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| WEAL | | —n. Ridge raised on the flesh by a stroke of a rod or whip. —v. Mark with a weal. [var. Of *wale]
- n. Literary welfare. [old english] | |
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| WEAN | | v. - accustom (an infant or other young mammal) to food other than (esp. Its mother's) milk.
- (often foll. By from, away from) disengage (from a habit etc.) By enforced discontinuance. [old english, = accustom] | |
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| WEAR | | —v. (past wore; past part. Worn) 1 have on one's person as clothing or an ornament etc.
- exhibit or present (a facial expression etc.) (wore a frown).
- colloq. (usu. With neg.) Tolerate.
- (often foll. By away, down) a injure the surface of, or partly obliterate or alter, by rubbing, stress, or use. B undergo such injury or change.
- (foll. By off, away) rub or be rubbed off.
- make (a hole etc.) By constant rubbing or dripping etc.
- (often foll. By out) exhaust.
- (foll. By down) overcome by persistence.
- (foll. By well etc.) Endure continued use or life. 10 (of time) pass, esp. Tediously. 11 (of a ship) fly (a flag). —n. - wearing or being worn.
- things worn; fashionable or suitable clothing (sportswear; footwear).
- (in full wear and tear) damage from continuous use. wear one's heart on one's sleeve show one's feelings openly. Wear off lose effectiveness or intensity. Wear out 1 use or be used until useless.
- tire or be tired out. Wear thin (of patience, excuses, etc.) Begin to fail. Wear the trousers see *trousers. wearer n. [old english] | |
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| WEDS | | Abbr. Var. Of *wed. | |
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| WEED | | —n. - wild plant growing where it is not wanted.
- thin weak-looking person or horse.
- (prec. By the) slang a marijuana. B tobacco. —v. - a clear (an area) of weeds. B remove unwanted parts from.
- (foll. By out) a sort out and remove (inferior or unwanted parts etc.). B rid of inferior parts, unwanted members, etc.
- cut off or uproot weeds. [old english] | |
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| WEEK | | n. - period of seven days reckoned usu. From midnight on saturday.
- any period of seven days.
- the six days between sundays.
- a the five days monday to friday. B time spent working in this period (35-hour week; three-day week). [old english] | |
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| WEEP | | —v. (past and past part. Wept) 1 shed tears.
- (often foll. By for) bewail, lament over.
- a be covered with or send forth drops. B come or send forth in drops; exude liquid.
- (as weeping adj.) (of a tree) having drooping branches. —n. Spell of weeping. [old english] | |
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| WEFT | | n. - threads woven across a warp to make fabric.
- yarn for these.
- thing woven. [old english: related to *weave1] | |
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| WEIR | | n. Dam across a river to raise the level of water upstream or regulate its flow. [old english] | |
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| WELD | | —v. - a hammer or press (pieces of iron or other metal usu. Heated but not melted) into one piece. B join by fusion with an electric arc etc. C form by welding into some article.
- fashion into an effectual or homogeneous whole. —n. Welded joint. welder n. [alteration of *well2, probably influenced by the form welled] | |
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