WOON, w[=oo]n, _v.i._ (_Spens._). Same as WON (1).
WOORALI, woo'ra-li, _n._ a S. American poison for arrows.--Also WOO'RARA,
WOU'RALI, same as _Curari_ (q.v.).
WOOTZ, woots, _n._ steel made by fusing iron with carbonaceous matter.
[Perh. the Canarese _ukku_, steel.]
WOP, wop, _v.t._ See WHOP.
WORD, wurd, _n._ an oral or written sign expressing an idea or notion:
talk, discourse: signal or sign: message: promise: declaration: a
pass-word, a watch-word, a war-cry: the Holy Scripture, or a part of it:
(_pl._) verbal contention.--_v.t._ to express in words: (_Shak._) to
flatter.--_v.i._ to speak, talk.--_ns._ WORD'-BLIND'NESS, loss of ability
to read; WORD'-BOOK, a book with a collection of words: a
vocabulary.--_adj._ WORD'-BOUND, unable to find expression in words.--_n._
WORD'-BUILD'ING, the formation or composition of words.--_adj._ WOR'DED,
expressed in words.--_adv._ WOR'DILY.--_ns._ WOR'DINESS; WOR'DING, act,
manner, or style of expressing in words.--_adj._ WOR'DISH (_obs._),
verbose.--_n._ WOR'DISHNESS.--_adj._ WORD'LESS (_Shak._), without words,
silent.--_ns._ WORD'-MEM'ORY, the power of recalling words to the mind;
WORD'-PAINT'ER, one who describes vividly; WORD'-PAINT'ING, the act of
describing anything clearly and fully by words only; WORD'-PIC'TURE, a
description in words which presents an object to the mind as if in a
picture.--_adj._ WOR'DY, full of words: using or containing many
words.--WORD FOR WORD, literally, verbatim.--BREAK ONE'S WORD, to fail to
fulfil a promise; BY WORD OF MOUTH, orally; GOOD WORD, favourable mention,
praise; HARD WORDS, angry, hot words; HAVE A WORD WITH, to have some
conversation with; HAVE WORDS WITH, to quarrel, dispute with; IN A WORD, IN
ONE WORD, in short, to sum up; IN WORD, in speech only, in profession only;
PASS ONE'S WORD, to make a promise; THE WORD, the Scripture: (_theol._) the
second person in the Trinity, the Logos. [A.S. _word_; Goth. _waurd_, Ice.
_orth_, Ger. _wort_; also conn. with L. _verbum_, a word, Gr. _eirein_, to
speak.]
WORDSWORTHIAN, wurds-wur'thi-an, _adj._ pertaining to the style of the
sovereign poet of nature, William _Wordsworth_ (1770-1850).--_n._ an
admirer of WORDSWORTH.
WORE, w[=o]r, _pa.t._ of _wear_.
WORK, wurk, _n._ effort directed to an end: employment: the result of work:
that on which one works: anything made or done: embroidery: deed: effect: a
literary composition: a book: management: an establishment for any
manufacture, a factory (gener. in _pl._): (_physics_) the product of a
force by the component displacement of its point and application in the
direction of the force: (_pl._), (_fort._) walls, trenches, &c.: (_theol._)
acts performed in obedience to the Divine law: a manufactory, workshop,
place of work (esp. in _pl._): mechanism--e.g. of a watch.--_v.i._ to make
efforts to attain anything: to perform: to be in action: to be occupied in
business or labour: to produce effects, to make progress with difficulty,
to strain or labour: to ferment: to be agitated, to seethe: to
embroider.--_v.t._ to make by labour: to bring into any state by action: to
effect: to carry on operations in: to put in motion: to purge: to
influence: to manage: to solve: to achieve: to cause to ferment: to
provoke, agitate: to keep employed: to embroider:--_pa.t._ and _pa.p._
worked or wrought (rawt).--_ns._ WORKABIL'ITY, WORK'ABLENESS.--_adjs._
WORK'ABLE, that may be worked; WORK'ADAY, work-day, toiling,
plodding.--_ns._ WORK'-BAG, -BAS'KET, a bag, basket, for holding materials
for work, esp. needlework; WORK'-BOX, a lady's box for holding materials
for work; WORK'-DAY, a day for work: a week-day.--_adj._ pertaining to a
work-day.--_ns._ WORK'ER, a toiler, performer: among insects, the neuter or
undeveloped female; WORK'-FELL'OW, one who is engaged in the same work with
another.--_ns.pl._ WORK'FOLK, WORK'FOLKS, persons engaged in manual
labour.--_adj._ WORK'FUL, industrious.--_ns._ WORK'GIRL, a girl or young
woman employed in some manual labour; WORK'HOUSE, a house where any work or
manufacture is carried on: a house of shelter for the poor, who are made to
work; WORK'ING, action, operation: fermentation: (_pl._) the parts of a
mine, &c., where actual operations are in hand.--_adj._ active: labouring:
connected with labour.--_ns._ WORK'ING-BEAM, the oscillating lever of a
steam-engine connecting the piston-rod and the crank-shaft, a walking-beam;
WORK'ING-CLASS, manual labourers (often in _pl._); WOR'KING-DAY, a day on
which work is done, as distinguished from the Sabbath and holidays: the
period of actual work each day.--_adj._ laborious: plodding.--_ns._
WORK'ING-DRAW'ING, a drawing of the details of a building by which the
builders are guided in their work; WORK'ING-HOUSE (_Shak._), workshop;
WORK'ING-PAR'TY, a group of persons who do some work in common, or who meet
periodically for such a purpose; WORK'MAN, WORK'ING-MAN, a man who works or
labours, esp. manually: a skilful artificer.--_adjs._ WORK'MAN-LIKE, like a
workman: becoming a skilful workman: well performed; WORK'MANLY, becoming a
skilful workman.--_adv._ in a manner becoming a skilful workman.--_ns._
WORK'MANSHIP, the skill of a workman: manner of making: work done;
WORK'-MAS'TER, a skilled or directing workman, esp. in some great
undertaking.--_n.pl._ WORK'-PEO'PLE, people engaged in labour.--_ns._
WORK'ROOM, a room for working in; WORK'SHOP, a shop where work is
done.--_adj._ WORK'SOME, industrious.--_ns._ WORK'-T[=A]'BLE, a small table
used by ladies at their needlework; WORK'-WOMAN, a woman who makes her
living by some manual labour.--WORK OF ART, a production in one of the fine
arts; WORK DOUBLE TIDES, to work through continuous tides, night and day;
WORK IN, to intermix, to make to penetrate; WORK INTO, to make way
gradually into: to change, alter; WORK OFF, to separate and throw off, to
get rid of, circulate: to produce as by work, esp. to print; WORK ON, or
UPON, to act or operate upon, to influence; WORK ONE'S PASSAGE, to give
one's work on board in place of passage-money; WORK OUT, to effect by
continued labour: to expiate: to exhaust: to solve or study anything fully
out; WORK UP, to excite, rouse: to create by slow degrees, to expand,
elaborate: to use up, as material: (_naut._) to set at an irksome or
needless task; WORK WITH, to strive to influence by appeals, &c.--BOARD OF
WORKS, the body which has the management and control of public works and
buildings, of which the expenses are defrayed from the crown revenues or
parliamentary grants; HAVE ONE'S WORK CUT OUT, to have one's work
prescribed: to have a difficult task before one; MAKE SHORT WORK OF (see
SHORT); OUT OF WORK, out of working order: without employment; SET TO WORK,
to employ in some work: to engage in some work; SEVEN WORKS OF CORPORAL
MERCY, to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked,
visit prisoners, visit the sick, harbour strangers, bury the dead--OF
SPIRITUAL MERCY, to convert sinners, instruct the ignorant, counsel the
doubtful, console the afflicted, bear wrongs patiently, forgive injuries,
pray for the living and the dead. [A.S. _weorc_; Ice. _verk_, Ger. _werk_;
further conn. with Gr. _ergon_.]
WORLD, wurld, _n._ the earth and its inhabitants: the system of things:
present state of existence: any planet or heavenly body: public life or
society: an organic whole: business: the public: a secular life: course of
life: a very large extent of country, as the 'New World:' very much or a
great deal, as 'a world of good:' time, as in the phrase 'world without
end'=eternally: possibility, as in 'nothing in the world:' (_B._) the
ungodly.--_adjs._ WORL'DED, containing worlds; WORLD'-HAR'DENED, hardened
by the love of worldly things.--_ns._ WORLD'-LANG'UAGE, a universal
language; WORLD'LINESS; WORLD'LING, one who is devoted to worldly or
temporal possessions.--_adjs._ WORLD'LY, pertaining to the world, esp. as
distinguished from the world to come: devoted to this life and its
enjoyments: bent on gain--also _adv._; WORLD'LY-MIND'ED, having the mind
set on the present world.--_n._ WORLD'LY-MIND'EDNESS.--_adjs._
WORLD'LY-WISE, wise in this world's affairs; WORLD'-OLD, exceedingly
ancient; WORLD'-WEA'RIED, -WEA'RY, tired of the world; WORLD'WIDE, wide or
extensive as the world.--ALL THE WORLD, everybody: everything; ALL THE
WORLD AND HIS WIFE (_coll._), everybody: also, an ill-assorted mass; A
WORLD, a great deal; CARRY THE WORLD BEFORE ONE, to pass to success through
every obstacle; FOR ALL THE WORLD, precisely, entirely; GO TO THE WORLD
(_Shak._), to get married; IN THE WORLD, an intensive phrase, usually
following an interrogative pronoun or adverb.--THE NEW WORLD, the western
hemisphere, the Americas; THE OLD WORLD, the eastern hemisphere, comprising
Europe, Africa, and Asia; THE OTHER WORLD, the non-material sphere, the
spiritual world; THE WHOLE WORLD, the sum of what is contained in the
world; THE WORLD'S END, the most distant point possible. [A.S. _woruld_,
_world_, _weorold_, (lit.) 'a generation of men,' from _wer_, a man, and
_yldo_, sig. an age; Ice. _veröld_, Old High Ger. _weralt_ (Ger. _welt_).]
WORM, wurm, _n._ a term destitute of scientific precision, but often
applied to any one of the members of numerous classes of invertebrate
animals which are more or less earthworm-like in appearance, the earthworm,
a grub, a maggot: anything spiral: the thread of a screw: the lytta or
vermiform cartilage of a dog's tongue: the instrument used to withdraw the
charge of a gun: a spiral pipe surrounded by cold water into which steam or
vapours pass for condensation in distilling: anything that corrupts, gnaws,
or torments: remorse: a debased being, a groveller: (_pl._) any intestinal
disease arising from the presence of parasitic worms.--_v.i._ to move like
a worm, to squirm: to work slowly or secretly.--_v.t._ to effect by slow
and secret means: to elicit by underhand means: to remove the lytta or
vermiform cartilage of a dog's tongue.--_n._ WORM'-CAST, the earth voided
by the earthworm.--_adjs._ WORM'-EAT'EN, eaten by worms: old: worn-out;
WORM'-EAT'ING, living habitually on worms; WORMED, bored by worms: injured
by worms.--_ns._ WORM'-FENCE, a zigzag fence formed of stakes;
WORM'-F[=E]'VER, a feverish condition in children ascribed to intestinal
worms; WORM'-GEAR, a gear-wheel having teeth shaped so as to mesh with a
worm or shaft on which a spiral is turned, an endless screw;
WORM'-GEAR'ING; WORM'-GRASS, pink-root: a kind of stonecrop; WORM'-HOLE,
the hole made by a worm.--_adj._ WORM'-HOLED, perforated by
worm-holes.--_ns._ WORM'-POW'DER, a vermifuge; WORM'-SEED, santonica: the
treacle mustard; WORM'-WHEEL, a wheel gearing with an endless screw or
worm, receiving or imparting motion.--_adj._ WOR'MY, like a worm:
grovelling: containing a worm: abounding with worms: gloomy, dismal, like
the grave. [A.S. _wyrm_, dragon, snake, creeping animal; cog. with Goth.
_waurms_, a serpent, Ice. _ormr_, Ger. _wurm_; also with L. _vermis_.]
WORMIAN, wurm'i-an, _adj._ associated with the name of the Danish anatomist
Olaus _Worm_ (1588-1654), applied esp. to the supernumerary bones developed
in the sutures of the skull.
WORMWOOD, wurm'wood, _n._ the bitter plant _Artemisia absinthium_:
bitterness. [A.S. _wermod_ (Ger. _wermuth_), wormwood; perh. lit.
'keep-mind,' in allusion to its medicinal (anthelmintic and tonic)
properties--_werian_, to protect (Ger. _wehren_), _mód_, mind.]
WORN, w[=o]rn, _pa.p._ of _wear_.
WORN-OUT, w[=o]rn'-owt, _adj._ much injured or rendered useless by wear:
wearied: past, gone.
WORRICOW, wur'i-kow, _n._ (_Scot._) a hobgoblin: the devil: anything
frightful or even only grotesque.
WORRY, wur'i, _v.t._ to tear with the teeth: to harass: to tease: (_Scot._)
to choke.--_v.i._ to trouble one's self: to be unduly anxious: to
fret:--_pa.t._ and _pa.p._ worr'ied.--_n._ act of worrying: trouble,
perplexity, vexation.--_ns._ WORR'IER, one who worries himself or others;
WORR'IMENT (_coll._), anxiety.--_adj._ WORR'ISOME, causing trouble.--v.
WORR'IT (_slang_), to worry.--_n._ (_slang_) annoyance.--_adj._ WORR'YING,
harassing.--_adv._ WORR'YINGLY.--WORRY DOWN, to swallow with a strong
effort. [A.S. _wyrgan_, found in compound _áwyrgan_, to harm; cf. Dut.
_worgen_, Ger. _würgen_, to choke; A.S. _wearg_, _werg_, a wolf.]
WORSE, wurs, _adj._ (used as _comp._ of _bad_) bad or evil in a greater
degree: more sick.--_adv._ bad in a higher degree: less: (_Shak._) with
more severity.--_v.t._ (_obs._) to worst.--_v.i._ WOR'SEN, to grow
worse.--_v.t._ to make worse.--_adv._ WOR'SER, a redundant comparative of
_worse_.--THE WORSE, defeat, disadvantage. [A.S. _wyrsa_, from _wiers-sa_
from _wirsiza_ (Goth. _wairsiza_), formed with comp. suffix _-iz_ from a
Teut. root _wers_, found in Ger. _ver-wirren_, to confuse.]
WORSHIP, wur'ship, _n._ religious service: fervent esteem: adoration paid
to God: a title of honour in addressing certain magistrates, &c.:
submissive respect.--_v.t._ to respect highly: to treat with civil
reverence: to pay divine honours to: to adore or idolise.--_v.i._ to
perform acts of adoration: to perform religious service:--_pr.p._
wor'shipping; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ wor'shipped.--_adjs._ WOR'SHIPABLE,
WOR'SHIPFUL, worthy of worship or honour, used as a term of
respect.--_adv._ WOR'SHIPFULLY.--_n._ WOR'SHIPFULNESS.--_adj._
WOR'SHIPLESS, destitute of worship or worshippers.--_n._
WOR'SHIPPER.--HOUSE, or PLACE, OF WORSHIP, a church or chapel. [A.S.
_weorthscipe_--_weorth_, WURTH, worth, affix _-scipe_, _-ship_.]
WORST, wurst, _adj._ bad or evil in the highest degree.--_adv._ to a very
bad or very evil degree.--_n._ the highest degree of badness: the most evil
state.--_v.t._ to get the advantage over in a contest: to defeat.--_v.i._
(_obs._) to grow worse. [A.S. _wyrst_, _wyrrest_, _wyrresta_, from the same
source as _worse_.]
WORSTED, woost'ed, or woorst'ed, _n._ twisted thread or yarn spun out of
long, combed wool: woollen yarn for ornamental needlework.--_adj._ made of
worsted yarn.--_n._ WORST'ED-WORK, needlework done with worsted. [From
_Worstead_, a village near Norwich in England.]
WORT, wurt, _n._ a plant of the cabbage kind. [A.S. _wyrt_; Ger. _wurz_,
_wurzel_, a root.]
WORT, wurt, _n._ new beer unfermented or in the act of fermentation: the
sweet infusion of malt. [A.S. _wyrte_, new beer (Ice. _virtr_)--_wyrt_,
root. See preceding word.]
WORTH, wurth, _n._ value: possessions: that quality which renders a thing
valuable: price: moral excellence: importance.--_adj._ equal in value to:
having a certain moral value: deserving of.--_adj._ WORTH'FUL.--_adv._
WORTH'ILY (_th_), in a worthy manner: justly: truly.--_n._ WORTH'INESS
(_th_).--_adj._ WORTH'LESS, of no worth or value: having no value, virtue,
excellence, &c.: useless.--_adv._ WORTH'LESSLY.--_n._
WORTH'LESSNESS.--_adj._ WORTHY (wur'_th_i), having worth: valuable:
deserving: suited to: (_B._) deserving (either of good or bad).--_n._ a man
of eminent worth: a local celebrity: (_Shak._) anything of value:--_pl._
WOR'THIES.--_v.t._ to make worthy.--WORTHIEST OF BLOOD, male, as opposed to
female--of inheritance.--NINE WORTHIES, Hector, Alexander the Great, Julius
Cæsar; Joshua, David, Judas Maccabæus; Arthur, Charlemagne, Godfrey of
Bouillon. [A.S. _weorth_, _wurth_ (Ger. _wert_), value.]
WORTH, wurth, _v.i._ to be, happen, as in the phrase WOE WORTH=_woe be to_
(with the noun in the dative). [A.S. _weorthan_, to become; cf. Ger.
_werden_.]
WOT, wot, WOTTETH, wot'eth, _v.t._ (_B._) _pr.t._ of obsolete _wit_, to
know. [_Wit_.]
WOULD, wood, _pa.t._ of _will_.--_adj._ WOULD'-BE, aspiring, trying, or
merely professing to be.--_n._ a vain pretender. [A.S. _wolde_, pa.t. of
_willan_.]
WOULFE-BOTTLE, woolf'-bot'l, _n._ a form of three-necked bottle, generally
arranged in a series known as _Woulfe's apparatus_, used for the purpose of
purifying gases, or of dissolving them in suitable solvents--from the name
of the London chemist, Peter _Woulfe_ (1727-1806).
WOUND, wownd, _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ of _wind_.
WOUND, w[=oo]nd, _n._ any division of soft parts, including the skin,
produced by external mechanical force--whether incised, punctured,
contused, lacerated, or poisoned: any cut, bruise, hurt, or injury.--_v.t._
to make a wound in: to injure.--_adj._ WOUN'DABLE, capable of being
wounded.--_n._ WOUN'DER.--_adv._ WOUN'DILY (_coll._), excessively.--_n._
WOUN'DING.--_adj._ WOUND'LESS, exempt from being wounded, invulnerable:
harmless.--_n._ WOUND'WORT, a name applied to several plants of popular
repute as vulneraries, as the kidney-vetch, &c.: a plant of genus
_Stachys_, the marsh or clown's woundwort.--_adj._ WOUN'DY, causing wounds:
(_coll._) excessive. [A.S. _wund_ (Ger. _wunde_, Ice. _und_)--A.S. _wund_,
wounded; prob. orig. pa.p. of A.S. _winnan_, to fight, strive.]
WOURALI. See WOORALI.
WOVE, WOVEN, _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ of _weave_.
WOW, wow, _v.i._ (_Spens._) to woo.
WOW, wow, _interj._ an exclamation of wonder.
WOWF, wowf, _adj._ (_Scot._) crazy.
WOW-WOW, wow'-wow, _n._ the gibbon of Sumatra.
WOX, WOXEN. (_Spens._), _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ of _wax_.
WRACK, RACK, rak, _n._ a term loosely given to various seaweeds, esp. to
the _Fucaceæ_, common on British shores, long valuable as a source of kelp,
and utilised as manure: shipwreck: ruin.--_adj._ WRACK'FUL, destructive.
[Lit. 'something cast ashore,' A.S. _wræc_, exile, misery--_wrecan_, to
drive, urge. _Wrack_ is a doublet of _wreck_.]
WRACK, rak, by-form of _wreck_.
WRAITH, r[=a]th, _n._ a spectre: an apparition in the exact likeness of a
person seen before or soon after his death. [Cf. dial. form _warth_, an
apparition; prob. orig. having the sense of 'guardian spirit'--Ice.
_vörthr_, a guardian.]
WRANGLE, rang'gl, _v.i._ to make a disturbance: to dispute: to dispute
noisily or peevishly.--_n._ a noisy dispute.--_ns._ WRANG'LER, one who
wrangles or disputes angrily: (_Shak._) a stubborn foe: in the University
of Cambridge, one of those who have attained the first class in the public
mathematical honour examinations; WRANG'LERSHIP.--_adj._ WRANG'LESOME,
given to wrangling.--_n._ WRANG'LING.--SENIOR WRANGLER, the student taking
the first place in the class mentioned, the second being called SECOND
WRANGLER, and so on in the same way. [A freq. of _wring_.]
WRAP, rap, _v.t._ to roll or fold together: to enfold: hide: to cover by
winding something round (often with up):--_pr.p._ wrap'ping; _pa.t._ and
_pa.p._ wrapped.--_n._ a wrapper, as a shawl, &c.--_ns._ WRAP'PAGE, act of
wrapping: things used as wrappers; WRAP'PER, one who, or that which, wraps:
a loose outer garment of a woman; WRAP'PING; WRAP'-RAS'CAL, a loose
greatcoat worn about 1740 (a humorous term).--WRAPPED UP IN, bound up in:
engrossed with: comprised in. [A form of _warp_--M. E. _wrappen_, also
_wlappen_. Cf. _Lap_ (v.t. to wrap) and _Envelop_.]
WRAP. Same as RAP.
WRASSE, ras, _n._ a genus of bony fishes representative of the large family
_Labridæ_, and including many species on European and North African coasts.
Common British species are the _ballan-wrasse_, the _red wrasse_, and the
_gibbous wrasse_. [Perh. the W. _gwrachen_.]
WRATH, räth, _n._ violent anger: holy indignation: heat.--_adj._ violently
angry.--_adj._ WRATH'FUL, full of wrath: very angry: springing from, or
expressing, wrath.--_adv._ WRATH'FULLY.--_n._ WRATH'FULNESS.--_adv._
WRATH'ILY.--_adjs._ WRATH'LESS; WRATH'Y, apt to wrath. [Old Northumbrian
_wr['æ]ððo_--A.S. _wráð_, adj. wroth; Ice. _reithi_.]