WERT, wert, the 2d pers. sing. of _were_, used as the _pa.t._ subjunctive
of _be_.
WERTHERIAN, ver-t[=e]'ri-an, _adj._ pertaining to or resembling the
character of _Werther_ in Goethe's romance, 'The Sorrows of Young
Werther.'--_n._ WER'THERISM, sentimentality like that of WERTHER.
WESAND, w[=e]'zand, _n._ (_Spens._). Same as WEASAND.
WESLEYAN, wes'le-an, _adj._ pertaining to Wesleyanism.--_n._ one who adopts
Wesleyanism.--_n._ WES'LEYANISM, the system of doctrine and church polity
of the Wesleyan Methodists: Arminian Methodism. [Named from John _Wesley_
(1703-91).]
WEST, west, _n._ the quarter where the sun sets: one of the four chief
points of the compass: the direction faced when one stands with his back to
the high altar of a church: the countries to the west of Europe.--_adj._
situated towards or coming from the west: opposite the high altar of a
church.--_adv._ towards the west.--_v.i._ (_Spens._) to move towards the
west.--_adv._ WEST'-ABOUT', towards the west.--_v.i._ WES'TER (_obs._), to
turn westward.--_adjs._ WES'TERING (_Milt._), passing to the west;
WES'TERLY, lying or moving towards west: from the west.--_adv._ towards the
west.--_adj._ WES'TERN, situated in the west: belonging to the west: moving
towards, or coming from, the west.--_n._ an inhabitant of a western region
or country.--_ns._ WES'TERNER, a person belonging to the west; WES'TERNISM,
an idiom or other characteristic of western people.--_adj._ WES'TERNMOST,
furthest to the west.--_n._ WES'TING, space or distance westward: departure
westward: time of setting or reaching the west.--_adv._ WEST'LING, towards
the west.--_adj._ WEST'MOST, most westerly.--_adj._ and _adv._ WEST'WARD,
towards the west.--_advs._ WEST'WARDLY, WEST'WARDS, towards the
west.--WESTERN CHURCH, the Latin Church, as distinguished from the Eastern
or Greek Church; WESTERN EMPIRE, the western division of the later Roman
Empire; WESTERN STATES, the states of the American Union lying west of the
Alleghanies.--WESTWARD HO! to the west! an old cry of London watermen
plying westwards. [A.S. _west_ (Fr. _ouest_, Ice. _vestr_); prob. conn.
with Ice. _vist_, abode, L. _vesper_, Gr. _hespera_.]
WESTPHALIAN, west-f[=a]'li-an, _adj._ pertaining to _Westphalia_, a duchy,
a kingdom, and now a province of Prussia.--_n._ a native of Westphalia.
WET, wet, _adj._ containing water: having water on the surface: rainy:
(_slang_) given to drinking, tipsy: (_U.S._) allowing the sale of
intoxicating liquors, as opposed to prohibition.--_n._ water or wetness:
moisture: act of wetting, a dram, a debauch.--_v.t._ to make wet: to soak
with water: to sprinkle: (_slang_) to celebrate by drinking:--_pr.p._
wet'ting; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ wet, (rarely) wet'ted.--_ns._ WET'-CUP'PING,
the simultaneous application of a cupping-glass and the making an incision
on the skin; WET'-DOCK, a dock or basin for floating vessels at all states
of the tide; WET'NESS; WET'-NURSE, a nurse who suckles a child for its
mother.--_adj._ WET'-SHOD, having shoes or feet wet.--_n._
WET'TING-MACHINE', a machine used to damp paper for printing.--_adj._
WET'TISH, somewhat wet.--WET BOB (_slang_), a boy at school who goes in for
rowing in preference to cricket or football; WET BULB THERMOMETER (see
PSYCHROMETER); WET GOODS, liquors; WET METER, a gas-meter in which the gas
to be measured passes through water; WET PLATE (_phot._), a plate coated
with collodion and sensitised with a salt of silver.--A WET BLANKET, a
damper, kill-joy. [A.S. _w['æ]t_; Ice. _vátr_; from root of water.]