WITNESS, wit'nes, _n._ knowledge brought in proof: testimony of a fact:
that which furnishes proof: one who sees or has personal knowledge of a
thing: one who attests.--_v.t._ to have direct knowledge of: to see: to
give testimony to: to show: (_Shak._) to foretell.--_v.i._ to give
evidence.--_ns._ WIT'NESS-BOX, the enclosure in which a witness stands when
giving evidence in a court of law; WIT'NESSER.--WITH A WITNESS (_Shak._),
to a great degree. [A.S. _witnes_, testimony--_witan_, to know.]
WITTOL, wit'ol, _n._ one who knows his wife's faithlessness, and submits to
it.--_adj._ WITT'OLLY (_Shak._), like a wittol or contented cuckold.
[Formerly also _wittal_, _wittold_, a particular use of _witwal_, the
popinjay; cf. the similar allusions to the _cuckoo_, from which grew the
word _cuckold_.]
WITWAL, wit'wawl, _n._ the popinjay, or green woodpecker, the greater
spotted woodpecker. [Var. of _woodwale_, a woodpecker.]
WIVE, w[=i]v, _v.t._ to take for a wife: to provide with a wife.--_v.i._ to
marry.--_n._ WIVE'HOOD (_Spens._), wifehood. [A.S. _wífian_--_wíf_, wife.]
WIVERN, w[=i]'vern, _n._ Same as WYVERN.
WIVES, w[=i]vz, _pl._ of _wife_.
WIZARD, wiz'ard, _n._ one who practises witchcraft or magic: (_obs._) a
wise man.--_adj._ with magical powers.--_adv._ WIZ'ARDLY, like a
wizard.--_n._ WIZ'ARDRY, sorcery. [O. Fr. _guiscart_--Ice. _vizkr_ (for
_vitskr_), from _vita_, to know.]
WIZEN, wiz'n, WIZENED, wiz'nd, _adj._ dried up: thin: shrivelled.--_v.i._
and _v.t._ to become dry, to make dry.--_adj._ WIZ'EN-FACED, having a thin,
shrivelled face. [A.S. _wisnian_, to wither; cog. with Ice. _visinn_,
wizened, _visna_, to wither.]
WIZIER=_Vizir_.
WO. Same as WOE.
WOAD, w[=o]d, _n._ a genus of cruciferous plants, whose few species are
mostly natives of the countries around the Mediterranean--DYER'S WOAD
yields a good and very permanent dye, but is now largely superseded by
indigo.--_adj._ WOAD'ED, dyed blue with woad. [A.S. _wád_; Ger. _waid_; L.
_vitrum_.]
WOBBLE, WOBBLER, WOBBLING. See WABBLE.
WODEN, w[=o]'den, _n._ the Anglo-Saxon form of the Norse Odin.--_n._
W[=O]'DENISM, the worship of Woden.
WOE, WO, w[=o], _n._ grief: misery: a heavy calamity: a curse: an
exclamation of grief.--_adj._ sad, wretched.--_adjs._ WOE'BEGONE,
W[=O]'BEGONE, beset with woe (see BEGONE); WOE'FUL, W[=O]'FUL, WOE'SOME
(_Scot._ WAE'SOME), sorrowful: bringing calamity: wretched.--_advs._
WOE'FULLY, W[=O]'FULLY.--_ns._ WOE'FULNESS, W[=O]'FULNESS.--_adjs._
WOE'-WEA'RIED, -WORN, wearied, worn, with woe.--WOE WORTH THE DAY (see
WORTH).--IN WEAL AND WOE, in prosperity and adversity. [A.S. (interj.)
_wá_; Ger. _weh_; L. _væ_, Gr. _ouai_. Cf. _Wail_.]
WOIWODE. See VOIVODE.
WOLD, w[=o]ld, _n._ an open tract of country. [A.S. _weald_, _wald_, a
wood, perh. ultimately conn. with _wealdan_, to possess, wield.]
WOLF, woolf, _n._ the common name of certain species of the genus
_Canis_--including the ravenous Common Wolf, the Abyssinian Wolf, the
Antarctic Wolf, the Maned Wolf, and the Prairie Wolf or Coyote: anything
very ravenous: a greedy and cunning person: (_obs._) a tuberculous
excrescence: (_mus._) a harsh discord heard in the organ, &c.:--_pl._
WOLVES.--_v.i._ to hunt for wolves.--_v.t._ (_slang_) to devour
ravenously.--_ns._ WOLF'-DOG, a dog of large breed kept to guard sheep,
esp. against wolves; WOL'FER, one who hunts wolves; WOLF'-FISH, a fierce
and voracious salt-water fish--called also _Sea-wolf_ and _Cat-fish_;
WOLF'-HOUND (see BORZOI); WOL'FING, the hunting of wolves for their
skins.--_adjs._ WOL'FISH, WOL'VISH, like a wolf either in form or quality:
rapacious.--_adv._ WOL'FISHLY.--_ns._ WOLF'KIN, WOLF'LING, a young wolf;
WOLF'S'-BANE, aconite; WOLF'S'-FOOT, -CLAW, the club-moss _Lycopodium_;
WOLF'-SKIN, the skin or pelt of a wolf; WOLF'S'-PEACH, the tomato;
WOLF'-SP[=I]'DER, the tarantula; WOLF'-TOOTH, a small supernumerary
premolar in a horse.--CRY WOLF, to give a false alarm--from the story of
the boy who cried 'Wolf' when there was none, and was not believed when
there was one; HAVE A WOLF BY THE EARS, to be in a very difficult
situation; HAVE A WOLF IN THE STOMACH, to be ravenously hungry; KEEP THE
WOLF FROM THE DOOR, to keep out hunger; SEE A WOLF, to lose one's voice, in
allusion to an old superstition. [A.S. _wulf_; Ger. _wolf_; L. _lupus_; Gr.
_lykos_.]
WOLFFIAN, w[=oo]l'fi-an, _adj._ pertaining to, or associated with, the name
of the German embryologist K. F. _Wolff_ (1733-94)--applied to the
primordial renal organs in the embryo of the higher vertebrates, performing
the function of kidneys till superseded by the true or permanent kidneys.
WOLFIAN, w[=oo]l'fi-an, _adj._ pertaining to the philosophy of Johann
Christian von _Wolf_ (1679-1754). He systematised and popularised the
philosophy of Leibnitz, and gave a strong impulse to that development of
natural theology and rationalism which soon almost drove out revelation by
rendering it unnecessary--also WOLFF'IAN.--_n._ WOLF'IANISM.
WOLFIAN, w[=oo]l'fi-an, _adj._ pertaining to, or associated with, the name
of Friedrich August _Wolf_ (1759-1824), the most gifted classical scholar
and first critic of his age--applied esp. to his theory that the _Odyssey_
and _Iliad_ are composed of numerous ballads by different minstrels, strung
together in a kind of unity by subsequent editors.
WOLFRAM, wol'fram, _n._ a native compound of tungstate of iron and
manganese. [Ger.]
WOLVERENE, WOLVERINE, wool-ve-r[=e]n', _n._ a name given to the American
glutton or carcajou, from its rapacity. [Extension of _wolf_.]
WOMAN, woom'an, _n._ the female of man, an adult female of the human race:
the female sex, women collectively: a female attendant:--_pl._ WOMEN
(wim'en).--_v.t._ to cause to act like a woman, to unite to a woman (both
Shak.): to call a person 'woman' abusively.--_n._ WOM'AN-BOD'Y (_Scot._), a
woman, used disparagingly.--_adjs._ WOM'AN-BORN, born of woman;
WOM'AN-BUILT, built by women.--_adv._ WOM'ANFULLY, like a woman.--_adj._
WOM'AN-GROWN, grown to womanhood.--_ns._ WOM'AN-H[=A]T'ER, a misogynist;
WOM'ANHOOD, the state, character, or qualities of a woman.--_adj._
WOM'ANISH, having the qualities of a woman: feminine.--_adv._
WOM'ANISHLY.--_ns._ WOM'ANISHNESS; WOM'ANKIND, WOM'ENKIND, women taken
together: the female sex.--_adj._ WOM'AN-LIKE, like a woman.--_n._
WOM'ANLINESS.--_adj._ WOM'ANLY, like or becoming a woman: feminine.--_adv._
in the manner of a woman.--_ns._ WOM'AN-POST (_Shak._), a female messenger;
WOM'AN-QUELL'ER, a killer of women; WOM'AN-SUFF'RAGE, the exercise of the
electoral franchise by women.--_adjs._ WOM'AN-TIRED (_Shak._), hen-pecked;
WOM'AN-VEST'ED, wearing women's clothes.--WOMAN OF THE TOWN, a whore; WOMAN
OF THE WORLD, a woman of fashion.--WOMEN'S RIGHTS, the movement of women
towards personal and proprietary independence.--PLAY THE WOMAN, to give way
to weakness. [A.S. _wimman_, _wífman_, a compound of _wíf_, a woman, _man_,
man.]
WOMB, w[=oo]m, _n._ the uterus, the organ in which the young of mammals are
developed and kept till birth: (_Shak._) the stomach: the place where
anything is produced: any deep cavity.--_v.t._ (_Shak._) to
contain.--_adj._ WOMB'Y (_Shak._), capacious. [A.S. _wamb_; Ger. _wamme_,
paunch.]
WOMBAT, wom'bat, _n._ an Australian marsupial mammal of the opossum family.
[Native name.]
WON, wun, _v.i._ to dwell: to abide: to be accustomed.--_n._ a dwelling: an
abode.--_n._ WON'ING, dwelling. [A.S. _wunian_, Dut. _wonen_, Ger.
_wohnen_, to dwell.]
WON, wun, _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ of _win_.
WONDER, wun'd[.e]r, _n._ the state of mind produced by something new,
unexpected, or extraordinary: a strange thing: a prodigy: a sweet fried
cake--also _Cruller_.--_v.i._ to feel wonder: to be amazed (with at): to
speculate expectantly.--_p.adj._ WON'DERED (_Shak._), having performed, or
able to perform, wonders.--_n._ WON'DERER.--_adj._ WON'DERFUL, full of
wonder: exciting wonder: strange: (_B._) wonderfully.--_adv._
WON'DERFULLY.--_ns._ WON'DERFULNESS; WON'DERING.--_adv._ WON'DERINGLY, with
wonder.--_ns._ WON'DERLAND, a land of wonders; WON'DERMENT,
surprise.--_adjs._ WON'DEROUS (same as WONDROUS); WON'DER-STRUCK,
-STRICK'EN, struck with wonder or astonishment.--_ns._ WON'DER-WORK, a
prodigy, miracle: thaumaturgy; WON'DER-WORK'ER; WON'DER-WORK'ING.--_adjs._
WON'DER-WOUND'ED (_Shak._), wonder-stricken; WON'DROUS, such as may excite
wonder: strange.--_adv._ WON'DROUSLY.--_ns._ WON'DROUSNESS.--BIRD OF
WONDER, the phoenix; NINE DAYS' WONDER, something that astonishes everybody
for the moment; SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD (see SEVEN). [A.S. _wundor_;
Ger. _wunder_, Ice. _undr_.]
WONGA-WONGA, wong'ga-wong'ga, _n._ the large Australian white-faced
pigeon--a table delicacy.
WONT, wunt, _adj._ used or accustomed.--_n._ habit.--_v.i._ to be
accustomed.--_adj._ WON'TED, accustomed: usual.--_n._ WON'TEDNESS.--_adj._
WONT'LESS (_Spens._), unaccustomed. [Orig. pa.p. of _won_, to dwell--A.S.
_wunian_; Ger. _wohnen_.]