See under Wagtail.

WATERWAY Wa"ter*way`, n. (Naut.)

Defn: Heavy plank or timber extending fore and aft the whole length of a vessel's deck at the line of junction with the sides, forming a channel to the scuppers, which are cut through it. In iron vessels the waterway is variously constructed.

WATER WAY Wa"ter way`.

Defn: Same as Water course.

WATERWEED Wa"ter*weed`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: See Anacharis.

WATER WHEEL Wa"ter wheel`.

1. Any wheel for propelling machinery or for other purposes, that is made to rotate by the direct action of water; — called an overshot wheel when the water is applied at the top, an undershot wheel when at the bottom, a breast wheel when at an intermediate point; other forms are called reaction wheel, vortex wheel, turbine wheel, etc.

2. The paddle wheel of a steam vessel.

3. A wheel for raising water; a noria, or the like.

WATER-WHITE Wa"ter-white`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A vinelike plant (Vitis Caribæa) growing in parched districts in the West Indies, and containing a great amount of sap which is sometimes used for quenching thirst.

WATER WILLOW Wa"ter wil`low. (Bot.)

Defn: An American aquatic plant (Dianthera Americana) with long willowlike leaves, and spikes of small purplish flowers.

WATER WING Wa"ter wing`. (Arch.)

Defn: One of two walls built on either side of the junction of a bridge with the bank of a river, to protect the abutment of the bridge and the bank from the action of the current.

WATER WITCH Wa"ter witch`. (Zoöl.) (a) The dabchick. (b) The stormy petrel. [Prov. Eng.]

WATER-WITHE Wa"ter-withe`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A vinelike plant (Vitis Caribæa) growing in parched districts in the West Indies, and containing a great amount of sap which is sometimes used for quenching thirst.

WATERWORK Wa"ter*work`, n.

1. (Paint.)

Defn: Painting executed in size or distemper, on canvas or walls, — formerly, frequently taking the place of tapestry. Shak. Fairholt.

2. An hydraulic apparatus, or a system of works or fixtures, by which a supply of water is furnished for useful or ornamental purposes, including dams, sluices, pumps, aqueducts, distributing pipes, fountains, etc.; — used chiefly in the plural.

WATERWORN Wa"ter*worn`, a.

Defn: Worn, smoothed, or polished by the action of water; as, waterworn stones.

WATERWORT Wa"ter*wort`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: Any plant of the natural order Elatineæ, consisting of two genera (Elatine, and Bergia), mostly small annual herbs growing in the edges of ponds. Some have a peppery or acrid taste.

WATERY Wa"ter*y, a. Etym: [AS. wæterig.]

1. Of or pertaining to water; consisting of water. "The watery god." Dryden. "Fish within their watery residence." Milton.

2. Abounding with water; wet; hence, tearful.

3. Resembling water; thin or transparent, as a liquid; as, watery humors. The oily and watery parts of the aliment. Arbuthnot.

4. Hence, abounding in thin, tasteless, or insipid fluid; tasteless; insipid; vapid; spiritless.

WATT Watt, n. Etym: [From the distinguished mechanician and scientist, James Watt.] (Physics)

Defn: A unit of power or activity equal to 107 C.G.S. units of power, or to work done at the rate of one joule a second. An English horse power is approximately equal to 746 watts.

WATTEAU Wat*teau", a. (Art)

Defn: Having the appearance of that which is seen in pictures by Antoine Watteau, a French painter of the eighteenth century; —said esp. of women's garments; as, a Watteau bodice.

WATTEAU BACK Watteau back.

Defn: The back of a woman's gown in which one or more very broad folds are carried from the neck to the floor without being held in at the waist, while the front and sides of the gown are shaped to the person and have a belt or its equivalent.

WATTLE Wat"tle, n. Etym: [AS. watel, watul, watol, hurdle, covering, wattle; cf. OE. watel a bag. Cf. Wallet.]

1. A twig or flexible rod; hence, a hurdle made of such rods. And there he built with wattles from the marsh A little lonely church in days of yore. Tennyson.

2. A rod laid on a roof to support the thatch.

3. (Zoöl.) (a) A naked fleshy, and usually wrinkled and highly colored, process of the skin hanging from the chin or throat of a bird or reptile. (b) Barbel of a fish.

4. (a) The astringent bark of several Australian trees of the genus Acacia, used in tanning; — called also wattle bark. (b) (Bot.) The trees from which the bark is obtained. See Savanna wattle, under Savanna. Wattle turkey. (Zoöl.) Same as Brush turkey.

WATTLE Wat"tle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wattled; p. pr. & vb. n. Wattling.]

1. To bind with twigs.

2. To twist or interweave, one with another, as twigs; to form a network with; to plat; as, to wattle branches.

3. To form, by interweaving or platting twigs. The folded flocks, penned in their wattled cotes. Milton.

WATTLEBIRD Wat"tle*bird`, n.

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of several species of honey eaters belonging to Anthochæra and allied genera of the family Meliphagidæ. These birds usually have a large and conspicuous wattle of naked skin hanging down below each ear. They are natives of Australia and adjacent islands.

Note: The best-known species (Anthochæra carunculata) has the upper parts grayish brown, with a white stripe on each feather, and the wing and tail quills dark brown or blackish, tipped with withe. Its wattles, in life, are light blood-red. Called also wattled crow, wattled bee-eater, wattled honey eater. Another species (A. inauris) is streaked with black, gray, and white, and its long wattles are white, tipped with orange. The bush wattlebirds, belonging to the genus Anellobia, are closely related, but lack conspicuous wattles. The most common species (A. mellivora) is dark brown, finely streaked with white. Called also goruck creeper.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The Australian brush turkey.

WATTLED Wat"tled, a.

Defn: Furnished with wattles, or pendent fleshy processes at the chin or throat. The wattled cocks strut to and fro. Longfellow.

WATTLESS Watt"less, a. (Elec.)

Defn: Without any power (cf. Watt); — said of an alternating current or component of current when it differs in phase by ninety degrees from the electromotive force which produces it, or of an electromotive force or component thereof when the current it produces differs from it in phase by 90 degrees.

WATTLING Wat"tling, n.

Defn: The act or process of binding or platting with twigs; also, the network so formed. Made with a wattling of canes or sticks. Dampier.

WATTMETER Watt"me`ter, n. Etym: [Watt + meter.] (Physics)

Defn: An instrument for measuring power in watts, — much used in measuring the energy of an electric current.

WAUCHT; WAUGHT Waucht, Waught, n. Etym: [Cf. Quaff.]

Defn: A large draught of any liquid. [Scot.] Jamieson.

WAUL Waul, v. i. Etym: [Of imitative origin.]

Defn: To cry as a cat; to squall; to wail. [Written also wawl.] The helpless infant, coming wauling and crying into the world. Sir W. Scott.

WAUR Waur, a. Etym: [See Worse.]

Defn: Worse. [Scot.] Murder and waur than number. Sir W. Scott.

WAVE Wave, v. t.

Defn: See Wave. Sir H. Wotton. Burke.

WAVE Wave, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waved; p. pr. & vb. n. Waving.] Etym: [OE. waven, AS. wafian to waver, to hesitate, to wonder; akin to wæfre wavering, restless, MHG. wabern to be in motion, Icel. vafra to hover about; cf. Icel. vafa to vibrate. Cf. Waft, Waver.]

1. To play loosely; to move like a wave, one way and the other; to float; to flutter; to undulate. His purple robes waved careless to the winds. Trumbull. Where the flags of three nations has successively waved. Hawthorne.

2. To be moved to and fro as a signal. B. Jonson.

3. To fluctuate; to waver; to be in an unsettled state; to vacillate. [Obs.] He waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good nor harm. Shak.

WAVE Wave, v. t.

1. To move one way and the other; to brandish. "[Æneas] waved his fatal sword." Dryden.

2. To raise into inequalities of surface; to give an undulating form a surface to. Horns whelked and waved like the enridged sea. Shak.

3. To move like a wave, or by floating; to waft. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

4. To call attention to, or give a direction or command to, by a waving motion, as of the hand; to signify by waving; to beckon; to signal; to indicate. Look, with what courteous action It waves you to a more removed ground. Shak. She spoke, and bowing waved Dismissal. Tennyson.

WAVE Wave, n. Etym: [From Wave, v.; not the same word as OE. wawe, waghe, a wave, which is akin to E. wag to move. Wave, v. i.]

1. An advancing ridge or swell on the surface of a liquid, as of the sea, resulting from the oscillatory motion of the particles composing it when disturbed by any force their position of rest; an undulation. The wave behind impels the wave before. Pope.

2. (Physics)

Defn: A vibration propagated from particle to particle through a body or elastic medium, as in the transmission of sound; an assemblage of vibrating molecules in all phases of a vibration, with no phase repeated; a wave of vibration; an undulation. See Undulation.

3. Water; a body of water. [Poetic] "Deep drank Lord Marmion of the wave." Sir W. Scott. Build a ship to save thee from the flood, I 'll furnish thee with fresh wave, bread, and wine. Chapman.

4. Unevenness; inequality of surface. Sir I. Newton.

5. A waving or undulating motion; a signal made with the hand, a flag, etc.

6. The undulating line or streak of luster on cloth watered, or calendered, or on damask steel.

7. Fig.: A swelling or excitement of thought, feeling, or energy; a tide; as, waves of enthusiasm. Wave front (Physics), the surface of initial displacement of the particles in a medium, as a wave of vibration advances. — Wave length (Physics), the space, reckoned in the direction of propagation, occupied by a complete wave or undulation, as of light, sound, etc.; the distance from a point or phase in a wave to the nearest point at which the same phase occurs. — Wave line (Shipbuilding), a line of a vessel's hull, shaped in accordance with the wave-line system. — Wave-line system, Wave-line theory (Shipbuilding), a system or theory of designing the lines of a vessel, which takes into consideration the length and shape of a wave which travels at a certain speed. — Wave loaf, a loaf for a wave offering. Lev. viii. 27. — Wave moth (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of small geometrid moths belonging to Acidalia and allied genera; — so called from the wavelike color markings on the wings. — Wave offering, an offering made in the Jewish services by waving the object, as a loaf of bread, toward the four cardinal points. Num. xviii. 11. — Wave of vibration (Physics), a wave which consists in, or is occasioned by, the production and transmission of a vibratory state from particle to particle through a body. — Wave surface. (a) (Physics) A surface of simultaneous and equal displacement of the particles composing a wave of vibration. (b) (Geom.) A mathematical surface of the fourth order which, upon certain hypotheses, is the locus of a wave surface of light in the interior of crystals. It is used in explaining the phenomena of double refraction. See under Refraction. — Wave theory. (Physics) See Undulatory theory, under Undulatory.

WAVED Waved, a.

1. Exhibiting a wavelike form or outline; undulating; intended; wavy; as, waved edge.

2. Having a wavelike appearance; marked with wavelike lines of color; as, waved, or watered, silk.

3. (Her.)

Defn: Having undulations like waves; — said of one of the lines in heraldry which serve as outlines to the ordinaries, etc.

WAVELESS Wave"less, a.

Defn: Free from waves; undisturbed; not agitated; as, the waveless sea.

WAVELET Wave"let, n.

Defn: A little wave; a ripple.

WAVELLITE Wa"vel*lite, n. Etym: [After Dr. Wm. Wavel, the discoverer.] (Min.)

Defn: A hydrous phosphate of alumina, occurring usually in hemispherical radiated forms varying in color from white to yellow, green, or black.

WAVER Wa"ver, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wavered; p. pr. & vb. n. Wavering.] Etym: [OE. waveren, from AS. wæfre wavering, restless. See Wave, v. i.]

1. To play or move to and fro; to move one way and the other; hence, to totter; to reel; to swing; to flutter. With banners and pennons wavering with the wind. Ld. Berners. Thou wouldst waver on one of these trees as a terror to all evil speakers against dignities. Sir W. Scott.

2. To be unsettled in opinion; to vacillate; to be undetermined; to fluctuate; as, to water in judgment. Let us hold fast . . . without wavering. Heb. x. 23. In feeble hearts, propense enough before To waver, or fall off and join with idols. Milton.

Syn. — To reel; totter; vacillate. See Fluctuate.

WAVER Wa"ver, n. Etym: [From Wave, or Waver, v.]

Defn: A sapling left standing in a fallen wood. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

WAVERER Wa"ver*er, n.

Defn: One who wavers; one who is unsettled in doctrine, faith, opinion, or the like. Shak.

WAVERINGLY Wa"ver*ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a wavering manner.

WAVERINGNESS Wa"ver*ing*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of wavering.

WAVESON Wave"son, n. Etym: [From Wave; cf. Jetsam.] (O. Eng. Law)

Defn: Goods which, after shipwreck, appear floating on the waves, or sea.

WAVE-WORN Wave"-*worn`, a.

Defn: Worn by the waves. The shore that o'er his wave-worn basis bowed. Shak.

WAVEY Wa"vey, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The snow goose. [Canadian, & Local U. S.]

WAVINESS Wav"i*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being wavy.

WAVURE Wav"ure, n.

Defn: See Waivure. [R.]

WAVY Wav"y, a.

1. Rising or swelling in waves; full of waves. "The wavy seas." Chapman.

2. Playing to and fro; undulating; as, wavy flames. Let her glad valleys smile with wavy corn. Prior.

3. (Bot.)

Defn: Undulating on the border or surface; waved.

WAWASKEESH Wa*was"keesh, n. Etym: [From an Indian name.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The wapiti, or wapiti, or American elk.

WAWE Wawe, n. Etym: [See Woe.]

Defn: Woe. [Obs.]

WAWE Wawe, n. Etym: [OE. wawe, waghe; cf. Icel. vagr; akin to E. wag; not the same word as wave.]

Defn: A wave. [Obs.] Chaucer. Spenser.

WAWL Wawl, v. i.

Defn: See Waul. Shak.

WAX Wax, v. i. [imp. Waxed; p. p. Waxed, and Obs. or Poetic Waxen (; p. pr. & vb. n. Waxing.] Etym: [AS. weaxan; akin to OFries. waxa, D. wassen, OS. & OHG. wahsan, G. wachsen, Icel. vaxa, Sw. växa, Dan. voxe, Goth. wahsjan, Gr. waksh, uksh, to grow. Waist.]

1. To increase in size; to grow bigger; to become larger or fuller; - - opposed to wane. The waxing and the waning of the moon. Hakewill. Truth's treasures . . . never shall wax ne wane. P. Plowman.

2. To pass from one state to another; to become; to grow; as, to wax strong; to wax warmer or colder; to wax feeble; to wax old; to wax worse and worse. Your clothes are not waxen old upon you. Deut. xxix. 5. Where young Adonis oft reposes, Waxing well of his deep wound. Milton. Waxing kernels (Med.), small tumors formed by the enlargement of the lymphatic glands, especially in the groins of children; — popularly so called, because supposed to be caused by growth of the body. Dunglison.

WAX Wax, n. Etym: [AS. weax; akin to OFries. wax, D. was, G. wachs, OHG. wahs, Icel. & Sw. vax, Dan. vox, Lith. vaszkas, Russ. vosk'.]

1. A fatty, solid substance, produced by bees, and employed by them in the construction of their comb; — usually called beeswax. It is first excreted, from a row of pouches along their sides, in the form of scales, which, being masticated and mixed with saliva, become whitened and tenacious. Its natural color is pale or dull yellow.

Note: Beeswax consists essentially of cerotic acid (constituting the more soluble part) and of myricyl palmitate (constituting the less soluble part).

2. Hence, any substance resembling beeswax in consistency or appearance. Specifically: —(a) (Physiol.)

Defn: Cerumen, or earwax. See Cerumen. (b) A waxlike composition used for uniting surfaces, for excluding air, and for other purposes; as, sealing wax, grafting wax, etching wax, etc. (c) A waxlike composition used by shoemakers for rubbing their thread. (d) (Zoöl.) A substance similar to beeswax, secreted by several species of scale insects, as the Chinese wax. See Wax insect, below. (e) (Bot.) A waxlike product secreted by certain plants. See Vegetable wax, under Vegetable. (f) (Min.)

Defn: A substance, somewhat resembling wax, found in connection with certain deposits of rock salt and coal; — called also mineral wax, and ozocerite. (g) Thick sirup made by boiling down the sap of the sugar maple, and then cooling. [Local U.S.] Japanese wax, a waxlike substance made in Japan from the berries of certain species of Rhus, esp. R. succedanea. — Mineral wax. (Min.) See Wax, 2 (f), above. — Wax cloth. See Waxed cloth, under Waxed. — Wax end. See Waxed end, under Waxed. — Wax flower, a flower made of, or resembling, wax. — Wax insect (Zoöl.), any one of several species of scale insects belonging to the family Coccidæ, which secrete from their bodies a waxlike substance, especially the Chinese wax insect (Coccus Sinensis) from which a large amount of the commercial Chinese wax is obtained. Called also pela. — Wax light, a candle or taper of wax. — Wax moth (Zoöl.), a pyralid moth (Galleria cereana) whose larvæ feed upon honeycomb, and construct silken galleries among the fragments. The moth has dusky gray wings streaked with brown near the outer edge. The larva is yellowish white with brownish dots. Called also bee moth. — Wax myrtle. (Bot.) See Bayberry. — Wax painting, a kind of painting practiced by the ancients, under the name of encaustic. The pigments were ground with wax, and diluted. After being applied, the wax was melted with hot irons and the color thus fixed. — Wax palm. (Bot.) (a) A species of palm (Ceroxylon Andicola) native of the Andes, the stem of which is covered with a secretion, consisting of two thirds resin and one third wax, which, when melted with a third of fat, makes excellent candles. (b) A Brazilian tree (Copernicia cerifera) the young leaves of which are covered with a useful waxy secretion. — Wax paper, paper prepared with a coating of white wax and other ingredients. — Wax plant (Bot.), a name given to several plants, as: (a) The Indian pipe (see under Indian). (b) The Hoya carnosa, a climbing plant with polished, fleshy leaves. (c) Certain species of Begonia with similar foliage. — Wax tree (Bot.) (a) A tree or shrub (Ligustrum lucidum) of China, on which certain insects make a thick deposit of a substance resembling white wax. (b) A kind of sumac (Rhus succedanea) of Japan, the berries of which yield a sort of wax. (c) A rubiaceous tree (Elæagia utilis) of New Grenada, called by the inhabitants "arbol del cera." — Wax yellow, a dull yellow, resembling the natural color of beeswax.

WAX Wax, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waxed; p. pr. & vb. n. Waxing.]

Defn: To smear or rub with wax; to treat with wax; as, to wax a thread or a table. Waxed cloth, cloth covered with a coating of wax, used as a cover, of tables and for other purposes; — called also wax cloth. — Waxed end, a thread pointed with a bristle and covered with shoemaker's wax, used in sewing leather, as for boots, shoes, and the like; — called also wax end. Brockett.

WAXBERRY Wax"ber`ry, n. (Bot.)

Defn: The wax-covered fruit of the wax myrtle, or bayberry. See Bayberry, and Candleberry tree.

WAXBILL Wax"bill`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of numerous species of finchlike birds belonging to Estrelda and allied genera, native of Asia, Africa, and Australia. The bill is large, conical, and usually red in color, resembling sealing wax. Several of the species are often kept as cage birds.

WAXBIRD Wax"bird`, (Zoöl.)

Defn: The waxwing.

WAXEN Wax"en, a.

1. Made of wax. "The female bee, that . . . builds her waxen cells." Milton.

2. Covered with wax; waxed; as, a waxen tablet.

3. Resembling wax; waxy; hence, soft; yielding. Men have marble, women waxen, minds. Shak. Waxen chatterer (Zoöl.), the Bohemian chatterer.

WAXINESS Wax"i*ness, n.

Defn: Quality or state of being waxy.

WAXWING Wax"wing`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of several species of small birds of the genus Ampelis, in which some of the secondary quills are usually tipped with small horny ornaments resembling red sealing wax. The Bohemian waxwing (see under Bohemian) and the cedar bird are examples. Called also waxbird.

WAXWORK Wax"work`, n.

1. Work made of wax; especially, a figure or figures formed or partly of wax, in imitation of real beings.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: An American climbing shrub (Celastrus scandens). It bears a profusion of yellow berrylike pods, which open in the autumn, and display the scarlet coverings of the seeds.

WAXWORKER Wax"work`er, n.

1. One who works in wax; one who makes waxwork.

2. A bee that makes or produces wax.

WAXWORKS Wax"works`, n. pl.

Defn: An exhibition of wax figures, or the place of exhibition.

WAXY Wax"y, a.

Defn: Resembling wax in appearance or consistency; viscid; adhesive; soft; hence, yielding; pliable; impressible. "Waxy to persuasion." Bp. Hall. Waxy degeneration (Med.), amyloid degeneration. See under Amyloid. — Waxy kidney, Waxy liver, etc. (Med.), a kidney or liver affected by waxy degeneration.

WAY Way, adv. Etym: [Aphetic form of away.]

Defn: Away. [Obs. or Archaic] Chaucer. To do way, to take away; to remove. [Obs.] "Do way your hands." Chaucer. — To make way with, to make away with. See under Away. [Archaic]

WAY Way, n. Etym: [OE. wey, way, AS. weg; akin to OS., D., OHG., & G. weg, Icel. vegr, Sw. väg, Dan. vei, Goth. wigs, L. via, and AS. wegan to move, L. vehere to carry, Skr. vah. sq. root136. Cf. Convex, Inveigh, Vehicle, Vex, Via, Voyage, Wag, Wagon, Wee, Weigh.]

1. That by, upon, or along, which one passes or processes; opportunity or room to pass; place of passing; passage; road, street, track, or path of any kind; as, they built a way to the mine. "To find the way to heaven." Shak. I shall him seek by way and eke by street. Chaucer. The way seems difficult, and steep to scale. Milton. The season and ways were very improper for his majesty's forces to march so great a distance. Evelyn.

2. Length of space; distance; interval; as, a great way; a long way. And whenever the way seemed long, Or his heart began to fail. Longfellow.

3. A moving; passage; procession; journey. I prythee, now, lead the way. Shak.

4. Course or direction of motion or process; tendency of action; advance. If that way be your walk, you have not far. Milton. And let eternal justice take the way. Dryden.

5. The means by which anything is reached, or anything is accomplished; scheme; device; plan. My best way is to creep under his gaberdine. Shak. By noble ways we conquest will prepare. Dryden. What impious ways my wishes took! Prior.

6. Manner; method; mode; fashion; style; as, the way of expressing one's ideas.

7. Regular course; habitual method of life or action; plan of conduct; mode of dealing. "Having lost the way of nobleness." Sir. P. Sidney. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. Prov. iii. 17. When men lived in a grander way. Longfellow.

8. Sphere or scope of observation. Jer. Taylor. The public ministers that fell in my way. Sir W. Temple.

9. Determined course; resolved mode of action or conduct; as, to have one's way.

10. (Naut.) (a) Progress; as, a ship has way. (b) pl.

Defn: The timbers on which a ship is launched.

11. pl. (Mach.)

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.