It was World War II, and the captain was attempting to rally the GIs on the eve of a big offensive.
"Out there," said the captain, "is your enemy. The man who has made your life miserable, who is working to destroy you; the man who has been trying to kill you day after day throughout this war."
Private Johnson jumped to his feet. "My God! The cook’s working for the Germans!"
bar n. One of a set of parallel bars attached to the wall of a gymnasium, on which exercises are performed.
- game n. Form of football played at eton.
- —n. - continuous vertical narrow structure of usu. Brick or stone, esp. Enclosing or dividing a space or supporting a roof.
- thing like a wall, esp.: a a steep side of a mountain. B anat. The outermost layer or enclosing membrane etc. Of an organ etc. —v. - (esp. As walled adj.) Surround with a wall.
- a (usu. Foll. By up, off) block (a space etc.) With a wall. B (foll. By up) enclose within a sealed space. go to the wall be defeated or pushed aside. Off the wall us slang unorthodox. Up the wall colloq. Crazy or furious. Walls have ears beware of eavesdroppers. wall-less adj. [latin vallum rampart]
WAND
n. - supposedly magic stick used by a fairy, magician, etc.
- staff as a symbol of office.
- colloq. Conductor's baton. [old norse]
WANE
—v. (-ning) 1 (of the moon) decrease in apparent size.
- decrease in power, vigour, importance, size, etc. —n. Process of waning. on the wane waning; declining. [old english]
WANK
coarse slang —v. Masturbate. —n. Act of masturbating. [origin unknown]
WANT
—v. - a (often foll. By to + infin.) Desire; wish for possession of; need (wants a drink; wants it done immediately). B require to be attended to; need (garden wants weeding). C (foll. By to + infin.) Colloq. Ought; should (you want to be careful).
- (usu. Foll. By for) lack; be deficient.
- be without or fall short by.
- (as wanted adj.) (of a suspected criminal etc.) Sought by the police. —n. - (often foll. By of) lack, absence, or deficiency (could not go for want of time).
- poverty; need. [old norse]
WARD
n. - separate part of a hospital or room for a particular group of patients.
- administrative division of a constituency.
- a minor under the care of a guardian or court. B (in full ward of court) minor or mentally deficient person placed under the protection of a court.
- (in pl.) The corresponding notches and projections in a key and a lock.
- archaic guardian's control. ward off 1 parry (a blow).
- avert (danger etc.). [old english]
- suffix (also -wards) added to nouns of place or destination and to adverbs of direction and forming: 1 adverbs (usu. -wards) meaning ‘towards’ (backwards; homewards).
- adjectives (usu. -ward) meaning ‘turned or tending towards’ (downward; onward).
- (less commonly) nouns meaning ‘the region towards or about’ (look to the eastward). [old english]
WARE
n. - (esp. In comb.) Things of a specified kind made usu. For sale (chinaware; hardware).
- (usu. In pl.) Articles for sale.
- ceramics etc. Of a specified kind (delft ware). [old english]
WARM
work n. - work etc. That makes one warm through exertion.
- dangerous conflict etc.
- —adj. - of or at a fairly high temperature.
- (of clothes etc.) Affording warmth.
- a sympathetic, friendly, loving. B hearty, enthusiastic.
- colloq. Iron. Dangerous, difficult, hostile.
- colloq. A (in a game) close to the object etc. Sought. B near to guessing.
- (of a colour etc.) Reddish or yellowish; suggestive of warmth.
- hunting (of a scent) fresh and strong. —v. - make warm.
- a (often foll. By up) warm oneself. B (often foll. By to) become animated or sympathetic. —n. - act of warming.
- warmth of the atmosphere etc. warm up 1 make or become warm.
- prepare for a performance etc. By practising.
- reach a temperature for efficient working.
- reheat (food). warmly adv. Warmth n. [old english]
WARN
v. - (also absol.) A (often foll. By of or that) inform of danger, unknown circumstances, etc. B (foll. By to + infin.) Advise (a person) to take certain action. C (often foll. By against) inform (a person etc.) About a specific danger.
- (usu. With neg.) Admonish. warn off tell (a person) to keep away (from). [old english]
WARP
—v. - a make or become distorted, esp. Through heat, damp, etc. B make or become perverted or strange (warped sense of humour).
- haul (a ship) by a rope attached to a fixed point. —n. - a warped state, esp. Of timber. B perversion of the mind.
