Chapter 1890

This game . . . was like to have been lost with a why-not . Nug\'91 Antiq.

Wich <Xpage=1651>

Wich (?) , n. A variant of 1st Wick .

Wichitas <Xpage=1651>

Wich"i*tas (?) , n. pl. ; sing. Wichita (<?/) . (Ethnol.) A tribe of Indians native of the region between the Arkansas and Red rivers. They are related to the Pawnees. See Pawnees .

Wick, &or; Wich <Xpage=1651>

Wick (?) , &or; Wich (?) , n. [AS. w\'c6c village, fr. L. vicus . In some names of places, perhaps fr. Icel. v\'c6k an inlet, creek, bay. See Vicinity , and cf. Villa .]

1. A street; a village; a castle; a dwelling; a place of work, or exercise of authority; -- now obsolete except in composition; as, baili wick , War wick , Green wick .

Stow.

2. (Curling) A narrow port or passage in the rink or course, flanked by the stones of previous players.

Wick <Xpage=1651>

Wick (?) , n. [OE. wicke , weyke , weke , AS. weoca or wecca ; cf. D. wiek a roll of lint, Prov. G. wicke , and wieche , OHG. wiohha , Sw. veke , Dan. v\'91ge ; of uncertain origin.] A bundle of fibers, or a loosely twisted or braided cord, tape, or tube, usually made of soft spun cotton threads, which by capillary attraction draws up a steady supply of the oil in lamps, the melted tallow or wax in candles, or other material used for illumination, in small successive portions, to be burned.

But true it is, that when the oil is spent The light goes out, and wick is thrown away. Spenser.

Wick <Xpage=1651>

Wick , v. i. (Curling) To strike a stone in an oblique direction.

Jamieson.

Wicke <Xpage=1651>

Wick"e (?) , a. Wicked. [Obs.] Piers Plowman . "With full wikke intent."

Chaucer.

Wicked <Xpage=1651>

Wicked (?) , a. Having a wick; -- used chiefly in composition; as, a two- wicked lamp .

Wicked <Xpage=1651>

Wick"ed (?) a. [OE. wicked , fr. wicke wicked; probably originally the same word as wicche wizard, witch. See Witch .]

1. Evil in principle or practice; deviating from morality; contrary to the moral or divine law; addicted to vice or sin; sinful; immoral; profligate; -- said of persons and things; as, a wicked king; a wicked woman; a wicked deed; wicked designs.

Hence, then, and evil go with thee along, Thy offspring, to the place of evil, hell, Thou and thy wicked crew! Milton.

Never, never, wicked man was wise. Pope.

2. Cursed; baneful; hurtful; bad; pernicious; dangerous. [Obs.] " Wicked dew."

Shak.

This were a wicked way, but whoso had a guide. P. Plowman.

3. Ludicrously or sportively mischievous; disposed to mischief; roguish. [Colloq.]

Pen looked uncommonly wicked . Thackeray.

Syn. -- Iniquitous; sinful; criminal; guilty; immoral; unjust; unrighteous; unholy; irreligious; ungodly; profane; vicious; pernicious; atrocious; nefarious; heinous; flagrant; flagitious; abandoned. See Iniquitous .

Wickedly <Xpage=1651>

Wick"ed*ly , adv. In a wicked manner; in a manner, or with motives and designs, contrary to the divine law or the law of morality; viciously; corruptly; immorally.

I have sinned, and I have done wickedly . 2 Sam. xxiv. 17.

Wickedness <Xpage=1651>

Wick"ed*ness , n. 1. The quality or state of being wicked; departure from the rules of the divine or the moral law; evil disposition or practices; immorality; depravity; sinfulness.

God saw that the wickedness of man was great. Gen. vi. 5.

Their inward part is very wickedness . Ps. v. 9.

2. A wicked thing or act; crime; sin; iniquity.

I'll never care what wickedness I do, If this man comes to good. Shak.

Wicken tree <Xpage=1651>

Wick"en tree` (?) . Same as Quicken tree .

Wicker <Xpage=1651>

Wick"er (?) , n. [OE. wiker , wikir , osier, probably akin to AS. w\'c6can to give way. Cf. Weak .]

1. A small pliant twig or osier; a rod for making basketwork and the like; a withe.

2. Wickerwork; a piece of wickerwork, esp. a basket.

Then quick did dress His half milk up for cheese, and in a press Of wicker pressed it. Chapman.

3. Same as 1st Wike . [Prov. Eng.]

Wicker <Xpage=1651>

Wick"er (?) , a. Made of, or covered with, twigs or osiers, or wickerwork.

Each one a little wicker basket had, Made of fine twigs, entrail\'82d curiously. Spenser.

Wickered <Xpage=1651>

Wick"ered (?) , a. Made of, secured by, or covered with, wickers or wickerwork.

Ships of light timber, wickered with osier between, and covered over with leather. Milton.

Wickerwork <Xpage=1651>

Wick"er*work` (?) , n. A texture of osiers, twigs, or rods; articles made of such a texture.

Wicket <Xpage=1651>

Wick"et (?) , n. [OE. wiket , OF. wiket , guichet , F. quichet ; probably of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. v<?/k a small creek, inlet, bay, vik a corner.]

1. A small gate or door, especially one forming part of, or placed near, a larger door or gate; a narrow opening or entrance cut in or beside a door or gate, or the door which is used to close such entrance or aperture. Piers Plowman . "Heaven's wicket ."

Milton.

And so went to the high street, . . . and came to the great tower, but the gate and wicket was fast closed. Ld. Berners.

The wicket , often opened, knew the key. Dryden.

2. A small gate by which the chamber of canal locks is emptied, or by which the amount of water passing to a water wheel is regulated.

3. (Cricket) (a) A small framework at which the ball is bowled. It consists of three rods, or stumps, set vertically in the ground, with one or two short rods, called bails , lying horizontally across the top. (b) The ground on which the wickets are set.

4. A place of shelter made of the boughs of trees, -- used by lumbermen, etc. [Local, U. S.]

Bartlett.

5. (Mining) The space between the pillars, in postand-stall working.

Raymond.

Wicket door , Wicket gate , a small door or gate; a wicket. See def. 1, above. Bunyan . -- Wicket keeper (Cricket) , the player who stands behind the wicket to catch the balls and endeavor to put the batsman out.

Wicking <Xpage=1651>

Wick"ing , n. the material of which wicks are made; esp., a loosely braided or twisted cord or tape of cotton.

Wiclifite, Wickliffite <Xpage=1651>

Wic"lif*ite , Wick"liff*ite (?) , n. See Wyclifite .

Wicopy <Xpage=1651>

Wic"o*py (?) , n. (Bot.) See Leatherwood .

Widdy <Xpage=1651>

Wid"dy (?) , n. [Cf. Withy .] A rope or halter made of flexible twigs, or withes, as of birch. [Scot.]

Wide <Xpage=1651>

Wide (?) , a. [ Compar. Wider (?) ; superl. Widest .] [OE. wid , wyde , AS. w\'c6d ; akin to OFries. & OS. w\'c6d , D. wijd , G. weit , OHG. w\'c6t , Icel. v\'c6\'ebr , Sw. & Dan. vid ; of uncertain origin.]

1. Having considerable distance or extent between the sides; spacious across; much extended in a direction at right angles to that of length; not narrow; broad; as, wide cloth; a wide table; a wide highway; a wide bed; a wide hall or entry.

The chambers and the stables weren wyde . Chaucer.

Wide is the gate . . . that leadeth to destruction. Matt. vii. 18.

2. Having a great extent every way; extended; spacious; broad; vast; extensive; as, a wide plain; the wide ocean; a wide difference . "This wyde world."

Chaucer.

For sceptered cynics earth were far too wide a den. Byron.

When the wide bloom, on earth that lies, Seems of a brighter world than ours. Bryant.

3. Of large scope; comprehensive; liberal; broad; as, wide views; a wide understanding .

Men of strongest head and widest culture. M. Arnold.

4. Of a certain measure between the sides; measuring in a direction at right angles to that of length; as, a table three feet wide .

5. Remote; distant; far.

The contrary being so wide from the truth of Scripture and the attributes of God. Hammond.

6. Far from truth, from propriety, from necessity, or the like. "Our wide expositors."

Milton.

It is far wide that the people have such judgments. Latimer.

How wide is all this long pretense ! Herbert.

7. On one side or the other of the mark; too far side-wise from the mark, the wicket, the batsman, etc.

Surely he shoots wide on the bow hand. Spenser.

I was but two bows wide . Massinger.

8. (Phon.) Made, as a vowel, with a less tense, and more open and relaxed, condition of the mouth organs; -- opposed to primary as used by Mr. Bell, and to narrow as used by Mr. Sweet. The effect, as explained by Mr. Bell, is due to the relaxation or tension of the pharynx; as explained by Mr. Sweet and others, it is due to the action of the tongue. The wide of &emac; (&emac;ve) is &icr; (&icr;ll); of \'be (\'bete) is &ecr; (&ecr;nd), etc. See Guide to Pronunciation , &sect; 13-15.

&hand; Wide is often prefixed to words, esp. to participles and participial adjectives, to form self-explaining compounds; as, wide -beaming, wide -branched, wide -chopped, wide -echoing, wide -extended, wide -mouthed, wide -spread, wide -spreading, and the like.

Far and wide . See under Far . -- Wide gauge . See the Note under Cauge , 6 .

Wide <Xpage=1651>

Wide , adv. [As. w<?/de .]

1. To a distance; far; widely; to a great distance or extent; as, his fame was spread wide .

[I] went wyde in this world, wonders to hear. Piers Plowman.

2. So as to leave or have a great space between the sides; so as to form a large opening.

Shak.

3. So as to be or strike far from, or on one side of, an object or purpose; aside; astray.

Wide <Xpage=1651>

Wide , n. 1. That which is wide; wide space; width; extent. "The waste wide of that abyss."

Tennyson.

2. That which goes wide, or to one side of the mark.

<page="1652"> Page 1652

Wide-awake <Xpage=1652>

Wide`-a*wake" (?) , a. Fully awake; not <?/<?/rowsy or dull; hence, knowing; keen; alert.

Dickens.

Wide-awake <Xpage=1652>

Wide`-a*wake" , n. A broad-brimmed, low-crowned felt hat.

Widegap <Xpage=1652>

Wide"gap` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) The angler; -- called also widegab , and widegut .

Widely <Xpage=1652>

Wide"ly , adv. 1. In a wide manner; to a wide degree or extent; far; extensively; as, the gospel was widely disseminated by the apostles .

2. Very much; to a great degree or extent; as, to differ widely in opinion .

Widen <Xpage=1652>

Wid"en (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Widened (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Widening .] To make wide or wider; to extend in breadth; to increase the width of; as, to widen a field; to widen a breach; to widen a stocking.

Widen <Xpage=1652>

Wid"en , v. i. To grow wide or wider; to enlarge; to spread; to extend.

Arches widen , and long aisles extend. Pope.

Wideness <Xpage=1652>

Wide"ness (?) , n. 1. The quality or state of being wide; breadth; width; great extent from side to side; as, the wideness of a room . "I landed in a small creek about the wideness of my canoe."

Swift.

2. Large extent in all directions; broadness; greatness; as, the wideness of the sea or ocean .

Widespread <Xpage=1652>

Wide"spread` (?) , a. Spread to a great distance; widely extended; extending far and wide; as, widespread wings; a widespread movement .

Widewhere <Xpage=1652>

Wide"where` (?) , adv. [See Wide , and Where .] Widely; far and wide. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Widgeon <Xpage=1652>

Widg"eon (?) , n. [Probably from an old French form of F. vigeon , vingeon , gingeon ; of uncertain origin; cf. L. vipio , -onis , a kind of small crane.] (Zo\'94l.) Any one of several species of fresh-water ducks, especially those belonging to the subgenus Mareca , of the genus Anas . The common European widgeon ( Anas penelope ) and the American widgeon ( A. Americana ) are the most important species. The latter is called also baldhead , baldpate , baldface , baldcrown , smoking duck , wheat , duck , and whitebelly .

Bald-faced , &or; Green-headed , widgeon, the American widgeon. -- Black widgeon , the European tufted duck. -- Gray widgeon . (a) The gadwall. (b) The pintail duck. -- Great headed widgeon , the poachard. -- Pied widgeon . (a) The poachard. (b) The goosander. Saw-billed widgeon , the merganser. -- Sea widgeon . See in the Vocabulary. -- Spear widgeon , the goosander. [Prov. Eng.] -- Spoonbilled widgeon , the shoveler. -- White widgeon , the smew. -- Wood widgeon , the wood duck.

Widish <Xpage=1652>

Wid"ish (?) , a. Moderately wide.

Tyndall.

Widmanst\'84tten figures <Xpage=1652>

Wid"man*st\'84t`ten fig"ures (?) . (Min.) Certain figures appearing on etched meteoric iron; -- so called after A. B. Widmanst\'84tten , of Vienna, who first described them in 1808. See the Note and Illust . under Meteorite .

Widow <Xpage=1652>

Wid"ow (?) , n. [OE. widewe , widwe , AS. weoduwe , widuwe , wuduwe ; akin to OFries. widwe , OS. widowa , D. weduwe , G. wittwe , witwe , OHG. wituwa , witawa , Goth. widuw<?/ , Russ. udova , OIr. fedb , W. gweddw , L. vidua , Skr. vidhav\'be ; and probably to Skr. vidh to be empty, to lack; cf. Gr. <?/ a bachelor. <?/<?/<?/<?/. Cf. Vidual .] A woman who has lost her husband by death, and has not married again; one living bereaved of a husband. "A poor widow ."

Chaucer.

Grass widow . See under Grass . -- Widow bewitched , a woman separated from her husband; a grass widow. [Colloq.] Widow-in-mourning (Zo\'94l.) , the macavahu. -- Widow monkey (Zo\'94l.) , a small South American monkey ( Callithrix lugens ); -- so called on account of its color, which is black except the dull whitish arms, neck, and face, and a ring of pure white around the face. -- Widow's chamber (Eng. Law) , in London, the apparel and furniture of the bedchamber of the widow of a freeman, to which she was formerly entitled.

Widow <Xpage=1652>

Wid"ow , a. Widowed. "A widow woman." 1 Kings xvii. 9 . "This widow lady."

Shak.

Widow <Xpage=1652>

Wid"ow , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Widowed (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Widowing .]

1. To reduce to the condition of a widow; to bereave of a husband; -- rarely used except in the past participle.

Though in thus city he Hath widowed and unchilded many a one, Which to this hour bewail the injury. Shak.

2. To deprive of one who is loved; to strip of anything beloved or highly esteemed; to make desolate or bare; to bereave.

The widowed isle, in mourning, Dries up her tears. Dryden.

Tress of their shriveled fruits Are widowed , dreary storms o'er all prevail. J. Philips.

Mourn, widowed queen; forgotten Sion, mourn. Heber.

3. To endow with a widow's right. [R.]

Shak.

4. To become, or survive as, the widow of. [Obs.]

Let me be married to three kings in a forenoon, and widow them all . Shak.

Widow bird <Xpage=1652>

Wid"ow bird` (?) . (Zo\'94l.) See Whidan bird .

Widower <Xpage=1652>

Wid"ow*er (?) , n. A man who has lost his wife by death, and has not married again.

Shak.

Widowerhood <Xpage=1652>

Wid"ow*er*hood (?) , n. The state of being a widower.

Widowhood <Xpage=1652>

Wid"ow*hood (?) , n. 1. The state of being a widow; the time during which a woman is widow; also, rarely, the state of being a widower.

Johnson clung to her memory during a widowhood of more than thirty years. Leslie Stephen.

2. Estate settled on a widow. [Obs.] "I 'll assure her of her widowhood . . . in all my lands."

Shak.

Widow-hunter <Xpage=1652>

Wid"ow-hunt`er (?) , n. One who courts widows, seeking to marry one with a fortune.

Addison.

Widowly <Xpage=1652>

Wid"ow*ly , a. Becoming or like a widow.

Widow-maker <Xpage=1652>

Wid"ow-mak`er (?) , n. One who makes widows by destroying husbands. [R.]

Shak.

Widow-wail <Xpage=1652>

Wid"ow-wail` (?) , n. (Bot.) A low, narrowleaved evergreen shrub ( Cneorum tricoccon ) found in Southern Europe.

Width <Xpage=1652>

Width (?) , n. [From Wide .] The quality of being wide; extent from side to side; breadth; wideness; as, the width of cloth; the width of a door .

Widual <Xpage=1652>

Wid"u*al (?) , a. Of or pertaining to a widow; vidual. [Obs.]

Bale.

Widwe <Xpage=1652>

Wid"we (?) , n. A widow. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Wield <Xpage=1652>

Wield (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Wielded ; p. pr. & vb. n. Wielding .] [OE. welden to govern, to have power over, to possess, AS. geweldan , gewyldan , from wealdan ; akin to OS. waldan , OFries. walda , G. walten , OHG. waltan , Icel. valda , Sw. v\'86lla to occasion, to cause, Dan. volde , Goth. waldan to govern, rule, L. valere to be strong. Cf. Herald , Valiant .]

1. To govern; to rule; to keep, or have in charge; also, to possess. [Obs.]

When a strong armed man keepeth his house, all things that he wieldeth ben in peace. Wyclif (Luke xi. 21).

Wile [ne will] ye wield gold neither silver ne money in your girdles. Wyclif (Matt. x. 9.)

2. To direct or regulate by influence or authority; to manage; to control; to sway.