Oxford English Dictionary.

txt
interrog.adj. (what book have you chosen?). —adj. (usu. In an exclamation) how great
or remarkable (what luck!). —rel. Adj. The or any … that (will give you what help i
can). —pron. (corresponding to the functions of the adj.) 1 what thing or things?
(what is your name?; i don't know what you mean). 2 (asking for a remark to be
repeated) = what did you say? 3 how much (what you must have suffered!). 4 (as rel.
Pron.) That or those which; a or the or any thing which (what followed was worse;
tell me what you think). —adv. To what extent (what does it matter?). what about
what is the news or your opinion of. What-d'you-call-it colloq. Substitute for a
name not recalled. What ever what at all or in any way (what ever do you mean?) (see
also *whatever). What for colloq. 1 for what reason? 2 severe reprimand (esp. Give a
person what for). What have you (prec. By or or and) colloq. Anything else similar.
What not (prec. By and) other similar things. What's-his (or -her or -its) -name
colloq. Substitute for a name not recalled. What's what colloq. What is useful or
important etc. What with colloq. Because of (usu. Several things). [old english]
Whatever adj. & pron. 1 = *what (in relative uses) with the emphasis on
indefiniteness (lend me whatever you can; whatever money you have). 2 though
anything (we are safe whatever happens). 3 (with neg. Or interrog.) At all; of any
kind (there is no doubt whatever).

Whatnot n. Colloq. Indefinite or trivial thing.

Whatsoever adj. & pron. = *whatever.

Wheat n. 1 cereal plant bearing dense four-sided seed-spikes. 2 its grain, used in
making flour etc. [old english]
Wheatear n. Small migratory bird. [related to *white, *arse]
Wheaten adj. Made of wheat.
Wheat germ n. Embryo of the wheat grain, extracted as a source of vitamins.
Wheatmeal n. Flour made from wheat with some of the bran and germ removed.

Wheedle v. (-ling) 1 coax by flattery or endearments. 2 (foll. By out) get (a

thing) out of a person or cheat (a person) out of a thing by wheedling. [origin
uncertain]

Wheel —n. 1 circular frame or disc which revolves on an axle and is used for
vehicular or other mechanical motion. 2 wheel-like thing. 3 motion as of a wheel,
esp. The movement of a line of soldiers with one end as a pivot. 4 (in pl.) Slang
car. 5 = *steering-wheel. —v. 1 a turn on an axis or pivot. B swing round in line
with one end as a pivot. 2 a (often foll. By about, round) change direction or face
another way. B cause to do this. 3 push or pull (a wheeled thing, or its load or
occupant). 4 go in circles or curves. at the wheel 1 driving a vehicle. 2
directing a ship. 3 in control. On wheels (or oiled wheels) smoothly. Wheel and deal
engage in political or commercial scheming. Wheels within wheels 1 intricate
machinery. 2 colloq. Indirect or secret agencies. wheeled adj. (also in comb.).
[old english]
Wheelbarrow n. Small handcart with one wheel and two shafts.

Wheelbase n. Distance between the axles of a vehicle.

Wheelchair n. Chair on wheels for an invalid or disabled person.
Wheel-clamp n. = *clamp1 n. 2.
-wheeler comb. Form vehicle with a specified number of wheels (three-wheeler).
Wheeler-dealer n. Person who wheels and deals.
Wheel-house n. Steersman's shelter.
Page 1643
 Oxford English Dictionary.txt
Wheelie n. Slang stunt of riding a bicycle or motor cycle with the front wheel off
the ground.
Wheel-spin n. Rotation of a vehicle's wheels without traction.
Wheelwright n. Person who makes or repairs wheels.
Wheeze —v. (-zing) 1 breathe with an audible whistling sound. 2 utter with this
sound. —n. 1 sound of wheezing. 2 colloq. Clever scheme. wheezy adj. (-ier,
-iest). Wheezily adv. Wheeziness n. [probably from old norse, = hiss]
Whelk n. Marine mollusc with a spiral shell. [old english]
Whelm v. Poet. 1 engulf. 2 crush with weight. [old english]
Whelp —n. 1 young dog; puppy. 2 archaic cub. 3 ill-mannered child or youth. —v.
(also absol.) Give birth to (a whelp or whelps or (derog.) A child). [old english]

When —interrog. Adv. 1 at what time? 2 on what occasion? 3 how soon? —rel. Adv.
(prec. By time etc.) At or on which (there are times when i could cry). —conj. 1 at
the or any time that; as soon as (come when you like; come when ready). 2 although
(why stand when you could sit?). 3 after which; and then; but just then (was nearly
asleep when the bell rang). —pron. What time?; which time (till when can you stay?;
since when it has improved). —n. Time, occasion (fixed the where and when). [old
english]

Whence formal —interrog. Adv. From what place? —conj. 1 to the place from which
(return whence you came). 2 (often prec. By place etc.) From which. 3 and thence
(whence it follows that). [old english: related to *when]
Usage the use of from whence rather than simply whence (as in the place from whence
they came), though common, is generally considered incorrect.
Whenever conj. & adv. 1 at whatever time; on whatever occasion. 2 every time that.
Whensoever conj. & adv. Formal = *whenever.

Where —interrog. Adv. 1 in or to what place or position? 2 in what respect? (where

does it concern us?). —rel. Adv. (prec. By place etc.) In or to which (places where
they meet). —conj. 1 in or to the or any place, direction, or respect in which (go
where you like; tick where applicable). 2 and there (reached crewe, where the car
broke down). —pron. What place? (where do you come from?). —n. Place; scene of
something (see *when n.). [old english]
Whereabouts —interrog. Adv. Approximately where? —n. (as sing. Or pl.) Person's or
thing's location.
Whereas conj. 1 in contrast or comparison with the fact that. 2 (esp. In legal
preambles) taking into consideration the fact that.
Whereby conj. By what or which means.

Wherefore —adv. Archaic 1 for what reason? 2 for which reason. —n. See *why.
Wherein conj. Formal in what or which place or respect.
Whereof conj. Formal of what or which.

Whereupon conj. Immediately after which.

Wherever —adv. In or to whatever place. —conj. In every place that.
Wherewithal n. Colloq. Money etc. Needed for a purpose.
Page 1644
 Oxford English Dictionary.txt
Wherry n. (pl. -ies) 1 light rowing-boat usu. For carrying passengers. 2 large
light barge. [origin unknown]
Whet v. (-tt-) 1 sharpen (a tool). 2 stimulate (the appetite or a desire etc.).
[old english]
Whether conj. Introducing the first or both of alternative possibilities (i doubt
whether it matters; i do not know whether they have arrived or not). whether or no
whether it is so or not. [old english]
Whetstone n. Tapered stone used with water to sharpen tools.
Whew int. Expressing surprise, consternation, or relief. [imitative]

Whey n. Watery liquid left when milk forms curds. [old english]
Which —interrog. Adj. Asking for choice from a definite set of alternatives (which
john do you mean?; say which book you prefer). —rel. Adj. Being the one just
referred to; and this or these (ten years, during which time they admitted nothing).
—interrog. Pron. 1 which person or persons? (which of you is responsible?). 2 which
thing or things? (say which you prefer). —rel. Pron. (poss. Of which, whose) 1 which
thing or things, usu. Introducing a clause not essential for identification (the
house, which is empty, has been damaged). 2 used in place of that after in or that
(there is the house in which i was born; that which you have just seen). [old
english]
Whichever adj. & pron. Any which (take whichever you like).

Whiff n. 1 puff or breath of air, smoke, etc. 2 smell. 3 (foll. By of) trace of
scandal etc. 4 small cigar. [imitative]

Whig n. Hist. Member of the british reforming and constitutional party succeeded in
the 19th c. By the liberal party. whiggery n. Whiggish adj. Whiggism n.
[whiggamer, -more, nickname of 17th-c. Scots rebels]
While —n. Period of time (a long while ago; waited a while; all this while). —conj.
1 during the time that; for as long as; at the same time as (while i was away, the
house was burgled; fell asleep while reading). 2 in spite of the fact that; whereas
(while i want to believe it, i cannot). —v. (-ling) (foll. By away) pass (time etc.)
In a leisurely or interesting way. —rel. Adv. (prec. By time etc.) During which (the
summer while i was abroad). between whiles in the intervals. For a while for some
time. In a while soon. The while in the meantime. Worth while (or worth one's while)
worth the time or effort spent. [old english]
Usage worth while (two words) is used only predicatively, as in thought it worth
while to ring the police, whereas worthwhile is used both predicatively and
attributively.
Whilst adv. & conj. While. [from *while]

Whim n. 1 sudden fancy; caprice. 2 capriciousness. [origin unknown]

Whimper —v. Make feeble, querulous, or frightened sounds. —n. Such a sound.
[imitative]
Whimsical adj. Capricious, fantastic. whimsicality n. Whimsically adv.
Whimsy n. (pl. -ies) = *whim. [origin uncertain]
Whin n. (in sing. Or pl.) Gorse. [scandinavian]
Whinchat n. Small songbird.
Page 1645
 Oxford English Dictionary.txt
Whine —n. 1 complaining long-drawn wail as of a dog. 2 similar shrill prolonged
sound. 3 querulous tone or complaint. —v. (-ning) emit or utter a whine; complain.
[old english]
Whinge v. (-geing or -ging) colloq. Whine; grumble peevishly. [old english]

Whinny —n. (pl. -ies) gentle or joyful neigh. —v. (-ies, -ied) give a whinny.
[imitative]
Whip —n. 1 lash attached to a stick for urging on animals or punishing etc. 2 a
member of a political party in parliament appointed to control its discipline and
tactics. B whips' written notice requesting or requiring attendance for voting at a
division etc., variously underlined according to the degree of urgency (three-line
whip). C (prec. By the) party discipline and instructions (asked for the labour
whip). 3 dessert made with whipped cream etc. 4 = *whipper-in. —v. (-pp-) 1 beat or
urge on with a whip. 2 beat (cream or eggs etc.) Into a froth. 3 take or move
suddenly, unexpectedly, or rapidly (whipped out a knife; whipped behind the door). 4
slang steal. 5 slang a excel. B defeat. 6 bind with spirally wound twine. 7 sew with
overcast stitches. whip in bring (hounds) together. Whip on urge into action. Whip
up excite or stir up. [low german or dutch]
Whipcord n. Tightly twisted cord.

Whip hand n. 1 hand that holds the whip (in riding etc.). 2 (usu. Prec. By the)
advantage or control in a situation.

Whiplash n. Flexible end of a whip.

Whiplash injury n. Injury to the neck caused by a jerk of the head, esp. As in a
motor accident.
Whipper-in n. (pl. Whippers-in) huntsman's assistant who manages the hounds.
Whippersnapper n. 1 small child. 2 insignificant but presumptuous person.
Whippet n. Crossbred dog of the greyhound type used for racing. [probably from
obsolete whippet move briskly, from whip it]
Whipping boy n. Scapegoat.

Whipping-top n. Top kept spinning by blows of a lash.

Whippoorwill n. American nightjar. [imitative]
Whip-round n. Colloq. Informal collection of money among a group of people.
Whipstock n. Handle of a whip.

Whirl —v. 1 swing round and round; revolve rapidly. 2 (foll. By away) convey or go
rapidly in a vehicle etc. 3 send or travel swiftly in an orbit or a curve. 4 (of the
brain etc.) Seem to spin round. —n. 1 whirling movement. 2 state of intense activity
(the social whirl). 3 state of confusion (in a whirl). give it a whirl colloq.
Attempt it. [old norse, and low german or dutch]
Whirligig n. 1 spinning or whirling toy. 2 merry-go-round. 3 revolving motion.
Whirlpool n. Powerful circular eddy of water.
Whirlwind n. 1 rapidly whirling mass or column of air. 2 (attrib.) Very rapid.
Whirr —n. Continuous rapid buzz or soft clicking sound. —v. (-rr-) make this sound.
[scandinavian]

Page 1646
 Oxford English Dictionary.txt
Whisk —v. 1 (foll. By away, off) a brush with a sweeping movement. B take suddenly.
2 whip (cream, eggs, etc.). 3 convey or go (esp. Out of sight) lightly or quickly. 4
wave or lightly brandish. —n. 1 whisking action or motion. 2 utensil for whisking
eggs or cream etc. 3 bunch of grass, twigs, bristles, etc., for removing dust or
flies. [scandinavian]
Whisker n. 1 (usu. In pl.) Hair growing on a man's face, esp. On the cheek. 2 each
of the bristles on the face of a cat etc. 3 colloq. Small distance (within a whisker
of). whiskered adj. Whiskery adj. [from *whisk]
Whiskey n. (brit. Whisky) (pl. -eys) spirit distilled esp. From malted grain, esp.
Barley or rye. [abbreviation of usquebaugh from gaelic, = water of life]
Whisky n. (ir. & us whiskey) (pl. -ies or -eys) spirit distilled esp. From malted
grain, esp. Barley or rye. [abbreviation of usquebaugh from gaelic, = water of life]
Whisper —v. 1 a speak very softly without vibration of the vocal cords. B talk or
say in a barely audible tone or in a secret or confidential way. 2 rustle or murmur.
—n. 1 whispering speech or sound. 2 thing whispered. it is whispered there is a
rumour. [old english]
Whist n. Card-game usu. For two pairs of players. [earlier whisk, perhaps from
*whisk (with ref. To whisking away the tricks): perhaps associated with whist! (=
silence)]
Whist drive n. Social occasion with the playing of progressive whist.
Whistle —n. 1 clear shrill sound made by forcing breath through a small hole
between nearly closed lips. 2 similar sound made by a bird, the wind, a missile,
etc. 3 instrument used to produce such a sound. —v. (-ling) 1 emit a whistle. 2 a
give a signal or express surprise or derision by whistling. B (often foll. By up)
summon or give a signal to (a dog etc.) By whistling. 3 (also absol.) Produce (a
tune) by whistling. 4 (foll. By for) vainly seek or desire. [old english]

Whistle-stop n. 1 us small unimportant town on a railway. 2 politician's brief

pause for an electioneering speech on tour.
Whit —n. = *whitsuntide. —attrib. Adj. Of whitsuntide or whit sunday. [old english,
= white]

Whit n. Particle; least possible amount (not a whit better). [apparently = *wight]
White —adj. 1 resembling a surface reflecting sunlight without absorbing any of the
visible rays; of the colour of milk or snow. 2 nearly this colour; pale, esp. In the
face. 3 (white) a of the human group having light-coloured skin. B of or relating to
white people. 4 albino (white mouse). 5 (of hair) having lost its colour, esp. In
old age. 6 (of coffee) with milk or cream. —n. 1 white colour or pigment. 2 a white
clothes or material. B (in pl.) White garments as worn in cricket, tennis, etc. 3 a
(in a game or sport) white piece, ball, etc. B player using these. 4 = *egg-white. 5
whitish part of the eyeball round the iris. 6 (white) member of a light-skinned
race. bleed white drain of wealth etc. whiteness n. Whitish adj. [old english]
White ant n. Termite.

Whitebait n. (pl. Same) (usu. In pl.) Small silvery-white young of herrings and
sprats, esp. As food.
White cell n. Leucocyte.
White-collar attrib. Adj. (of a worker or work) non-manual; clerical, professional.
White corpuscle n. = *white cell.
White elephant n. Useless possession.
Page 1647
 Oxford English Dictionary.txt
White feather n. Symbol of cowardice.

White flag n. Symbol of surrender.

White friar n. Carmelite.
White goods n.pl. Large domestic electrical equipment.

Whitehead n. Colloq. White or white-topped skin-pustule.

White heat n. 1 temperature at which metal emits white light. 2 state of intense
passion or activity. white-hot adj.
White hope n. Person expected to achieve much.
White horses n.pl. White-crested waves at sea.
White lead n. Mixture of lead carbonate and hydrated lead oxide used as pigment.

White lie n. Harmless or trivial untruth.

White light n. Apparently colourless light, e.g. Ordinary daylight.

White magic n. Magic used for beneficent purposes.

White meat n. Poultry, veal, rabbit, and pork.

Whiten v. Make or become white. whitener n.

White noise n. Noise containing many frequencies with equal intensities.
White-out n. Dense blizzard, esp. In polar regions.

White paper n. Government report giving information.

White pepper n. Pepper made by grinding a ripe or husked berry.

White russian n. = *byelorussian.

White sauce n. Sauce of flour, melted butter, and milk or cream.
White slave n. Woman tricked or forced into prostitution.

White spirit n. Light petroleum as a solvent.

White sugar n. Purified sugar.
White tie n. Man's white bow-tie as part of full evening dress.
Whitewash —n. 1 solution of quicklime or whiting for whitening walls etc. 2 means
employed to conceal mistakes or faults. —v. 1 cover with whitewash. 2 attempt to
clear the reputation of by concealing facts.

White wedding n. Wedding at which the bride wears a formal white wedding dress.
White whale n. Northern cetacean, white when adult.
Whitewood n. Pale wood, esp. Prepared for staining etc.
Whither archaic —adv. 1 to what place or state? 2 (prec. By place etc.) To which.
—conj. 1 to the or any place to which (go whither you will). 2 and thither. [old
english]
Page 1648
 Oxford English Dictionary.txt
Whiting1 n. (pl. Same) small white-fleshed fish used as food. [dutch: related to
*white]

Whiting2 n. Ground chalk used in whitewashing etc.

Whitlow n. Inflammation near a fingernail or toenail. [originally white *flaw1]

Whitsun —n. = *whitsuntide. —adj. = *whit. [whitsun day = whit sunday]

Whit sunday n. Seventh sunday after easter, commemorating pentecost.
Whitsuntide n. Weekend or week including whit sunday.

Whittle v. (-ling) 1 (often foll. By at) pare (wood etc.) With repeated slicing
with a knife. 2 (often foll. By away, down) reduce by repeated subtractions. [dial.
Thwittle]
Whiz (also whizz) —n. Sound made by a body moving through the air at great speed.
—v. (-zz-) move with or make a whiz. [imitative]
Whiz-kid n. Colloq. Brilliant or highly successful young person.

Who abbr. World health organization.

Who pron. (obj. Whom or colloq. Who; poss. Whose) 1 a what or which person or
persons? (who called?; you know who it was). B what sort of person or persons? (who
am i to object?). 2 (a person) that (anyone who wishes can come; the woman whom you
met; the man who you saw). 3 and or but he, they, etc. (gave it to tom, who sold it
to jim). [old english]
Usage in the last two examples of sense 2 whom is correct, but who is common in
less formal contexts.

Whoa int. Used to stop or slow a horse etc. [var. Of *ho]

Who'd contr. 1 who had. 2 who would.

Whodunit n. (also whodunnit) colloq. Detective story, play, or film. [= who done
(illiterate for did) it?]

Whoever pron. (obj. Whoever or formal whomever; poss. Whosever) 1 the or any person
or persons who (whoever comes is welcome). 2 though anyone (whoever else objects, i
do not).

Whole —adj. 1 uninjured, unbroken, intact, or undiminished. 2 not less than; all
there is of. 3 (of blood or milk etc.) With no part removed. —n. 1 thing complete in
itself. 2 all there is of a thing. 3 (foll. By of) all members etc. Of (the whole of
london knows it). as a whole as a unity; not as separate parts. On the whole
taking everything relevant into account. Whole lot see *lot. wholeness n. [old
english]
Wholefood n. Food which has not been unnecessarily processed or refined.
Wholegrain attrib. Adj. Made with or containing whole grains (wholegrain rice).

Wholehearted adj. 1 completely devoted. 2 done with all possible effort or

sincerity. wholeheartedly adv.
Wholemeal n. (usu. Attrib.) Meal or flour with none of the bran or germ removed.
Whole number n. Number without fractions; integer.
Wholesale —n. Selling of goods in large quantities to be retailed by others. —adj.
Page 1649
 Oxford English Dictionary.txt
& adv. 1 by wholesale. 2 on a large scale. —v. (-ling) sell wholesale. wholesaler
n. [by whole sale]
Wholesome adj. 1 promoting physical, mental, or moral health. 2 prudent (wholesome
respect). [old english: related to *whole]
Wholewheat n. (usu. Attrib.) Wheat with none of the bran or germ removed.

Wholism var. Of *holism.

Wholly adv. 1 entirely; without limitation. 2 purely.
Whom objective case of *who.

Whomever objective case of *whoever.

Whomsoever objective case of *whosoever.
Whoop —n. 1 loud cry of or as of excitement etc. 2 long rasping indrawn breath in
whooping cough. —v. Utter a whoop. whoop it up colloq. 1 engage in revelry. 2 us
make a stir. [imitative]

Whoopee int. Expressing exuberant joy. make whoopee colloq. 1 have fun, make
merry. 2 make love. [imitative]
Whooping cough n. Infectious bacterial disease, esp. Of children, with a series of
short violent coughs followed by a whoop.
Whoops int. Colloq. Expressing surprise or apology, esp. On losing balance or
making an obvious mistake. [var. Of *oops]
Whop v. (-pp-) slang 1 thrash. 2 defeat. [origin unknown]
Whopper n. Slang 1 something big of its kind. 2 great lie.
Whopping adj. Colloq. (esp. As an intensifier) huge (a whopping success; a whopping
great lie).
Whore n. 1 prostitute. 2 derog. Promiscuous woman. [old english]
Whore-house n. Brothel.
Whorl n. 1 ring of leaves etc. Round a stem. 2 one turn of a spiral. [apparently
var. Of *whirl]
Whortleberry n. (pl. -ies) bilberry. [origin unknown]
Whose —interrog. Pron. Of or belonging to which person (whose is this book?).
—interrog. Adj. Of whom or which (whose book is this?) —rel. Pron. Of whom; of which
(the man, whose name was tim; the house whose roof was damaged).

Whosoever pron. (obj. Whomsoever; poss. Whosesoever) archaic = *whoever.

Who's who n. 1 who or what each person is (know who's who). 2 list with facts about
notable persons.
Why —adv. 1 for what reason or purpose (why did you do it?; i do not know why you
came). 2 (prec. By reason etc.) For which (the reasons why i did it). —int.
Expressing: 1 surprised discovery or recognition (why, it's you!). 2 impatience
(why, of course i do!). 3 reflection (why, yes, i think so). 4 objection (why, what
is wrong with it?). whys and wherefores reasons; explanation. [old english:
related to *what]
Wi abbr. 1 west indies. 2 women's institute.
Page 1650
 Oxford English Dictionary.txt
Wick n. Strip or thread feeding a flame with fuel. get on a person's wick colloq.
Annoy a person. [old english]
Wicked adj. (-er, -est) 1 sinful, iniquitous, immoral. 2 spiteful. 3 playfully
malicious. 4 colloq. Very bad. 5 slang excellent. wickedly adv. Wickedness n.
[origin uncertain]
Wicker n. Plaited osiers etc. As material for baskets etc. [scandinavian]
Wickerwork n. 1 wicker. 2 things made of wicker.

Wicket n. 1 cricket a three stumps with the bails in position defended by a

batsman. B ground between two wickets. C state of this. D instance of a batsman
being got out (bowler has taken four wickets). 2 (in full wicket-door or -gate)
small door or gate, esp. Beside or in a larger one or closing the lower part only of
a doorway. [anglo-french wiket = french guichet]
Wicket-keeper n. Fieldsman stationed close behind a batsman's wicket.
Widdershins adv. (also withershins) esp. Scot. 1 in a direction contrary to the
sun's course (considered unlucky). 2 anticlockwise. [german, = contrary]
Wide —adj. 1 having sides far apart, broad, not narrow (wide river; wide sleeve;
wide angle). 2 (following a measurement) in width (a metre wide). 3 a extending far
(wide range; wide experience). B considerable (wide margin). 4 not restricted (a
wide public). 5 a liberal; unprejudiced (takes wide views). B not specialized;
general. 6 open to the full extent (wide eyes). 7 (foll. By of) not within a
reasonable distance of, far from (wide shot; wide of the target). 8 (in comb.)
Extending over the whole of (nationwide). —adv. 1 widely. 2 to the full extent. 3
far from the target etc. (shooting wide). —n. = *wide ball. give a wide berth to
see *berth. Wide of the mark see *mark1. Wide open (often foll. By to) exposed (to
attack etc.). The wide world all the world, great as it is. [old english]
Wide awake adj. 1 fully awake. 2 colloq. Wary, knowing.
Wide ball n. Cricket ball judged to be beyond the batsman's reach, so scoring a
run.

Wide-eyed adj. Surprised; naïve.

Widely adv. 1 to a wide extent; far apart. 2 extensively. 3 by many people (it is
widely thought that). 4 considerably; to a large degree (holds a widely different
view).
Widen v. Make or become wider.
Widespread adj. Widely distributed.
Widgeon n. (also wigeon) a kind of wild duck. [origin uncertain]
Widow —n. 1 woman who has lost her husband by death and not married again. 2 woman
whose husband is often away on a specified activity (golf widow). —v. 1 make into a
widow or widower. 2 (as widowed adj.) Bereft by the death of a spouse. widowhood
n. [old english]
Widower n. Man who has lost his wife by death and not married again.
Widow's peak n. V-shaped growth of hair towards the centre of the forehead.
Width n. 1 measurement from side to side. 2 large extent. 3 liberality of views
etc. 4 strip of material of full width. widthways adv. [from *wide]
Wield v. Hold and use; command, exert (a weapon, tool, power, etc.). [old english]
Page 1651
 Oxford English Dictionary.txt
Wiener schnitzel n. Veal cutlet breaded, fried, and garnished. [german]

Wife n. (pl. Wives) 1 married woman, esp. In relation to her husband. 2 archaic
woman. wifely adj. [old english, = woman]
Wig n. Artificial head of hair. [abbreviation of *periwig]

Wigeon var. Of *widgeon.

Wigging n. Colloq. Reprimand. [origin uncertain]
Wiggle colloq. —v. (-ling) move from side to side etc. —n. Act of wiggling; kink in
a line etc. wiggly adj. (-ier, -iest). [low german or dutch wiggelen]
Wight n. Archaic person. [old english, = thing, creature]

Wigwam n. N. American indian's hut or tent. [ojibwa]

Wilco int. Colloq. Expressing compliance or agreement. [abbreviation of will
comply]
Wild —adj. 1 in its original natural state; not domesticated, cultivated, or
civilized (wild cat; wild strawberry). 2 unrestrained, disorderly, uncontrolled
(wild youth; wild hair). 3 tempestuous (wild night). 4 intensely eager, frantic
(wild excitement; wild delight). 5 (foll. By about) colloq. Enthusiastically devoted
to. 6 colloq. Infuriated. 7 haphazard, ill-aimed, rash (wild guess; wild venture). 8
colloq. Exciting, delightful. —adv. In a wild manner. —n. 1 wild tract of land. 2
desert. in the wild in an uncultivated etc. State. In the wilds colloq. Far from
towns etc. Run wild grow or stray unchecked or undisciplined. wildly adv. Wildness
n. [old english]

Wild card n. 1 card having any rank chosen by the player holding it. 2 computing
character that will match any character or combination of characters. 3 person or
thing that can be used in several different ways.
Wildcat —n. 1 hot-tempered or violent person. 2 exploratory oil well. —adj.
(attrib.) 1 (of a strike) sudden and unofficial. 2 reckless; financially unsound.

Wildebeest n. (pl. Same or -s) = *gnu. [afrikaans: related to *wild, *beast]

Wilderness n. 1 desert; uncultivated region or garden area. 2 (foll. By of)
confused assemblage. [old english: related to *wild, *deer]
Wildfire n. Hist. Combustible liquid used in war. spread like wildfire spread
with great speed.
Wildfowl n. (pl. Same) game-bird.
Wild-goose chase n. Foolish or hopeless quest.
Wild hyacinth n. = *bluebell.
Wildlife n. Wild animals collectively.

Wild west n. Western us before the establishment of law and order.

Wile —n. (usu. In pl.) Stratagem, trick. —v. (-ling) (foll. By away, into, etc.)
Lure. [perhaps from scandinavian]
Wilful adj. (us willful) 1 intentional, deliberate (wilful murder; wilful neglect).
2 obstinate. wilfully adv. [from *will2]

Page 1652