W (continued 5)

WHEATBIRD Wheat"bird`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A bird that feeds on wheat, especially the chaffinch.

WHEATEAR Wheat"ear`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A small European singing bird (Saxicola oenanthe). The male is white beneath, bluish gray above, with black wings and a black stripe through each eye. The tail is black at the tip and in the middle, but white at the base and on each side. Called also checkbird, chickell, dykehopper, fallow chat, fallow finch, stonechat, and whitetail.

WHEATEN Wheat"en, a. Etym: [AS. hwæten.]

Defn: Made of wheat; as, wheaten bread. Cowper.

WHEAT RUST Wheat rust.

Defn: A disease of wheat and other grasses caused by the rust fungus Puccinia graminis; also, the fungus itself.

WHEAT SAWFLY Wheat sawfly. (a) A small European sawfly (Cephus pygmæus) whose larva does great injury to wheat by boring in the stalks. (b) Any of several small American sawflies of the genus Dolerus, as D. sericeus and D. arvensis, whose larvæ injure the stems or heads of wheat. (c) Pachynematus extensicornis, whose larvæ feed chiefly on the blades of wheat; — called also grass sawfly.

WHEATSEL BIRD Wheat"sel bird`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The male of the chaffinch. [Prov. Eng.]

WHEATSTONE'S BRIDGE Wheat"stone's bridge`. (Elec.)

Defn: See under Bridge.

WHEATSTONE'S RODS Wheat"stone's rods. (Acoustics)

Defn: Flexible rods the period of vibration of which in two planes at right angles are in some exact ratio to one another. When one end of such a rod is fixed, the free end describes in vibrating the corresponding Lissajous figure. So called because devised by Sir Charles Wheatstone.

WHEATWORM Wheat"worm`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A small nematode worm (Anguillula tritici) which attacks the grains of wheat in the ear. It is found in wheat affected with smut, each of the diseased grains containing a large number of the minute young of the worm.

WHEDER Whed"er pron. & conj.

Defn: Whether. [Obs.]

WHEEDLE Whee"dle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wheedled; p. pr. & vb. n. Wheedling.] Etym: [Cf. G. wedeln to wag with the tail, as a dog, wedel a fan, tail, brush, OHG. wadal; akin to G. wehen to blow, and E. wind, n.]

1. To entice by soft words; to cajole; to flatter; to coax. The unlucky art of wheedling fools. Dryden. And wheedle a world that loves him not. Tennyson.

2. To grain, or get away, by flattery. A deed of settlement of the best part of her estate, which I wheedled out of her. Congreve.

WHEEDLE Whee"dle, v. i.

Defn: To flatter; to coax; to cajole.

WHEEL Wheel, n. Etym: [OE. wheel, hweol, AS. hweól, hweogul, hweowol; akin to D. wiel, Icel. hvel, Gr. cakra; cf. Icel. hjol, Dan. hiul, Sw. hjul. *218 Cf. Cycle, Cyclopedia.]

1. A circular frame turning about an axis; a rotating disk, whether solid, or a frame composed of an outer rim, spokes or radii, and a central hub or nave, in which is inserted the axle, — used for supporting and conveying vehicles, in machinery, and for various purposes; as, the wheel of a wagon, of a locomotive, of a mill, of a watch, etc. The gasping charioteer beneath the wheel Of his own car. Dryden.

2. Any instrument having the form of, or chiefly consisting of, a wheel. Specifically: — (a) A spinning wheel. See under Spinning. (b) An instrument of torture formerly used. His examination is like that which is made by the rack and wheel. Addison.

Note: This mode of torture is said to have been first employed in Germany, in the fourteenth century. The criminal was laid on a cart wheel with his legs and arms extended, and his limbs in that posture were fractured with an iron bar. In France, where its use was restricted to the most atrocious crimes, the criminal was first laid on a frame of wood in the form of a St. Andrew's cross, with grooves cut transversely in it above and below the knees and elbows, and the executioner struck eight blows with an iron bar, so as to break the limbs in those places, sometimes finishing by two or three blows on the chest or stomach, which usually put an end to the life of the criminal, and were hence called coups-de-grace — blows of mercy. The criminal was then unbound, and laid on a small wheel, with his face upward, and his arms and legs doubled under him, there to expire, if he had survived the previous treatment. Brande. (c) (Naut.) A circular frame having handles on the periphery, and an axle which is so connected with the tiller as to form a means of controlling the rudder for the purpose of steering. (d) (Pottery) A potter's wheel. See under Potter. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. Jer. xviii. 3. Turn, turn, my wheel! This earthen jar A touch can make, a touch can mar. Longfellow. (e) (Pyrotechny)

Defn: A firework which, while burning, is caused to revolve on an axis by the reaction of the escaping gases. (f) (Poetry) The burden or refrain of a song.

Note: "This meaning has a low degree of authority, but is supposed from the context in the few cases where the word is found." Nares. You must sing a-down a-down, An you call him a-down-a. O, how the wheel becomes it! Shak.

3. A bicycle or a tricycle; a velocipede.

4. A rolling or revolving body; anything of a circular form; a disk; an orb. Milton.

5. A turn revolution; rotation; compass. According to the common vicissitude and wheel of things, the proud and the insolent, after long trampling upon others, come at length to be trampled upon themselves. South. [He] throws his steep flight in many an aëry wheel. Milton. A wheel within a wheel, or Wheels within wheels, a complication of circumstances, motives, etc. — Balance wheel. See in the Vocab. — Bevel wheel, Brake wheel, Cam wheel, Fifth wheel, Overshot wheel, Spinning wheel, etc. See under Bevel, Brake, etc. — Core wheel. (Mach.) (a) A mortise gear. (b) A wheel having a rim perforated to receive wooden cogs; the skeleton of a mortise gear. — Measuring wheel, an odometer, or perambulator. — Wheel and axle (Mech.), one of the elementary machines or mechanical powers, consisting of a wheel fixed to an axle, and used for raising great weights, by applying the power to the circumference of the wheel, and attaching the weight, by a rope or chain, to that of the axle. Called also axis in peritrochio, and perpetual lever, — the principle of equilibrium involved being the same as in the lever, while its action is continuous. See Mechanical powers, under Mechanical. — Wheel animal, or Wheel animalcule (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of rotifers having a ciliated disk at the anterior end. — Wheel barometer. (Physics) See under Barometer. — Wheel boat, a boat with wheels, to be used either on water or upon inclined planes or railways. — Wheel bug (Zoöl.), a large North American hemipterous insect (Prionidus cristatus) which sucks the blood of other insects. So named from the curious shape of the prothorax. — Wheel carriage, a carriage moving on wheels. — Wheel chains, or Wheel ropes (Naut.), the chains or ropes connecting the wheel and rudder. — Wheel cutter, a machine for shaping the cogs of gear wheels; a gear cutter. — Wheel horse, one of the horses nearest to the wheels, as opposed to a leader, or forward horse; — called also wheeler. — Wheel lathe, a lathe for turning railway-car wheels. — Wheel lock. (a) A letter lock. See under Letter. (b) A kind of gunlock in which sparks were struck from a flint, or piece of iron pyrites, by a revolving wheel. (c) A kind of brake a carriage. — Wheel ore (Min.), a variety of bournonite so named from the shape of its twin crystals. See Bournonite. — Wheel pit (Steam Engine), a pit in the ground, in which the lower part of the fly wheel runs. — Wheel plow, or Wheel plough, a plow having one or two wheels attached, to render it more steady, and to regulate the depth of the furrow. — Wheel press, a press by which railway-car wheels are forced on, or off, their axles. — Wheel race, the place in which a water wheel is set. — Wheel rope (Naut.), a tiller rope. See under Tiller. — Wheel stitch (Needlework), a stitch resembling a spider's web, worked into the material, and not over an open space. Caulfeild & S. (Dict. of Needlework). — Wheel tree (Bot.), a tree (Aspidosperma excelsum) of Guiana, which has a trunk so curiously fluted that a transverse section resembles the hub and spokes of a coarsely made wheel. See Paddlewood. — Wheel urchin (Zoöl.), any sea urchin of the genus Rotula having a round, flat shell. — Wheel window (Arch.), a circular window having radiating mullions arranged like the spokes of a wheel. Cf. Rose window, under Rose.

WHEEL Wheel, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wheeled; p. pr. & vb. n. Wheeling.]

1. To convey on wheels, or in a wheeled vehicle; as, to wheel a load of hay or wood.

2. To put into a rotatory motion; to cause to turn or revolve; to cause to gyrate; to make or perform in a circle. "The beetle wheels her droning flight." Gray. Now heaven, in all her glory, shone, and rolled Her motions, as the great first mover's hand First wheeled their course. Milton.

WHEEL Wheel, v. i.

1. To turn on an axis, or as on an axis; to revolve; to more about; to rotate; to gyrate. The moon carried about the earth always shows the same face to us, not once wheeling upon her own center. Bentley.

2. To change direction, as if revolving upon an axis or pivot; to turn; as, the troops wheeled to the right. Being able to advance no further, they are in a fair way to wheel about to the other extreme. South.

3. To go round in a circuit; to fetch a compass. Then wheeling down the steep of heaven he flies. Pope.

4. To roll forward. Thunder mixed with hail, Hail mixed with fire, must rend the Egyptian sky, And wheel on the earth, devouring where it rolls. Milton.

WHEELBAND Wheel"band`, n.

Defn: The tire of a wheel.

WHEELBARROW Wheel"bar`row, n.

Defn: A light vehicle for conveying small loads. It has two handles and one wheel, and is rolled by a single person.

WHEEL BASE Wheel base.

Defn: The figure inclosed by lines through the points contact of the wheels of a vehicle, etc., with the surface or rails on which they run; more esp., the length of this figure between the points of contact of the two extreme wheels on either side.

WHEELBIRD Wheel"bird`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The European goatsucker. [Prov. Eng.]

WHEELED Wheeled, a.

Defn: Having wheels; — used chiefly in composition; as, a four- wheeled carriage.

WHEELER Wheel"er, n.

1. One who wheels, or turns.

2. A maker of wheels; a wheelwright. [Obs.]

3. A wheel horse. See under Wheel.

4. (Naut.)

Defn: A steam vessel propelled by a paddle wheel or by paddle wheels; — used chiefly in the terms side-wheeler and stern-wheeler.

5. A worker on sewed muslin. [Eng.]

6. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The European goatsucker. [Prov. Eng.]

WHEELHOUSE Wheel"house`, n. (Naut.) (a) A small house on or above a vessel's deck, containing the steering wheel. (b) A paddle box. See under Paddle.

WHEELING Wheel"ing, n.

1. The act of conveying anything, or traveling, on wheels, or in a wheeled vehicle.

2. The act or practice of using a cycle; cycling.

3. Condition of a road or roads, which admits of passing on wheels; as, it is good wheeling, or bad wheeling.

4. A turning, or circular movement.

WHEELMAN Wheel"man, n.; pl. Wheelmen (.

Defn: One who rides a bicycle or tricycle; a cycler, or cyclist.

WHEEL OF FORTUNE Wheel of fortune.

Defn: A gambling or lottery device consisting of a wheel which is spun horizontally, articles or sums to which certain marks on its circumference point when it stops being distributed according to varying rules.

WHEEL-SHAPED Wheel"-shaped`, a.

1. Shaped like a wheel.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: Expanding into a flat, circular border at top, with scarcely any tube; as, a wheel-shaped corolla.

WHEELSWARF Wheel"swarf`, n.

Defn: See Swarf.

WHEELWORK Wheel"work`, n. (Mach.)

Defn: A combination of wheels, and their connection, in a machine or mechanism.

WHEEL-WORN Wheel"-worn`, a.

Defn: Worn by the action of wheels; as, a wheel-worn road.

WHEELWRIGHT Wheel"wright`, n.

Defn: A man whose occupation is to make or repair wheels and wheeled vehicles, as carts, wagons, and the like.

WHEELY Wheel"y, a.

Defn: Circular; suitable to rotation.

WHEEN Wheen, n. Etym: [Cf. AS. hw, hw, a little, somewhat, hw little, few.]

Defn: A quantity; a goodly number. [Scot.] "A wheen other dogs." Sir W. Scott.

WHEEZE Wheeze, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wheezed; p. pr. & vb. n. Wheezing.] Etym: [OE. whesen, AS. hwsan (cf. Icel. hvæsa to hiss, Sw. hväsa, Dan. hvæse); akin to AS. hwsta a cough, D. hoest, G. husten, OHG. huosto, Icel. h, Lith. kosti to cough, Skr. k. sq. root43. Cf. Husky hoarse.]

Defn: To breathe hard, and with an audible piping or whistling sound, as persons affected with asthma. "Wheezing lungs." Shak.

WHEEZE Wheeze, n.

1. A piping or whistling sound caused by difficult respiration.

2. (Phon.)

Defn: An ordinary whisper exaggerated so as to produce the hoarse sound known as the "stage whisper." It is a forcible whisper with some admixture of tone.

WHEEZY Wheez"y, a.

Defn: Breathing with difficulty and with a wheeze; wheezing. Used also figuratively.

WHEFT Wheft, n. (Naut.)

Defn: See Waft, n., 4.

WHELK Whelk, n. Etym: [OE. welk, wilk, AS. weoloc, weloc, wiloc. Cf. Whilk, and Wilk.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one numerous species of large marine gastropods belonging to Buccinum and allied genera; especially, Buccinum undatum, common on the coasts both of Europe and North America, and much used as food in Europe. Whelk tingle, a dog whelk. See under Dog.

WHELK Whelk, n. Etym: [OE. whelke, dim. of whele. See Wheal a pustule.]

1. A papule; a pustule; acne. "His whelks white." Chaucer.

2. A stripe or mark; a ridge; a wale. Chin whelk (Med.), sycosis. — Rosy whelk (Med.), grog blossom.

WHELKED Whelked, a.

Defn: Having whelks; whelky; as, whelked horns. Shak.

WHELKY Whelk"y, a.

1. Having whelks, ridges, or protuberances; hence, streaked; striated.

2. Shelly. "Whelky pearls." Spenser.

WHELM Whelm, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whelmed; p. pr. & vb. n. Whelming.] Etym: [OE. whelmen to turn over, akin to OE. whelven, AS. whelfan, hwylfan, in , , to overwhelm, cover over; akin to OS. bihwelbian, D. welven to arch, G. wölben, OHG. welben, Icel. hvelfa to overturn; cf. Gr.

1. To cover with water or other fluid; to cover by immersion in something that envelops on all sides; to overwhelm; to ingulf. She is my prize, or ocean whelm them all! Shak. The whelming billow and the faithless oar. Gay.

2. Fig.: To cover completely, as if with water; to immerse; to overcome; as, to whelm one in sorrows. "The whelming weight of crime." J. H. Newman.

3. To throw (something) over a thing so as to cover it. [Obs.] Mortimer.

WHELP Whelp, n. Etym: [AS. hwelp; akin to D. welp, G. & OHG. welf, Icel. hvelpr, Dan. hvalp, Sw. valp.]

1. One of the young of a dog or a beast of prey; a puppy; a cub; as, a lion's whelps. "A bear robbed of her whelps." 2 Sam. xvii. 8.

2. A child; a youth; — jocosely or in contempt. That awkward whelp with his money bags would have made his entrance. Addison.

3. (Naut.)

Defn: One of the longitudinal ribs or ridges on the barrel of a capstan or a windless; — usually in the plural; as, the whelps of a windlass.

4. One of the teeth of a sprocket wheel.

WHELP Whelp, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whelped; p. pr. & vb. n. Whelping.]

Defn: To bring forth young; — said of the female of the dog and some beasts of prey.

WHELP Whelp, v. t.

Defn: To bring forth, as cubs or young; to give birth to. Unless she had whelped it herself, she could not have loved a thing better. B. Jonson. Did thy foul fancy whelp so black a scheme Young.

WHEN When, adv. Etym: [OE. when, whan, whenne, whanne, AS. hwænne, hwanne, hwonne; akin to OS. hwan, OD. wan, OHG. wanne, G. wann when, wenn if, when, Goth. hwan when, and to E. who. Who.]

1. At what time; — used interrogatively. When shall these things be Matt. xxiv. 3.

Note: See the Note under What, pron., 1.

2. At what time; at, during, or after the time that; at or just after, the moment that; — used relatively. Kings may Take their advantage when and how they list. Daniel. Book lore ne'er served, when trial came, Nor gifts, when faith was dead. J. H. Newman.

3. While; whereas; although; — used in the manner of a conjunction to introduce a dependent adverbial sentence or clause, having a causal, conditional, or adversative relation to the principal proposition; as, he chose to turn highwayman when he might have continued an honest man; he removed the tree when it was the best in the grounds.

4. Which time; then; — used elliptically as a noun. I was adopted heir by his consent; Since when, his oath is broke. Shak.

Note: When was formerly used as an exclamation of surprise or impatience, like what! Come hither; mend my ruff: Here, when! thou art such a tedious lady! J. Webster. When as, When that, at the time that; when. [Obs.] When as sacred light began to dawn. Milton. When that mine eye is famished for a look. Shak.

WHENAS When"as`, conj.

Defn: Whereas; while [Obs.] Whenas, if they would inquire into themselves, they would find no such matter. Barrow.

WHENCE Whence, adv. Etym: [OE. whennes, whens (with adverbial s, properly a genitive ending; — see -wards), also whenne, whanene, AS. hwanan, hwanon, hwonan, hwanone; akin to D. when. See When, and cf. Hence, Thence.]

1. From what place; hence, from what or which source, origin, antecedent, premise, or the like; how; — used interrogatively. Whence hath this man this wisdom Matt. xiii. 54. Whence and what art thou Milton.

2. From what or which place, source, material, cause, etc.; the place, source, etc., from which; — used relatively. Grateful to acknowledge whence his good Descends. Milton.

Note: All the words of this class, whence, where, whither, whereabouts, etc., are occasionally used as pronouns by a harsh construction. O, how unlike the place from whence they fell Milton.

Note: From whence, though a pleonasm, is fully authorized by the use of good writers. From whence come wars and fightings among you James iv. 1. Of whence, also a pleonasm, has become obsolete.

WHENCEEVER Whence*ev"er, adv. & conj.

Defn: Whencesoever. [R.]

WHENCEFORTH Whence`forth", adv.

Defn: From, or forth from, what or which place; whence. [Obs.] Spenser.

WHENCESOEVER Whence`so*ev"er, adv. & conj.

Defn: From what place soever; from what cause or source soever. Any idea, whencesoever we have it. Locke.

WHENE'ER When*e'er, adv. & conj.

Defn: Whenever.

WHENEVER When*ev"er, adv. & conj.

Defn: At whatever time. "Whenever that shall be." Milton.

WHENNES When"nes, adv.

Defn: Whence. [Obs.] Chaucer.

WHENSOEVER When`so*ev"er, adv. & conj.

Defn: At what time soever; at whatever time; whenever. Mark xiv. 7.

WHER; WHERE Wher, Where (, pron. & conj. Etym: [See Whether.]

Defn: Whether. [Sometimes written whe'r.] [Obs.] Piers Plowman. Men must enquire (this is mine assent), Wher she be wise or sober or dronkelewe. Chaucer.

WHERE Where, adv. Etym: [OE. wher, whar, AS. hw; akin to D. waar, OS. hw, OHG. hwar, war, wa, G. wo, Icel. and Sw. hvar, Dan. hvor, Goth. hwar, and E. who; cf. Skr. karhi when. sq. root182. See Who, and cf. There.]

1. At or in what place; hence, in what situation, position, or circumstances; — used interrogatively. God called unto Adam, . . . Where art thou Gen. iii. 9.

Note: See the Note under What, pron., 1.

2. At or in which place; at the place in which; hence, in the case or instance in which; — used relatively. She visited that place where first she was so happy. Sir P. Sidney. Where I thought the remnant of mine age Should have been cherished by her childlike duty. Shak. Where one on his side fights, thousands will fly. Shak. But where he rode one mile, the dwarf ran four. Sir W. Scott.

3. To what or which place; hence, to what goal, result, or issue; whither; — used interrogatively and relatively; as, where are you going But where does this tend Goldsmith. Lodged in sunny cleft, Where the gold breezes come not. Bryant.

Note: Where is often used pronominally with or without a preposition, in elliptical sentences for a place in which, the place in which, or what place. The star . . . stood over where the young child was. Matt. ii. 9. The Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Matt. viii. 20. Within about twenty paces of where we were. Goldsmith. Where did the minstrels come from Dickens.

Note: Where is much used in composition with preposition, and then is equivalent to a pronoun. Cf. Whereat, Whereby, Wherefore, Wherein, etc. Where away (Naut.), in what direction; as, where away is the land

Syn. — See Whither.

WHERE Where, conj.

Defn: Whereas. And flight and die is death destroying death; Where fearing dying pays death servile breath. Shak.

WHERE Where, n.

Defn: Place; situation. [Obs. or Colloq.] Finding the nymph asleep in secret where. Spenser.

WHEREABOUT; WHEREABOUTS Where"a*bout`, Where"a*bouts`, adv.

1. About where; near what or which place; — used interrogatively and relatively; as, whereabouts did you meet him

Note: In this sense, whereabouts is the common form.

2. Concerning which; about which. "The object whereabout they are conversant." Hooker.

WHEREABOUT; WHEREABOUTS Where"a*bout`, Where"a*bouts`, n.

Defn: The place where a person or thing is; as, they did not know his whereabouts. Shak. A puzzling notice of thy whereabout. Wordsworth.

WHEREAS Where*as", adv.

Defn: At which place; where. [Obs.] Chaucer. At last they came whereas that lady bode. Spenser.

WHEREAS Where*as", conj.

1. Considering that; it being the case that; since; — used to introduce a preamble which is the basis of declarations, affirmations, commands, requests, or like, that follow.

2. When in fact; while on the contrary; the case being in truth that; although; — implying opposition to something that precedes; or implying recognition of facts, sometimes followed by a different statement, and sometimes by inferences or something consequent. Are not those found to be the greatest zealots who are most notoriously ignorant whereas true zeal should always begin with true knowledge. Sprat.

WHEREAT Where*at", adv.

1. At which; upon which; whereupon; — used relatively. They vote; whereat his speech he thus renews. Milton. Whereat he was no less angry and ashamed than desirous to obey Zelmane. Sir P. Sidney.

2. At what; — used interrogatively; as, whereat are you offended

WHEREBY Where*by", adv.

1. By which; — used relatively. "You take my life when you take the means whereby I life." Shak.

2. By what; how; — used interrogatively. Whereby shall I know this Luke i. 18.

WHERE'ER Wher*e'er", adv.

Defn: Wherever; — a contracted and poetical form. Cowper.

WHEREFORE Where"fore, adv.& conj. Etym: [Where + for.]

1. For which reason; so; — used relatively. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Matt. vii. 20.

2. For what reason; why; — used interrogatively. But wherefore that I tell my tale. Chaucer. Wherefore didst thou doubt Matt. xiv. 31.

WHEREFORE Where"fore, n.

Defn: the reason why. [Colloq.]

WHEREFORM Where*form", adv. Etym: [Where + from.]

Defn: From which; from which or what place. Tennyson.

WHEREIN Where*in", adv.

1. In which; in which place, thing, time, respect, or the like; — used relatively. Her clothes wherein she was clad. Chaucer. There are times wherein a man ought to be cautious as well as innocent. Swift.

2. In what; — used interrogatively. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him! Mal. ii. 17.

WHEREINTO Where`in*to", adv.

1. Into which; — used relatively. Where is that palace whereinto foul things Sometimes intrude not Shak. The brook, whereinto he loved to look. Emerson.

2. Into what; — used interrogatively.

WHERENESS Where"ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of having a place; ubiety; situation; position. [R.] A point hath no dimensions, but only a whereness, and is next to nothing. Grew.

WHEREOF Where*of", adv.

1. Of which; of whom; formerly, also, with which; — used relatively. I do not find the certain numbers whereof their armies did consist. Sir J. Davies. Let it work like Borgias' wine, Whereof his sire, the pope, was poisoned. Marlowe. Edward's seven sons, whereof thyself art one. Shak.

2. Of what; — used interrogatively. Whereof was the house built Johnson.

WHEREON Where*on", adv.

1. On which; — used relatively; as, the earth whereon we live. O fair foundation laid whereon to build. Milton.

2. On what; — used interrogatively; as, whereon do we stand

WHEREOUT Where*out", adv.

Defn: Out of which. [R.] The cleft whereout the lightning breaketh. Holland.

WHERESO Where"so, adv.

Defn: Wheresoever. [Obs.]

WHERESOE'ER Where`so*e'er", adv.

Defn: Wheresoever. [Poetic] "Wheresoe'er they rove." Milton.

WHERESOEVER Where`so*ev"er, adv.

Defn: In what place soever; in whatever place; wherever.

WHERETHROUGH Where*through", adv.

Defn: Through which. [R.] "Wherethrough that I may know." Chaucer. Windows . . . wherethrough the sun Delights to peep, to gaze therein on thee. Shak.

WHERETO Where*to", adv.

1. To which; — used relatively. "Whereto we have already attained." Phil. iii. 16. Whereto all bonds do tie me day by day. Shak.

2. To what; to what end; — used interrogatively.

WHEREUNTO Where`un*to", adv.

Defn: Same as Whereto.

WHEREUPON Where`up*on", adv.

Defn: Upon which; in consequence of which; after which. The townsmen mutinied and sent to Essex; whereupon he came thither. Clarendon.

WHEREVER Wher*ev"er, adv.

Defn: At or in whatever place; wheresoever. He can not but love virtue wherever it is. Atterbury.

WHEREWITH Where*with", adv.

1. With which; — used relatively. The love wherewith thou hast loved me. John xvii. 26.

2. With what; — used interrogatively. Wherewith shall I save Israel Judg. vi. 15.

WHEREWITH Where*with", n.

Defn: The necessary means or instrument. So shall I have wherewith to answer him. Ps. cxix. 42. The wherewith to meet excessive loss by radiation. H. Spencer.

WHEREWITHAL Where`with*al", adv. & n.

Defn: Wherewith. "Wherewithal shall we be clothed" Matt. vi. 31. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way Ps. cxix. 9. [The builders of Babel], still with vain design, New Babels, had they wherewithal, would build. Milton.

WHERRET Wher"ret, v. t. Etym: [From Whir.]

1. To hurry; to trouble; to tease. [Obs.] Bickerstaff.

2. To box (one) on the ear; to strike or box. (the ear); as, to wherret a child. [Obs.]

WHERRET Wher"ret, n.

Defn: A box on the ear. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

WHERRY Wher"ry, n.; pl. Wherries. Etym: [Cf. Icel. hverfr shifty, crank, hverfa to turn, E. whirl, wharf.] (Naut.) (a) A passenger barge or lighter plying on rivers; also, a kind of light, half-decked vessel used in fishing. [Eng.] (b) A long, narrow, light boat, sharp at both ends, for fast rowing or sailing; esp., a racing boat rowed by one person with sculls.

WHERRY Wher"ry, n. Etym: [Cf. W. chwerw bitter.]

Defn: A liquor made from the pulp of crab apples after the verjuice is expressed; — sometimes called crab wherry. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

WHERSO Wher"so, adv.

Defn: Wheresoever. [Obs.] Chaucer.

WHET Whet, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whetted; p. pr. & vb. n. Whetting.] Etym: [AS. hwettan; akin to D. wetten, G. wetzen, OHG. wezzen, Icel. hvetja, Sw. vättja, and AS. hwæt vigorous, brave, OS. hwat, OHG. waz, was, sharp, Icel. hvatr, bold, active, Sw. hvass sharp, Dan. hvas, Goth. hwassaba sharply, and probably to Skr. cud to impel, urge on.]

1. To rub or on with some substance, as a piece of stone, for the purpose of sharpening; to sharpen by attrition; as, to whet a knife. The mower whets his scythe. Milton. Here roams the wolf, the eagle whets his beak. Byron.

2. To make sharp, keen, or eager; to excite; to stimulate; as, to whet the appetite or the courage. Since Cassius first did whet me against Cæsar, I have not slept. Shak. To whet on, To whet forward, to urge on or forward; to instigate. Shak.

WHET Whet, n.

1. The act of whetting.

2. That which whets or sharpens; esp., an appetizer. "Sips, drams, and whets." Spectator. Whet slate (Min.), a variety of slate used for sharpening cutting instruments; novaculite; — called also whetstone slate, and oilstone.

WHETHER Wheth"er, pron. Etym: [OE. whether, AS. hwæ; akin to OS. hwe, OFries. hweder, OHG. hwedar, wedar, G. weder, conj., neither, Icel. hvarr whether, Goth. hwa, Lith. katras, L. uter, Gr. katara, from the interrogatively pronoun, in AS. hwa who. Who, and cf. Either, Neither, Or, conj.]

Defn: Which (of two); which one (of two); — used interrogatively and relatively. [Archaic] Now choose yourself whether that you liketh. Chaucer. One day in doubt I cast for to compare Whether in beauties' glory did exceed. Spenser. Whether of them twain did the will of his father Matt. xxi. 31.

WHETHER Wheth"er, conj.

Defn: In case; if; — used to introduce the first or two or more alternative clauses, the other or others being connected by or, or by or whether. When the second of two alternatives is the simple negative of the first it is sometimes only indicated by the particle not or no after the correlative, and sometimes it is omitted entirely as being distinctly implied in the whether of the first. And now who knows But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours Shak. You have said; but whether wisely or no, let the forest judge. Shak. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. Rom. xiv. 8. But whether thus these things, or whether not; Whether the sun, predominant in heaven, Rise on the earth, or earth rise on the sun, . . . Solicit not thy thoughts with matters hid. Milton. Whether or no, in either case; in any case; as, I will go whether or no. — Whether that, whether. Shak.

WHETHERING Wheth"er*ing, n.

Defn: The retention of the afterbirth in cows. Gardner.

WHETILE Whet"ile, n. Etym: [Cf. Whitile.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The green woodpecker, or yaffle. See Yaffle. [Prov. Eng.]

WHETSTONE Whet"stone`, n. Etym: [AS. hwetstan.]

Defn: A piece of stone, natural or artificial, used for whetting, or sharpening, edge tools. The dullness of the fools is the whetstone of the wits. Shak. Diligence is to the understanding as the whetstone to the razor. South.

Note: Some whetstones are used dry, others are moistened with water, or lubricated with oil. To give the whetstone, to give a premium for extravagance in falsehood. [Obs.]

WHETTER Whet"ter, n.

1. One who, or that which, whets, sharpens, or stimulates.

2. A tippler; one who drinks whets. [Obs.] Steele.

WHETTLEBONES Whet"tle*bones, n. pl.

Defn: The vertebræ of the back. [Prov. Eng.] Dunglison.

WHEW Whew (hwu), n. & interj.

Defn: A sound like a half-formed whistle, expressing astonishment, scorn, or dislike. Whew duck, the European widgeon. [Prov. Eng.]

WHEW Whew, v. i.

Defn: To whistle with a shrill pipe, like a plover. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

WHEWELLITE Whew"ell*ite, n. Etym: [So named after Prof. Whewell of Cambridge, England.] (Min.)

Defn: Calcium oxalate, occurring in colorless or white monoclinic crystals.

WHEWER Whew"er, n. Etym: [Cf. W. chwiwell a widgeon, chwiws widgeons, waterfowls; or cf. E. whew, v. i.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The European widgeon. [Prov. Eng.]

WHEY Whey, n. Etym: [AS. hwæg; cf. D. wei, hui, Fries. weye, LG. wey, waje. ]

Defn: The serum, or watery part, of milk, separated from the more thick or coagulable part, esp. in the process of making cheese. In this process, the thick part is called curd, and the thin part whey.

WHEY CURE Whey cure.

Defn: Treatment with whey as a drink and in baths.

WHEYEY Whey"ey, a.

Defn: Of the nature of, or containing, whey; resembling whey; wheyish. Bacon.

WHEYFACE Whey"face`, n.

Defn: One who is pale, as from fear.

WHEY-FACED Whey"-faced`, a.

Defn: Having a pale or white face, as from fright. "Whey-faced cavaliers." Aytoun.

WHEYISH Whey"ish, a.

Defn: Somewhat like whey; wheyey. J. Philips. — Whey"ish*ness, n.

WHICH Which, pron. Etym: [OE. which, whilk, AS. hwilc, hwylc, hwelc, from the root of hwa who + lic body; hence properly, of what sort or kind; akin to OS. hwilik which, OFries. hwelik, D. welk, G. welch, OHG. welih, hwelih, Icel. hvilikr, Dan. & Sw. hvilken, Goth. hwileiks, hwleiks; cf. L. qualis. Who, and Like, a., and cf. Such.]

1. Of what sort or kind; what; what a; who. [Obs.] And which they weren and of what degree. Chaucer.

2. A interrogative pronoun, used both substantively and adjectively, and in direct and indirect questions, to ask for, or refer to, an individual person or thing among several of a class; as, which man is it which woman was it which is the house he asked which route he should take; which is best, to live or to die See the Note under What, pron., 1. Which of you convinceth me of sin John viii. 46.

3. A relative pronoun, used esp. in referring to an antecedent noun or clause, but sometimes with reference to what is specified or implied in a sentence, or to a following noun or clause (generally involving a reference, however, to something which has preceded). It is used in all numbers and genders, and was formerly used of persons. And when thou fail'st — as God forbid the hour! —Must Edward fall, which peril heaven forfend! Shak. God . . . rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. Gen. ii. 2. Our Father, which art in heaven. Matt. vi. 9. The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1 Cor. iii. 17.

4. A compound relative or indefinite pronoun, standing for any one which, whichever, that which, those which, the . . . which, and the like; as, take which you will.

Note: The which was formerly often used for which. The expressions which that, which as, were also sometimes used by way of emphasis. Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called James ii. 7.

Note: Which, referring to a series of preceding sentences, or members of a sentence, may have all joined to it adjectively. "All which, as a method of a proclamation, is very convenient." Carlyle.

WHICHEVER; WHICHSOEVER Which*ev"er, Which`so*ev"er, pron. & a.

Defn: Whether one or another; whether one or the other; which; that one (of two or more) which; as, whichever road you take, it will lead you to town.

WHIDAH BIRD Whid"ah bird`, (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of several species of finchlike birds belonging to the genus Vidua, native of Asia and Africa. In the breeding season the male has very long, drooping tail feathers. Called also vida finch, whidah finch, whydah bird, whydah finch, widow bird, and widow finch.

Note: Some of the species are often kept as cage birds, especially Vidua paradisea, which is dark brownish above, pale buff beneath, with a reddish collar around the neck.

WHIDER Whid"er, adv.

Defn: Whither. [Obs.] Chaucer.

WHIFF Whiff, n. Etym: [OE. weffe vapor, whiff, probably of imitative origin; cf. Dan. vift a puff, gust, W. chwiff a whiff, puff.]

1. A sudden expulsion of air from the mouth; a quick puff or slight gust, as of air or smoke. But with the whiff and wind of his fell sword The unnerved father falls. Shak. The skipper, he blew a whiff from his pipe, And a scornful laugh laughed he. Longfellow.

2. A glimpse; a hasty view. [Prov. Eng.]

3. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The marysole, or sail fluke.

WHIFF Whiff, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whiffed; p. pr. & vb. n. Whiffing.]

1. To throw out in whiffs; to consume in whiffs; to puff.

2. To carry or convey by a whiff, or as by a whiff; to puff or blow away. Old Empedocles, . . . who, when he leaped into Etna, having a dry, sear body, and light, the smoke took him, and whiffed him up into the moon. B. Jonson.

WHIFF Whiff, v. i.

Defn: To emit whiffs, as of smoke; to puff.

WHIFFET Whif"fet, n.

Defn: A little whiff or puff.

WHIFFING Whiff"ing, n.

1. The act of one who, or that which, whiffs.

2. A mode of fishing with a hand line for pollack, mackerel, and the like.

WHIFFLE Whif"fle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whiffled; p. pr. & vb. n. Whiffling.] Etym: [Freq. of whiff to puff, perhaps influenced by D. weifelen to waver.]

1. To waver, or shake, as if moved by gusts of wind; to shift, turn, or veer about. D

2. To change from one opinion or course to another; to use evasions; to prevaricate; to be fickle. A person of whiffing and unsteady turn of mind can not keep close to a point of controversy. I. Watts.

WHIFFLE Whif"fle, v. t.

1. To disperse with, or as with, a whiff, or puff; to scatter. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

2. To wave or shake quickly; to cause to whiffle.

WHIFFLE Whif"fle, n.

Defn: A fife or small flute. [Obs.] Douce.

WHIFFLER Whif"fler, n.

1. One who whiffles, or frequently changes his opinion or course; one who uses shifts and evasions in argument; hence, a trifler. Every whiffler in a laced coat who frequents the chocolate house shall talk of the constitution. Swift.

2. One who plays on a whiffle; a fifer or piper. [Obs.]

3. An officer who went before procession to clear the way by blowing a horn, or otherwise; hence, any person who marched at the head of a procession; a harbinger. Which like a mighty whiffler 'fore the king, Seems to prepare his way. Shak.

Note: "Whifflers, or fifers, generally went first in a procession, from which circumstance the name was transferred to other persons who succeeded to that office, and at length was given to those who went forward merely to clear the way for the procession. . . . In the city of London, young freemen, who march at the head of their proper companies on the Lord Mayor's day, sometimes with flags, were called whifflers, or bachelor whifflers, not because they cleared the way, but because they went first, as whifflers did." Nares.

4. (Zoöl)

Defn: The golden-eye. [Local, U.S.]

WHIFFLETREE Whif"fle*tree`, n.

Defn: Same as Whippletree.

WHIG Whig, n. Etym: [See Whey.]

Defn: Acidulated whey, sometimes mixed with buttermilk and sweet herbs, used as a cooling beverage. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

WHIG Whig, n. Etym: [Said to be from whiggam, a term used in Scotland in driving horses, whiggamore one who drives horses (a term applied to some western Scotchmen), contracted to whig. In 1648, a party of these people marched to Edinburgh to oppose the king and the duke of Hamilton (the Whiggamore raid), and hence the name of Whig was given to the party opposed to the court. Cf. Scot. whig to go quickly.]

1. (Eng. Politics)

Defn: One of a political party which grew up in England in the seventeenth century, in the reigns of Charles I. and II., when great contests existed respecting the royal prerogatives and the rights of the people. Those who supported the king in his high claims were called Tories, and the advocates of popular rights, of parliamentary power over the crown, and of toleration to Dissenters, were, after 1679, called Whigs. The terms Liberal and Radical have now generally superseded Whig in English politics. See the note under Tory.

2. (Amer. Hist.) (a) A friend and supporter of the American Revolution; — opposed to Tory, and Royalist. (b) One of the political party in the United States from about 1829 to 1856, opposed in politics to the Democratic party.

WHIG Whig, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Whigs.

WHIGGAMORE Whig"ga*more, n. Etym: [See Whig.]

Defn: A Whig; — a cant term applied in contempt to Scotch Presbyterians. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

WHIGGARCHY Whig"gar*chy, n. Etym: [Whig + -archy.]

Defn: Government by Whigs. [Cont] Swift.

WHIGGERY Whig"ger*y, n.

Defn: The principles or practices of the Whigs; Whiggism.

WHIGGISH Whig"gish, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to Whigs; partaking of, or characterized by, the principles of Whigs.

WHIGGISHLY Whig"gish*ly, adv.

Defn: In a Whiggish manner.

WHIGGISM Whig"gism, n.

Defn: The principles of the Whigs.

WHIGLING Whig"ling, n.

Defn: A petty or inferior Whig; — used in contempt. Spectator.

WHILE While, n. Etym: [AS. hwil; akin to OS. hwil, hwila, OFries. hwile, D. wigl, G. weile, OHG. wila, hwila, hwil, Icel. hvila a bed, hvild rest, Sw. hvila, Dan. hvile, Goth. hweila a time, and probably to L. quietus quiet, and perhaps to Gr. Quiet, Whilom.]

1. Space of time, or continued duration, esp. when short; a time; as, one while we thought him innocent. "All this while." Shak. This mighty queen may no while endure. Chaucer. [Some guest that] hath outside his welcome while, And tells the jest without the smile. Coleridge. I will go forth and breathe the air a while. Longfellow.

2. That which requires time; labor; pains. [Obs.] Satan . . . cast him how he might quite her while. Chaucer. At whiles, at times; at intervals. And so on us at whiles it falls, to claim Powers that we dread. J. H. Newman. — The while, The whiles, in or during the time that; meantime; while. Tennyson. — Within a while, in a short time; soon. — Worth while, worth the time which it requires; worth the time and pains; hence, worth the expense; as, it is not always worth while for a man to prosecute for small debts.

WHILE While, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whiled; p. pr. & vb. n. Whiling.]

Defn: To cause to pass away pleasantly or without irksomeness or disgust; to spend or pass; — usually followed by away. The lovely lady whiled the hours away. Longfellow.

WHILE While, v. i.

Defn: To loiter. [R.] Spectator.

WHILE While, conj.

1. During the time that; as long as; whilst; at the same time that; as, while I write, you sleep. "While I have time and space." Chaucer. Use your memory; you will sensibly experience a gradual improvement, while you take care not to overload it. I. Watts.

2. Hence, under which circumstances; in which case; though; whereas. While as, While that, during or at the time that. [Obs.]

WHILE While, prep.

Defn: Until; till. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.] I may be conveyed into your chamber; I'll lie under your bed while midnight. Beau. & Fl.

WHILERE Whil`ere", adv. Etym: [While + ere]

Defn: A little while ago; recently; just now; erewhile. [Obs.] Helpeth me now as I did you whilere. Chaucer. He who, with all heaven's heraldry, whilere Entered the world. Milton.

WHILES Whiles, adv. Etym: [See While, n., and -wards.]

1. Meanwhile; meantime. [R.] The good knight whiles humming to himself the lay of some majored troubadour. Sir. W. Scott.

2. sometimes; at times. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott. The whiles. See under While, n.

WHILES Whiles, conj.

Defn: During the time that; while. [Archaic] Chaucer. Fuller. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him. Matt. v. 25.

WHILK Whilk, n. Etym: [See Whelk a mollusk.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A kind of mollusk, a whelk. [Prov. Eng.]

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The scoter. [Prov. Eng.]

WHILK Whilk, pron.

Defn: Which. [Obs. or Scot.]

Note: Whilk is sometimes used in Chaucer to represent the Northern dialect.

WHILOM Whi"lom, adv. Etym: [AS. hwilum, properly, at times, dative pl. of hwil; akin to G. weiland formerly, OHG. hwilm, See While, n.]

Defn: Formerly; once; of old; erewhile; at times. [Obs. or Poetic] Spenser. Whilom, as olde stories tellen us, There was a duke that highte Theseus. Chaucer.

WHILST Whilst, adv. Etym: [From Whiles; cf. Amongst.]

Defn: While. [Archaic] Whilst the emperor lay at Antioch. Gibbon. The whilst, in the meantime; while. [Archaic.] Shak.

WHIM Whim, n. Etym: [Cf. Whimbrel.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The European widgeon. [Prov. Eng.]

WHIM Whim, n. Etym: [Cf. Icel. hwima to wander with the eyes, vim giddiness, Norw. kvima to whisk or flutter about, to trifle, Dan. vimse to skip, whisk, jump from one thing to another, dial. Sw. hvimsa to be unsteady, dizzy, W. chwimio to move briskly.]

1. A sudden turn or start of the mind; a temporary eccentricity; a freak; a fancy; a capricious notion; a humor; a caprice. Let every man enjoy his whim. Churchill.

2. (Mining)

Defn: A large capstan or vertical drum turned by horse power or steam power, for raising ore or water, etc., from mines, or for other purposes; — called also whim gin, and whimsey. Whim gin (Mining), a whim. See Whim, 2. — Whim shaft (Mining), a shaft through which ore, water, etc., is raised from a mine by means of a whim.

Syn. — Freak; caprice; whimsey; fancy. — Whim, Freak, Caprice. Freak denotes an impulsive, inconsiderate change of mind, as by a child or a lunatic. Whim is a mental eccentricity due to peculiar processes or habits of thought. Caprice is closely allied in meaning to freak, but implies more definitely a quality of willfulness or wantonness.

WHIM Whim, v. i.

Defn: To be subject to, or indulge in, whims; to be whimsical, giddy, or freakish. [R.] Congreve.

WHIMBREL Whim"brel, n. Etym: [Cf. Whimper.] (Zoöl)

Defn: Any one of several species of small curlews, especially the European species (Numenius phæopus), called also Jack curlew, half curlew, stone curlew, and tang whaup. See Illustration in Appendix. Hudsonian or, Eskimo, whimbreal, the Hudsonian curlew.

WHIMLING Whim"ling, n. Etym: [Whim + -ling.]

Defn: One given to whims; hence, a weak, childish person; a child. Go, whimling, and fetch two or three grating loaves. Beau. & Fl.

WHIMMY Whim"my, a.

Defn: Full of whims; whimsical. The study of Rabbinical literature either finds a man whimmy or makes him so. Coleridge.

WHIMPER Whim"per, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whimpered; p. pr. & vb. n. Whimpering.] Etym: [Cf. Scot. whimmer, G. wimmern.]

Defn: To cry with a low, whining, broken voice; to whine; to complain; as, a child whimpers. Was there ever yet preacher but there were gainsayers that spurned, that winced, that whimpered against him Latimer.

WHIMPER Whim"per, v. t.

Defn: To utter in alow, whining tone.

WHIMPER Whim"per, n.

Defn: A low, whining, broken cry; a low, whining sound, expressive of complaint or grief.

WHIMPERER Whim"per*er, n.

Defn: One who whimpers.

WHIMPLE Whim"ple, v. t.

Defn: See Wimple.

WHIMPLE Whim"ple, v. i. Etym: [Cf. Whiffle.]

Defn: To whiffle; to veer.

WHIMSEY; WHIMSY Whim"sey, Whimsy, n.; pl. Whimseys or Whimsies. Etym: [See Whim.]

1. A whim; a freak; a capricious notion, a fanciful or odd conceit. "The whimsies of poets and painters." Ray. Men's folly, whimsies, and inconstancy. Swift. Mistaking the whimseys of a feverish brain for the calm revelation of truth. Bancroft.

2. (Mining)

Defn: A whim.

WHIMSEY Whim"sey, v. t.

Defn: To fill with whimseys, or whims; to make fantastic; to craze. [R.] To have a man's brain whimsied with his wealth. J. Fletcher.

WHIMSICAL Whim"si*cal, a. Etym: [From Whimsey.]

1. Full of, or characterized by, whims; actuated by a whim; having peculiar notions; queer; strange; freakish. "A whimsical insult." Macaulay. My neighbors call me whimsical. Addison.

2. Odd or fantastic in appearance; quaintly devised; fantastic. "A whimsical chair." Evelyn.

Syn. — Quaint; capricious; fanciful; fantastic.

WHIMSICALITY Whim`si*cal"i*ty, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being whimsical; whimsicalness.

WHIMSICALLY Whim"si*cal*ly, adv.

Defn: In a whimsical manner; freakishly.

WHIMSICALNESS Whim"si*cal*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being whimsical; freakishness; whimsical disposition.

WHIMSY Whim"sy, n.

Defn: A whimsey.

WHIMWHAM Whim"wham, n. Etym: [Formed from whim by reduplication.]

1. A whimsical thing; an odd device; a trifle; a trinket; a gimcrack. [R.] They'll pull ye all to pieces for your whimwhams. Bear. & Fl.

2. A whim, or whimsey; a freak.

WHIN Whin, n. Etym: [W. chwyn weeds, a single weed.]

1. (Bot.) (a) Gorse; furze. See Furze. Through the whins, and by the cairn. Burns.

(b) Woad-waxed. Gray.

2. Same as Whinstone. [Prov. Eng.] Moor whin or Petty whin (Bot.), a low prickly shrub (Genista Anglica) common in Western Europe. — Whin bruiser, a machine for cutting and bruising whin, or furze, to feed cattle on. — Whin Sparrow (Zoöl.), the hedge sparrow. [Prov. Eng.] — Whin Thrush (Zoöl.), the redwing. [Prov. Eng.]

WHINBERRY Whin"ber*ry, n. (Bot.)

Defn: The English bilberry; — so called because it grows on moors among the whins, or furze. Dr. Prior.

WHINCHAT Whin"chat`, n. Etym: [So called because it frequents whins.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A small warbler (Pratincola rubetra) common in Europe; — called also whinchacker, whincheck, whin-clocharet.

WHINE Whine, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whined; p. pr. & vb. n. Whining.] Etym: [OE. whinen, AS. hwinan to make a whistling, whizzing sound; akin to Icel. hvina, Sw. hvina, Dan. hvine, and probably to G. wiehern to neigh, OHG. wihn, hweijn; perhaps of imitative origin. Cf. Whinny, v. i.]

Defn: To utter a plaintive cry, as some animals; to mean with a childish noise; to complain, or to tell of sorrow, distress, or the like, in a plaintive, nasal tone; hence, to complain or to beg in a mean, unmanly way; to moan basely. "Whining plovers." Spenser. The hounds were . . . staying their coming, but with a whining accent, craving liberty. Sir P. Sidney. Dost thou come here to whine Shak.

WHINE Whine, v. t.

Defn: To utter or express plaintively, or in a mean, unmanly way; as, to whine out an excuse.

WHINE Whine, n.

Defn: A plaintive tone; the nasal, childish tone of mean complaint; mean or affected complaint.

WHINER Whin"er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, whines.

WHINGE Whinge, v. i.

Defn: To whine. [Scot.] Burns.

WHINGER Whing"er, n. Etym: [See Whinyard.]

Defn: A kind of hanger or sword used as a knife at meals and as a weapon. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.] The chief acknowledged that he had corrected her with his whinger. Sir W. Scott.

WHININGLY Whin"ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a whining manner; in a tone of mean complaint.

WHINNER Whin"ner, v. i.

Defn: To whinny. [Colloq.]

WHINNY Whin"ny, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whinnied; p. pr. & vb. n. Whinnying.] Etym: [From Whine]

Defn: To utter the ordinary call or cry of a horse; to neigh.

WHINNY Whin"ny, n.; pl. Whinnies (.

Defn: The ordinary cry or call of a horse; a neigh. "The stately horse . . . stooped with a low whinny." Tennyson.

WHINNY Whin"ny, a.

Defn: Abounding in whin, gorse, or furze. A fine, large, whinny, . . . unimproved common. Sterne.

WHINOCK Whin"ock, n. Etym: [Cf. Scot. whin, quhene, a few, AS. hw, hwne, a little, hwn little, few. Cf. Wheen.]

Defn: The small pig of a litter. [Local, U. S.]

WHINSTONE Whin"stone", n. Etym: [Whin + stone; cf. Scot. quhynstane.]

Defn: A provincial name given in England to basaltic rocks, and applied by miners to other kind of dark-colored unstratified rocks which resist the point of the pick. — for example, to masses of chert. Whin-dikes, and whin-sills, are names sometimes given to veins or beds of basalt.

WHINYARD Whin"yard, n. Etym: [Cf. Prov. E. & Scot. whingar, whinger; perhaps from AS. winn contention, war + geard, gyrd, a staff, rod, yard; or cf. AS. hwinan to whistle, E. whine.]

1. A sword, or hanger. [Obs.]

2. Etym: [From the shape of the bill.] (Zoöl) (a) The shoveler. [Prov. Eng.] (b) The poachard. [Prov. Eng.]

WHIP Whip, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whipped; p. pr. & vb. n. Whipping.] Etym: [OE. whippen to overlay, as a cord, with other cords, probably akin to G. & D. wippen to shake, to move up and down, Sw. vippa, Dan. vippe to swing to and fro, to shake, to toss up, and L. vibrare to shake. Cf. Vibrate.]

1. To strike with a lash, a cord, a rod, or anything slender and lithe; to lash; to beat; as, to whip a horse, or a carpet.

2. To drive with lashes or strokes of a whip; to cause to rotate by lashing with a cord; as, to whip a top.

3. To punish with a whip, scourge, or rod; to flog; to beat; as, to whip a vagrant; to whip one with thirty nine lashes; to whip a perverse boy. Who, for false quantities, was whipped at school. Dryden.

4. To apply that which hurts keenly to; to lash, as with sarcasm, abuse, or the like; to apply cutting language to. They would whip me with their fine wits. Shak.

5. To thrash; to beat out, as grain, by striking; as, to whip wheat.

6. To beat (eggs, cream, or the like) into a froth, as with a whisk, fork, or the like.

7. To conquer; to defeat, as in a contest or game; to beat; to surpass. [Slang, U. S.]

8. To overlay (a cord, rope, or the like) with other cords going round and round it; to overcast, as the edge of a seam; to wrap; — often with about, around, or over. Its string is firmly whipped about with small gut. Moxon.

9. To sew lightly; specifically, to form (a fabric) into gathers by loosely overcasting the rolled edge and drawing up the thread; as, to whip a ruffle. In half-whipped muslin needles useless lie. Gay.

10. To take or move by a sudden motion; to jerk; to snatch; — with into, out, up, off, and the like. She, in a hurry, whips up her darling under her arm. L'Estrange. He whips out his pocketbook every moment, and writes descriptions of everything he sees. Walpole.

11. (Naut.) (a) To hoist or purchase by means of a whip. (b) To secure the end of (a rope, or the like) from untwisting by overcasting it with small stuff.

12. To fish (a body of water) with a rod and artificial fly, the motion being that employed in using a whip. Whipping their rough surface for a trout. Emerson. To whip in, to drive in, or keep from scattering, as hounds in a hurt; hence, to collect, or to keep together, as member of a party, or the like. — To whip the cat. (a) To practice extreme parsimony. [Prov. Eng.] Forby. (b) To go from house to house working by the day, as itinerant tailors and carpenters do. [Prov. & U. S.]

WHIP Whip, v. i.

Defn: To move nimbly; to start or turn suddenly and do something; to whisk; as, he whipped around the corner. With speed from thence he whipped. Sackville. Two friends, traveling, met a bear upon the way; the one whips up a tree, and the other throws himself flat upon the ground. L'Estrange.

WHIP Whip, n. Etym: [OE. whippe. See Whip, v. t.]

1. An instrument or driving horses or other animals, or for correction, consisting usually of a lash attached to a handle, or of a handle and lash so combined as to form a flexible rod. "[A] whip's lash." Chaucer. In his right hand he holds a whip, with which he is supposed to drive the horses of the sun. Addison.

2. A coachman; a driver of a carriage; as, a good whip. Beaconsfield.

3. (Mach.) (a) One of the arms or frames of a windmill, on which the sails are spread. (b) The length of the arm reckoned from the shaft.

4. (Naut.) (a) A small tackle with a single rope, used to hoist light bodies. (b) The long pennant. See Pennant (a)

5. A huntsman who whips in the hounds; whipper-in.

6. (Eng. Politics) (a) A person (as a member of Parliament) appointed to enforce party discipline, and secure the attendance of the members of a Parliament party at any important session, especially when their votes are needed. (b) A call made upon members of a Parliament party to be in their places at a given time, as when a vote is to be taken. Whip and spur, with the utmost haste. — Whip crane, or Whip purchase, a simple form of crane having a small drum from which the load is suspended, turned by pulling on a rope wound around larger drum on the same axle. — Whip gin. See Gin block, under 5th Gin. — Whip grafting. See under Grafting. — Whip hand, the hand with which the whip is used; hence, advantage; mastery; as, to have or get the whip hand of a person. Dryden. — Whip ray (Zoöl.), the European eagle ray. See under Ray. — Whip roll (Weaving), a roll or bar, behind the reeds in a loom, on which the warp threads rest. — Whip scorpion (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of arachnids belonging to Thelyphonus and allied genera. They somewhat resemble true scorpions, but have a long, slender bristle, or lashlike organ, at the end of the body, instead of a sting. — Whip snake (Zoöl.), any one of various species of slender snakes. Specifically: (a) A bright green South American tree snake (Philodryas viridissimus) having a long and slender body. It is not venomous. Called also emerald whip snake. (b) The coachwhip snake.

WHIPCORD Whip"cord`, n.

Defn: A kind of hard-twisted or braided cord, sometimes used for making whiplashes.

WHIPGRAFT Whip"graft`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whipgrafted; p. pr. & vb. n. Whipgrafting.]

Defn: To graft by cutting the scion and stock in a certain manner. See Whip grafting, under Grafting.

WHIPLASH Whip"lash`, n.

Defn: The lash of a whip, — usually made of thongs of leather, or of cords, braided or twisted.

WHIPPAREE Whip`pa*ree", n. (Zoöl.) (a) A large sting ray (Dasybatis, or Trygon, Sayi) native of the Southern United States. It is destitute of large spines on the body and tail. (b) A large sting ray (Rhinoptera bonasus, or R. quadriloba) of the Atlantic coast of the United States. Its snout appears to be four- lobed when viewed in front, whence it is also called cow-nosed ray.

WHIPPER Whip"per, n.

1. One who whips; especially, an officer who inflicts the penalty of legal whipping.

2. One who raises coal or merchandise with a tackle from a chip's hold. [Eng.]

3. (Spinning)

Defn: A kind of simple willow.

WHIPPERIN Whip"per*in`, n.

1. A huntsman who keeps the hounds from wandering, and whips them in, if necessary, to the of chase.

2. Hence, one who enforces the discipline of a party, and urges the attendance and support of the members on all necessary occasions.

WHIPPERSNAPPER Whip"per*snap`per, n.

Defn: A diminutive, insignificant, or presumptuous person. [Colloq.] "Little whippersnappers like you." T. Hughes.

WHIPPING Whip"ping,

Defn: a & n. from Whip, v. Whipping post, a post to which offenders are tied, to be legally whipped.

WHIPPLETREE Whip"ple*tree`, n. Etym: [See Whip, and cf. Whiffletree.]

1. The pivoted or swinging bar to which the traces, or tugs, of a harness are fastened, and by which a carriage, a plow, or other implement or vehicle, is drawn; a whiffletree; a swingletree; a singletree. See Singletree. [People] cut their own whippletree in the woodlot. Emerson.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: The cornel tree. Chaucer.

WHIP-POOR-WILL Whip"-poor-will`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An American bird (Antrostomus vociferus) allied to the nighthawk and goatsucker; — so called in imitation of the peculiar notes which it utters in the evening. [Written also whippowil.]

WHIPSAW Whip"saw`, n.

Defn: A saw for dividing timber lengthwise, usually set in a frame, and worked by two persons; also, a fret saw.

WHIP-SHAPED Whip"-shaped`, a.

Defn: Shaped like the lash of a whip; long, slender, round, and tapering; as, a whip-shaped root or stem.

WHIPSTAFF Whip"staff`, n. (Naut.)

Defn: A bar attached to the tiller, for convenience in steering.

WHIPSTALK Whip"stalk`, n.

Defn: A whipstock.

WHIPSTER Whip"ster, n. Etym: [Whip + -ster.]

Defn: A nimble little fellow; a whippersnapper. Every puny whipster gets my sword. Shak.

WHIPSTICK Whip"stick`, n.

Defn: Whip handle; whipstock.

WHIPSTITCH Whip"stitch`, n.

1. A tailor; — so called in contempt.

2. Anything hastily put or stitched together; hence, a hasty composition. [R.] Dryden.

3. (Agric.)

Defn: The act or process of whipstitching.

WHIPSTITCH Whip"stitch`, v. t. (Agric.)

Defn: To rafter; to plow in ridges, as land. [Eng.]

WHIPSTOCK Whip"stock`, n.

Defn: The rod or handle to which the lash of a whip is fastened.

WHIPT Whipt, imp. & p. p. of Whip.

Defn: Whipped.

WHIP-TOM-KELLY Whip"-tom`-kel"ly, n. Etym: [So called in imitation of its notes.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A vireo (Vireo altiloquus) native of the West Indies and Florida; — called also black-whiskered vireo.

WHIPWORM Whip"worm`, n. Etym: [So called from its shape.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A nematode worm (Trichocephalus dispar) often found parasitic in the human intestine. Its body is thickened posteriorly, but is very long and threadlike anteriorly.

WHIR Whir, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whirred; p. pr. & vb. n. Whirring.] Etym: [Perhaps of imitative origin; cf. D. hvirre to whirl, and E. hurr, hurry, whirl.

Defn: To whirl round, or revolve, with a whizzing noise; to fly or more quickly with a buzzing or whizzing sound; to whiz. The partridge bursts away on whirring wings. Beattie.

WHIR Whir, v. t. Etym: [See Whir to whiz.]

Defn: To hurry a long with a whizzing sound. [R.] This world to me is like a lasting storm, Whirring me from my friends. Shak.

WHIR Whir, n.

Defn: A buzzing or whizzing sound produced by rapid or whirling motion; as, the whir of a partridge; the whir of a spinning wheel.

WHIRL Whirl, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whirled; p. pr. & vb. n. Whirling.] Etym: [OE. whirlen, probably from the Scand.; cf. Icel. & Sw. hvirfla, Dan. hvirvle; akin to D. wervelen, G. wirbeln, freq. of the verb seen in Icel. hverfa to turn. sq. root16. See Wharf, and cf. Warble, Whorl.]

1. To turn round rapidly; to cause to rotate with velocity; to make to revolve. He whirls his sword around without delay. Dryden.

2. To remove or carry quickly with, or as with, a revolving motion; to snatch; to harry. Chaucer. See, see the chariot, and those rushing wheels, That whirled the prophet up at Chebar flood. Milton. The passionate heart of the poet is whirl'd into folly. Tennyson.

WHIRL Whirl, v. i.

1. To be turned round rapidly; to move round with velocity; to revolve or rotate with great speed; to gyrate. "The whirling year vainly my dizzy eyes pursue." J. H. Newman. The wooden engine flies and whirls about. Dryden.

2. To move hastily or swiftly. But whirled away to shun his hateful sight. Dryden.

WHIRL Whirl, n. Etym: [Cf. Dan. hvirvel, Sw. hvirfvel, Icel. hvirfill the crown of the head, G. wirbel whirl, crown of the head, D. wervel. See Whirl, v. t.]

1. A turning with rapidity or velocity; rapid rotation or circumvolution; quick gyration; rapid or confusing motion; as, the whirl of a top; the whirl of a wheel. "In no breathless whirl." J. H. Newman. The rapid . . . whirl of things here below interrupt not the inviolable rest and calmness of the noble beings above. South.

2. Anything that moves with a whirling motion. He saw Falmouth under gray, iron skies, and whirls of March dust. Carlyle.

3. A revolving hook used in twisting, as the hooked spindle of a rope machine, to which the threads to be twisted are attached.

4. (Bot. & Zoöl.)

Defn: A whorl. See Whorl.

WHIRLABOUT Whirl"a*bout`, n.

Defn: Something that whirls or turns about in a rapid manner; a whirligig.

WHIRLBAT Whirl"bat`, n.

Defn: Anything moved with a whirl, as preparatory for a blow, or to augment the force of it; — applied by poets to the cestus of ancient boxers. The whirlbat and the rapid race shall be Reserved for Cæsar. Dryden.

WHIRL-BLAST Whirl"-blast`, n.

Defn: A whirling blast or wind. A whirl-blast from behind the hill. Wordsworth.

WHIRLBONE Whirl"bone`, n. (Anat.) (a) The huckle bone. [Obs.] (b) The patella, or kneepan. [Obs.] Ainsworth.

WHIRLER Whirl"er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, whirls.

WHIRLICOTE Whirl"i*cote, n.

Defn: An open car or chariot. [Obs.] Of old time coaches were not known in this island, but chariots, or whirlicotes. Stow.

WHIRLIGIG Whirl"i*gig, n. Etym: [Whirl + gig.]

1. A child's toy, spun or whirled around like a wheel upon an axis, or like a top. Johnson.

2. Anything which whirls around, or in which persons or things are whirled about, as a frame with seats or wooden horses. With a whirligig of jubilant mosquitoes spinning about each head. G. W. Cable.

3. A mediæval instrument for punishing petty offenders, being a kind of wooden cage turning on a pivot, in which the offender was whirled round with great velocity.

4. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of numerous species of beetles belonging to Gyrinus and allied genera. The body is firm, oval or boatlike in form, and usually dark colored with a bronzelike luster. These beetles live mostly on the surface of water, and move about with great celerity in a gyrating, or circular, manner, but they are also able to dive and swim rapidly. The larva is aquatic. Called also weaver, whirlwig, and whirlwig beetle.

WHIRLING Whirl"ing,

Defn: a. & n. from Whirl, v. t. Whirling table. (a) (Physics) An apparatus provided with one or more revolving disks, with weights, pulleys, and other attachments, for illustrating the phenomena and laws of centrifugal force, and the like. (b) A potter's wheel.

WHIRLPIT Whirl"pit`, n.

Defn: A whirlpool. [Obs.] "Raging whirlpits." Sandys.

WHIRLPOOL Whirl"pool`, n.

1. An eddy or vortex of water; a place in a body of water where the water moves round in a circle so as to produce a depression or cavity in the center, into which floating objects may be drawn; any body of water having a more or less circular motion caused by its flowing in an irregular channel, by the coming together of opposing currents, or the like.

2. A sea monster of the whale kind. [Obs.] Spenser. The Indian Sea breedeth the most and the biggest fishes that are; among which the whales and whirlpools, called "balænæ," take up in length as much as four . . . arpents of land. Holland.

WHIRLWIG Whirl"wig`, n. Etym: [Cf. Earwig.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A whirligig.

WHIRLWIND Whirl"wind`, n. Etym: [Cf. Icel. hvirfilvindr, Sw. hvirfvelvind, Dan. hvirvelvind, G. wirbelwind. See Whirl, and Wind, n.]

1. A violent windstorm of limited extent, as the tornado, characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air with an upward current in the center; a vortex of air. It usually has a rapid progressive motion. The swift dark whirlwind that uproots the woods. And drowns the villages. Bryant.

Note: Some meteorologists apply the word whirlwind to the larger rotary storm also, such as cyclones.

2. Fig.: A body of objects sweeping violently onward. "The whirlwind of hounds and hunters." Macaulay.

WHIRRY Whir"ry, v. i.

Defn: To whir. [Obs.]

WHIRTLE Whir"tle, n. (Mech.)

Defn: A perforated steel die through which wires or tubes are drawn to form them.

WHISK Whisk, n. Etym: [See Whist, n.]

Defn: A game at cards; whist. [Obs.] Taylor (1630).

WHISK Whisk, n. Etym: [Probably for wisk, and of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. visk a wisp; akin to Dan. visk, Sw. viska, D. wisch, OHG. wisc, G. wisch. See Wisp.]

1. The act of whisking; a rapid, sweeping motion, as of something light; a sudden motion or quick puff. This first sad whisk Takes off thy dukedom; thou art but an earl. J. Fletcher.

2. A small bunch of grass, straw, twigs, hair, or the like, used for a brush; hence, a brush or small besom, as of broom corn.

3. A small culinary instrument made of wire, or the like, for whisking or beating eggs, cream, etc. Boyle.

4. A kind of cape, forming part of a woman's dress. My wife in her new lace whisk. Pepys.

5. An impertinent fellow. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

6. A plane used by coopers for evening chines.

WHISK Whisk, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whisked; p. pr. & vb. n. Whisking.] Etym: [Cf. Dan. viske, Sw. viska, G. wischen, D. wisschen. See Whisk, n.]

1. To sweep, brush, or agitate, with a light, rapid motion; as, to whisk dust from a table; to whisk the white of eggs into a froth.

2. To move with a quick, sweeping motion. He that walks in gray, whisking his riding rod. J. Fletcher. I beg she would not impale worms, nor whisk carp out of one element into another. Walpole.

WHISK Whisk, v. i.

Defn: To move nimbly at with velocity; to make a sudden agile movement.

WHISKER Whisk"er, n.

1. One who, or that which, whisks, or moves with a quick, sweeping motion.

2. Formerly, the hair of the upper lip; a mustache; — usually in the plural. Hoary whiskers and a forky beard. Pope.

3. pl.

Defn: That part of the beard which grows upon the sides of the face, or upon the chin, or upon both; as, side whiskers; chin whiskers.

4. A hair of the beard.

5. One of the long, projecting hairs growing at the sides of the mouth of a cat, or other animal.

6. pl. (Naut.)

Defn: Iron rods extending on either side of the bowsprit, to spread, or guy out, the stays, etc.

WHISKERED Whisk"ered, a.

1. Formed into whiskers; furnished with whiskers; having or wearing whiskers. Our forefathers, a grave, whiskered race. Cowper.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having elongated hairs, feathers, or bristles on the cheeks. The whiskered vermin race. Grainger.

WHISKERLESS Whisk"er*less, a.

Defn: Being without whiskers.

WHISKET Whis"ket, n. Etym: [Cf. Wisket.]

1. A basket; esp., a straw provender basket. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

2. (Mach.)

Defn: A small lathe for turning wooden pins.

WHISKEY Whis"key, n.

Defn: Same as Whisky, a liquor.

WHISKEY; WHISKY Whis"key, Whis"ky, n.; pl. Whiskeys or Whiskies. Etym: [See Whisk, v. t. & n.]

Defn: A light carriage built for rapid motion; — called also tim- whiskey.

WHISKIN Whisk"in, n.

Defn: A shallow drinking bowl. [Prov. Eng.] Ray.

WHISKING Whisk"ing, a.

1. Sweeping along lightly.

2. Large; great. [Prov. Eng.]

WHISKY; WHISKEY Whis"ky, Whis"key, n. Etym: [Ir. or Gael. uisge water (perhaps akin to E. wash, water) in uisgebeatha whiskey, properly, water of life. Cf. Usquebaugh.]

Defn: An intoxicating liquor distilled from grain, potatoes, etc., especially in Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. In the United States, whisky is generally distilled from maize, rye, or wheat, but in Scotland and Ireland it is often made from malted barley. Bourbon whisky, corn whisky made in Bourbon County, Kentucky. — Crooked whisky. See under Crooked. — Whisky Jack (Zoöl.), the Canada jay (Perisoreus Canadensis). It is noted for its fearless and familiar habits when it frequents the camps of lumbermen in the winter season. Its color is dull grayish blue, lighter beneath. Called also moose bird.

WHISKYFIED; WHISKEYFIED Whis"ky*fied, Whis"key*fied, a. Etym: [Whisky + -fy.]

Defn: Drunk with whisky; intoxicated. [Humorous] Thackeray.

WHISKY RING; WHISKEY RING Whisky, or Whiskey, Ring . (U. S. Hist.)

Defn: A conspiracy of distillers and government officials during the administration of President Grant to defraud the government of the excise taxes. The frauds were detected in 1875 through the efforts of the Secretary of the Treasury. B. H. Bristow, and most of the offenders were convicted.

WHISP Whisp, n.

Defn: See Wisp.

WHISP Whisp, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A flock of snipe.

WHISPER Whis"per, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whispered; p. pr. & vb. n. Whispering.] Etym: [AS. hwisprian; akin to G. wispern, wispeln, OHG. hwispal, Icel. hviskra, Sw. hviska, Dan. hviske; of imitative origin. Cf. Whistle.]

1. To speak softly, or under the breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration in the larynx which gives sonorous, or vocal, sound. See Whisper, n.

2. To make a low, sibilant sound or noise. The hollow, whispering breeze. Thomson.

3. To speak with suspicion, or timorous caution; to converse in whispers, as in secret plotting. All that hate me whisper together against me. Ps. xli. 7.

WHISPER Whis"per, v. t.

1. To utter in a low and nonvocal tone; to say under the breath; hence, to mention privately and confidentially, or in a whisper. They might buzz and whisper it one to another. Bentley.

2. To address in a whisper, or low voice. [Archaic] And whisper one another in the ear. Shak. Where gentlest breezes whisper souls distressed. Keble.

3. To prompt secretly or cautiously; to inform privately. [Obs.] "He came to whisper Wolsey." Shak.

WHISPER Whis"per, n.

1. A low, soft, sibilant voice or utterance, which can be heard only by those near at hand; voice or utterance that employs only breath sound without tone, friction against the edges of the vocal cords and arytenoid cartilages taking the place of the vibration of the cords that produces tone; sometimes, in a limited sense, the sound produced by such friction as distinguished from breath sound made by friction against parts of the mouth. See Voice, n., 2, and Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 5, 153, 154. The inward voice or whisper can not give a tone. Bacon. Soft whispers through the assembly went. Dryden.

2. A cautious or timorous speech. South.

3. Something communicated in secret or by whispering; a suggestion or insinuation.

4. A low, sibilant sound. "The whispers of the leaves." Tennyson.

WHISPERER Whis"per*er, n.

1. One who whispers.

2. A tattler; one who tells secrets; a conveyer of intelligence secretly; hence; a backbiter; one who slanders secretly. Prov. xvi. 28.

WHISPERING Whis"per*ing,

Defn: a. & n. from Whisper. v. t. Whispering gallery, or Whispering dome, one of such a form that sounds produced in certain parts of it are concentrated by reflection from the walls to another part, so that whispers or feeble sounds are audible at a much greater distance than under ordinary circumstances.

WHISPERINGLY Whis"per*ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a whisper, or low voice; in a whispering manner; with whispers. Tennyson.

WHISPEROUSLY Whis"per*ous*ly, adv.

Defn: Whisperingly. [R.]

WHIST Whist, interj. Etym: [Cf. G. st! pst! bst! Hist.]

Defn: Be silent; be still; hush; silence.

WHIST Whist, n. Etym: [From Whist, interj.]

Defn: A certain game at cards; — so called because it requires silence and close attention. It is played by four persons (those who sit opposite each other being partners) with a complete pack of fifty-two cards. Each player has thirteen cards, and when these are played out, he hand is finished, and the cards are again shuffled and distributed.

Note: Points are scored for the tricks taken in excess of six, and for the honors held. In long whist, now seldom played, ten points make the game; in short whist, now usually played in England, five points make the game. In American whist, so-called, honors are not counted, and seven points by tricks make the game.

WHIST Whist, v. t. Etym: [From Whist, interj.]

Defn: To hush or silence. [Obs.] Spenser.

WHIST Whist, v. i.

Defn: To be or become silent or still; to be hushed or mute. [R.] Surrey.

WHIST Whist, a. Etym: [Properly p. p. of whist, v.]

Defn: Not speaking; not making a noise; silent; mute; still; quiet. "So whist and dead a silence." Sir J. Harrington. The winds, with wonder whist, Smoothly the waters kissed. Milton.

Note: This adjective generally follows its noun, or is used predicatively.

WHISTLE Whis"tle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whistled; p. pr. & vb. n. Whistling.] Etym: [AS. hwistlian; akin to Sw. hvissla, Dan. hvisle, Icel. hvisla to whisper, and E. whisper. Whisper.]

1. To make a kind of musical sound, or series of sounds, by forcing the breath through a small orifice formed by contracting the lips; also, to emit a similar sound, or series of notes, from the mouth or beak, as birds. The weary plowman leaves the task of day, And, trudging homeward, whistles on the way. Gay.

2. To make a shrill sound with a wind or steam instrument, somewhat like that made with the lips; to blow a sharp, shrill tone.

3. To sound shrill, or like a pipe; to make a sharp, shrill sound; as, a bullet whistles through the air. The wild winds whistle, and the billows roar. Pope.

WHISTLE Whis"tle, v. t.

1. To form, utter, or modulate by whistling; as, to whistle a tune or an air.

2. To send, signal, or call by a whistle. He chanced to miss his dog; we stood still till he had whistled him up. Addison. To whistle off. (a) To dismiss by a whistle; — a term in hawking. "AS a long-winged hawk when he is first whistled off the fist, mounts aloft." Burton. (b) Hence, in general, to turn loose; to abandon; to dismiss. I 'ld whistle her off, and let her down the wind To prey at fortune. Shak.

Note: "A hawk seems to have been usually sent off in this way, against the wind when sent in search of prey; with or down the wind, when turned loose, and abandoned." Nares.

WHISTLE Whis"tle, n. Etym: [AS. hwistle a pipe, flute, whistle. See Whistle, v. i.]

1. A sharp, shrill, more or less musical sound, made by forcing the breath through a small orifice of the lips, or through or instrument which gives a similar sound; the sound used by a sportsman in calling his dogs; the shrill note of a bird; as, the sharp whistle of a boy, or of a boatswain's pipe; the blackbird's mellow whistle. Might we but hear The folded flocks, penned in their wattled cotes, . . . Or whistle from the lodge. Milton. The countryman could not forbear smiling, . . . and by that means lost his whistle. Spectator. They fear his whistle, and forsake the seas. Dryden.

2. The shrill sound made by wind passing among trees or through crevices, or that made by bullet, or the like, passing rapidly through the air; the shrill noise (much used as a signal, etc.) made by steam or gas escaping through a small orifice, or impinging against the edge of a metallic bell or cup.

3. An instrument in which gas or steam forced into a cavity, or against a thin edge, produces a sound more or less like that made by one who whistles through the compressed lips; as, a child's whistle; a boatswain's whistle; a steam whistle (see Steam whistle, under Steam). The bells she jingled, and the whistle blew. Pope.

4. The mouth and throat; — so called as being the organs of whistling. [Colloq.] So was her jolly whistle well ywet. Chaucer. Let's drink the other cup to wet our whistles. Walton. Whistle duck (Zoöl.), the American golden-eye.

WHISTLEFISH Whis"tle*fish`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A gossat, or rockling; — called also whistler, three-bearded rockling, sea loach, and sorghe.

WHISTLER Whis"tler, n. Etym: [AS. hwistlere.]

1. One who, or that which, whistles, or produces or a whistling sound.

2. (Zoöl.) (a) The ring ousel. (b) The widgeon. [Prov. Eng.] (c) The golden-eye. (d) The golden plover and the gray plover.

3. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The hoary, or northern, marmot (Arctomys pruinosus).

4. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The whistlefish.

WHISTLEWING Whis"tle*wing`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The American golden-eye.

WHISTLEWOOD Whis"tle*wood`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: The moosewood, or striped maple. See Maple.

WHISTLING Whis"tling,

Defn: a. & n. from Whistle, v. Whistling buoy. (Naut.) See under Buoy. — Whistling coot (Zoöl.), the American black scoter. — Whistling Dick. (Zoöl.) (a) An Australian shrike thrush (Colluricincla Selbii). (b) The song thrush. [Prov. Eng.] — Whistling duck. (Zoöl.) (a) The golden-eye. (b) A tree duck. — Whistling eagle (Zoöl.), a small Australian eagle (Haliastur sphenurus); — called also whistling hawk, and little swamp eagle. — Whistling plover. (Zoöl.) (a) The golden plover. (b) The black- bellied, or gray, plover. — Whistling snipe (Zoöl.), the American woodcock. — Whistling swan. (Zoöl.) (a) The European whooper swan; — called also wild swan, and elk. (b) An American swan (Olor columbianus). See under Swan. — Whistling teal (Zoöl.), a tree duck, as Dendrocygna awsuree of India. — Whistling thrush. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of several species of singing birds of the genus Myiophonus, native of Asia, Australia, and the East Indies. They are generally black, glossed with blue, and have a patch of bright blue on each shoulder. Their note is a loud and clear whistle. (b) The song thrush. [Prov. Eng.]

WHISTLINGLY Whis"tling*ly, adv.

Defn: In a whistling manner; shrilly.

WHISTLY Whist"ly, adv.

Defn: In a whist manner; silently. [Obs.]

WHIT Whit, n. Etym: [OE. wight, wiht, AS. wiht a creature, a thing. See Wight, and cf. Aught, Naught.]

Defn: The smallest part or particle imaginable; a bit; a jot; an iota; — generally used in an adverbial phrase in a negative sentence. "Samuel told him every whit." 1 Sam. iii. 18. "Every whit as great." South. So shall I no whit be behind in duty. Shak. It does not me a whit displease. Cowley.

WHITE White, a. [Compar. Whiter; superl. Whitest.] Etym: [OE. whit, AS. hw; akin to OFries. and OS. hwit, D. wit, G. weiss, OHG. wiz, hwiz, Icel. hvitr, Sw. hvit, Dan. hvid, Goth. hweits, Lith. szveisti, to make bright, Russ. sviet' light, Skr. white, to be bright. Wheat, Whitsunday.]

1. Reflecting to the eye all the rays of the spectrum combined; not tinted with any of the proper colors or their mixtures; having the color of pure snow; snowy; — the opposite of Ant: black or dark; as, white paper; a white skin. "Pearls white." Chaucer. White as the whitest lily on a stream. Longfellow.

2. Destitute of color, as in the cheeks, or of the tinge of blood color; pale; pallid; as, white with fear. Or whispering with white lips, "The foe! They come! they come!" Byron.

3. Having the color of purity; free from spot or blemish, or from guilt or pollution; innocent; pure. White as thy fame, and as thy honor clear. Dryden. No whiter page than Addison's remains. Pope.

4. Gray, as from age; having silvery hair; hoary. Your high engendered battles 'gainst a head So old and white as this. Shak.

5. Characterized by freedom from that which disturbs, and the like; fortunate; happy; favorable. On the whole, however, the dominie reckoned this as one of the white days of his life. Sir W. Scott.

6. Regarded with especial favor; favorite; darling. Come forth, my white spouse. Chaucer. I am his white boy, and will not be gullet. Ford.

Note: White is used in many self-explaining compounds, as white- backed, white-bearded, white-footed. White alder. (Bot.) See Sweet pepper bush, under Pepper. — White ant (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of social pseudoneuropterous insects of the genus Termes. These insects are very abundant in tropical countries, and form large and complex communities consisting of numerous asexual workers of one or more kinds, of large-headed asexual individuals called soldiers, of one or more queens (or fertile females) often having the body enormously distended by the eggs, and, at certain seasons of numerous winged males, together with the larvæ and pupæ of each kind in various stages of development. Many of the species construct large and complicated nests, sometimes in the form of domelike structures rising several feet above the ground and connected with extensive subterranean galleries and chambers. In their social habits they closely resemble the true ants. They feed upon animal and vegetable substances of various kinds, including timber, and are often very destructive to buildings and furniture. — White arsenic (Chem.), arsenious oxide, As2O3, a substance of a white color, and vitreous adamantine luster, having an astringent, sweetish taste. It is a deadly poison. — White bass (Zoöl.), a fresh-water North American bass (Roccus chrysops) found in the Great Likes. — White bear (Zoöl.), the polar bear. See under Polar. — White blood cell. (Physiol.) See Leucocyte. — White brand (Zoöl.), the snow goose. — White brass, a white alloy of copper; white copper. — White campion. (Bot.) (a) A kind of catchfly (Silene stellata) with white flowers. (b) A white-flowered Lychnis (Lychnis vespertina). — White canon (R. C. Ch.), a Premonstratensian. — White caps, the members of a secret organization in various of the United States, who attempt to drive away or reform obnoxious persons by lynch-law methods. They appear masked in white. — White cedar (Bot.), an evergreen tree of North America (Thuja occidentalis), also the related Cupressus thyoides, or Chamæcyparis sphæroidea, a slender evergreen conifer which grows in the so-called cedar swamps of the Northern and Atlantic States. Both are much valued for their durable timber. In California the name is given to the Libocedrus decurrens, the timber of which is also useful, though often subject to dry rot. Goodale. The white cedar of Demerara, Guiana, etc., is a lofty tree (Icica, or Bursera, altissima) whose fragrant wood is used for canoes and cabinetwork, as it is not attacked by insect. — White cell. (Physiol.) See Leucocyte. — White cell-blood (Med.), leucocythæmia. — White clover (Bot.), a species of small perennial clover bearing white flowers. It furnishes excellent food for cattle and horses, as well as for the honeybee. See also under Clover. — White copper, a whitish alloy of copper. See German silver, under German. — White copperas (Min.), a native hydrous sulphate of iron; coquimbite. — White coral (Zoöl.), an ornamental branched coral (Amphihelia oculata) native of the Mediterranean. — White corpuscle. (Physiol.) See Leucocyte. — White cricket (Zoöl.), the tree cricket. — White crop, a crop of grain which loses its green color, or becomes white, in ripening, as wheat, rye, barley, and oats, as distinguished from a green crop, or a root crop. — White currant (Bot.), a variety of the common red currant, having white berries. — White daisy (Bot.), the oxeye daisy. See under Daisy. — White damp, a kind of poisonous gas encountered in coal mines. Raymond. — White elephant (Zoöl.), a whitish, or albino, variety of the Asiatic elephant. — White elm (Bot.), a majestic tree of North America (Ulmus Americana), the timber of which is much used for hubs of wheels, and for other purposes. — White ensign. See Saint George's ensign, under Saint. — White feather, a mark or symbol of cowardice. See To show the white feather, under Feather, n. — White fir (Bot.), a name given to several coniferous trees of the Pacific States, as Abies grandis, and A. concolor. — White flesher (Zoöl.), the ruffed grouse. See under Ruffed. [Canada] — White frost. See Hoarfrost. — White game (Zoöl.), the white ptarmigan. — White garnet (Min.), leucite. — White grass (Bot.), an American grass (Leersia Virginica) with greenish-white paleæ. — White grouse. (Zoöl.) (a) The white ptarmigan. (b) The prairie chicken. [Local, U. S.] — White grub (Zoöl.), the larva of the June bug and other allied species. These grubs eat the roots of grasses and other plants, and often do much damage. — White hake (Zoöl.), the squirrel hake. See under Squirrel. — White hawk, or kite (Zoöl.), the hen harrier. — White heat, the temperature at which bodies become incandescent, and appear white from the bright light which they emit. — White hellebore (Bot.), a plant of the genus Veratrum (V. album) See Hellebore, 2. — White herring, a fresh, or unsmoked, herring, as distinguished from a red, or cured, herring. [R.] Shak. — White hoolet (Zoöl.), the barn owl. [Prov. Eng.] — White horses (Naut.), white-topped waves; whitecaps. — The White House. See under House. — White ibis (Zoöl.), an American ibis (Guara alba) having the plumage pure white, except the tips of the wings, which are black. It inhabits tropical America and the Southern United States. Called also Spanish curlew. — White iron. (a) Thin sheets of iron coated with tin; tinned iron. (b) A hard, silvery-white cast iron containing a large proportion of combined carbon. — White iron pyrites (Min.), marcasite. — White land, a tough clayey soil, of a whitish hue when dry, but blackish after rain. [Eng.] — White lark (Zoöl.), the snow bunting. — White lead. (a) A carbonate of lead much used in painting, and for other purposes; ceruse. (b) (Min.) Native lead carbonate; cerusite. — White leather, buff leather; leather tanned with alum and salt. — White leg (Med.), milk leg. See under Milk. — White lettuce (Bot.), rattlesnake root. See under Rattlesnake. — White lie. See under Lie. — White light. (a) (Physics) Light having the different colors in the same proportion as in the light coming directly from the sun, without having been decomposed, as by passing through a prism. See the Note under Color, n., 1. (b) A kind of firework which gives a brilliant white illumination for signals, etc. — White lime, a solution or preparation of lime for whitewashing; whitewash. — White line (Print.), a void space of the breadth of a line, on a printed page; a blank line. — White meat. (a) Any light-colored flesh, especially of poultry. (b) Food made from milk or eggs, as butter, cheese, etc. Driving their cattle continually with them, and feeding only upon their milk and white meats. Spenser. — White merganser (Zoöl.), the smew. — White metal. (a) Any one of several white alloys, as pewter, britannia, etc. (b) (Metal.) A fine grade of copper sulphide obtained at a certain stage in copper smelting. — White miller. (Zoöl.) (a) The common clothes moth. (b) A common American bombycid moth (Spilosoma Virginica) which is pure white with a few small black spots; — called also ermine moth, and virgin moth. See Woolly bear, under Woolly. — White money, silver money. — White mouse (Zoöl.), the albino variety of the common mouse. — White mullet (Zoöl.), a silvery mullet (Mugil curema) ranging from the coast of the United States to Brazil; — called also blue- back mullet, and liza. — White nun (Zoöl.), the smew; — so called from the white crest and the band of black feathers on the back of its head, which give the appearance of a hood. — White oak. (Bot.) See under Oak. — White owl. (Zoöl.) (a) The snowy owl. (b) The barn owl. — White partridge (Zoöl.), the white ptarmigan. — White perch. (Zoöl.) (a) A North American fresh-water bass (Morone Americana) valued as a food fish. (b) The croaker, or fresh- water drum. (c) Any California surf fish. — White pine. (Bot.) See the Note under Pine. — White poplar (Bot.), a European tree (Populus alba) often cultivated as a shade tree in America; abele. — White poppy (Bot.), the opium-yielding poppy. See Poppy. — White powder, a kind of gunpowder formerly believed to exist, and to have the power of exploding without noise. [Obs.] A pistol charged with white powder. Beau. & Fl. — White precipitate. (Old Chem.) See under Precipitate. — White rabbit. (Zoöl.) (a) The American northern hare in its winter pelage. (b) An albino rabbit. — White rent, (a) (Eng. Law) Formerly, rent payable in silver; — opposed to black rent. See Blackmail, n., 3. (b) A rent, or duty, of eight pence, payable yearly by every tinner in Devon and Cornwall to the Duke of Cornwall, as lord of the soil. [Prov. Eng.] — White rhinoceros. (Zoöl.) (a) The one-horned, or Indian, rhinoceros (Rhinoceros Indicus). See Rhinoceros. (b) The umhofo. — White ribbon, the distinctive badge of certain organizations for the promotion of temperance or of moral purity; as, the White-ribbon Army. — White rope (Naut.), untarred hemp rope. — White rot. (Bot.) (a) Either of several plants, as marsh pennywort and butterwort, which were thought to produce the disease called rot in sheep. (b) A disease of grapes. See White rot, under Rot. — White sage (Bot.), a white, woolly undershrub (Eurotia lanata) of Western North America; — called also winter fat. — White salmon (Zoöl.), the silver salmon. — White salt, salt dried and calcined; decrepitated salt. — White scale (Zoöl.), a scale insect (Aspidiotus Nerii) injurious to the orange tree. See Orange scale, under Orange. — White shark (Zoöl.), a species of man-eating shark. See under Shark. — White softening. (Med.) See Softening of the brain, under Softening. — White spruce. (Bot.) See Spruce, n., 1. — White squall (Naut.), a sudden gust of wind, or furious blow, which comes up without being marked in its approach otherwise than by whitecaps, or white, broken water, on the surface of the sea. — White staff, the badge of the lord high treasurer of England. Macaulay. — White stork (Zoöl.), the common European stork. — White sturgeon. (Zoöl.) See Shovelnose (d). — White sucker. (Zoöl.) (a) The common sucker. (b) The common red horse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum). — White swelling (Med.), a chronic swelling of the knee, produced by a strumous inflammation of the synovial membranes of the kneejoint and of the cancellar texture of the end of the bone forming the kneejoint; — applied also to a lingering chronic swelling of almost any kind. — White tombac. See Tombac. — White trout (Zoöl.), the white weakfish, or silver squeteague (Cynoscion nothus), of the Southern United States. — White vitriol (Chem.), hydrous sulphate of zinc. See White vitriol, under Vitriol. — White wagtail (Zoöl.), the common, or pied, wagtail. — White wax, beeswax rendered white by bleaching. — White whale (Zoöl.), the beluga. — White widgeon (Zoöl.), the smew. — White wine. any wine of a clear, transparent color, bordering on white, as Madeira, sherry, Lisbon, etc.; — distinguished from wines of a deep red color, as port and Burgundy. "White wine of Lepe." Chaucer. — White witch, a witch or wizard whose supernatural powers are supposed to be exercised for good and beneficent purposes. Addison. Cotton Mather. — White wolf. (Zoöl.) (a) A light-colored wolf (Canis laniger) native of Thibet; — called also chanco, golden wolf, and Thibetan wolf. (b) The albino variety of the gray wolf. — White wren (Zoöl.), the willow warbler; — so called from the color of the under parts.

WHITE White, n.

1. The color of pure snow; one of the natural colors of bodies, yet not strictly a color, but a composition of all colors; the opposite of black; whiteness. See the Note under Color, n., 1. Finely attired in a of white. Shak.

2. Something having the color of snow; something white, or nearly so; as, the white of the eye.

3. Specifically, the central part of the butt in archery, which was formerly painted white; the center of a mark at which a missile is shot. 'T was I won the wager, though you hit the white. Shak.

4. A person with a white skin; a member of the white, or Caucasian, races of men.

5. A white pigment; as, Venice white.

6. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of numerous species of butterflies belonging to Pieris, and allied genera in which the color is usually white. See Cabbage butterfly, under Cabbage. Black and white. See under Black. — Flake white, Paris white, etc. See under Flack, Paris, etc. — White of a seed (Bot.), the albumen. See Albumen, 2. — White of egg, the viscous pellucid fluid which surrounds the yolk in an egg, particularly in the egg of a fowl. In a hen's egg it is alkaline, and contains about 86 per cent of water and 14 per cent of solid matter, the greater portion of which is egg albumin. It likewise contains a small amount of globulin, and traces of fats and sugar, with some inorganic matter. Heated above 60º C. it coagulates to a solid mass, owing to the albumin which it contains. Parr. — White of the eye (Anat.), the white part of the ball of the eye surrounding the transparent cornea.