WILD, w[=i]ld, _adj._ frolicsome, light-hearted: being in a state of
nature: not tamed or cultivated: uncivilised: desert: unsheltered: violent:
eager, keen: licentious: fantastic: wide of the mark.--_n._ an uncultivated
region: a forest or desert.--_ns._ W[=I]LD'-ASS, an Asiatic or African ass
living naturally in a wild state; W[=I]LD'-BOAR, a wild swine or animal of
the hog kind.--_adj._ W[=I]LD'-BORN, born in a wild state.--_n._
W[=I]LD'-CAT, the undomesticated cat.--_adj._ (_U.S._) haphazard, reckless,
unsound financially.--_ns._ W[=I]LD'-CHERR'Y, any uncultivated tree bearing
cherries, or its fruit; W[=I]LD'-DUCK, any duck excepting the domesticated
duck.--_v.t._ WILDER (wil'd[.e]r), to bewilder.--_v.i._ to wander widely or
wildly.--_adv._ WIL'DEREDLY, in a wildered manner.--_ns._ WIL'DERING, any
plant growing wild, esp. one that has escaped from a state of cultivation;
WIL'DERMENT, confusion; WIL'DERNESS, a wild or waste place: an uncultivated
region: a confused mass: (_Shak._) wildness; W[=I]LD'-FIRE, a composition
of inflammable materials: a kind of lightning flitting at intervals: a
disease of sheep; W[=I]LD'-FOWL, the birds of the duck tribe: game-birds;
W[=I]LD'-FOWL'ING, the pursuit of wild-fowl; W[=I]LD'-GOOSE, a bird of the
goose kind which is wild or feral; W[=I]LD'-GOOSE-CHASE (see CHASE);
W[=I]LD-HON'EY, the honey of wild bees; W[=I]LD'ING, that which grows wild
or without cultivation: a wild crab-apple.--_adj._ uncultivated.--_adj._
W[=I]LD'ISH, somewhat wild.--_n._ W[=I]LD'-LAND, land completely
uncultivated.--_adv._ W[=I]LD'LY.--_ns._ W[=I]LD'NESS; W[=I]LD'-OAT, a tall
perennial Old World grass.--_adj._ W[=I]LD'-WOOD, belonging to wild
uncultivated wood.--_n._ a forest.--WILD ANIMALS, undomesticated animals;
WILD BIRDS, birds not domesticated, esp. those protected at certain seasons
under the Act of 1880; WILD HUNT, the name given in Germany to a noise
sometimes heard in the air at night, mostly between Christmas and Epiphany,
as of a host of spirits rushing along, accompanied by the shouting of
huntsmen and the baying of dogs--the 'Seven Whistlers' and 'Gabriel's
Hounds' of our own north country; WILD SHOT, a chance shot.--_Run wild_, to
take to loose living: to revert to the wild or uncultivated state; SOW WILD
OATS (see OAT). [A.S. _wild_; prob. orig. 'self-willed,' from the root of
_will_; Ger. _wild_.]
WILD, w[=i]ld, a variety of _weald_.
WILDGRAVE, w[=i]ld'gr[=a]v, _n._ a German noble, whose office was connected
with hunting. [Ger. _wild_, game, _graf_, count.]
WILE, w[=i]l, _n._ a trick: a sly artifice.--_v.t._ to beguile, inveigle:
coax, cajole: to make to pass easily or pleasantly (confused with
_while_).--_adj._ WILE'FUL, full of wiles. [A.S. _wíl_, _wíle_; Ice. _vél_,
_væl_, a trick. Doublet _guile_.]
WILL, wil, _n._ power of choosing or determining: volition: choice or
determination: pleasure: command: arbitrary disposal: feeling towards, as
in good or ill will: disposition of one's effects at death, the written
document containing such.--_v.i._ to have a wish, desire: to resolve, be
resolved: to be accustomed, certain, ready, or sure (to do, &c.)--used as
an auxiliary, esp. in future constructions: to exercise the will: to
decree: (_B._) to be willing.--_v.t._ to wish, desire: to determine: to be
resolved to do: to command: to dispose of by will: to subject to another's
will, as in hypnotism:--_pa.t._ would.--_adj._ WIL'FUL, governed only by
one's will: done or suffered by design: obstinate: (_Shak._)
willing.--_adv._ WIL'FULLY.--_n._ WIL'FULNESS.--_adj._ WILLED, having a
will: brought under another's will.--_n._ WILL'ER, one who wishes, one who
wills.--_adjs._ WILL'ING, having the will inclined to a thing: desirous:
disposed: chosen; WILL'ING-HEART'ED, heartily consenting.--_adv._
WILL'INGLY.--_n._ WILL'INGNESS.--_adj._ WILL'YARD (_Scot._), wilful:
shy.--_ns._ GOOD'-WILL (see GOOD); ILL'-WILL (see ILL).--AT WILL, at
pleasure; CONJOINT, JOINT, WILL, a testamentary act by two persons jointly
in the same instrument; HAVE ONE'S WILL, to obtain what one desires; TENANT
AT WILL, one who holds lands at the will of the owner; WITH A WILL, with
all one's heart; WORK ONE'S WILL, to do exactly what one wants. [A.S.
_willa_, will--_willan_, _wyllan_, to wish; Goth. _wiljan_, Ger. _wollen_,
L. _velle_.]
WILLET, wil'et, _n._ a North American bird of the snipe family, belonging
to the tattler group--also _Stone-curlew_.
WILLIEWAUGHT, wil'i-wäht, _n._ (_Scot._), for _gude-willie waught_. [See
WAUGHT.]
WILL-O'-THE-WISP, wil'-o-the-wisp', _n._ the ignis-fatuus: any deluding
person or thing.
WILLOW, wil'[=o], _n._ any tree or shrub of the genus Salix, having
slender, pliant branches: the wood of the willow: a cricket-bat.--_v.t._ to
beat with willow rods, as in cleaning cotton, &c.--_adj._ WILL'OWED,
abounding with, or containing, willows.--_n._ WILL'OW-HERB, a perennial
herb (_Epilobium_) of the evening primrose family--also _Rose-bay_,
_Bay-willow_, _French_ or _Persian willow_.--_adj._ WILL'OWISH, like a
willow, slender and supple.--_ns._ WILL'OW-MACHINE', a machine for
extracting dirt from hemp, cotton, &c.--also WILL'OW; WILL'OW-MOTH, a
common British night-moth; WILL'OW-WAR'BLER, -WREN, a small European
sylviine bird; WILL'OW-WEED, one of various species of _Polygonum_ or
knot-weed: the purple loose-strife.--_adj._ WILL'OWY, abounding in willows:
flexible, graceful.--_n._ WEEP'ING-WILL'OW, a very ornamental species, a
native of the East, much planted in Britain on account of its beautiful
pendent twigs.--BEDFORD WILLOW, a species whose bark is especially rich in
salicin and in tannin; WHITE, or HUNTINGDON, WILLOW, the largest of British
species, reaching a height of eighty feet. [A.S. _welig_; Low Ger. _wilge_,
Dut. _wilg_.]
WILL-WORSHIP, wil'-wur'ship, _n._ (_B._) worship that is self-invented,
superstitious observance without divine authority.
WILLY, wil'i, _n._ (_prov._) a willow basket.
WILLY-NILLY, wil'i-nil'i, _adv._ willing or unwilling.--_adj._ vacillating.
[_Will_ and _nill_.]
WILT, wilt, _v.i._ to droop, lose energy.--_v.t._ to render limp or
pithless. [Cf. _Welk_; cf. Ger. _welk_, withered.]
WILT, wilt, 2d pers. sing. of _will_.
WILY, w[=i]'li, _adj._ full of wiles or tricks: using craft or stratagem:
artful: sly.--_adv._ W[=I]'LILY.--_n._ W[=I]'LINESS, cunning.
WIMBLE, wim'bl, _n._ an instrument for boring holes, turned by a
handle.--_v.t._ to bore through with such. [Scand., Dan. _vimmel_, auger;
conn. with Old Dut. _weme_, a wimble, and _wemelen_, to whirl.]
WIMBLE, wim'bl, _adj._ (_Spens._) active, nimble. [Sw. _vimmel_,
giddy--_vima_, to be giddy; allied to _whim_.]
WIMPLE, wim'pl, _n._ a hood or veil folded round the neck and face (still a
part of a nun's dress): a flag.--_v.t._ to hide with a wimple: (_Shak._) to
hoodwink: to lay in folds.--_v.i._ to ripple: (_Spens._) to lie in folds.
[A.S. _wimpel_, a neck-covering; cf. Ger. _wimpel_, a pennon, Fr. _guimpe_,
a nun's veil, Eng. _gimp_, a thin cloth for trimming.]
WIN, win, _v.t._ to get by labour: to gain in contest: to allure to
kindness, to gain: to achieve, effect: to attain: to induce: in mining, to
sink down to a bed of coal: to obtain the favour of.--_v.i._ to gain the
victory: to gain favour: (_prov._) to make one's way, to succeed in
getting:--_pr.p._ win'ning; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ won (wun).--_n._ a victory,
success.--_ns._ WIN'NER; WIN'NING, the act of one who wins: that which is
won (usually in _pl._): a shaft or pit to open a bed of coal.--_adj._
influencing: attractive.--_adv._ WIN'NINGLY.--_ns._ WIN'NINGNESS;
WIN'NING-POST, the goal of a race-course.--WIN BY A HEAD, to win very
narrowly; WIN IN A CANTER, to win easily, as it were at an easy gallop; WIN
ON, UPON, to gain upon, to obtain favour with; WIN, or GAIN, ONE'S SPURS,
to earn one's knighthood by valour on the field, hence to gain recognition
or reputation by merit of any kind. [A.S. _winnan_, to suffer, to struggle;
Ice. _vinna_, to accomplish, Ger. _gewinnen_, to win.]