Chapter 1875

2. Hence, any thing or person that turns easily and frequently; one who veers with every change of current opinion; a fickle, inconstant person.

Weathercock <Xpage=1637>

Weath"er*cock` , v. t. To supply with a weathercock; to serve as a weathercock for.

Whose blazing wyvern weathercock the spire. Tennyson.

Weather-driven <Xpage=1637>

Weath"er-driv`en (?) , a. Driven by winds or storms; forced by stress of weather.

Carew.

Weathered <Xpage=1637>

Weath"ered (?) , a. 1. (Arch.) Made sloping, so as to throw off water; as, a weathered cornice or window sill .

2. (Geol.) Having the surface altered in color, texture, or composition, or the edges rounded off by exposure to the elements.

Weather-fend <Xpage=1637>

Weath"er-fend` (?) , v. t. To defend from the weather; to shelter.

Shak.

[We] barked the white spruce to weather-fend the roof. Emerson.

Weatherglass <Xpage=1637>

Weath"er*glass` (?) , n. An instrument to indicate the state of the atmosphere, especially changes of atmospheric pressure, and hence changes of weather, as a barometer or baroscope.

Poor man's weatherglass . (Bot.) See under Poor .

Weathering <Xpage=1637>

Weath"er*ing , n. (Geol.) The action of the elements on a rock in altering its color, texture, or composition, or in rounding off its edges.

Weatherliness <Xpage=1637>

Weath"er*li*ness (?) , n. (Naut.) The quality of being weatherly.

Weatherly <Xpage=1637>

Weath"er*ly , a. (Naut.) Working, or able to sail, close to the wind; as, a weatherly ship .

Cooper.

Weathermost <Xpage=1637>

Weath"er*most` (?) , a. (Naut.) Being farthest to the windward.

Weatherproof <Xpage=1637>

Weath"er*proof` (?) , a. Proof against rough weather.

Weatherwise <Xpage=1637>

Weath"er*wise` (?) , a. Skillful in forecasting the changes of the weather.

Hakluyt.

Weatherwiser <Xpage=1637>

Weath"er*wis`er (?) , n. [Cf. Waywiser .] Something that foreshows the weather. [Obs.]

Derham.

Weatherworn <Xpage=1637>

Weath"er*worn` (?) , a. Worn by the action of, or by exposure to, the weather.

Weave <Xpage=1637>

Weave (?) , v. t. [ imp. Wove (?) ; p. p. Woven (?) , Wove ; p. pr. & vb. n. Weaving . The regular imp. & p. p. Weaved (<?/) , is rarely used.] [OE. weven , AS. wefan ; akin to D. weven , G. weben , OHG. weban , Icel. vefa , Sw. v\'84fva , Dan. v\'91ve , Gr. <?/, v., <?/ web, Skr. <?/r<?/av\'bebhi spider, lit., wool weaver. Cf. Waper , Waffle , Web , Weevil , Weft , Woof .]

1. To unite, as threads of any kind, in such a manner as to form a texture; to entwine or interlace into a fabric; as, to weave wool, silk, etc .; hence, to unite by close connection or intermixture; to unite intimately.

This weaves itself, perforce, into my business. Shak.

That in their green shops weave the smooth-haired silk To deck her sons. Milton.

And for these words, thus woven into song. Byron.

2. To form, as cloth, by interlacing threads; to compose, as a texture of any kind, by putting together textile materials; as, to weave broadcloth; to weave a carpet ; hence, to form into a fabric; to compose; to fabricate; as, to weave the plot of a story .

When she weaved the sleided silk. Shak.

Her starry wreaths the virgin jasmin weaves . Ld. Lytton.

Weave <Xpage=1637>

Weave , v. i. 1. To practice weaving; to work with a loom.

2. To become woven or interwoven.

Weave <Xpage=1637>

Weave , n. A particular method or pattern of weaving; as, the cassimere weave .

Weaver <Xpage=1637>

Weav"er (?) , n. 1. One who weaves, or whose occupation is to weave. " Weavers of linen." P. Plowman .

2. (Zo\'94l.) A weaver bird.

3. (Zo\'94l.) An aquatic beetle of the genus Gyrinus . See Whirling .

Weaver bird (Zo\'94l.) , any one of numerous species of Asiatic, Fast Indian, and African birds belonging to Ploceus and allied genera of the family Ploceid\'91 . Weaver birds resemble finches and sparrows in size, colors, and shape of the bill. They construct pensile nests composed of interlaced grass and other similar materials. In some of the species the nest is retort-shaped, with the opening at the bottom of the tube. -- Weavers' shuttle (Zo\'94l.) , an East Indian marine univalve shell ( Radius volva ); -- so called from its shape. See Illust . of Shuttle shell , under Shuttle .

Weaverfish <Xpage=1637>

Weav"er*fish` (?) , n. [See Weever .] (Zo\'94l.) See Weever .

Weaving <Xpage=1637>

Weav"ing , n. 1. The act of one who, or that which, weaves; the act or art of forming cloth in a loom by the union or intertexture of threads.

2. (Far.) An incessant motion of a horse's head, neck, and body, from side to side, fancied to resemble the motion of a hand weaver in throwing the shuttle.

Youatt.

Weazand <Xpage=1637>

Wea"zand (?) , n. See Weasand . [Obs.]

Weazen <Xpage=1637>

Wea"zen (?) , a. [See Wizen .] Thin; sharp; withered; wizened; as, a weazen face .

They were weazen and shriveled. Dickens.

Weazeny <Xpage=1637>

Wea"zen*y (?) , a. Somewhat weazen; shriveled. [Colloq.] " Weazeny , baked pears."

Lowell.

Web <Xpage=1637>

Web (?) , n. [OE. webbe , AS. webba . See Weave .] A weaver. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Web <Xpage=1637>

Web , n. [OE. web , AS. webb ; akin to D. web , webbe , OHG. weppi , G. gewebe , Icel. vefr , Sw. v\'84f , Dan. v\'91v . See Weave .]

1. That which is woven; a texture; textile fabric; esp., something woven in a loom.

Penelope, for her Ulysses' sake, Devised a web her wooers to deceive. Spenser.

Not web might be woven, not a shuttle thrown, or penalty of exile. Bancroft.

2. A whole piece of linen cloth as woven.

3. The texture of very fine thread spun by a spider for catching insects at its prey; a cobweb. "The smallest spider's web ."

Shak.

4. Fig.: Tissue; texture; complicated fabrication.

The somber spirit of our forefathers, who wove their web of life with hardly a . . . thread of rose-color or gold. Hawthorne.

Such has been the perplexing ingenuity of commentators that it is difficult to extricate the truth from the web of conjectures. W. Irving.

5. (Carriages) A band of webbing used to regulate the extension of the hood.

6. A thin metal sheet, plate, or strip, as of lead.

And Christians slain roll up in webs of lead. Fairfax.

Specifically: -

(a) The blade of a sword. [Obs.]

The sword, whereof the web was steel, Pommel rich stone, hilt gold. Fairfax.

(b) The blade of a saw.

(c) The thin, sharp part of a colter.

(d) The bit of a key.

7. (Mach. & Engin.) A plate or thin portion, continuous or perforated, connecting stiffening ribs or flanges, or other parts of an object. Specifically: --

(a) The thin vertical plate or portion connecting the upper and lower flanges of an lower flanges of an iron girder, rolled beam, or railroad rail.

(b) A disk or solid construction serving, instead of spokes, for connecting the rim and hub, in some kinds of car wheels, sheaves, etc.

(c) The arm of a crank between the shaft and the wrist.

(d) The part of a blackmith's anvil between the face and the foot.

8. (Med.) Pterygium; -- called also webeye .

Shak.

9. (Anat.) The membrane which unites the fingers or toes, either at their bases, as in man, or for a greater part of their length, as in many water birds and amphibians.

10. (Zo\'94l.) The series of barbs implanted on each side of the shaft of a feather, whether stiff and united together by barbules, as in ordinary feathers, or soft and separate, as in downy feathers. See Feather .

<page="1638"> Page 1638

Pin and web (Med.) , two diseases of the eye, caligo and pterygium; -- sometimes wrongly explained as one disease. See Pin , n. , 8, and Web , n. , 8. "He never yet had pinne or webbe , his sight for to decay." Gascoigne . -- Web member (Engin.) , one of the braces in a web system. -- Web press , a printing press which takes paper from a roll instead of being fed with sheets. -- Web system (Engin.) , the system of braces connecting the flanges of a lattice girder, post, or the like.

Web <Xpage=1638>

Web (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Webbed (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Webbing .] To unite or surround with a web, or as if with a web; to envelop; to entangle.

Webbed <Xpage=1638>

Webbed (?) , a. 1. Provided with a web.

2. (Zo\'94l.) Having the toes united by a membrane, or web; as, the webbed feet of aquatic fowls .

Webber <Xpage=1638>

Web"ber (?) , n. One who forms webs; a weaver; a webster. [Obs.]

Webbing <Xpage=1638>

Web"bing (?) , n. A woven band of cotton or flax, used for reins, girths, bed bottoms, etc.

Webby <Xpage=1638>

Web"by (?) , a. Of or pertaining to a web or webs; like a web; filled or covered with webs.

Bats on their webby wings in darkness move. Crabbe.

Weber <Xpage=1638>

We"ber (?) , n. [From the name of Professor Weber , a German electrician.] (Elec.) The standard unit of electrical quantity, and also of current. See Coulomb , and Amp<?/re . [Obs.]

Webeye <Xpage=1638>

Web"eye` (?) , n. (Med.) See Web , n. , 8.

Web-fingered <Xpage=1638>

Web"-fin`gered (?) , a. Having the fingers united by a web for a considerable part of their length.

Webfoot <Xpage=1638>

Web"foot` (?) , n. ; pl. Webfeet (<?/) .

1. A foot the toes of which are connected by a membrane.

2. (Zo\'94l.) Any web-footed bird.

Web-footed <Xpage=1638>

Web"-foot`ed , a. Having webbed feet; palmiped; as, a goose or a duck is a web-footed fowl .

Webster <Xpage=1638>

Web"ster (?) , n. [AS. webbestre . See Web , Weave , and -ster .] A weaver; originally, a female weaver. [Obs.]

Brathwait.

Websterite <Xpage=1638>

Web"ster*ite (?) , n. [So named after Webster , the geologist.] (Min.) A hydrous sulphate of alumina occurring in white reniform masses.

Web-toed <Xpage=1638>

Web"-toed` (?) , a. Having the toes united by a web for a considerable part of their length.

Webform <Xpage=1638>

Web"form` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) Any one of various species of moths whose gregarious larv\'91 eat the leaves of trees, and construct a large web to which they retreat when not feeding.

&hand; The most destructive webworms belong to the family Bombycid\'91 , as the fall webworm ( Hyphantria textor ), which feeds on various fruit and forest trees, and the common tent caterpillar, which feeds on various fruit trees (see Tent caterpillar , under Tent .) The grapevine webworm is the larva of a geometrid moth (see Vine inchworm , under Vine ).

Wed <Xpage=1638>

Wed (w&ecr;d) , n. [AS. wedd ; akin to OFries. wed , OD. wedde , OHG, wetti , G. wette a wager, Icel. ve&edh; a pledge, Sw. vad a wager, an appeal, Goth. wadi a pledge, Lith. vad&uring;ti to redeem (a pledge), LL. vadium , L. vas , vadis , bail, security, vadimonium security, and Gr. <?/, <?/ a prize. Cf. Athlete , Gage a pledge, Wage .] A pledge; a pawn. [Obs.]

Gower. Piers Plowman.

Let him be ware, his neck lieth to wed [ i. e. , for a security]. Chaucer.

Wed <Xpage=1638>

Wed , v. t. [ imp. Wedded ; p. p. Wedded or Wed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Wedding .] [OE. wedden , AS. weddian to covenant, promise, to wed, marry; akin to OFries. weddia to promise, D. wedden to wager, to bet, G. wetten , Icel. ve&edh;ja , Dan. vedde , Sw. v\'84dja to appeal, Goth. ga wadj&omac;n to betroth. See Wed , n. ]

1. To take for husband or for wife by a formal ceremony; to marry; to espouse.

With this ring I thee wed . Bk. of Com. Prayer.

I saw thee first, and wedded thee. Milton.

2. To join in marriage; to give in wedlock.

And Adam, wedded to another Eve, Shall live with her. Milton.

3. Fig.: To unite as if by the affections or the bond of marriage; to attach firmly or indissolubly.

Thou art wedded to calamity. Shak.

Men are wedded to their lusts. Tillotson.

[Flowers] are wedded thus, like beauty to old age. Cowper.

4. To take to one's self and support; to espouse. [Obs.]

They positively and concernedly wedded his cause. Clarendon.

Wed <Xpage=1638>

Wed (?) , v. i. To contact matrimony; to marry. "When I shall wed ."

Shak.

Weddahs <Xpage=1638>

Wed"dahs (?) , n. pl. (Ethnol.) See Veddahs .

Wedded <Xpage=1638>

Wed"ded (?) , a. 1. Joined in wedlock; married.

Let w<?/alth, let honor, wait the wedded dame. Pope.

2. Of or pertaining to wedlock, or marriage. " Wedded love."

Milton.

Wedder <Xpage=1638>

Wed"der (?) , n. See Wether .

Sir W. Scott.

Wedding <Xpage=1638>

Wed"ding (?) , n. [AS. wedding .] Nuptial ceremony; nuptial festivities; marriage; nuptials.

Simple and brief was the wedding , as that of Ruth and of Boaz. Longfellow.

&hand; Certain anniversaries of an unbroken marriage have received fanciful, and more or less appropriate, names. Thus, the fifth anniversary is called the wooden wedding ; the tenth, the tin wedding ; the fifteenth, the crystal wedding ; the twentieth, the china wedding ; the twenty-fifth, the silver wedding ; the fiftieth, the golden wedding ; the sixtieth, the diamond wedding . These anniversaries are often celebrated by appropriate presents of wood, tin, china, silver, gold, etc., given by friends.

&hand; Wedding is often used adjectively; as, wedding cake, wedding cards, wedding clothes, wedding day, wedding feast, wedding guest, wedding ring, etc.

Let her beauty be her wedding dower. Shak.

Wedding favor , a marriage favor. See under Marriage .

Weder <Xpage=1638>

Wed"er (?) , n. Weather. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Wedge <Xpage=1638>

Wedge (?) , n. [OE. wegge , AS. wecg ; akin to D. wig , wigge , OHG. wecki , G. weck a (wedge-shaped) loaf, Icel. veggr , Dan. v\'91gge , Sw. vigg , and probably to Lith. vagis a peg. Cf. Wigg .]

1. A piece of metal, or other hard material, thick at one end, and tapering to a thin edge at the other, used in splitting wood, rocks, etc., in raising heavy bodies, and the like. It is one of the six elementary machines called the mechanical powers . See Illust . of Mechanical powers , under Mechanical .

2. (Geom.) A solid of five sides, having a rectangular base, two rectangular or trapezoidal sides meeting in an edge, and two triangular ends.

3. A mass of metal, especially when of a wedgelike form. " Wedges of gold."

Shak.

4. Anything in the form of a wedge, as a body of troops drawn up in such a form.

In warlike muster they appear, In rhombs, and wedges , and half-moons, and wings. Milton.

5. The person whose name stands lowest on the list of the classical tripos; -- so called after a person ( Wedge wood) who occupied this position on the first list of 1828. [Cant, Cambridge Univ., Eng.]

C. A. Bristed.

Fox wedge . (Mach. & Carpentry) See under Fox . -- Spherical wedge (Geom.) , the portion of a sphere included between two planes which intersect in a diameter.

Wedge <Xpage=1638>

Wedge , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Wedged (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Wedging .]

1. To cleave or separate with a wedge or wedges, or as with a wedge; to rive. "My heart, as wedged with a sigh, would rive in twain."

Shak.

2. To force or drive as a wedge is driven.

Among the crowd in the abbey where a finger Could not be wedged in more. Shak.

He 's just the sort of man to wedge himself into a snug berth. Mrs. J. H. Ewing.

3. To force by crowding and pushing as a wedge does; as, to wedge one's way .

Milton.

4. To press closely; to fix, or make fast, in the manner of a wedge that is driven into something.

Wedged in the rocky shoals, and sticking fast. Dryden.

5. To fasten with a wedge, or with wedges; as, to wedge a scythe on the snath; to wedge a rail or a piece of timber in its place .

6. (Pottery) To cut, as clay, into wedgelike masses, and work by dashing together, in order to expel air bubbles, etc.

Tomlinson.

Wedgebill <Xpage=1638>

Wedge"bill` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) An Australian crested insessorial bird ( Sphenostoma cristatum ) having a wedge-shaped bill. Its color is dull brown, like the earth of the plains where it lives.

Wedge-formed <Xpage=1638>

Wedge"-formed` (?) , a. Having the form of a wedge; cuneiform.

Wedge-formed characters . See Arrow-headed characters , under Arrowheaded .

Wedge-shaped <Xpage=1638>

Wedge"-shaped` (?) , a. 1. Having the shape of a wedge; cuneiform.

2. (Bot.) Broad and truncate at the summit, and tapering down to the base; as, a wedge-shaped leaf .

Wedge-shell <Xpage=1638>

Wedge"-shell` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) Any one of numerous species of small marine bivalves belonging to Donax and allied genera in which the shell is wedge-shaped.

Wedge-tailed <Xpage=1638>

Wedge"-tailed" (?) , a. (Zo\'94l.) Having a tail which has the middle pair of feathers longest, the rest successively and decidedly shorter, and all more or less attenuate; -- said of certain birds. See Illust . of Wood hoopoe , under Wood .