Chapter 1877

Weigh (?) , n. (Naut.) A corruption of Way , used only in the phrase under weigh .

An expedition was got under weigh from New York. Thackeray.

The Athenians . . . hurried on board and with considerable difficulty got under weigh . Jowett (Thucyd.).

Weigh <Xpage=1639>

Weigh , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Weighed (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Weighing .] [OE. weien , weyen , weghen , AS. wegan to bear, move; akin to D. wegen to weigh, G. w\'84gen , wiegen , to weigh, be wegen to move, OHG. wegan , Icel. vega to move, carry, lift, weigh, Sw. v\'84ga to weigh, Dan. veie , Goth. ga wigan to shake, L. vehere to carry, Skr. vah . <?/<?/<?/<?/. See Way , and cf. Wey .]

1. To bear up; to raise; to lift into the air; to swing up; as, to weigh anchor . " Weigh the vessel up."

Cowper.

2. To examine by the balance; to ascertain the weight of, that is, the force with which a thing tends to the center of the earth; to determine the heaviness, or quantity of matter of; as, to weigh sugar; to weigh gold.

Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Dan. v. 27.

3. To be equivalent to in weight; to counterbalance; to have the heaviness of. "A body weighing divers ounces."

Boyle.

4. To pay, allot, take, or give by weight.

They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. Zech. xi. 12.

5. To examine or test as if by the balance; to ponder in the mind; to consider or examine for the purpose of forming an opinion or coming to a conclusion; to estimate deliberately and maturely; to balance.

A young man not weighed in state affairs. Bacon.

Had no better weighed The strength he was to cope with, or his own. Milton.

Regard not who it is which speaketh, but weigh only what is spoken. Hooker.

In nice balance, truth with gold she weighs . Pope.

Without sufficiently weighing his expressions. Sir W. Scott.

6. To consider as worthy of notice; to regard. [Obs. or Archaic] "I weigh not you."

Shak.

All that she so dear did weigh . Spenser.

To weigh down . (a) To overbalance. (b) To oppress with weight; to overburden; to depress. "To weigh thy spirits down ."

Milton.

Weigh <Xpage=1639>

Weigh (?) , v. i. 1. To have weight; to be heavy. "They only weigh the heavier."

Cowper.

2. To be considered as important; to have weight in the intellectual balance.

Your vows to her and me . . . will even weigh . Shak.

This objection ought to weigh with those whose reading is designed for much talk and little knowledge. Locke.

3. To bear heavily; to press hard.

Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff Which weighs upon the heart. Shak.

4. To judge; to estimate. [R.]

Could not weigh of worthiness aright. Spenser.

To weigh down , to sink by its own weight.

Weigh <Xpage=1639>

Weigh , n. [See Wey .] A certain quantity estimated by weight; an English measure of weight. See Wey .

Weighable <Xpage=1639>

Weigh"a*ble (?) , a. Capable of being weighed.

Weighage <Xpage=1639>

Weigh"age (?; 48) , n. A duty or toil paid for weighing merchandise.

Bouvier.

Weighbeam <Xpage=1639>

Weigh"beam` (?) , n. A kind of large steelyard for weighing merchandise; -- also called weighmaster's beam .

Weighboard <Xpage=1639>

Weigh"board` (?) , n. (Mining) Clay intersecting a vein.

Weale.

Weighbridge <Xpage=1639>

Weigh"bridge` (?) , n. A weighing machine on which loaded carts may be weighed; platform scales.

Weigher <Xpage=1639>

Weigh"er (?) , n. One who weighs; specifically, an officer whose duty it is to weigh commodities.

Weighhouse <Xpage=1639>

Weigh"*house` (?) , n. ; pl. Weigh-houses (<?/) . A building at or within which goods, and the like, are weighed.

Weighing <Xpage=1639>

Weigh"ing , a. & n. from Weigh , v.

Weighing cage , a cage in which small living animals may be conveniently weighed. -- Weighing house . See Weigh-house . -- Weighing machine , any large machine or apparatus for weighing; especially, platform scales arranged for weighing heavy bodies, as loaded wagons.

Weighlock <Xpage=1639>

Weigh"lock` (?) , n. A lock, as on a canal, in which boats are weighed and their tonnage is settled.

Weighmaster <Xpage=1639>

Weigh"mas`ter (?) , n. One whose business it is to weigh ore, hay, merchandise, etc.; one licensed as a public weigher.

Weight <Xpage=1639>

Weight (?) , n. [OE. weght , wight , AS. gewiht ; akin to D. gewigt , G. gewicht , Icel. v\'91tt , Sw. vigt , Dan. v\'91gt . See Weigh , v. t. ]

1. The quality of being heavy; that property of bodies by which they tend toward the center of the earth; the effect of gravitative force, especially when expressed in certain units or standards, as pounds, grams, etc.

&hand; Weight differs from gravity in being the effect of gravity, or the downward pressure of a body under the influence of gravity; hence, it constitutes a measure of the force of gravity, and being the resultant of all the forces exerted by gravity upon the different particles of the body, it is proportional to the quantity of matter in the body.

2. The quantity of heaviness; comparative tendency to the center of the earth; the quantity of matter as estimated by the balance, or expressed numerically with reference to some standard unit; as, a mass of stone having the weight of five hundred pounds .

For sorrow, like a heavy-hanging bell, Once set on ringing, with his own weight goes. Shak.

3. Hence, pressure; burden; as, the weight of care or business . "The weight of this said time."

Shak.

For the public all this weight he bears. Milton.

[He] who singly bore the world's sad weight . Keble.

4. Importance; power; influence; efficacy; consequence; moment; impressiveness; as, a consideration of vast weight .

In such a point of weight , so near mine honor. Shak.

5. A scale, or graduated standard, of heaviness; a mode of estimating weight; as, avoirdupois weight ; troy weight ; apothecaries' weight .

6. A ponderous mass; something heavy; as, a clock weight ; a paper weight .

A man leapeth better with weights in his hands. Bacon.

7. A definite mass of iron, lead, brass, or other metal, to be used for ascertaining the weight of other bodies; as, an ounce weight .

8. (Mech.) The resistance against which a machine acts, as opposed to the power which moves it. [Obs.]

Atomic weight . (Chem.) See under Atomic , and cf. Element . -- Dead weight , Feather weight , Heavy weight , Light weight , etc. See under Dead , Feather , etc. -- Weight of observation (Astron. & Physics) , a number expressing the most probable relative value of each observation in determining the result of a series of observations of the same kind.

Syn. -- Ponderousness; gravity; heaviness; pressure; burden; load; importance; power; influence; efficacy; consequence; moment; impressiveness.

Weight <Xpage=1639>

Weight , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Weighted ; p. pr. & vb. n. Weighting .]

1. To load with a weight or weights; to load down; to make heavy; to attach weights to; as, to weight a horse or a jockey at a race; to weight a whip handle .

The arrows of satire, . . . weighted with sense. Coleridge.

2. (Astron. & Physics) To assign a weight to; to express by a number the probable accuracy of, as an observation. See Weight of observations , under Weight .

<page="1640"> Page 1640

Weightily <Xpage=1640>

Weight"i*ly (?) , adv. In a weighty manner.

Weightiness <Xpage=1640>

Weight"i*ness (?) , n. The quality or state of being weighty; weight; force; importance; impressiveness.

Weightless <Xpage=1640>

Weight"less , a. Having no weight; imponderable; hence, light.

Shak.

Weighty <Xpage=1640>

Weight"y (?) , a. [ Compar. Weightier (?) ; superl. Weightiest .]

1. Having weight; heavy; ponderous; as, a weighty body .

2. Adapted to turn the balance in the mind, or to convince; important; forcible; serious; momentous. "For sundry weighty reasons."

Shak.

Let me have your advice in a weighty affair. Swift.

3. Rigorous; severe; afflictive. [R.] "Attend our weightier judgment."

Shak.

Syn. -- Heavy; ponderous; burdensome; onerous; forcible; momentous; efficacious; impressive; cogent.

Weir, Wear <Xpage=1640>

Weir (?) , Wear , n . [OE. wer , AS. wer ; akin to G. wehr , AS. werian to defend, protect, hinder, G. wehren , Goth. warjan ; and perhaps to E. wary ; or cf. Skr. vr to check, hinder. &root;142. Cf. Garret .]

1. A dam in a river to stop and raise the water, for the purpose of conducting it to a mill, forming a fish pond, or the like.

2. A fence of stakes, brushwood, or the like, set in a stream, tideway, or inlet of the sea, for taking fish.

3. A long notch with a horizontal edge, as in the top of a vertical plate or plank, through which water flows, -- used in measuring the quantity of flowing water.

Weird <Xpage=1640>

Weird (?) , n. [OE. wirde , werde , AS. wyrd fate, fortune, one of the Fates, fr. weor<?/an to be, to become; akin to OS. wurd fate, OHG. wurt , Icel. ur<?/r . <?/143. See Worth to become.]

1. Fate; destiny; one of the Fates, or Norns; also, a prediction. [Obs. or Scot.]

2. A spell or charm. [Obs. or Scot.]

Sir W. Scott.

Weird <Xpage=1640>

Weird , a.

1. Of or pertaining to fate; concerned with destiny.

2. Of or pertaining to witchcraft; caused by, or suggesting, magical influence; supernatural; unearthly; wild; as, a weird appearance, look, sound, etc .

Myself too had weird seizures. Tennyson.

Those sweet, low tones, that seemed like a weird incantation. Longfellow.

Weird sisters , the Fates. [Scot.]

G. Douglas.

&hand; Shakespeare uses the term for the three witches in Macbeth.

The weird sisters , hand in hand, Posters of the sea and land. Shak.

Weird <Xpage=1640>

Weird , v. t. To foretell the fate of; to predict; to destine to. [Scot.]

Jamieson.

Weirdness <Xpage=1640>

Weird"ness , n. The quality or state of being weird.

Weism <Xpage=1640>

We"ism (?) , n. Same as Wegotism .

Weive <Xpage=1640>

Weive (?) , v. t. See Waive . [Obs.]

Gower.

Weka <Xpage=1640>

We"ka (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) A New Zealand rail ( Ocydromus australis ) which has wings so short as to be incapable of flight.

Wekau <Xpage=1640>

We"kau (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) A small New Zealand owl ( Sceloglaux albifacies ). It has short wings and long legs, and lives chiefly on the ground.

Wekeen <Xpage=1640>

We*keen" (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) The meadow pipit. [Prov. Eng.]

Welaway <Xpage=1640>

Wel"a*way (?) , interj. [OE. welaway , walaway , weilawey ; wei wo! (Icel. vei ) + la lo! (AS. l\'be ) + wei wo!; cf. AS. w\'be l\'be w\'be . See Woe .] Alas! [Obs.]

Then welaway , for she undone was clean. Wyatt.

Wel-begone <Xpage=1640>

Wel"-be*gone` (?) , a. [OE. wel-begon . See Well , and Begone .] Surrounded with happiness or prosperity. [Obs.]

Fair and rich and young and wel-begone . Chaucer.

Welch <Xpage=1640>

Welch (?) , a. See Welsh . [R.]

Welcher <Xpage=1640>

Welch"er (?) , n. See Welsher .

Welchman <Xpage=1640>

Welch"man (?) , n. See Welshman . [R.]

Welcome <Xpage=1640>

Wel"come (?) , a. [OE. welcome , welcume , wilcume , AS. wilcuma a welcome guest, from wil- , as a prefix, akin to willa will + cuma a comer, fr. cuman to come; hence, properly, one who comes so as to please another's will; cf. Icel. velkominn welcome, G. willkommen . See Will , n. , and Come.]

1. Received with gladness; admitted willingly to the house, entertainment, or company; as, a welcome visitor .

When the glad soul is made Heaven's welcome guest. Cowper.

2. Producing gladness; grateful; as, a welcome present; welcome news . "O, welcome hour!"

Milton.

3. Free to have or enjoy gratuitously; as, you are welcome to the use of my library .

&hand; Welcome is used elliptically for you are welcome . " Welcome , great monarch, to your own."

Dryden.

Welcome-to-our-house (Bot.) , a kind of spurge ( Euphorbia Cyparissias ).

Dr. Prior.

Welcome <Xpage=1640>

Wel"come , n.

1. Salutation to a newcomer. " Welcome ever smiles."

Shak.

2. Kind reception of a guest or newcomer; as, we entered the house and found a ready welcome .

His warmest welcome at an inn. Shenstone.

Truth finds an entrance and a welcome too. South.

To bid welcome , to receive with professions of kindness.

To thee and thy company I bid A hearty welcome . Shak.

Welcome <Xpage=1640>

Wel"come , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Welcomed (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Welcoming .] [AS. wilcumian .] To salute with kindness, as a newcomer; to receive and entertain hospitably and cheerfully; as, to welcome a visitor; to welcome a new idea . "I welcome you to land."

Addison.

Thus we salute thee with our early song, And welcome thee, and wish thee long. Milton.

Welcomely <Xpage=1640>

Wel"come*ly , adv. In a welcome manner.

Welcomeness <Xpage=1640>

Wel"come*ness , n. The quality or state of being welcome; gratefulness; agreeableness; kind reception.

Welcomer <Xpage=1640>

Wel"com*er (?) , n. One who welcomes; one who salutes, or receives kindly, a newcomer.

Shak.

Weld <Xpage=1640>

Weld (?) , v. t. To wield. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Weld <Xpage=1640>

Weld (?) , n. [OE. welde ; akin to Scot. wald , Prov. G. waude , G. wau , Dan. & Sw. vau , D. wouw .]

1. (Bot.) An herb ( Reseda luteola ) related to mignonette, growing in Europe, and to some extent in America; dyer's broom; dyer's rocket; dyer's weed; wild woad. It is used by dyers to give a yellow color. [Written also woald , wold , and would .]

2. Coloring matter or dye extracted from this plant.

Weld <Xpage=1640>

Weld , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Welded ; p. pr. & vb. n. Welding .] [Probably originally the same word as well to spring up, to gush; perhaps from the Scand.; cf. Sw. v\'84lla to weld, uppv\'84lla to boil up, to spring up, Dan. v\'91lde to gush, G. wellen to weld. See Well to spring.]

1. To press or beat into intimate and permanent union, as two pieces of iron when heated almost to fusion.

&hand; Very few of the metals, besides iron and platinum. are capable of being welded. Horn and tortoise shell possess this useful property.

2. Fig.: To unite closely or intimately.

Two women faster welded in one love. Tennyson.

Weld <Xpage=1640>

Weld , n. The state of being welded; the joint made by welding.

Butt weld . See under Butt . -- Scarf weld , a joint made by overlapping, and welding together, the scarfed ends of two pieces.

Weldable <Xpage=1640>

Weld"a*ble (?) , a. Capable of being welded.

Welder <Xpage=1640>

Weld"er (?) , n. One who welds, or unites pieces of iron, etc., by welding.

Welder <Xpage=1640>

Weld"er , n.

1. One who welds, or wields. [Obs.]

2. A manager; an actual occupant. [Ireland. Obs.] "The welder . . . who . . . lives miserably."

Swift.

Weldon's process <Xpage=1640>

Wel"don's proc"ess (?) , (Chem.) A process for the recovery or regeneration of manganese dioxide in the manufacture of chlorine, by means of milk of lime and the oxygen of the air; -- so called after the inventor.

Wele <Xpage=1640>

Wele (?) , n. [See Weal prosperity.] Prosperity; happiness; well-being; weal. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Weleful <Xpage=1640>

Wele"ful (?) , a. Producing prosperity or happiness; blessed. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Welew <Xpage=1640>

We"lew (?) , v. t. To welk, or wither. [Obs.]

Welfare <Xpage=1640>

Wel"fare` (?) , n. [ Well + fare to go, to proceed, to happen.] Well-doing or well-being in any respect; the enjoyment of health and the common blessings of life; exemption from any evil or calamity; prosperity; happiness.

How to study for the people's welfare . Shak.

In whose deep eyes Men read the welfare of the times to come. Emerson.

Welfaring <Xpage=1640>

Wel"far`ing , a. Faring well; prosperous; thriving. [Obs.] "A welfaring person."

Chaucer.

Welk <Xpage=1640>

Welk (?) , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Welked (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Welking .] [OE. welken ; cf. D. & G. welken to wither, G. welk withered, OHG. welc moist. See Welkin , and cf. Wilt .] To wither; to fade; also, to decay; to decline; to wane. [Obs.]

When ruddy Ph<?/bus 'gins to welk in west. Spenser.

The church, that before by insensible degrees welked and impaired, now with large steps went down hill decaying. Milton.

Welk <Xpage=1640>

Welk , v. t.

1. To cause to wither; to wilt. [Obs.]

Mot thy welked neck be to-broke [broken]. Chaucer.