wiliness (wail´i: nis) •n. a wily quality or condition

Wilkes (wilks) 1 Charles 1798-1877; U.S. naval officer & explorer 2 John 1727-97; Eng. political reformer

Wilkes Land (wilks) region of Antarctica, on the Indian Ocean south of Australia

Wilkes-Barre (wilks´bær'э, -bær', -bær'i:) city in NE Pa., on the Susquehanna River: pop. 48,000 [after John WILKES & Col. Isaac Barré, Brit officer]

Wilkins (wil´kinz) 1 Sir (George) Hubert 1888-1958; Austral. polar explorer 2 Maurice H(ugh) F(rederick) 1916- ; Eng. biophysicist, born in New Zealand: helped determine the structure of DNA 3 Roy 1901-81; U.S. civil rights leader

Wilkinson (wil´kin sэn), Sir Geoffrey 1921- ; Brit. chemist

will call the department, as of a large store, at which articles are held to be picked up, as when paid for

will¹ (wil) •n. 1 the power of making a reasoned choice or decision or of controlling one's own actions {a man of weak will} 2 a) strong and fixed purpose; determination {where there's a will there's a way} b) energy and enthusiasm {to work with a will} 3 disposition or attitude toward others {a man of good will} 4 a) the particular desire, purpose, pleasure, choice, etc. of a certain person or group {what is your will?} b) a compelling command or decree {the will of the people} 5 Law a) the legal statement of a person's wishes concerning the disposal of his or her property after death b) the document containing this •vt. [ME willien < OE willian < willan, to desire: see WILL2] 1 to have as the object of one's will; desire; want {to will another's happiness, to will to survive} 2 to control or influence by the power of the will {to will oneself into an action, to will others into submission} 3 Law to bequeath by a will •vi. 1 to exert one's will {to succeed by willing} 2 to wish, desire, prefer, or choose {to do as one wills} at will when one wishes; at one's discretion SYN.—will, the more inclusive term here, basically denotes the power of choice and deliberate action or the intention resulting from the exercise of this power [freedom of the will, the will to succeed]; volition stresses the exercise of the will in making a choice or decision [he came of his own volition] [ME wille < OE willa, akin to Ger wille, willen < IE base *wel-, to wish, choose > L velle, to wish, voluptas, pleasure]

will² (wil; unstressed, wэl) pt. would v.aux. 1 used to indicate simple future time {when will she be able to travel? I will bring the dessert} 2 used to express determination, compulsion, or obligation {you will listen to me, he will have his own way, I will have you know that I was here first} 3 used to express inclination or inevitability {boys will be boys} 4 used in polite questions {will you have some wine?} 5 used to express habit or customary practice {they will talk for hours on end} 6 used to express expectation or surmise {that will be his wife with him, I suppose} 7 used to express possibility {this drawer won't open} •vt. [Obs.] to wish; desire {what will you, Master?} USAGE—the distinction between will (for second and third person subjects) and shall (for the first person) in expressing simple future time or determination, etc. is largely an artificial one, and today is virtually nonexistent in North American English; except for the use of shall in certain formal contexts (see SHALL) and other meanings specific to each, will and shall and their respective past tenses would and should are used interchangeably, with will (and would) being the preferred form in all persons [ME willen < OE willan, to be willing, desire, akin to Ger wollen, will: for IE base see WILL1]

willable (wil´э bэl) •adj. that can be willed, wished, determined, etc.

Willamette (wi læm´it) river in W Oreg., flowing north into the Columbia River near Portland: c. 190 mi. (306 km) [< ? AmInd place name]

Willard (wil´эrd) 1 a masculine name [< the surname Willard] 2 Emma (born Emma Hart) 1787-1870; U.S. educator 3 Frances (Elizabeth Caroline) 1839-98; U.S. temperance leader

willed (wild) •adj. having a will, esp. a specified kind of will: used in hyphenated compounds {strong-willed}

willemite (wil´эm ait') •n. native silicate of zinc, Zn2SiO4, found in massive, granular, or crystalline form in various colors from pale yellow-green to red [Du willemit, after Willem I (1772-1843), king of the Netherlands]

Willemstad (wil´эm stät', vil´-) capital of the Netherlands Antilles, on the island of Curaçao: pop. 50,000

Willesden (wilz´dэn) former municipal borough in SE England: now part of Brent, Greater London

willet (wil´it) pl. -lets •n.or -let a large, gray-and-white, long-legged shorebird (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus) of the same family (Scolopacidae) as snipe and sandpipers, living along shallow shores, marshes, etc. of North and South America [echoic of its cry]

willful (wil´fэl) •adj. 1 said or done deliberately or intentionally 2 doing as one pleases; self-willed SYN. VOLUNTARY will´ful·ly •adv. will´ful·ness •n.

William (wil´yэm) 1 a masculine name: dim. Bill, Billy, Liam, Will, Willy: equiv. Du. Willem, Fr. Guillaume, Ger. Wilhelm, It. Guglielmo, Sp. Guillermo 2 William I c. 1027-87; duke of Normandy who invaded England & defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings: king of England (1066-87): called William the Conqueror 3 William I 1533-84; prince of Orange (1544-84) & count of Nassau (1559-84): founder and 1st stadholder (1579-84) of the Netherlands republic: called William the Silent 4 William I 1797-1888; king of Prussia (1861-88) & emperor of Germany (1871-88): son of Frederick William III 5 William II 1056-1100; king of England (1087-1100): son of William the Conqueror: called William Rufus 6 William II 1859-1941; emperor of Germany & king of Prussia (1888-1918): called Kaiser Wilhelm 7 William III 1650-1702; king of England, Scotland, & Ireland (1689-1702): stadholder of the Netherlands (1672-1702): see MARY II 8 William IV 1765-1837; king of Great Britain & Ireland (1830-37): son of George III [NormFr Willaume < OHG Willehelm < willeo, WILL¹ + helm, protection: see HELM¹]

William of Malmesbury c. 1090-c. 1143; Eng. historian

William Tell in Swiss legend, a hero in the fight for independence from Austria, forced, on pain of death, to shoot an apple off his son's head with bow and arrow

William the Conqueror name for WILLIAM I (duke of Normandy)

Williams (wil´yэmz) 1 Hank (born Hiram Williams) 1923-53; U.S. country singer & composer 2 Ralph Vaughan see VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Ralph 3 Roger c. 1603-83; Eng. clergyman & colonist in America: founder of R.I. 4 Tennessee (born Thomas Lanier Williams) 1914-83; U.S. playwright 5 William Car·los (kär´lous) 1883-1963; U.S. poet, writer, & physician

Williamsburg (wil´yэmz børg') city in SE Va.: colonial capital of Va., now restored to its 18th-cent. appearance: pop. 12,000 [after King WILLIAM III]

willies (wil´i:z) •n.pl. [Slang] a state of nervousness; jitters: with the [< ?]

willing (wil´iŋ) •adj. 1 favorably disposed or consenting (to do something specified or implied) 2 acting, giving, etc. readily and cheerfully 3 done, given, etc. readily or gladly; voluntary will´ing·ly •adv. will´ing·ness •n. [ME < OE willung < willian, to WILL¹, v.]

Willis (wil´is) a masculine name [< the surname Willis, prob. < Willson, Wilson (< Will's son)]

williwaw or willywaw (wil´i wö') •n. 1 a sudden, violent, cold wind blowing down from mountain passes toward the coast in far northern or southern latitudes, as on the Alaskan coast and Aleutians, and in the Strait of Magellan 2 a state of extreme confusion, turmoil, or agitation [prob. altered < WILLY-WILLY]

will-o'-the-wisp (wil´э ðэ wisp´) •n. 1 JACK-O'-LANTERN (sense 1) 2 any hope or goal that leads one on but is impossible to reach [earlier Will with the wisp < Will (nickname for WILLIAM) + WISP]

willow (wil´ou) •n. 1 a) any of a genus (Salix) of trees and shrubs of the willow family, having usually narrow leaves, single, slipper-shaped bud scales, and staminate and pistillate catkins borne on separate plants: the flexible twigs of certain species are used in weaving baskets, chair seats, etc. b) the wood of any of these trees 2 a machine with revolving spikes for cleaning raw wool, cotton, etc. 3 [Colloq.] a baseball bat or cricket bat [orig. made of willow] •adj. designating a family (Salicaceae, order Salicales) of dicotyledonous trees and shrubs including poplars •vt. to clean (wool, cotton, etc.) with a willow wil´low·er •n. [ME wilwe < OE welig, akin to Du wilg < IE base *wel-, to turn, twist, bend > Gr helix, spiral, helikē, willow]

willow herb 1 any of a genus (Epilobium) of perennial plants of the evening-primrose family, with narrow leaves, whitish or purple flowers, and slender pods filled with plumed seeds, as the fireweed 2 purple loosestrife: see LOOSESTRIFE (n. 2)

willow oak a North American oak (Quercus phellos) with long, smooth-edged leaves, found near swamps and streams

willow pattern a design for china, copied in 18th-cent. England from a Chinese original, that pictures a river, pagodas, willow trees, etc., usually in blue on a white background

willowware (wil´ou wer') •n. articles of china decorated with the willow pattern

willowy (wil´ou i:) •adj. 1 covered or shaded with willows 2 like a willow; specif., a) gracefully slender b) pliant, supple, lithe, etc.

willpower (wil´pau'эr) •n. strength of will, mind, or determination; self-control

Willstätter (vil´shtet'эř), Richard (Martin) (řiH´äřt) 1872-1942; Swiss chemist, born in Germany

willy (wil´i:) -lied, -ly·ing •n., vt. var. of WILLOW (n. 2 & vt.)

willy-nilly (wil´i: nil´i:) •adv. 1 whether one wishes it or not; willingly or unwillingly 2 in a disordered way; helter-skelter •adj. that is or happens whether one wishes it or not [contr. < will I, nill I: see WILL¹ & NILL]

willy-willy (-wil´i:) pl. -lies •n. [Austral.] 1 a severe tropical cyclone 2 a whirlwind over a desert [prob. redupl. of willy, altered < whirly, short for WHIRLWIND]

Wilma (wil´mэ) a feminine name [Ger, contr. < Wilhelmina: see WILLIAM]

Wilmington (wil´miŋ tэn) 1 seaport in N Del., on the Delaware River: pop. 72,000 (met. area 579,000): see PHILADELPHIA 2 city in SE N.C.: pop. 56,000 [after Spencer Compton (c. 1673-1743), Earl of Wilmington]

Wilson (wil´sэn) 1 Alexander 1766-1813; Am. ornithologist, born in Scotland 2 Sir Angus (Frank Johnstone) 1913-91; Eng. novelist 3 Charles Thomson Rees 1869-1959; Scot. physicist 4 Edmund 1895-1972; U.S. writer & critic 5 Sir (James) Harold 1916- ; Eng. politician: prime minister (1964-70; 1974-76) 6 Robert Woodrow 1936- ; U.S. radio astronomer 7 (Thomas) Woodrow 1856-1924; 28th president of the U.S. (1913-21) Wilson (wil´sэn), Mount mountain of the Coast Ranges, SW Calif., near Pasadena: site of an astronomical observatory: 5,710 ft. (1,987 m) [after Ben D. Wilson, early settler]

Wilson Dam dam on the Tennessee River, in NW Ala.: 137 ft. (48 m) high [after President (Thomas) Woodrow WILSON]

Wilsonian (wil sou´ni: эn) •adj. of Woodrow Wilson or his political ideas, policies, etc.

Wilson's disease a disease characterized by abnormal accumulation of copper in the brain, liver, etc. [after S. Wilson (1874-1937), Eng neurologist, born in U.S.]

Wilson's thrush VEERY [see WILSON'S WARBLER]

Wilson's warbler a small, green-and-yellow North American wood warbler (Wilsonia pusilla) [after Alexander WILSON]

wilt¹ (wilt) •vi. 1 to become limp, as from heat or lack of water; wither; droop: said of plants 2 to become weak or faint; lose strength; languish 3 to lose courage; quail •vt. to cause to wilt •n. 1 a wilting or being wilted 2 a) a highly infectious disease of some caterpillars, in which the carcasses liquefy b) any of several plant diseases caused by certain bacteria or fungi and characterized by wilting of the leaves (also, esp. for 2a, wilt disease) [var. of obs. welk, to wither < ME welken, to fade, wither, dry up, akin to OHG welc, damp, wilted < IE *welg-, var. of base *welk-, moist, damp > OE wealg, nauseous]

wilt² (wilt) v. archaic 2d pers. sing., pres. indic., of WILL²: used with thou

Wilton (wilt´ªn) •n. a kind of carpet with a velvety pile of cut loops: also Wilton carpet or Wilton rug [after Wilton, city in S England, where it was first made]

Wiltshire (wilt´shir; for n., also, -shэr) county of S England: 1,344 sq. mi. (3,481 sq. km); pop. 536,000 •n. any of a former breed of white-faced English sheep with a fine fleece and horns that curved backward

wily (wail´i:) wil´i·er, wil´i·est •adj. full of wiles; crafty; sly SYN. SLY

wimble (wim´bэl) •n. any of various tools for boring, as a gimlet, auger, etc. •vt. -bled, -bling [Obs.] to bore with a wimble [ME < Anglo-Fr < MDu wimmel (or Fl wemel), an auger]

Wimbledon (wim´bэl dэn) former municipal borough in Surrey, SE England: now part of Merton, Greater London: scene of international lawn tennis matches

wimp (wimp) •n. [Slang] a weak, ineffectual, or insipid person wimp´y or wimp´ish •adj. [< ?]

wimple (wim´pэl) •n. 1 a woman's head covering of medieval times, consisting of a cloth arranged about the head, cheeks, chin, and neck, leaving only the face exposed: now worn only by certain orders of nuns 2 [Scot.] a) a fold or plait b) a winding; turn; curve c) a ripple •vt. -pled, -pling 1 to cover or clothe with or as with a wimple 2 to lay in folds 3 to cause to ripple or undulate, as the surface of a lake •vi. 1 to lie in folds 2 to ripple 3 [Scot.] to meander, as a brook [ME wimpel < OE, akin to Ger, wimple, pennon < IE base *weib-, to turn, swing > WIPE]

win (win) won, win´ning •vi. 1 a) to gain a victory; be victorious; triumph (sometimes with out) b) to finish in first place in a race, contest, etc. 2 to succeed in reaching or achieving a specified condition or place; get: with various prepositions, adverbs, or adjectives {to win back to health} •vt. 1 to get by effort, labor, struggle, etc.; specif., a) to gain or acquire through accomplishment {to win distinctions} b) to achieve or attain (one's point, demands, etc.) c) to gain (a prize or award) in competition d) to obtain or earn (a livelihood, security, etc.) 2 to be successful or victorious in (a contest, game, dispute, etc.) 3 to get to, usually with effort; reach {they won the top of the hill by noon} 4 to prevail upon; influence; persuade: often with over {to win someone over to one's side} 5 a) to gain the sympathy, favor, affection, or love of {to win a supporter, friend, etc.} b) to gain (someone's sympathy, affection, love, etc.) 6 to persuade to marry one 7 a) to extract (metal, minerals, etc.) from ore b) to obtain (coal, ore, etc.) by mining c) to prepare (a vein, shaft, etc.) for mining •n. 1 [Colloq.] an act of winning; victory, as in a contest 2 first position at the finish of a race [ME winnen < OE winnan, to fight, endure, struggle, akin to Ger winnen, to struggle, contend < IE base *wen-, to desire, strive for > WISH, L venus, love]

wince¹ (wins) winced, winc´ing •vi. to shrink or draw back slightly, usually with a grimace, as in pain, embarrassment, alarm, etc. •n. the act or an instance of wincing winc´er •n. [ME wynsen < Anglo-Fr var. of OFr guenchir < Frank *wenkjan, akin to OHG wankon, to totter, turn: for IE base see WINCH]

wince² (wins) •n. a roller used between dyeing vats to facilitate the transfer of pieces of cloth [var. of WINCH]

winceyette (win'si: et´) •n. [Brit.] a kind of flannelette or cotton flannel [wincey, a kind of fabric, altered < LINSEY(-WOOLSEY) + -ETTE]

winch (winch) •n. 1 a crank with a handle for transmitting motion, as to a grindstone 2 a machine for hoisting, lowering, or hauling, consisting of a drum or cylinder turned by a crank or motor: a rope or cable tied to the load is wound on the drum or cylinder •vt. to hoist or haul with a winch [ME winche < OE wince < IE base *weng-, to be curved, bowed > WINK]

Winchester (win´ches'tэr, -chis-) county seat of Hampshire, S England: site of 11th-14th cent. cathedral: pop. 30,000

Winchester (rifle) (win´ches'tэr, -chis-) trademark for a type of repeating rifle with a tubular magazine set horizontally under the barrel [after Oliver F. Winchester (1810-80), the manufacturer]

Winchester disk an airtight, random-access disk, consisting of a rigid base coated with a magnetic material

Winckelmann (viŋ´kэl män'), Jo·hann Jo·a·chim (you´hän you´ä khim) 1717-68; Ger. archaeologist & art historian

Wind (wind) river in WC Wyo., flowing southeast into the Bighorn: c. 110 mi. (177 km) [from the severe winds near its head]

Wind Cave National Park national park in SW S.Dak.: it contains a limestone cavern (Wind Cave): 43.5 sq. mi. (113 sq. km)

wind chimes (or bells) a cluster of small chimes or pendants of glass, ceramic, etc., hung so that they strike one another and tinkle when blown by the wind

wind cone WINDSOCK

wind gap a notch in a mountain ridge

wind gauge 1 ANEMOMETER 2 a graduated attachment on a gun sight for indicating the degree of deflection necessary to counteract windage

wind instrument (wind) a musical instrument sounded by blowing air through it, esp. a portable one sounded with the breath, as a flute, oboe, tuba, trumpet, etc.

Wind River range of the Rocky Mountains, in WC Wyo.: highest peak, 13,787 ft. (4,202 m): in full Wind River Range [from the severe winds near its head]

wind rose a diagram that shows for a particular place the frequency and intensity of wind from different directions

wind scale a scale used in meteorology to designate relative wind intensities, as the Beaufort scale

wind shake a condition of timber in which there is separation of the concentric rings, supposedly due to strain from strong winds during growth wind´-shak'en •adj.

wind shear a sudden change in the direction of the wind, esp. the dangerous vertical shifts encountered sometimes by aircraft near a runway

wind tee a large T-shaped weather vane placed on a landing field, as to show wind direction for aircraft

wind tunnel a tunnel-like chamber through which air is forced and in which airplanes, motor vehicles, etc., or their scale models, are tested to determine the effects of wind pressure

wind¹ (waind) wound or •vt. [Rare] wind´ed, wind´ing 1 a) to turn, or make revolve {to wind a crank} b) to move by or as if by cranking 2 a) to turn or coil (string, ribbon, etc.) around itself to form a ball or around something else so as to encircle it closely; twine; wreathe {winding the bandage on his finger} b) to wrap or cover by encircling with something turned in the manner of a coil; entwine {to wind a spool with thread} 3 a) to make (one's way) in a winding or twisting course b) to cause to move in a winding or twisting course 4 to introduce deviously; insinuate {winding his prejudices through all his writings} 5 to hoist or haul by or as by winding rope on a winch: often with up 6 to tighten the operating spring of (a clock, mechanical toy, etc.) by turning a stem or the like: often with up •vi. 1 to move, go, or extend in a curving, zigzagging, or sinuous manner; meander 2 to double on one's track, so as to throw off pursuers 3 to take a circuitous, devious, or subtle course in behavior, argument, etc. 4 to insinuate oneself 5 to coil, twine, or spiral (about or around something) 6 to warp or twist: said of wood 7 to undergo winding {a watch that winds easily} •n. 1 the act of winding 2 a single turn of something wound 3 a turn; twist; bend wind down 1 to bring or come to an end; conclude 2 to become relaxed, less tense, etc.; unwind wind off to unwind or remove by unwinding wind up 1 to wind into a ball, etc. 2 to entangle or involve 3 to bring or come to an end; conclude 4 to make very tense, excited, etc. Æ 5 Baseball to swing the arm before pitching the ball [ME winden < OE windan, akin to ON vinda, Ger winden < IE base *wendh-, to turn, wind, twist > Arm gind, a ring]

wind² (wind; for n., also poet. waind) •n. 1 air in motion; specif., a) any noticeable natural movement of air parallel to the earth's surface (see BEAUFORT SCALE) b) air artificially put in motion, as by an air pump or fan 2 a strong, fast-moving, or destructive natural current of air; gale or storm 3 the direction from which a wind blows: now chiefly in the four winds, with reference to the cardinal points of the compass 4 a natural current of air regarded as a bearer of odors or scents, as in hunting {to lose (the) wind of the fox} 5 figuratively, air regarded as bearing information, indicating trends, etc. {a rumor that's in the wind} 6 breath or the power of breathing {to get the wind knocked out of one} 7 a) idle or empty talk; nonsense b) bragging; pomposity; conceit 8 gas in the stomach or intestines; flatulence 9 [often pl.] the wind instruments of an orchestra, or the players of these •vt. 1 to expose to the wind or air, as for drying; air 2 to get or follow the scent of; scent 3 to cause to be out of breath {to be winded by a long run} 4 to rest (a horse, etc.) so as to allow recovery of breath •adj. composed of or for wind or woodwind instruments before the wind with the wind coming from astern between wind and water 1 close to the waterline of a ship 2 in a dangerous spot break wind to expel gas from the bowels get (or have) one's wind up to become (or be) nervous or alarmed get (or have) wind of to get (or have) information or a hint concerning; hear (or know) of how the wind blows (or lies) what the trend of affairs, public opinion, etc. is in the teeth of the wind straight against the wind: also in the wind's eye in the wind happening or about to happen into the wind in the direction from which the wind is blowing off the wind with the wind coming from behind on the wind approximately in the direction from which the wind is blowing sail close to the wind 1 to sail as nearly as possible straight against the wind 2 to be economical in one's affairs 3 to border on indecency, foolhardiness, etc. take the wind out of someone's sails to deflate suddenly someone's enthusiasm, pride, etc., as by removing his or her advantage or nullifying his or her argument SYN.—wind is the general term for any natural movement of air, whether of high or low velocity or great or little force; breeze is popularly applied to a light, fresh wind and, meteorologically, to a wind having a velocity of from 4 to 31 miles an hour; gale is popularly applied to strong, somewhat violent wind and, meteorologically, to a wind having a velocity of from 32 to 63 miles an hour; gust and blast apply to sudden, brief winds, gust suggesting a light puff, and blast a driving rush, of air; zephyr is a poetic term for a soft, gentle breeze [ME < OE, akin to ON vindr, Ger wind < IE *wentos (> L ventus) < base *we-, *awe-, to blow > WEATHER]

wind³ (waind, wind) wound or •vt., vi. [Rare] wind´ed, wind´ing [Old Poet.] 1 to blow (a horn, etc.) 2 to sound (a signal, etc.), as on a horn [Early ModE < prec.]

windage (win´dij) •n. 1 the disturbance of air around a moving projectile 2 a) the deflection of a projectile by the effects of the wind b) the degree of this c) in aiming a gun, the degree of adjustment of the wind gauge to compensate for such deflection 3 the space between the inside wall of the barrel of a firearm and its projectile, to allow for the expansion of gas in firing, as measured by the difference in diameters of the bore and projectile 4 the part of a ship's surface exposed to the wind

Windaus (vin´daus), Adolph (Otto Rheinhold) (ä´dôlf) 1876-1959; Ger. chemist

windbag (wind´bæg') •n. [Colloq.] a person who talks much and pretentiously but says little of importance

windblown (-bloun') •adj. 1 blown by the wind 2 twisted in growth by the prevailing wind: said of a tree

wind-borne (-börn') •adj. carried by the wind, as pollen

windbreak (-breik') •n. a hedge, fence, or row of trees that serves as a protection from wind

Windbreaker (wind´brei'kэr) trademark for a warm jacket of leather, wool, etc., having a closefitting elastic waistband and cuffs •n. [w-] such a jacket

wind-broken (wind´brou'kэn) •adj. Vet.Med. having the heaves

windburn (-børn') •n. a roughened, reddened, sore condition of the skin, caused by overexposure to the wind

windcheater (-chi:t'эr) •n. [Chiefly Brit.] a windbreaker

windchill factor (-chil') CHILL FACTOR: also windchill index

winded (win´did) •adj. out of breath

winder (wain´dэr) •n. 1 a person who winds material or operates a winding machine in textile and other industries 2 an apparatus for winding or on which winding is done 3 a key, knob, etc. for winding a spring-operated mechanism 4 any of the steps in a winding staircase

Windermere (win´dэr mir') lake in Cumbria, NW England: largest lake in England: 10.5 mi. (16.8 km) long

windfall (wind´föl') •n. 1 something blown down by the wind, as fruit from a tree 2 any unexpected acquisition, gain, or stroke of good luck

windflaw (-flö') •n. FLAW²

windflower (-flau'эr) •n. ANEMONE (sense 1)

windgall (-göl') •n. a soft swelling on the fetlock joint of a horse wind´galled' •adj. [WIND² + GALL²]

Windhoek (vint´huk) capital of Namibia, in the central part: pop. c. 105,000

windhover (wind´hûv'эr) •n. [Brit.] a kestrel [WIND² + HOVER: from its flying habit]

windily (win´dэ li:) •adv. in a windy manner

windiness (-di: nis) •n. a windy quality or condition

winding (wain´diŋ) •n. 1 the action or effect of a person or thing that winds; specif., a) a sinuous path or course b) [usually pl.] devious methods, actions, etc. c) a coiling, spiraling, or twining d) a single turn 2 something that winds; specif., a) wire, thread, etc. wound around something {the winding on an electric coil} b) a single turn of this c) the manner in which this is wound {a shunt winding} 3 the condition or fact of being warped or twisted {a board in winding} 4 a defective gait of horses in which one leg tends to twist around the other •adj. that winds, turns, coils, spirals, etc.

winding sheet a cloth in which the body of a dead person is wrapped for burial; shroud

windjammer (wind´jæm'эr) •n. Naut. 1 a sailing ship, esp. a large one: so called orig. in contempt by seamen on early steamships 2 a crew member of such a ship

windlass (wind´lэs) •n. a winch, esp. a simple one worked by a crank, as for lifting a bucket in a well, an anchor, etc.: see WINCH, illus. •vt., vi. to hoist, lower, or haul with a windlass [ME wyndlas, altered (infl. by -wyndel, a winding device < winden, WIND¹) < windas, windlass < ON vindass < vinda, to WIND¹ + ass, a beam]

windless (wind´lis) •adj. 1 devoid of any wind or breeze 2 out of breath wind´less·ly •adv. wind´less·ness •n.

windlestraw (win´dэl strö') •n. [Scot.] 1 a dried stalk of grass 2 a slender or weak person or thing [< OE windelstreaw (via Scot dial.) < windel, a bundle (< windan, to WIND¹) + streaw, STRAW]

windmill (wind´mil') •n. 1 a mill operated by the wind's rotation of large, oblique sails or vanes radiating from a shaft: used as a source of power for grinding grain, pumping water, generating electricity, etc. 2 anything like a windmill, as a propellerlike toy (pinwheel) revolved by wind •vt., vi. to rotate like a windmill fight (or tilt at) windmills to fight imaginary evils or opponents: from Don Quixote's charging at windmills under the delusion that they were giants

window (win´dou) •n. 1 a) an opening in a building, vehicle, or container, for letting in light or air or for looking through, usually having a pane or panes of glass, etc. set in a frame or sash that is generally movable so that it can be opened and shut b) any of these panes, or the sash or sashes in their casement 2 a) any similar opening, as that before a bank teller b) an opening, period of time, etc. for access {window of opportunity} 3 the transparent panel of a window envelope 4 a) any device put into the atmosphere to yield a perceptible radar echo, usually used for tracking an airborne object or as a tracer of wind b) CHAFF (n. 4) 5 LAUNCH WINDOW 6 any portion of the frequency spectrum of the earth's atmosphere through which light, heat, or radio waves can penetrate to the earth's surface due to the low absorption or dissipation of electromagnetic energy in this particular portion 7 Comput. any of the separate data displays appearing simultaneously on a single video screen in certain systems •vt. to provide with a window or windows win´dow·less •adj. [ME windoge < ON vindauga, window, lit., wind eye < vindr, WIND² + auga, an eye; akin to Ger auge, EYE]

window box 1 a long, narrow box on or outside a window ledge, for growing plants 2 one of the channels along the sides of a window frame for containing the weights that counterbalance the sash

window dressing 1 the arrangement or display of goods and trimmings in a store window to attract customers 2 statements, actions, or display designed to make something seem better than it really is win´dow-dress' •vt. window dresser

window envelope an envelope with a transparent panel, through which the address on the enclosure can be seen

window seat 1 a seat built in beneath a window or windows and usually containing storage space 2 a seat near a window, as in an airplane

window shade a shade for a window, esp. one consisting of a piece of stiffened cloth or heavy paper on a spring roller, with a pull to lower and raise it

windowpane (-pein') •n. a pane of glass in a window

window-shop (-shäp') -shopped', -shop'ping •vi. to look at displays of goods in store windows without entering the stores to buy win´dow-shop'per •n.

windowsill (-sil') •n. the sill of a window

windpipe (wind´paip') •n. TRACHEA (sense 1)

wind-pollinated (-päl´э neit'id) •adj. Bot. fertilized by pollen carried by the wind

windproof (-pru:f') •adj. impervious to or unaffected by the wind {a windproof coat, a windproof lighter}

windrow (wind´rou') •n. 1 a row of hay raked together to dry before being made into heaps or cocks 2 any similar row, as of grain 3 a row of dry leaves, dust, etc. that has been swept together by the wind •vt. to rake, sweep, etc. into a windrow or windrows

windshield (-shi:ld') •n. in automobiles, trucks, speedboats, motorcycles, etc., a curved or flat transparent screen, as of glass, in front, that protects the riders from wind, etc. Also [Chiefly Brit.] wind´screen' (-skri:n')

windsock (-säk') •n. a long, cone-shaped cloth bag, open at both ends and attached to the top of a mast, as at an airfield, to show wind direction: also called wind sleeve

Windsor (win´zэr) 1 ruling family of Great Britain since 1917, when the name was officially changed from Saxe-Coburg Gotha 2 Duke of (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David) 1894-1972; king of England, as Edward VIII (1936): abdicated: son of George V Windsor (win´zэr) 1 city in Berkshire, SE England, on the Thames, just west of London: site of Windsor Castle: pop. 28,000: official name New Windsor 2 port in SE Ontario, Canada, opposite Detroit: pop. 193,000 [after the city in England]

Windsor Castle residence of English sovereigns since the time of William the Conqueror, located in Windsor

Windsor chair a style of wooden chair, esp. popular in 18th-cent. England and America, with spreading legs, a back of spindles, and usually a saddle seat

Windsor knot a form of double slipknot in a four-in-hand necktie, resulting in a wider, bulkier knot

Windsor tie a wide necktie usually of silk cut on the bias, tied in a loose double bow

windstorm (wind´störm') •n. a storm with a strong wind but little or no rain, hail, etc.

wind-sucking (-sûk'iŋ) •n. the habit that some horses have of swallowing air, as in crib biting wind´-suck'er •n.

windsurfing (-sør'fiŋ) •n. the sport of sailing while standing on a kind of surfboard and manipulating a sail attached to a pivoting mast

wind-swept (-swept') •adj. swept by or exposed to winds

windup (waind´ûp') •n. 1 a winding up, or conclusion; close; end Æ 2 Baseball the circular swinging of the arm in preparing to pitch the ball

windward (wind´wэrd; naut. win´dэrd) •n. the direction or side from which the wind blows •adv. in the direction from which the wind blows; toward the wind •adj. 1 moving windward 2 on the side from which the wind blows Opposed to LEEWARD to windward of advantageously situated in respect to

Windward Islands S group of islands in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, extending from the Leeward Islands south to Trinidad: they do not include Barbados, Trinidad, & Tobago

Windward Passage strait between Cuba & Hispaniola, in the West Indies: 50 mi. (80 km) wide

windy (win´di:) wind´i·er, wind´i·est •adj. 1 characterized or accompanied by wind {a windy day} 2 exposed to wind; swept by strong or frequent winds {a windy city} 3 like wind; stormy, blustery, violent, etc. {windy anger} 4 a) without substance; empty, flimsy, etc. b) long-winded, pompous, boastful, etc. 5 FLATULENT

Windy City name for Chicago, Ill.

wine (wain) •n. 1 the fermented juice of grapes, used as an alcoholic beverage and in cooking, religious ceremonies, etc.: wines vary in color (red, white, rosé, etc.) and sugar content (sweet, dry, etc.), may be effervescent (sparkling) or noneffervescent (still), and are sometimes strengthened with additional alcohol (fortified) 2 the fermented juice of other fruits or plants, used as an alcoholic beverage {dandelion wine} 3 anything having an intoxicating or exhilarating effect 4 a dark, purplish red resembling the color of red wines •vt., vi. wined, win´ing to provide with or drink wine: usually in the phrase wine and dine, to entertain lavishly with food, drink, etc. [ME < OE win, akin to ON vin, Ger & Goth wein < early Gmc borrowing < L vinum, wine: see VINE]

wine cellar 1 a place, as a cellar, where wine is stored 2 a stock of wine

wine cooler a beverage consisting of wine, usually white, diluted with fruit juice or flavoring and carbonated water

wine gallon the old English gallon of 3.79 liters, now the standard gallon in the U.S.

wine palm any of certain palms yielding a sap drunk as a beverage, often in fermented form: cf. TODDY (sense 1)

wine press a vat in which grapes are trodden, or a machine for pressing them, to extract the juice for making wine Also wine´press •n.

wine steward SOMMELIER

winebibber (-bib'эr) •n. a person given to drinking much or too much wine wine´bib'bing •adj., n. [coined by Miles COVERDALE to transl. Ger weinsäufer, Luther's transl. of Gr oinopotēs, wine drinker (see Matt. 11:19) < oinos, wine (< oinē, VINE) + potēs, drinker: for IE base see POTABLE]

wine-colored (-kûl'эrd) •adj. having the color of red wine; dark purplish-red

wineglass (-glæs') •n. a small glass, usually stemmed, for serving wine wine´glass·ful', pl. -fuls', •n.

winegrower (-grou'эr) •n. a person who cultivates grapes and makes wine from them wine´grow'ing •adj., n.

winemaker (-meik'эr) •n. a person who makes wine wine´mak'ing •adj., n.

winery (wain´эr i:) pl. -er·ies •n. an establishment where wine is made

Winesap (wain´sæp') •n. a dark-red winter apple

wineskin (wain´skin') •n. in Eastern countries, a large bag for holding wine, made of the skin of an animal

Winfred (win´frid) a masculine name [OE Winfrith < wine, friend + frithu, peace: see WILFRED]

wing (wiŋ) •n. 1 a) either of the two feathered forelimbs of a bird, fully developed for flying, as in most birds, or insufficiently developed for flight and used for balance in running, etc., as in chickens or ostriches, or for swimming, as in penguins or some ducks b) either of the paired organs of flight of a bat, the lifting surface of which is formed by the membranous skin connecting the long, modified digits c) either of the paired organs of flight of insects, light membranous structures that are lateral outgrowths of the thorax supported by a network of veins d) any of various winglike structures used by certain animals for gliding movements, as the patagium of flying squirrels or the enlarged pectoral fins of flying fish 2 in art, mythology, etc., either of a pair of winglike structures associated with or attributed to gods, angels, demons, dragons, etc., or used as a symbol of speed or the like 3 something used as or like a wing; esp., a) a (or the) main lateral airfoil of an airplane b) either of the inflatable pouches of a pair of water wings 4 something resembling a wing in position or in relation to the main part; esp., a) a part, extension, or annex of a building, with reference to its location at a side of the main part or its specialized use {the east wing, the surgical wing of a hospital} b) an outlying area, as of an estate c) either of the two side extensions of the back of a wing chair d) either part of a double door, screen, etc. e) any of the sidepieces used in stage scenery; also, either side of the stage out of sight of the audience f) any winglike anatomical or botanical part, as on some leafstalks or seeds; ala g) a vane, as of a windmill h) [Brit., etc. (exc. Cdn.)] FENDER (sense a) 5 a group of persons having a winglike relation to another group or to the entire body; specif., a) the section of an army, fleet, etc. to the right (or left) of the center b) a section or faction, as of a political party, with reference to its radicalism or conservatism c) an organization affiliated with or subsidiary to a parent organization 6 a) in hockey and certain other goal games, a position played forward and right (or left) of center b) the player at such a position 7 a) any of various units in an air force; specif., in the U.S. Air Force, a unit smaller than a division and larger than an air group b) [pl.] the insignia worn by pilot and crew of an aircraft, esp. a military aircraft 8 the act of flying, or a means or manner of flying: now chiefly in GIVE WING TO and TAKE WING (see phrases below) 9 anything represented as flying or soaring, or as carrying one to soaring heights of rapture, joy, etc. {on wings of song} 10 [Slang] a) a person's arm Æ b) Baseball a pitcher's throwing arm •vt. 1 to provide with wings 2 a) to cause to fly or speed as on wings {to wing an arrow at a target} b) to make (one's way) by flying c) to pass through or over by or as if by flying 3 to transport by or as by flight 4 to wound, as with a bullet, in the wing, arm, etc. •vi. to go swiftly on or as on wings; fly give wing (or wings) to to enable to fly or soar on or as if on wings on the wing 1 flying, or while in flight 2 in motion or while moving or traveling take wing 1 to take flight; fly away 2 to become joyous, jubilant, or enraptured under one's wing under one's protection, patronage, etc. Æ wing it [Colloq.] to act, speak, etc. with little or no planning or preparation; improvise wing´less •adj. [ME winge, weng < ON vaengr (for IE base see WIND²): the word replaced OE fether, wing, FEATHER]

wing and wing Naut. with sails extended on either side by booms

wing bow (bou) the color at the bend of a bird's wing formed by distinctive coloration of the lesser coverts

wing chair an upholstered armchair with a high back from each side of which extend high sides, or wings, orig. to protect from drafts

wing collar a stiff, stand-up collar having the top corners in front turned down: worn by men in formal dress

wing covert any of the small covering feathers on a bird's wing

wing loading the total weight of a loaded airplane, divided by the area of the wings: also wing load

wing nut a nut with flared sides for turning with the thumb and forefinger

wing shot 1 a shot made at a flying bird, clay pigeon, etc. 2 a person skilled at making these wing shooting

wingback (-bæk') •n. Football 1 an offensive back, flanking the end of the line 2 the position this back plays

wingding (wiŋ´diŋ') •n. [Slang] 1 an event, action, party, etc. that is very festive, lively, unrestrained, etc. 2 something very striking, exciting, etc. of its kind [< earlier whingding < ?]

winged (wiŋd; often poet. wiŋ´id) •adj. 1 having wings or winglike parts 2 moving, esp. swiftly, on or as if on wings 3 lofty; sublime {winged words}

wing-footed (wiŋ´fut'id) •adj. having or as if having winged feet; swift

winglet (-lit) •n. 1 a small wing 2 ALULA

wingman (-mэn) pl. -men •n. Æ 1 in a formation of aircraft, the pilot who flies behind and to the side of the leader Æ 2 the aircraft flown in this position

wingover (wiŋ´ou'vэr) •n. an aerial maneuver in which an airplane enters a steep climbing turn until almost stalled, rolls beyond a vertical bank, then noses down and dives until normal flight is resumed in a direction approximately opposite to the original direction of flight

wingspan (-spæn') •n. 1 the distance between the tips of an airplane's wings 2 WINGSPREAD (sense 1)

wingspread (-spred') •n. 1 the distance between the tips of a pair of fully spread wings 2 WINGSPAN (sense 1)

wingtip (-tip') •n. 1 the outermost end of a wing Æ 2 a) a man's shoe, esp. a brogue, of a style characterized by a decorative piece of leather over the vamp, peaked toward the tongue, with perforations on it and along the sides extending back from it b) this piece of leather Also wing´-tip'

Winifred (win´э frid) a feminine name: dim. Winnie [earlier Winefred, Wynifreed, altered (infl. by WINFRED) < Welsh Gwenfrewi, lit., white wave]

wink (wiŋk) •vi. 1 to close the eyelids and open them again quickly 2 a) to close one eyelid and open it again quickly, as a signal, etc. b) to be closed and opened in this way (said of the eye) 3 to shine intermittently; twinkle •vt. 1 to make (the eyes or an eye) wink 2 to move, remove, etc. by winking: usually with back or away {to wink back tears} 3 to signal or express by winking •n. 1 the act of winking 2 a) the time occupied by this; an instant b) a tiny interval (of sleep) (cf. FORTY WINKS) 3 a signal, hint, etc. given by winking 4 a twinkle or twinkling wink at to pretend not to see, as in connivance SYN.—wink usually implies a deliberate movement in the quick closing and opening of one or both eyelids one or more times [he winked at her knowingly]; blink implies a rapid series of such movements, usually performed involuntarily and with the eyes half-shut [to blink in the harsh sunlight] [ME winken < OE wincian, akin to Ger winken: see WINCH]

winker (wiŋ´kэr) •n. 1 a person or thing that winks 2 BLINKER (n. 2 a) 3 [Colloq.] an eyelash or eye

winkle¹ (wiŋ´kэl) •n. 1 short for PERIWINKLE² 2 any of various gastropod mollusks that are very destructive to oysters and clams

winkle² (wiŋ´kэl) -kled, -kling •vt. [Colloq.] to pry or rout from cover, secrecy, etc.: with out, out of, etc. [< ?]

winkle-picker (wiŋ´kэl pik'эr) •n. [Brit. Slang] a shoe or boot with a narrow, sharply pointed toe [reason for name uncert.]

winnable (win´э bэl) •adj. that can be won {winnable wars, a winnable election}

Winnebago (win'э bei´gou) •n. 1 pl. -gos or -goes a member of a North American Indian people of E Wisconsin, now also living in Nebraska 2 the Siouan language of this people [< Fox wiinepyeekooha, lit., person of dirty water: with ref. to muddy waters of a nearby river: akin to WINNIPEG] Winnebago , Lake lake in E Wis.: 215 sq. mi. (557 sq. km) [after prec.]

winner (win´эr) •n. 1 one that wins 2 [Colloq.] one that seems destined to win or be successful

winner's circle an area, usually circular, at a racetrack where the winning horse and its jockey, owner, etc. are brought for recognition

Winnie (win´i:) a feminine name: see EDWINA, WINIFRED

winning (win´iŋ) •adj. 1 that wins; victorious 2 attractive; charming •n. 1 the action of a person that wins; victory 2 [pl.] something won, esp. money 3 a shaft, bed, etc. in a coal mine, opened for mining win´ning·ly •adv.

winning gallery Court Tennis an opening in the side wall of the court to the left of the server and on the hazard side of the net: a ball played into it wins a point

winning opening Court Tennis any of three openings, the dedans, grille, or winning gallery: a ball played into any of these wins a point

winning post a post marking the end of a racecourse

Winnipeg (win´э peg') 1 capital of Manitoba, Canada, on the Red River: pop. 564,000 (met. area 585,000) 2 river in W Ontario & SE Manitoba, Canada, flowing from the Lake of the Woods into Lake Winnipeg: (with its principal headstream) 475 mi. (764 km) 3 Lake large lake in SC Manitoba: 9,465 sq. mi. (24,514 sq. km) [< Cree wiinipeek, lit., body of muddy water, sea]

Winnipegosis (win'э pэ gou´sis), Lake lake in SW Manitoba, Canada, west of Lake Winnipeg: 2,103 sq. mi. (5,446 sq. km) [< Cree wiinipeekosis, lit., a small sea: dim. of wiinipeek: see WINNIPEG]

Winnipesaukee (win'э pэ sö´ki:) lake in EC N.H.: 71 sq. mi. (184 sq. km) [< Abenaki]

winnow (win´ou) •vt. 1 a) to blow the chaff from (grain) by wind or a forced current of air b) to blow off (chaff) in this manner 2 to blow away; scatter 3 to analyze or examine carefully in order to separate the various elements; sift 4 a) to separate out or eliminate (the poor or useless parts) b) to sort out or extract (the good or useful parts) 5 [Now Rare] to fan with or as with the wings •vi. to winnow grain •n. 1 the act of winnowing 2 an apparatus for winnowing win´now·er •n. [ME winewen < OE windwian, to winnow < wind, WIND²]

wino (wain´ou) pl. -os •n. [Slang] a person who habitually becomes drunk on wine; esp., an alcoholic derelict who drinks only cheap wine [WIN(E) + -O]

Winslow (winz´lou), Edward 1595-1655; Eng. colonist in America: a founder & governor of Plymouth Colony

winsome (win´sэm) •adj. attractive in a sweet, engaging way; charming win´some·ly •adv. win´some·ness •n. [ME winsum < OE wynsum, pleasant, delightful < wynn, delight, joy (for IE base see WIN) + -sum, -SOME¹]

Winston-Salem (win´stэn sei´lэm) city in NC N.C.: pop. 143,000: see GREENSBORO [a merging of two towns, after Major Joseph Winston (1746-1815) & SALEM]

winter (win´tэr) •n. 1 a) the coldest season of the year: in the North Temperate Zone, generally regarded as including the months of December, January, and February: in the astronomical year, that period between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox b) the typically cold weather of this season 2 a year as reckoned by this season {a man of eighty winters} 3 any period of decline, dreariness, adversity, etc. •adj. 1 of or characteristic of winter 2 designed for or taking place during winter {winter sports} 3 that will keep during the winter {winter apples} 4 planted in the fall to be harvested in the spring {winter wheat} •vi. 1 to pass the winter 2 to be supplied with food and shelter in the winter •vt. to keep, feed, or maintain during the winter [ME < OE, akin to ON vetr, Goth wintrus, prob. < IE *wed-, to make wet: see WATER]

winter aconite a small plant (Eranthis hyemalis) of the buttercup family, bearing yellow flowers early in spring

winter flounder a common, brownish-gray flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) of the Atlantic coast of North America, valued as a food fish, esp. in winter

winter melon CASABA

winter solstice 1 the point on the celestial sphere where the sun is farthest south of the celestial equator 2 the moment or date of this annual event: in the Northern Hemisphere, on about Dec. 21, which is thus the day of the year having the shortest period of sunlight

winter squash any of several squashes (esp. Cucurbita maxima), usually with a thick, hard rind and good keeping qualities

winterberry (-ber'i:) pl. -ries •n. Æ any of several tall hollies of E North America, as the inkberry and the black alder, with thin, evergreen or deciduous leaves and brilliant red, black, purple, or yellow berries that persist over winter

winterbourne (-börn', -burn') •n. a stream that flows only or principally in winter because of the rise of the water table [OE winter burna: see BURN²]

winterfeed (-fi:d´) -fed´, -feed´ing •vt. to feed (animals, esp. livestock) during the winter

wintergreen (-gri:n') •n. Æ 1 a) any of several gaultherias; esp., a creeping subshrub (Gaultheria procumbens) having small, rounded evergreen leaves, bell-shaped, white flowers, and red, edible berries b) an aromatic compound (oil of wintergreen) made from the leaves of this plant or the bark of a birch (Betula lenta), or synthetically from salicylic acid: sometimes used in medicine or as a flavoring c) the flavor or anything flavored with it 2 any of a number of similar plants, as the shinleaf or pipsissewa 3 a milkwort (Polygala paucifolia) with large, rose-lavender flowers [based on Ger wintergrün, Du wintergroen: so named because evergreen]

winterize (-aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. to put into condition for or equip for winter {to winterize an automobile with antifreeze, a house with insulation, etc.} win'ter·i·za´tion •n.

winterkill (-kil') •vt., vi. to kill or die by exposure to winter cold or excessive snow or ice •n. the process or an instance of winterkilling

winterly (-li:) •adj. WINTRY

Winterthur (vin´tэř tuř) city in N Switzerland, near Zurich: pop. 88,000

wintertime (win´tэr taim') •n. the season of winter Also [Archaic] win´ter·tide' (-taid')

Winthrop (win´θrэp) 1 John 1588-1649; Eng. colonist in America: 1st governor of Massachusetts Bay colony 2 John 1606-76; governor of Connecticut colony (1657, 1659-76): son of John

wintry (win´tri:) -tri·er, -tri·est •adj. of or like winter; cold, bleak, etc. {a wintry day, a wintry stare} Also win´ter·y (-tэr i:, -tri:) win´tri·ly (-trэ li:) •adv. win´tri·ness (-tri: nis) •n.

winy (wain´i:) win´i·er, win´i·est •adj. like wine in taste, smell, color, etc.

winze (winz) •n. an inclined shaft from one level to another in a mine [prob. < winds, pl. of wind, winder, windlass]

wipe (waip) wiped, wip´ing •vt. 1 a) to rub or pass over with a cloth, mop, etc., as for cleaning or drying b) to clean or dry in this manner {wipe the dishes} 2 to rub or pass (a cloth, the hand, etc.) over something 3 to apply by wiping {wipe oil over the surface} 4 to remove by or as by wiping: with away, off, up, out 5 to form (a joint in lead pipe) by applying liquid solder and rubbing with a leather pad, greased cloth, etc. •n. 1 an act or instance of wiping 2 Film, TV a transitional editing effect in which one scene appears to replace another as by gradually moving it across the frame 3 [Old Slang] a) a blow; swipe b) a gibe; jeer wipe out 1 to remove; erase 2 to kill off 3 to destroy or demolish 4 [Slang] a) to be capsized by a wave in surfing b) to slip and fall, lose control and skid, etc. Æ c) to suffer an overwhelming defeat, ruinous failure, etc. [ME wipen < OE wipian, akin to OHG wīfan, to wind around < IE *weib-, to turn, twist, turning motion: see VIBRATE]

wipeout (-aut') •n. [Slang] 1 the act of being capsized by a wave in surfing Æ 2 any fall, failure, debacle, etc.

wiper (wai´pэr) •n. 1 a person or thing that wipes 2 something used for wiping, as a towel or rag 3 a moving electrical contact, as in a rheostat 4 a projecting piece on a rotating or rocking part, which raises and lowers or trips another, usually reciprocating, part; cam; eccentric 5 a squeegee blade attached to an arm that can be moved automatically back and forth across a windshield

wire (wair) •n. 1 metal that has been drawn into a very long, thin thread or rod, usually circular in cross section 2 a length of this, used for various purposes, such as conducting electric current, stringing musical instruments, etc. 3 wire netting or other wirework 4 anything made of wire or wirework, as a telephone cable, a barbed-wire fence, a snare, etc. 5 a) telegraph {reply by wire} b) a telegram Æ 6 Horse Racing a wire above the finish line of a race •adj. made of wire or wirework •vt. wired, wir´ing 1 to furnish, connect, bind, attach, string, etc. with a wire or wires 2 to supply with a system of wires for electric current 3 to telegraph 4 [Archaic] to snare with a wire or wires •vi. to telegraph Æ down to the wire to the very end or the very last moments Æ (get in) under the wire (to arrive or accomplish something) barely on time or at the last minute Æ pull wires to use private influence to achieve a purpose [from the wires used to operate puppets] wire´like' •adj. [ME < OE wir, akin to LowG wīr < IE *weir- < base *wei-, to bend, turn > WITHE, Gr iris, rainbow, L vitis, vine]

wire cloth a type of fine wire netting for strainers, etc.

wire gauge an instrument for measuring the diameter of wire, thickness of sheet metal, etc.: it usually consists of a disk with notches of graduated sizes along its edge

wire gauze very fine, gauzelike wire netting

wire glass sheet glass containing wire netting

wire grass any of several grasses with wiry stems; esp. a European meadow grass (Poa compressa), naturalized in Canada and the U.S.

wire netting netting of woven wire, used in various sizes for fences, fire screens, etc.

wire recorder an early type of magnetic recorder using wire rather than tape

wire rope rope made of twisted wires

wire service a business organization that sends news stories, features, etc. by wire or electronic means to subscribing or member newspapers and radio and TV stations; news service

wired (waird) •adj. [Slang] Æ 1 provided with concealed electronic listening or recording equipment Æ 2 extremely excited, nervous, disoriented, etc.

wiredraw (-drö') -drew', -drawn', -draw'ing •vt. 1 to draw (metal) into wire 2 to draw out; spin out; protract; prolong 3 to make too subtle; strain (a point in argument) [back-form. < wire-drawer < WIRE + DRAWER]

wirehair (-her') •n. see FOX TERRIER, AMERICAN WIREHAIR

wire-haired (-herd') •adj. having coarse, or wiry, hair

wireless (-lis) •adj. 1 without wire or wires; specif., operating with electromagnetic waves and not with conducting wire 2 [Chiefly Brit.] of or relating to radio •n. 1 a) WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY b) WIRELESS TELEPHONY c) [Chiefly Brit.] RADIO 2 a message sent by wireless •vt., vi. to communicate (with) by wireless

wireless telegraphy (or telegraph) telegraphy by radio-transmitted signals

wireless telephone a telephone operating by radio-transmitted signals wireless telephony

wireman (-mэn) pl. -men (-mэn) •n. 1 a person who installs and repairs electrical wiring, cables, etc. Æ 2 a person skilled in wiretapping

Wirephoto (-fout'ou) trademark for: 1 a system of reproducing photographs at a distance by means of electric impulses transmitted by wire 2 a photograph so produced

wirepuller (-pul'эr) •n. a person who uses private or secret influence for personal gain wire´pull'ing •n.

wirer (wair´эr) •n. a person who wires

wiretap (-tæp') -tapped', -tap'ping •vi., vt. to tap (a telephone wire, etc.) to get information secretly or underhandedly •n. 1 the act or an instance of wiretapping 2 a device used in wiretapping •adj. of or relating to wiretapping wire´tap'per •n.

wirework (-wørk') •n. netting, mesh, etc. made of wire

wireworks (-wørks') •n.pl. [often with sing. v.] a factory where wire or wire articles are made

wireworm (-wørm') •n. 1 any of the slender, hard-bodied, wormlike larvae of click beetles, that often live underground and attack the roots of crops 2 a millipede (genus Julus) 3 a roundworm (Haemonchus contortus) parasitic in the stomach and small intestine of cattle and sheep

wire-wove (-wouv') •adj. 1 designating or of a very fine grade of paper with a smooth surface, made in a frame of wire gauze 2 made of woven wire

wiring (wair´iŋ) •n. 1 the action of a person or thing that wires 2 a system of wires, as to provide a house with electricity •adj. 1 that wires 2 used in wiring

wirra (wir´э) •interj. [Irish] an exclamation of sorrow, lament, etc. [short for o wirra, altered < Ir a Muire, O Mary, a cry to the Virgin]

wiry (wair´i:) wir´i·er, wir´i·est •adj. 1 of wire 2 like wire in shape and substance; stiff {wiry hair} 3 lean, sinewy, and strong: said of persons and animals 4 produced by or as if by a vibrating wire {a wiry sound} wir´i·ness •n.

Wis 1 Wisconsin: also Wisc 2 Bible Wisdom of Solomon wis (wis) •vt. [Archaic] to suppose; imagine; deem [< IWIS, erroneously understood as I know]

Wisconsin (wis kän´sэn) 1 Middle Western State of the NC U.S.: admitted, 1848; 56,154 sq. mi. (145,438 sq. km); pop. 4,892,000; cap. Madison: abbrev. WI, Wis, or Wisc 2 river in Wis., flowing into the Mississippi: 430 mi. (692 km) Wis·con´sin·ite' (-ait') •n. [< Fr Ouisconsing, name of the river < an Algonquian language, prob. Ojibwa: meaning unknown]

Wisd Bible Wisdom of Solomon

wisdom (wiz´dэm) •n. 1 the quality of being wise; power of judging rightly and following the soundest course of action, based on knowledge, experience, understanding, etc.; good judgment; sagacity 2 learning; knowledge; erudition {the wisdom of the ages} 3 [Now Rare] wise discourse or teaching 4 a wise plan or course of action SYN. INFORMATION [ME < OE < wis, WISE¹ + -dom, -DOM]

Wisdom (of Solomon) a book of the Apocrypha: abbrev. Wisd or Wis

Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Sirach (sai´ræk) ECCLESIASTICUS

wisdom tooth the back tooth on each side of each jaw in human beings; any of the four third molars appearing usually between the ages of 17 and 25: see TEETH, illus. cut one's wisdom teeth to arrive at the age of discretion [calque of ModL dentes sapientiae, based on Gr sōphronistēres < sōphronein, to be of sound mind: from their late appearance]

Wise (waiz) 1 Stephen Samuel 1874-1949; U.S. rabbi & Jewish leader, born in Hungary 2 Thomas James 1859-1937; Eng. bibliophile, editor, & forger

-wise (waiz) suffix forming adverbs 1 in a (specified) direction, position, or manner {lengthwise}: in this sense equivalent to -WAYS 2 in a manner characteristic of {clockwise} 3 with regard to; in connection with: in this sense a revival of an earlier usage {budgetwise} [< WISE²]

wise guy [Slang] a person who is brashly and annoyingly conceited, knowing, etc.; smart aleck

wise¹ (waiz) wis´er, wis´est •adj. 1 having or showing good judgment; sagacious; prudent 2 prompted by wisdom; judicious; sound {a wise saying, wise action} 3 having information; informed {none the wiser} 4 learned; erudite 5 shrewd; crafty; cunning 6 [Now Dial.] having knowledge of black magic, etc. Æ 7 [Slang] a) annoyingly self-assured, knowing, conceited, etc. b) impudent; fresh Æ be (or get) wise to [Slang] to be (or become) aware of; have (or attain) a proper understanding of Æ get wise [Slang] 1 to become aware of the true facts or circumstances 2 to become impudent Æ put wise (to) [Slang] to give (someone) information, an explanation, etc. (about); enlighten (concerning) Æ wise up [Slang] to make or become informed wise´ly •adv. [ME wis < OE, akin to witan, to know, OHG wis, MDu wijs < PGmc *wisa-, wise < IE *weid- < base *w(e)di-, to see, know > Sans vēdas, knowledge, Gr idris, knowing, L videre, to see]

wise² (waiz) •n. way; manner: used chiefly in such phrases as in no wise, in this wise, etc. [ME < OE, akin to Ger weise (orig. sense prob. appearance): for IE base see WISE1]

wise³ (waiz) wised, wis´ing •vt. [Scot.] 1 to direct or guide 2 to convey or conduct [ME wisen < OE wisian, akin to ON visa, Goth (fulla-)weisjan, OHG wisen < base of WISE¹]

wiseacre (waiz´ei'kэr) •n. a person who makes annoyingly conceited claims to knowledge [altered by folk etym. < MDu wijssegger, altered (infl. by wijs, WISE¹ + zeggen, to say) < OHG wissago, altered (infl. by wis, WISE¹ + sago, speaker < sagen, to SAY) < wizzago, prophet < Gmc *witag-, knowing: for IE base see WISE¹]

wise-ass (waiz´æs') •n. [Slang] WISE GUY •adj. [Slang] of or characteristic of a wise-ass {wise-ass comments}

wisecrack (-kræk') •n. [Slang] a flippant or facetious remark, often a gibe or retort •vi. [Slang] to make a wisecrack or wisecracks •vt. [Slang] to say as a wisecrack wise´crack'er •n.

wisenheimer (wai´zэn haim'эr) •n. [Slang] a wiseacre or wise guy [WIS(E)¹ + -enheimer, as in Ger family names, e.g., Oppenheimer, Altenheimer]

wisent (vi:´zэnt, wi:´-) •n. the European bison (Bison bonasus), now nearly extinct [Ger < OHG wisunt, BISON]

wish (wish) •vt. 1 to have a longing for; want; desire; crave 2 to have or express a desire concerning {to wish the day were over} 3 to have or express a desire concerning the fortune, circumstances, etc. of {to wish someone good luck} 4 to give a (specified) greeting to; bid {to wish a person good morning} 5 to request or order {to wish a person to come} 6 to impose (something burdensome or unpleasant) on someone •vi. 1 to have a desire; long; yearn 2 to make a wish •n. 1 the act of wishing; felt or expressed desire for something 2 something wished for {to get one's wish} 3 a polite request with some of the force of an order 4 [pl.] expressed desire for a person's well-being, good fortune, etc. {to offer one's best wishes} SYN. DESIRE wish´er •n. [ME wisshen < OE wyscan, akin to Ger wünschen < IE base *wen-, to strive (for), desire > WIN, L Venus]

wish fulfillment 1 the realization of a desire or wish 2 Psychoanalysis the symbolic attainment, in the form of dreams, fantasies, etc., of an often unconscious wish or impulse

wish list [Colloq.] a real or imagined list of things needed or wanted {the new submarine was sure to be on the admiral's wish list}

wishbone (-boun') •n. 1 the forked clavicle in front of the breastbone of most birds; furcula: so called from the custom whereby two persons make wishes and snap a dried wishbone in two, the longer fragment being regarded as a sign that the holder's wish will be fulfilled Æ 2 Football an offensive formation in which the fullback lines up directly behind the quarterback and the two halfbacks line up to the rear and on either side of the fullback

wishful (-fэl) •adj. having or showing a wish; desirous; longing wish´ful·ly •adv. wish´ful·ness •n.

wishful thinking thinking in which one consciously or unconsciously interprets facts in terms of what one would like to believe wishful thinker

wishy-washy (wish´i: wösh'i:) •adj. [Colloq.] 1 watery; insipid; thin 2 a) weak; feeble b) vacillating; indecisive wish´y-wash'i·ly •adv. [redupl. of WASHY]

Wisla (vi:´slä) Pol. name of VISTULA

wisp (wisp) •n. 1 a small bundle or bunch, as of straw 2 a thin, slight, or filmy piece, strand, etc. {a wisp of smoke} 3 something delicate, frail, etc. {a wisp of a girl} 4 WILL-O'-THE-WISP •vt. to roll into a wisp wisp´y, wisp´i·er, wisp´i·est, •adj. [ME, prob. < Scand, as in Swed visp, a bundle of rushes or twigs, akin to ON visk: see WHISK]

wist (wist) •vt., vi. pt. & pp. of WIT²

Wister (wis´tэr), Owen 1860-1938; U.S. novelist

wisteria (wis tir´i: э) •n. any of a genus (Wisteria) of twining woody vines or shrubs of the pea family, with fruits that are pods and showy clusters of bluish, white, pink, or purplish flowers: native to the E U.S. and E Asia: also wis·tar´i·a (-ter´-) [ModL, after Casper Wistar (1761-1818), U.S. anatomist]

wistful (wist´fэl) •adj. showing or expressing vague yearnings; longing pensively wist´ful·ly •adv. wist´ful·ness •n. [altered (modeled on WISHFUL) < earlier wistly, attentive]

wit¹ (wit) •n. 1 orig., the mind 2 [pl.] a) powers of thinking and reasoning; intellectual and perceptive powers b) mental faculties with respect to their state of balance, esp. in their normal condition of sanity 3 alert, practical intelligence; good sense 4 a) the ability to make lively, clever remarks in a sharp, amusing way b) the ability to perceive incongruous relationships and express them in a surprising or epigrammatic manner c) a person characterized by wit d) writing or speech expressing wit; esp., any clever disparagement or raillery 5 [Archaic] intellect; reason at one's wits' end at a point where one's mental resources are exhausted; at a loss as to what to do keep (or have) one's wits about one to remain mentally alert; function with undiminished acumen, as in an emergency live by one's wits to live by trickery or craftiness SYN.—wit refers to the ability to perceive the incongruous and to express it in quick, sharp, spontaneous, often sarcastic remarks that delight or entertain; humor is applied to the ability to perceive and express that which is comical, ludicrous, or ridiculous, but connotes kindliness, geniality, sometimes even pathos, in the expression and a reaction of sympathetic amusement from the audience; irony refers to the humor implicit in the contradiction between literal expression and intended meaning or in the discrepancy between appearance and reality in life; satire applies to the use, especially in literature, of ridicule, sarcasm, irony, etc. in exposing and attacking vices or follies; repartee refers to the ability to reply or retort with quick, skillful wit or humor [ME < OE, akin to Ger witz: for IE base see WISE¹]

wit² (wit) wist, wit´ting •vt., vi. [Archaic] to know or learn: wit is conjugated in the present indicative: (I) wot, (thou) wost or wot(t)est, (he, she, it) wot or wot(t)eth, (we, ye, they) wite or witen to wit that is to say; namely [ME witen < OE witan, to know: see WISE¹]

witan (wit´ªn) •n.pl. the council of an Anglo-Saxon king [OE, pl. of wita, one who knows, wise man, councilor < witan, to know: see WISE¹]

witch (wich) •n. 1 a) a woman supposedly having supernatural power by a compact with the devil or evil spirits; sorceress b) [Obs.] a man with such power (cf. WARLOCK) 2 an ugly and ill-tempered old woman; hag; crone Æ 3 short for WATER WITCH (sense 1) 4 [Colloq.] a bewitching or fascinating woman or girl •vt. 1 to put a magic spell on; bewitch 2 [Archaic] to charm; fascinate •vi. Æ DOWSE² witch´like' •adj. witch´y, witch´i·er, witch´i·est, •adj. [ME wicche < OE wicce, fem. of wicca, sorcerer, akin to MDu wicken, to use magic < IE base *weik-, to separate (hence set aside for religious worship) > Goth weihs, holy, OE wig, idol]

witch doctor in certain primitive societies, a person supposed to have the power of curing disease, warding off evil, etc. through the use of sorcery, incantations, etc.

witch elm var. of WYCH-ELM

witch grass a common, weedy North American grass (Panicum capillare) having hairy foliage and a large, dome-shaped panicle of small spikelets [altered < QUITCH grass]

witch hazel 1 any of a genus (Hamamelis) of small North American and Asiatic trees and shrubs of the witch hazel family; esp., a tall shrub (H. virginiana) of E North America, having yellow, wavy-petaled flowers in late autumn and woody fruit 2 a lotion consisting of an alcoholic solution of an extract from the leaves and bark of this shrub, used on bruises, inflammations, etc. 3 designating a family (Hamamelidaceae, order Hamamelidales) of dicotyledonous trees and shrubs of temperate regions, having flowers in heads or spikes, including the liquidambars [altered (infl. by WITCH) < wyche hazel < ME wyche < OE wice, applied to trees with pliant branches, akin to ON veikr, WEAK]

witch hunt an investigation carried out ostensibly to uncover disloyalty, subversive political activity, etc., usually conducted with much publicity and often relying upon inconclusive evidence and capitalizing on public fear of unpopular opinions witch hunter [so named in allusion to persecutions of persons alleged to be witches]

witch moth any of several noctuid moths (genus Erebus) of the S U.S., South America, and the West Indies

witchcraft (-kræft') •n. 1 a) the power or practices of witches; black magic; sorcery b) an instance of this 2 bewitching attraction or charm SYN. MAGIC [ME wicchecrafte < OE wiccecræft]

witchery (wich´эr i:) pl. -er·ies •n. 1 witchcraft; sorcery 2 bewitching charm; fascination

witches' Sabbath a midnight meeting of witches, sorcerers, and demons, supposed in medieval times to have been held annually as a demonic orgy

witches'-broom (wich´iz bru:m´) •n. an abnormal growth of closely bunched, slender twigs at the ends of branches of various woody plants, caused by fungi, viruses, etc.

witching (wich´iŋ) •n. the action or practice of a person who witches; witchcraft •adj. that witches; bewitching

wite (wait) wit´ed, wit´ing •n., vt. [Scot.] blame; censure [ME witen < OE witan, to know: see WISE¹]

witenagemot or witenagemote (wit´ªn э gэ mout') •n. WITAN [OE witena-gemot < witena, gen. pl. of wita (see WITAN) + (ge)mot, a meeting, lit., assembly of the wise men (see MOOT)]

with (wið, wiθ) •prep. 1 in opposition to; against {to argue with a friend} 2 a) alongside of; near to b) in the company of c) into; among {mix blue with yellow} 3 as an associate, or companion, of {to play golf with one's son} 4 a) as a member of {to play with a string quartet} b) working for, serving under, etc. {having been with the firm for 20 years} 5 in regard or relation to; concerning {pleased with her gift} 6 in the same terms as; compared to; contrasted to {having equal standing with the others} 7 as well, completely, etc. as {able to run with the best} 8 of the same opinions, belief, etc. as {I'm with you there} 9 in support of; on the side of {voting with the Tories} 10 in the opinion or estimation of {her decision is all right with him} 11 as the result of; because of {faint with hunger} 12 a) by means of; using {to stir with a spoon, to play with a toy} b) by the use, presence, etc. of; by {filled with air} 13 a) accompanied by, attended by, circumstanced by, etc. {enter with confidence} b) having received {with your permission, he'll go} 14 having as a possession, attribute, accouterment, etc.; bearing, wearing, or owning {the man with brown hair} 15 showing or exhibiting {to play with skill} 16 in the keeping, care, etc. of {children were left with the baby sitter} 17 a) added to; and {those, with the ones we have, will be enough} b) including {with the stepchildren, the family numbers ten} 18 in spite of; notwithstanding {with all his boasting, he is a coward} 19 a) at the same time as {to rise with the chickens} b) in the same direction as {to travel with the sun} c) in the same degree as; in proportion to {wages that vary with skill} d) in the course of {grief lessens with time} 20 to; onto {join one end with the other} 21 from {to part with one's gains} 22 following upon; after {with that remark, he left} with that after, or as a consequence of, that [ME < OE, orig., against, in opposition to, contr. < or akin to wither, against < IE *witero- (< base *wi-, asunder, separate + compar. suffix) > Ger wider, against]

with- (wið, wiθ) combining form 1 away, back {withdraw} 2 against, from {withhold} [ME < OE < with: see WITH]

withal (wið öl´, wiθ-) •adv. 1 in addition; besides 2 despite that; notwithstanding 3 [Archaic] with that; therewith •prep. [Archaic] with: used at the end of a clause or sentence [ME with alle: see WITH & ALL]

withdraw (-drö´) -drew´, -drawn´, -draw´ing •vt. 1 a) to take back or draw back; remove b) to remove from use, consideration, etc. 2 to retract or recall (a statement, etc.) •vi. 1 to move back; go away; retreat 2 to remove oneself (from an organization, activity, society, etc.) 3 Psychiatry to retreat from reality, as in schizophrenia 4 in parliamentary procedure, to retract a motion, statement, etc. with·draw´er •n. [ME withdrawen: see WITH- & DRAW]

withdrawal (-drö´эl) •n. 1 the act of withdrawing 2 the act or process of giving up the use of a narcotic drug to which one has become addicted, typically accompanied by distressing physiological and mental effects (withdrawal symptoms)

withdrawn (-drön´) •vt., vi. pp. of WITHDRAW •adj. withdrawing within oneself; shy, reserved, introverted, etc.

withe (wiθ, wið, waið) •n. a tough, flexible twig of willow, osier, etc., used for binding things; withy •vt. withed, with´ing to bind with withes [ME wythe < OE withthe, willow, twig of willow < IE base *wei-, to bend, twist > WIRE, L vitis, vine]

withe rod either of two North American viburnums (Viburnum cassinoides or V. nudum) with osierlike shoots and clusters of white flowers in June

wither (wið´эr) •vi. 1 to dry up, as from great heat; shrivel; wilt: said esp. of plants 2 to lose vigor or freshness; become wasted or decayed 3 to weaken; languish {affection that soon withered} •vt. 1 to cause to wither 2 to cause to quail or feel abashed, as by a scornful glance with´er·ing·ly •adv. [ME widren, var. of wederen, lit., to weather, expose to the weather < weder, WEATHER]

witherite (wið´эr ait') •n. native barium carbonate, BaCO3, occurring in white, yellowish, or grayish orthorhombic crystals, and often in masses [Ger witherit, after W. Withering (1741-99), Eng scientist]

withers (wið´эrz) •n.pl. the highest part of the back of a horse or similar animal, located between the shoulder blades: see DOG, illus. & HORSE, illus. [< ME wither, resistance (prob. in sense that which the horse opposes to his load) < OE withre, resistance < wither, against: see WITH]

withershins (wið´эr shinz') •adv. in a direction contrary to the apparent course of the sun [< MLowG weddersinnes < MHG widdersinnes < wider, against (akin to WITH) + sinnes, gen. of sin, way, direction]

Witherspoon (wið´эr spu:n'), John 1723-94; Am. clergyman & educator, born in Scotland: signer of the Declaration of Independence

withhold (wið hould´, wiθ-) -held´, -hold´ing •vt. 1 a) to hold back; keep back; restrain Æ b) to take out or deduct (taxes, etc.) from wages or salary 2 to refrain from granting, permitting, etc.; refuse •vi. to refrain; forbear [ME withholden: see WITH- & HOLD¹, vt.]

withholding tax the amount of income tax withheld, as payment in advance, from employees' wages or salaries

within (wið in´, wiθ-) •adv. 1 in or into the interior; on the inside; internally 2 indoors 3 inside the body, mind, heart, etc.; inwardly •prep. 1 in the inner part of; inside 2 not beyond in distance, time, degree, range, scope, etc. {within a mile, within one's experience} 3 inside the limits of {within the law} •n. the inside or the interior [ME withinne < OE withinnan < with, WITH + innan, within, into < in, IN]

withindoors (wið in´dörz') •adv. INDOORS

with-it (wið´it, wiθ´-) •adj. [Slang] 1 sophisticated, aware, up-to-date, etc. 2 fashionable; stylish

without (wið aut´, wiθ-) •adv. 1 on the outside; externally 2 outside a building or place; out-of-doors •prep. 1 [Now Rare] at, on, to, or toward the outside of 2 [Now Rare] beyond {without his reach} 3 not with; lacking {a shirt without buttons} 4 free from {without fear} 5 with avoidance of {to pass by without speaking} 6 [Obs.] besides •n. [Now Rare] the outside or the exterior conj. [Dial.] unless {they can't go, without they get permission} go (or do) without to manage although lacking something implied or previously mentioned [ME withuten < OE withutan < with, WITH + utan, from outside, without < ut, OUT]

withoutdoors (wið aut´dörz') •adv. archaic var. of OUTDOORS

withstand (wið stænd´, wiθ-) -stood´, -stand´ing •vt., vi. to oppose, resist, or endure, esp. in a successful way [ME withstanden < OE withstandan: see WITH- & STAND]

withy (wið´i:, wiθ´i:) pl. with´ies •n. a tough, flexible twig of willow, osier, etc., used for binding things; withe •adj. tough and flexible; wiry [ME < OE withig, willow, twig of willow: for IE base see WITHE]

witless (wit´lis) •adj. lacking wit or intelligence; foolish wit´less·ly •adv. wit´less·ness •n.

witling (wit´liŋ) •n. a self-styled wit

witness (wit´nis) •n. 1 an attesting of a fact, statement, etc.; evidence; testimony 2 a person who saw, or can give a firsthand account of, something 3 a person who testifies in court 4 a person called upon to observe a transaction, signing, etc. in order to testify concerning it if it is later held in question 5 something providing or serving as evidence •vt. 1 to testify to 2 to serve as evidence of 3 to act as witness of, often, in proof thereof, signing a statement that one has done so 4 to be present at; see personally 5 to be the scene or setting of {a hall that has witnessed many conventions} •vi. 1 to give, or serve as, evidence; testify 2 to testify to religious beliefs or faith bear witness to be or give evidence; testify [ME witnesse < OE (ge)witnes, witness, knowledge, testimony < witan, to know: see WISE¹ & -NESS]

witness stand the place from which a witness gives his testimony in a law court: also, Brit., wit´ness-box' •n.

-witted (wit´id) •adj. having (a specified kind of) wit or intelligence: used in hyphenated compounds {slow-witted}

Wittenberg (wit´ªn børg'; Ger vit´эn beřk') city in N Germany, on the Elbe, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt: the Reformation originated here in 1517: pop. 54,000

Wittgenstein (vit´gэn shtain', -stain'), Lud·wig (Josef Johann) (lu:d´vig) 1889-1951; Brit. philosopher, born in Austria

witticism (wit´э siz'эm) •n. a witty remark [< WITTY + -ISM, modeled on ANGLICISM, CRITICISM]

Wittig (vit´tiH), Ge·org (gei ôřk´) 1897-1987; Ger. chemist

witting (wit´iŋ) •adj. done knowingly; deliberate; intentional wit´ting·ly •adv. [ME wytting < witen: see WIT²]

wittol (wit´ªl) •n. [Archaic] a man who knows of his wife's adultery and tolerates it [LME wetewold, formed, based on cokewold (see CUCKOLD) < witen, to know: see WIT²]

witty (wit´i:) -ti·er, -ti·est •adj. 1 having, showing, or characterized by wit; cleverly amusing 2 [Now Dial.] intelligent; clever wit´ti·ly •adv. wit´ti·ness •n. SYN.—witty implies sharp, amusing cleverness and spontaneity in perceiving and commenting on, esp. in repartee and sometimes sarcastically, the incongruities in life; humorous connotes more geniality, gentleness, or whimsicality in saying or doing something that is deliberately comical or amusing; facetious is now usually derogatory in suggesting an attempt to be witty or humorous that is unsuccessful because it is inappropriate or in bad taste; jocular implies a happy or playful disposition characterized by the desire to amuse others; jocose suggests a mildly mischievous quality in joking or jesting, sometimes to the point of facetiousness —ANT. serious, solemn, sober [ME witti < OE wittig < wit, knowledge: see WIT¹]

Witwatersrand (wit wöt´эrz rænd') region in SW Transvaal, South Africa, near Johannesburg, consisting of ranges of hills which contain rich gold fields

wive (waiv) wived, wiv´ing •vi. [Archaic] to marry a woman; take a wife •vt. [Archaic] 1 to marry (a woman); take for a wife 2 to provide with a wife [ME wiven < OE wifian, to take a wife < wif, woman, WIFE]

wives (waivz) •n. pl. of WIFE

wiz (wiz) short for WIZARD (n. 3) •n.

wizard (wiz´эrd) •n. 1 orig., a sage 2 a magician; conjurer; sorcerer 3 [Colloq.] a person exceptionally gifted or clever at a specified activity •adj. 1 of wizards or wizardry 2 magic 3 [Brit. Colloq.] excellent wiz´ard·ly •adv. [ME wisard, prob. < wis, WISE¹ + -ard, -ARD]

wizardry (-ri:) •n. the art or practice of a wizard; specif., a) witchcraft; magic; sorcery b) exceptional cleverness SYN. MAGIC

wizen (wiz´эn) •vt., vi. to dry up; wither; shrivel •adj. WIZENED [ME wisenen < OE wisnian, to become dry < IE base *wei-, to wither > L viescere, Lith výsti, to wither]

wizened (-эnd) •adj. dried up; shriveled; withered

wk 1 week 2 work

wl or WL 1 waterline 2 wavelength

Wm William

wmk watermark

WNW west-northwest

WO Warrant Officer wo (wou) •n., interj. [Archaic] alt. sp. of WOE

woad (woud) •n. 1 any of a genus (Isatis) of plants of the crucifer family; esp., dyer's woad 2 the blue dye obtained from the dried, fermented leaves of such plants [ME wod < OE wad < Gmc *waizda- (> Ger waid), akin to L vitrum, woad]

woadwaxen (-wæk'sэn) •n. an ornamental plant (Genista tinctoria) of the pea family, with simple leaves and flowers that yield a yellow dye used by the ancient Britons [ME wodewexen < OE wuduweaxe < wudu, WOOD¹ + weaxe < base of weaxan, to grow, WAX²]

wobble (wä´bэl) -bled, -bling •vi. 1 to move unsteadily from side to side, as in walking 2 to rotate unevenly so as to move from side to side 3 to shake or tremble, as jelly does 4 to waver in one's opinions, etc.; vacillate •vt. to cause to wobble •n. wobbling motion wob´bler •n. wob´bling •adj. wob´bling·ly •adv. [prob. < LowG wabbeln, to wobble: for IE base see WAVE]

wobble pump Aeron. an emergency hand pump for supplying fuel to the carburetor of an airplane engine

Wobbly (wä´bli:) pl. -blies •n. [Old Colloq.] a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, an international, revolutionary industrial union founded in Chicago in 1905 [< ?] wobbly (wä´bli:) -bli·er, -bli·est •adj. inclined to wobble; shaky wob´bli·ness •n.

Wodehouse (wud´haus), Sir P(elham) G(renville) 1881-1975; U.S. novelist & humorist, born in England

Woden or Wodan (woud´ªn) Gmc. Myth. the chief deity; identified with the Norse Odin [OE Woden, akin to Ger Wotan & ON Odinn < IE *wōt-, var. of base *wāt-, to be mentally excited > L vates, prophet, Ger wut, rage]

wodge (wäj) •n. [Brit. Colloq.] a chunk, or lump of something

woe (wou) •n. 1 great sorrow; grief; misery 2 a cause of sorrow; affliction; trouble •interj. alas! [ME wo < OE wa, woe < IE interj. *wai- > ON væ, Goth wai, Welsh gwae, L vae]

woebegone (wou´bi: gön', -bi-) •adj. 1 [Archaic] woeful 2 of woeful appearance; looking sorrowful, mournful, or wretched [ME wo begon < wo, prec. + begon, pp. of begon, to go around < OE began < be-, BE + gan, to GO¹]

woeful (wou´fэl) •adj. 1 full of woe; sad; mournful 2 of, causing, or involving woe 3 pitiful; wretched; miserable Also [Archaic] wo´ful woe´ful·ly •adv. woe´ful·ness •n.

Woffington (wäf´iŋ tэn), Peg (peg) (born Margaret Woffington) c. 1714-60; Ir. actress in England

wog (wäg) •n. [Brit., etc. (exc. Cdn.) Slang] a foreigner, esp. a dark-skinned one, as an Arab or black: a term of hostility and contempt

wok (wäk, wök) •n. a metal cooking pan with a convex bottom, for frying, braising, steaming, etc.: often used with a ringlike stand for holding it steady [Cantonese]

woke (wouk) •vi., vt. alt. pt. of WAKE¹

woken (wou´kэn) •vi., vt. alt. pp. of WAKE¹

wold¹ (would) •n. a treeless, rolling plain, esp. a high one [ME wold < OE (Anglian) wald, corresponding to OE (WS) weald: see VOLE¹]

wold² (would) •n. WELD²

wold³ (would) alt. obs. pp. of WILL²

Wolf (vôlf) 1 Frie·drich Au·gust (fři:´dřiH au gu:st´) 1759-1824; Ger. classical scholar 2 Hu·go (hu:´gou) 1860-1903; Austrian composer wolf (wulf) pl. wolves (wulvz) •n. 1 a) any of various wild canine carnivores (genus Canis), esp. the gray wolf, widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere: domestic dogs are thought to be descended from wolves b) the fur of a wolf 2 a) a fierce, cruel, or greedy person Æ b) [Slang] a man who flirts aggressively with many women 3 a) the dissonance of some chords on an organ, piano, etc. that has been tuned in a system of unequal temperament; also, a chord in which such dissonance is heard b) an unsteadiness or breaking of certain tones in instruments of the violin group, due to faulty vibration •vt. wolfed, wolf´ing to eat ravenously, as a wolf does: often with down cry wolf to give a false alarm keep the wolf from the door to provide the necessities of life in sufficient quantity to prevent privation wolf in sheep's clothing a person who hides malicious intent under a benign manner: see Matt. 7:15 [ME < OE wulf, akin to Ger wolf, ON ulfr, Goth wulfs < IE base *wlp-, *lup-, name of animals of prey > L lupus, Gr lykos]

wolf call Æ a characteristic whistle of two notes, the second sliding from a high to a low note, or a wolflike howl, etc., made by a man to express his admiration of a sexually attractive woman

Wolf Cub Brit., etc. term for CUB SCOUT

wolf dog 1 former name for IRISH WOLFHOUND 2 a hybrid of a wolf and a dog

wolf spider any of a family (Lycosidae) of active hunting spiders that are wanderers, living in ground tunnels or natural crevices and not building webs

wolfberry (wulf´ber'i:) pl. -ries •n. a hardy plant (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) of the honeysuckle family, with pink, globular flowers and white, spongy berries

Wolfe (wulf) 1 James 1727-59; Eng. general: defeated the Fr. forces under Montcalm at Quebec (1759) 2 Thomas (Clayton) 1900-38; U.S. novelist

wolfer (wul´fэr) •n. a person who hunts wolves

Wolffian body (wul´fi: эn, völ´-) the transitory mesonephros of higher vertebrates that functions as a kidney in the embryo and is replaced by the adult kidney [after K. F. Wolff (1733-94), Ger embryologist who described it]

wolffish (wulf´fish') pl. (see FISH) -fish' •n.or -fish'es any of a family (Anarhichadidae) of large, savage marine percoid fishes with a long, tapered body

wolfhound (-haund') •n. IRISH WOLFHOUND: see also RUSSIAN WOLFHOUND

wolfish (wul´fish) •adj. of or like a wolf; rapacious wolf´ish·ly •adv. wolf´ish·ness •n.

wolfram (-frэm) •n. TUNGSTEN [Ger, orig., pejorative term < wolf, WOLF + MHG ram, dirt (akin to OE romig, dirty < IE base *rēmo-, dark > Sans rāmá-, black): prob. because considered of little value in comparison to tin]

Wolfram von Eschenbach (vôl´fřäm fôn esh´эn bäkh') c. 1170-c. 1220; Ger. epic poet

wolframite (-frэ mait') •n. a brownish or blackish monoclinic mineral, (FeMn)WO4, a tungstate of iron and manganese occurring in columnar or granular masses: the principal ore of tungsten [Ger wolframit: see WOLFRAM]

wolfsbane (wulfs´bein') •n. ACONITE; esp., a tall Eurasian plant (Aconitum lycoctonum) with showy, hooded, yellow flowers [transl. of L lycoctonum < Gr lykotonon < lykos, WOLF + base of kteinein, to kill]

wollastonite (wul´эs tэn ait') •n. a white, monoclinic mineral, CaSiO3, a native calcium silicate [after William H. Wollaston (1766-1828), Eng physicist]

Wollongong (wul´эn gäŋ') seaport in E New South Wales, SE Australia: pop. 209,000

Wolof (wou´löf') •n. 1 pl. -lofs' or -lof' a member of a people of Senegal and Gambia 2 their Niger-Congo language

Wolsey (wul´zi:), Thomas c. 1475-1530; Eng. statesman & cardinal: lord chancellor (1515-29) under Henry VIII

wolver (wul´vэr) •n. Æ var. of WOLFER

Wolverhampton (wul´vэr hæmp'tэn) city in Staffordshire, WC England, near Birmingham: pop. 255,000

wolverine (wul'vэr i:n´, wul´vэr i:n') pl. -ines´ or -ine´ •n. 1 a) a stocky, ferocious, musteline carnivore (Gulo gulo), with thick fur, found in the N U.S., N Eurasia, and Canada b) its fur Æ 2 [W-] [Colloq.] a native or inhabitant of Michigan, called the Wolverine State [irreg. dim. < WOLF, prob. because of its ferocity]

wolves (wulvz) •n. pl. of WOLF

woman (wum´эn) pl. wom·en (wim´эn) •n. 1 a) the female human being b) women collectively 2 an adult female human being 3 a female servant 4 a) [Dial.] a wife b) a sweetheart or a mistress 5 womanly qualities or characteristics; femininity {the woman in her} •adj. 1 of or characteristic of a woman or women; feminine 2 female {a woman scientist} the little woman Æ [Slang] one's wife SYN.—woman is the standard general term for the adult human being of the sex distinguished from man; female, referring specif. to sex, is applied to plants and animals, but is now regarded as a mildly contemptuous equivalent for woman [that strong-minded female is here again], except in scientific, technical, or statistical use, as in population tables; lady, used specif. of a woman of the upper classes and until recently commonly used in polite or genteel reference to any woman is now avoided as a general substitute for woman, except in such formulas as ladies and gentlemen [ME wumman < OE wimmann < wifmann < wif, female, WIFE + mann, human being, MAN: rounding of vowel due to infl. of the initial w-]

-woman (wum´эn) combining form woman of a (specified) kind, in a (specified) activity, etc.: sometimes used in compounds to avoid the masculine implication of -MAN

woman suffrage the right of women to vote in governmental elections wom´an-suf´fra·gist •n.

womanhood (-hud') •n. 1 the state or time of being a woman 2 womanly qualities; womanliness 3 women collectively [ME womanhode: see -WOMAN & -HOOD]

womanish (-ish) •adj. like, characteristic of, or suitable to a woman; feminine or effeminate SYN. FEMALE wom´an·ish·ly •adv. wom´an·ish·ness •n.

womanize (-aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. to make effeminate •vi. [Colloq.] to be sexually promiscuous with women wom´an·iz'er •n.

womankind (-kaind') •n. women in general

womanlike (-laik') •adj. like or fit for a woman; womanly

womanly (-li:) •adj. 1 like a woman; womanish 2 characteristic of or fit for a woman; womanlike •adv. [Archaic] in a womanly manner SYN. FEMALE wom´an·li·ness •n.

womb (wu:m) •n. 1 orig., the belly 2 UTERUS (sense 1) 3 any place or part that holds, envelops, generates, etc. {the womb of time} [ME wombe < OE wamb, akin to Ger wamme]

wombat (wäm´bæt') •n. any of a family (Vombatidae) of burrowing marsupials resembling small bears, found in Australia, Tasmania, and several Pacific islands [altered < Austral native name]

women (wim´эn) •n. pl. of WOMAN

womenfolk (-fouk') •n.pl. [Colloq. or Dial.] women; womankind Also wom´en·folks'

women's rights the rights, claimed by and for women, of equal privileges and opportunities with men Also woman's rights

womera (wäm´эr э) •n. var. of WOOMERA [Austral native name]

won ton (wän´ tän') a Chinese dish consisting of casings of noodle dough filled with chopped meat, fish, or vegetables and boiled: served in a broth (won-ton soup) or fried and served as a side dish [Cantonese wan t'an < Mandarin hun tun, stuffed dumpling]

won¹ (wûn) •vi., vt. pt. & pp. of WIN

won² (wûn, woun) wonned, won´ning •vi. [Now Brit. Dial.] to dwell; abide [ME wonen < OE wunian: see WONT]

won³ (wän) pl. won •n. the basic monetary unit of a) North Korea b) South Korea See MONEY, table [Korean < Chin yüan, round, yuan]

wonder (wûn´dэr) •n. 1 a person, thing, or event that causes astonishment and admiration; prodigy; marvel 2 the feeling of surprise, admiration, and awe aroused by something strange, unexpected, incredible, etc. {gazing in wonder at the comet} 3 a miraculous or apparently miraculous thing or act; miracle •vi. [OE wundrian, to wonder] 1 to be seized or filled with wonder; feel amazement; marvel 2 to have curiosity, sometimes mingled with doubt •vt. to have curiosity or doubt about; want to know {he wondered what happened} do wonders for to make a remarkable improvement in for a wonder surprisingly no wonder! now I know why! won´der·er •n. [ME < OE wundor, akin to Ger wunder: only in Gmc]

wonderful (-fэl) •adj. 1 that causes wonder; marvelous; amazing 2 [Colloq.] very good, excellent, fine, etc. won´der·ful·ly •adv. won´der·ful·ness •n. [ME < OE wundorfull]

wondering (-iŋ) •adj. feeling or showing wonder

wonderland (-lænd') •n. 1 an imaginary land full of wonders 2 any place of great beauty, strangeness, etc.

wonderment (-mэnt) •n. 1 a state or expression of wonder; amazement; astonishment 2 something causing wonder; a marvel

wonder-struck (-strûk') •adj. struck with wonder, surprise, admiration, etc.: also won´der-strick'en (-strik'эn)

wonderwork (-wørk') •n. something made or done that is wonderful, marvelous, etc. won´der·work'er •n. won´der·work'ing •adj. [ME wonder werk < OE wundorweorc]

wondrous (wûn´drэs) •adj. wonderful •adv. extraordinarily; surprisingly Now only literary or rhetorical won´drous·ly •adv. won´drous·ness •n. [altered (as if < WONDER + -OUS) < ME wundres, adv. gen. of wunder, WONDER]

wonk (wäŋk) •n. [Slang] Æ 1 a student who studies very hard; grind Æ 2 any very studious or hard-working person, often, specif., one preoccupied with a particular subject or field [back-form. < fol.]

wonky (wäŋ´ki:) -ki·er, -ki·est •adj. [Brit., etc. Colloq.] shaky, tottery, feeble, etc. [prob. < or suggested by dial. words based on OE wancol, shaky, tottering]

Wonsan (wän´sän´) seaport in North Korea, on the E coast: pop. 215,000

wont (wänt, wount, wûnt) •adj. accustomed: used predicatively {he was wont to rise early} •n. usual practice; habit [prob. altered (based on the adj.) < ME wune, custom, habit < OE (ge)wuna] •vt. wont, wont or wont´ed, wont´ing [Archaic] to accustom: usually in the passive •vi. [Archaic] to be accustomed SYN. HABIT [ME wunt, woned, pp. of wunien, to be accustomed, dwell < OE wunian, akin to Ger wohnen, to dwell: for IE base see WIN]

won't (wount) will not [contr. < ME wol not, will not]

wonted (wänt´id, wount´-, wûnt´-) •adj. 1 customary; habitual 2 accustomed; habituated SYN. USUAL wont´ed·ness •n. [ME: see WONT, n. & -ED]

woo (wu:) •vt. 1 to try to get the love of; seek as a spouse; court 2 to try to get; seek {to woo fame} 3 to entreat solicitously; coax; urge •vi. 1 to try to get the love of a given person; court 2 to make entreaty [ME wowen < OE wogian]

Wood (wud) 1 Grant 1892-1942; U.S. painter 2 Leonard 1860-1927; U.S. general & political administrator

wood alcohol METHANOL

wood anemone any of several anemones; esp., a) a forest species (Anemone quinquefolia) of the E U.S. with starlike flowers b) a similar species (A. nemorosa) of Europe

wood betony Æ LOUSEWORT

wood block a block of wood, esp. one used in making a woodcut wood´block' •adj.

wood coal 1 CHARCOAL (sense 1) 2 LIGNITE

wood duck a brilliantly colored North American duck (Aix sponsa) that nests in hollow trees near woodland lakes

wood engraving 1 the art or process of engraving on wood 2 WOODCUT: a wood engraving is often distinguished from a woodcut in that the former uses a block of wood cut across the grain and the latter a block of wood cut along the grain wood engraver

wood hyacinth a European scilla (Scilla nonscripta) with racemes of drooping, blue, white, or rose, bell-shaped flowers

wood ibis a large, white stork (Mycteria americana) with a slender, downward-curving bill and naked head, found in wooded swamps from the S U.S. to South America: also called wood stork

wood lot a piece of land on which trees are cultivated, specif. as a source of firewood, lumber, etc.

wood louse 1 SOW BUG 2 PILL BUG

wood nymph 1 any of the nymphs who live in the woods; dryad 2 any of certain South American hummingbirds 3 any of several small U.S. noctuid moths (genus Euthisanotia) with white-and-brown forewings and yellow hind wings 4 SATYR (sense 4)

wood pewee either of two species of pewee, the eastern wood pewee (Contopus virens) or the western wood pewee (C. sordidulus)

wood pigeon any of several pigeons; esp., a ringdove (Columba palumbus)

wood pulp pulp made from wood fiber, used as in paper manufacture

wood pussy [Dial.] SKUNK

wood rat PACK RAT

wood ray XYLEM RAY

wood screw a screw with a sharp point, for use in wood: see SCREW, illus.

wood sorrel any of a genus (Oxalis, family Oxalidaceae) of creeping dicotyledonous plants (order Geraniales) with white, pink, red, or yellow, five-parted flowers and cloverlike compound leaves that contain oxalic acid: found in cool, shaded, damp woods [transl. of MFr sorrel de boys]

wood spirit METHANOL

wood sugar XYLOSE

wood tar a dark, sticky, syruplike substance obtained by destructive distillation of wood and used in the preservation of timber, rope, etc.

wood thrush Æ a large thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) of E North America, with a brown mantle and a white, dark-spotted breast, that has a sweet, clear song

wood turning the art or process of turning, or shaping, wood on a lathe wood´-turn'er •n. wood´-turn'ing •adj.

wood vinegar PYROLIGNEOUS ACID

wood warbler WARBLER (sense 2)

wood¹ (wud) •n. 1 [usually pl.] a thick growth of trees; forest or grove 2 the hard, fibrous substance beneath the bark in the stems and branches of trees and shrubs; xylem 3 trees cut and prepared for use in making things; lumber or timber 4 short for FIREWOOD 5 something made of wood; specif., a) a cask or other wooden container for alcoholic liquor {whiskey aged in wood} b) [pl.] woodwind instruments, collectively 6 Golf any of a set of numbered clubs, originally with wooden heads, having various lofts: the number 1 wood is usually called a DRIVER (n. 2b); the number 2 wood, number 3 wood, and number 4 wood are used for long, medium, and short fairway shots, respectively •adj. 1 made of wood; wooden 2 for cutting, shaping, or holding wood 3 growing or living in woods •vt. 1 to plant or cover thickly with trees 2 to furnish with wood, esp. for fuel •vi. to get or take on a supply of wood Æ out of the woods [Colloq.] out of difficulty, danger, etc. [ME wode < OE wudu, earlier widu, akin to OHG wito < IE base *widhu-, tree > OIr fid, Welsh gwŷdd, tree, forest]

wood² (wu:d, woud, wud) •adj. [Archaic] 1 out of one's mind; insane 2 violently angry; enraged [ME < OE wod, akin to Ger wut, rage: see WODEN]

woodbin (wud´bin') •n. a bin for firewood

woodbine (-bain') •n. 1 a) a European climbing honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) with fragrant, yellowish-white flowers b) any of various other honeysuckles Æ 2 a tendril-climbing vine (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) of the grape family, growing in E North America and having palmately compound leaves with five leaflets and green flower clusters that produce dark-blue, inedible berries [ME wodebinde < OE wudubinde < wudu, WOOD¹ + binde < bindan, to BIND]

Woodbridge (wud´brij') city in EC N.J.: pop. 93,000 [after Woodbridge, England]

woodcarving (-kär'viŋ) •n. 1 the art or craft of carving wood by hand to make art objects or decorative features 2 an object so made wood´carv'er •n.

woodchat (-chæt') •n. a European shrike (Lanius senator) [WOOD¹ + CHAT¹, n.]

woodchuck (wud´chûk') •n. any of several marmots of North America; esp., the common hibernating groundhog (Marmota monax) with coarse, red-brown fur [altered by folk etym. < a S New England Algonquian name: cf. ? Narragansett ockqutchaun]

woodcock (-käk') pl. -cocks' or -cock' •n. 1 a migratory European shorebird (Scolopax rusticola) with short legs and a long bill, of the same family (Scolopacidae) as snipe: it is hunted as game Æ 2 a smaller game bird (Philohela minor) of the same family that frequents bogs and swampy places of E North America 3 [Obs.] a fool; dupe [ME wodekoc < OE wuducoc < wudu, WOOD¹ + coc, a COCK¹]

woodcraft (-kræft') •n. 1 matters relating to the woods, as camping, hunting, etc. 2 a) WOODWORKING b) WOODCARVING 3 skill in any of these

woodcraftsman (-kræfts'mэn) pl. -men •n. a person who practices, or has skill in, woodcraft

woodcut (-kût') •n. 1 a wooden block engraved with a design, etc. 2 a print from this See also WOOD ENGRAVING

woodcutter (-kût'эr) •n. a person who fells trees, cuts wood, etc. wood´cut'ting •n.

wooded (-id) •adj. covered with trees or woods

wooden (wud´ªn) •adj. 1 made of or consisting of wood 2 stiff, lifeless, expressionless, etc., as if made of wood 3 dull; insensitive wood´en·ly •adv. wood´en·ness •n.

wooden horse TROJAN HORSE (ppr101:sense:sequence)>

wooden Indian 1 a wooden image of an American Indian in a standing position, formerly placed in front of cigar stores as an advertisement 2 [Colloq.] a person who is dull, spiritless, or inarticulate

woodenhead (wud´ªn hed') •n. [Colloq.] a stupid person; blockhead wood´en·head'ed •adj.

woodenware (-wer') •n. bowls, dishes, etc. made of wood

woodiness (wud´i: nis) •n. the condition or quality of being woody

woodland (wud´lэnd, -lænd') •n. land covered with woods or trees; forest •adj. of, living in, or relating to the woods wood´land·er •n.

woodlark (wud´lärk') •n. a European lark (Lullula arborea) similar to but smaller than a skylark

woodman (wud´mэn) pl. -men (-mэn) •n. WOODSMAN

woodnote (wud´nout') •n. a sound of a forest bird or animal

woodpecker (wud´pek'эr) •n. any of a family (Picidae) of piciform birds distinguished by stiff tail feathers used for support, a strong, pointed, chisel-shaped bill used for drilling holes in bark to get insects, and a long, protrusile tongue with a spearlike tip

woodpile (wud´pail') •n. a pile of wood, esp. of firewood

Woodrow (wud´rou) a masculine name: dim. Woody [< the surname Woodrow]

woodruff (wud´rэf) •n. any of a genus (Asperula) of plants of the madder family, with small, white, pink, or blue, lily-shaped flowers; esp., a European species (A. odorata) used to flavor wine and in perfumery [ME woderove < OE wudurofe < wudu, WOOD¹ + -rofe < ?]

Woods , Lake of the see LAKE OF THE WOODS

Wood's light (wudz) ultraviolet light filtered through glass containing nickel oxide, used in detecting forgeries, in detecting microbes in hair, etc. [after R. W. Wood (1868-1955), U.S. physicist]

woodshed (wud´shed') •n. a shed for storing firewood Æ -shed'ded, -shed'ding •vi. [Slang] to practice on a musical instrument so as to improve or perfect one's technical facility, develop ideas, etc.: said esp. of a jazz or rock musician [? from the notion that an isolated woodshed is fit for practicing]

woodsia (wud´zi: э) •n. any of a genus (Woodsia) of ferns with wiry leafstalks, found chiefly on rock ledges [ModL, after Joseph Woods (1776-1864), Eng botanist]

woodsman (wudz´mэn) pl. -men (-mэn) •n. 1 a person who lives or works in the woods, as a hunter, woodcutter, etc. 2 a person at home in the woods or skilled in woodcraft

woodsy (wud´zi:) -si·er, -si·est •adj. of, characteristic of, or like the woods wood´si·ness •n.

Woodward (wud´wэrd), Robert Burns 1917-79; U.S. chemist

woodwaxen (wud´wæk'sэn) •n. var. of WOADWAXEN

woodwind (wud´wind') •n. WOODWIND INSTRUMENT •adj. composed of or for such an instrument or instruments

woodwind instrument any of a family of wind instruments made, esp. originally, of wood, including flutes, clarinets, oboes, etc.

woodwork (wud´wørk') •n. 1 work done in wood 2 things made of wood, esp. the interior moldings, doors, stairs, etc. of a house come (or crawl) out of the woodwork [Colloq.] to come out of hiding or obscurity {candidates continued to come out of the woodwork}

woodworking (-wør'kiŋ) •n. the art or work of making things of wood •adj. of woodworking wood´work'er •n.

woody (wud´i:) wood´i·er, wood´i·est •adj. 1 covered with trees; wooded 2 consisting of or forming wood; ligneous {a woody plant} 3 like or characteristic of wood {a woody texture, color, etc.}

wooer (wu:´эr) •n. a person who woos; suitor

woof¹ (wu:f) •n. WEFT [altered (prob. infl. by WARP, WEFT) < ME oof < OE owef < o- (< on) + -wef < base of wefan, to WEAVE]

woof² (wuf) •n. a gruff barking sound of or like that of a dog •vi. to make such a sound [echoic]

woofer (wuf´эr) •n. a large, high-fidelity speaker for reproducing low-frequency sounds: cf. TWEETER [prec. + -ER]

wool (wul) •n. 1 a) the soft, curly or crisped hair of sheep b) the hair of some other animals, as the goat or llama, having a similar texture 2 a) yarn spun from the fibers of such fleece, esp. the fleece of sheep b) cloth, clothing, etc. made of this yarn 3 short, thick, curly or crispy human hair 4 anything that looks or feels like wool, as a fibrous mass of inorganic material [rock wool, steel wool] or the hairy or furry coating on some insects, insect larvae, and plants •adj. of wool or woolen goods Æ all wool and a yard wide [Colloq.] genuine or admirable; truly and thoroughly as described Æ pull the wool over someone's eyes [Colloq.] to deceive or trick someone [ME wolle < OE wull, akin to Ger wolle < IE base *wel-, hair, wool, grass > L villus, shaggy hair, vellus, fleece, lana, wool, Gr lēnos, wool]

wool fat 1 the natural grease found in sheep's wool, yielding lanolin: also wool grease 2 LANOLIN

wool sponge any of several commercial sponges (genera Hippospongia and Euspongia) with durable, soft, fibrous skeletons