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wabbit tired out, exhausted;
slightly ill
wack old name for decomposed
basalt
wadmal thick coarse wool
waesucks used to express pity
waftage transportation through
water or air
wafture act of waving or wafting
waggoner a collection or book of
nautical maps
waghalter one likely to be hanged
wagonette carriage with one crosswise
seat in front, two seats in back
wagtail an obsequious person; a
harlot
wahala inconvenience; a fuss,
trouble
Waikikamukau mythical town that is so
remote it makes Eketahuna look like a metropolis; Podunk
wainage team and implements needed
for cultivation of land
wainscot to line with boards or
panels; fine oak panelling
wair timber of six feet in
length and one foot in width
waits musicians employed to play
on ceremonial occasions
wakerife wakeful; indisposed to
sleep
waldflute organ flute stop of 4 feet
in length
waldgrave old German title of
nobility
waldhorn French valveless hunting
horn
waldo a device for handling or
manipulating objects by remote control
wale to choose; the act of
choosing
wallah a person who is associated
with a particular work or who performs a particular duty or service
walla-walla an unintelligible sound
made by many people talking at once
walleteer one who carries a wallet
wallfish snail
wallflower yellowish-red
wally an idiot or imbecile
wallydrag feeble or worthless person
or animal
wallydraigle a feeble, imperfectly
developed, or slovenly creature
walm to spout; to boil up
Walpurgisnach 1. the eve of May Day on
which witches are held to ride to an appointed rendezvous
Walpurgisnach 2. something (as an event
or situation) having a nightmarish quality
walty inclined to tip over or
lean
wamble churning of the stomach;
wobbling or rolling motion; to feel nausea
wame the womb or belly; a
protuberant hollow part
wampus a stupid, dull, loutish
clod
wamus cardigan or jacket buttoned
at neck and wrists
wanchancy unlucky; uncanny
wang the cheek; a molar
wanhope despair
wanigan pay office in a lumber camp
wanion ill luck; misfortune
wanker a contemptible person, usu.
a man; jerk; a masturbator
wankle unstable or unsteady
wantage deficiency; shortage
wantwit one who lacks wit or sense;
a fool, blockhead
wanweird an unhappy fate
wanze to decrease; to waste away
wapenshaw periodic gathering to
evaluate readiness of men for combat
wapentake archaic sub-division of
certain counties
wapperjawed having a crooked jaw
waqf charitable donation for
Islamic religious purposes
warble small tumour suffered by
horses under the saddle area
wardcorn payment of corn in place of
military service
warden kind of pear used in
cooking
wardmote meeting of a ward or a
court of a ward
wardroom quarters for ship's
officers
warison 1. a bugle call used to
signal the start of an attack
warison 2. wealth; reward;
punishment
warrantise the act of guaranteeing or
warranting; an assurance
warray to make war on
warren heart-shaped hoe
warrener keeper of a warren of
rabbits
wase small bundle of hay or
straw for resting one's head
washball ball of toilet soap
washboard broad thin plank along
ship's gunwale to keep out sea water
washery location where industrial
washing takes place
washeteria laundromat or launderette
washi thin Japanese paper used to
make kites and lanterns
washland area periodically flooded
by river
wasm an outdated policy,
doctrine or theory
wassail toast to someone's health;
to go caroling or carousing; spiced ale
wasserman man-shaped sea monster
wastel sweet flaky bread made with
fine flour and butter
wastelot unused lot of land in a
built-up area
waster wooden sword used for
practicing fencing
wastive liable to waste
watchet pale blue
watchglass small dish used for holding
small amounts of a solution
watching fully afloat
waterage fee paid for travelling on
water
waterish resembling or filled with
water; insipid or diluted
waterman boatman or ferryman
waterwork piece of fabric painted to
resemble a tapestry
wattmeter instrument for measuring
electrical power
waulk to full cloth
waulker cloth fuller
wavemeter instrument for measuring
wavelengths
waveson wreckage floating on the
sea; flotsam (compare jetsam)
waxcloth oilcloth; linoleum
wayboard thin geological seam
separating larger strata
waygone exhausted from long travels
wayment lamentation; grief
waywiser instrument for measuring
distance travelled
wayzgoose a printer's annual dinner
or excursion; annual employees' dinner or outing
wazzock a stupid or annoying person
wear to turn a ship's stern to
windward to alter its course
wearish tasteless; savourless
weasand the gullet or windpipe
weasy a spurious word in
dictionaries, based on a misreading of 'wealy' in Joye's "The exposicion
of Daniel the prophete"
weatherboard weather side of a ship
weatherly able to sail close to the
wind with little leeway
weatherometer instrument for measuring
weather-resisting properties of paint
webcast live broadcast transmitted
on the World Wide Web
weber unit of magnetic flux equal
to 100 million maxwells
webster a female weaver
webwheel wheel in which spokes, rim
and centre made from one piece of material
weddinger a wedding guest
wedeln skiing in a swiveling
motion with skis close together
weed garment or outfit worn
during mourning
weedicide something that kills weeds
weedy dressed in widow's mourning
clothes
weftage texture
wegotism the excessive use of 'we'
in writing, particulary in newspaper editorials
weighage fee paid for weighing goods
weirdward bordering upon the
supernatural
weld yellow dye; plant from
which it is extracted
welk to twist about
welkin 1. the vault of heaven; the
sky
welkin 2. the upper air, sky; air
wellaway expression of sorrow or
lamentation; alas
weltanschauung a comprehensive conception
or apprehension of the world, esp. from a specific standpoint;
world-view
welter to be in a state of turmoil
or chaos; wriggle, writhe
weltschmerz mental depression or apathy
caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal
state
wen enormously congested city
wergild money paid by a killer's
family to the family of the victim to prevent a blood feud; the cash
value of a man's life
wertfrei without value judgement;
neutral
wesort one of a group of people of
mixed white-black-Indian ancestry living in southern Maryland
westing space or distance westward
wether a castrated ram
wey old measure for dry goods
usually equal to 40 bushels
whamboozled hoodwinked and eliminated
(from a poker tournament)
whang a leather thong; a thick
slice
whangam an imaginary animal
whangdoodle 1. a fanciful creature of
undefined nature
whangdoodle 2. stuff and nonsense
wharfinger keeper or owner of a wharf
whatabouts things with which one is
occupied
wheal a Cornish mine
wheaten the golden colour of ripe
wheat
wheep sound made by a steel
weapon when drawn from a sheath
wheeple a poor attempt at whistling
whelky knobby; rounded
whelm to cover or engulf
completely with usually disastrous effect, destroy, overpower
whelve to cover with an upside
down vessel; to turn something over and hide something underneath; to
bury something
whemmle to overturn; to throw into
a state of disorder
whenas when
whencesoever from whatsoever place or
source
whereagainst against which
whereinsoever in whatsoever respect or
place
whereinto into which; into what
whereof of what
whereon on what
whereout out of which
wherethrough through which; through the
agency of
whereuntil to what
wherewith with what
wherret a blow on the ear or side
of the head
wherry light shallow boat; barge
whey off-white
whichsoever every one that
whicker to neigh; to bleat
whiddin to be running like a hare
whiff to fish with hand line
towed behind a boat
whiffet paltry person; little dog
whiffled intoxicated, drunk
whiffler official who clears way for
a procession
whifflery levity; trifling
whift a slight puff or blast
whiggarchy government by Whigs
whigmaleerie whim; an odd or fanciful
contrivance; gimcrack
whilom formerly; once; former
whin gorse; furze
whinge to complain fretfully;
whine; hence whinging
whinger dirk or short sword
whinstone hard and compact rock
whinyard short sword
whipcat tailor
whipcord fabric with bold twill used
for making dresses
whipjack whining beggar who pretends
to be a sailor
whippet a small tank
whippletree crosspiece of a carriage to
which harnesses attached
whippy pliant; supple
whipsaw narrow saw for cutting
timber lengthwise
whipsloven a sloven who deserves
whipping
whipstaff vertical lever controlling
ship's rudder
whipstall airplane stall causing nose
to whip forward and down
whirret to give a sharp blow to
whiskerando a whiskered person
whiskerino beard-growing contest
whiss to hiss or whistle
whistler mythical bird whose whistle
is fatal to the listener
whistness hush; hist
whitecoat white-furred seal pup
whither to what place
whithersoever to any place whatsoever
whitherward toward what or which place
whitleather leather dressed with alum
whitlow abscess around a fingernail
whitster bleacher of cloth and
clothing
whittawer one who makes saddles or
harnesses
whittle a woollen shawl or blanket
whodunitry genre of writing poor
mystery novels
wholestitch weaving stitch that fills
in a pattern
whoremonger a man consorting with
whores or given to lechery
whoreson bastard; whore's son; term
of contempt
wicket small door forming part of
larger door of a church or castle
widdendream being in a state of
confusion or mental disturbance
widdershins moving in a
counterclockwise (or left-handed) direction, contrary to the apparent
course of the sun; unlucky, ill-fated
widdiful fit and deserving to be
hanged
widdy a hangman's noose
widgeon freshwater duck
widget any small manufactured
object
wieldless unmanageable
wifthing an affair with a woman or
wife; sexual intercourse; a nuptial ceremony
wigan stiff plain-woven cotton
wight a supernatural man-like
being
wight nimble; strong; courageous
wilder to cause to stray
wilding that which grows without
cultivation
williwaw sudden gust of cold air;
violent commotion; sudden squall, tumult or disturbance
willowish of the colour of willow
leaves
wimble instrument for boring
holes; gimlet; auger
wimble-wamble to roll about in walking
wimple cloth covering for head and
neck worn by nuns
wincey plain or twilled cotton
windbound hindered from sailing by
contrary winds
windcheater windproof jacket
windgall puffy swelling around a
horse's joints
windigo a cannibalistic giant; the
transformation of a person who has eaten human flesh
windlass 1. circuitous movement;
indirect action
windlass 2. winch used to raise a
ship's anchor
windle appliance for winding yarn
windlestraw a person who is tall, thin
and unhealthy looking; anything light or insubstantial
windrose diagram showing yearly wind
strengths for a locality
windrow hay raked together into a
line
windthrow the blowing over of trees
by the wind
winglet a small wing
winkler one who extracts or forces
something out little by little
winterbourne intermittent spring of
water
winterim short winter term at a
private school designed for personal study
winterkill to kill by exposure to cold
winx to bray like an ass or
donkey
winze small ventilating shaft
between two levels of a mine
winebibber one who habitually drinks a
lot of alcohol
wippen part of piano hammer raised
when note played
wirble to whirl; to turn round and
round
wiredraw to reduce fluid pressure by
passing it through a small orifice
wirewove very fine quality of
writing paper
wis to know, to believe
wiseacre someone who unduly assumes
air of superior wisdom
wiseling one who pretends to be wise
wisent European bison
wisket a basket
wist to know
wistly longingly; earnestly
witchknot knot in hair supposedly
tied by witches
witeless without fault; blameless
witenagemot early English national
council
withal besides; therewith;
nevertheless; with
withe 1. elastic tool handle to
save the hand from shock of blows
withe 2. partition between
chimney flues
witherling withered or decrepit
person; an adversary
withy flexible; wiry and agile;
willow
witling one who utters markedly
feeble witticisms
witter to chatter or mutter; to
grumble; to speak with annoying lengthiness on trivial matters
wittering continuous pointless
chatter
witticaster a petty or inferior wit, a
witling
wittol 1. a husband who accepts
his wife's infidelity
wittol 2. a stupid person; a
person with no wits, not even a half-wit
witwanton to engage in irreverent wit
witzchoura a woman's cloak with large
sleeves. Primarily worn in the early nineteenth century
witzelsucht a morbid tendency to pun,
make poor jokes, and tell pointless stories
wive to take for a wife; to
marry a woman
wivern mythical two-legged winged
monster
wlatsome something which is loathed
woad broad-leafed plant yielding
blue dye
wodge a large piece or amount of
something
woggle ring of leather or plastic
used to thread neckerchief
wold open tract of country
womanthrope a hater of women
womby hollow; capacious
wommacky shaking and weak while
recovering from illness or surgery
womoonless combination of womanless
and moonless
wondermonger one who promises miracles
wonderwork prodigy; miracle;
thaumaturgy
wone a dwelling-place; custom or
habit
woning state of dwelling;
dwelling-place
wonk a nerd
wontless unaccustomed
wood mad; insane; wild
woodmeal sawdust and other wood
waste used as industrial filler
woodpusher a poor chess player; a
patzer
woodreeve overseer of a wood
woodshedding 1. the dispensing of
punishment
woodshedding 2. the practice or
rehearsal of music
woodshedding 3. spontaneous or
improvised barber-shop singing
woodwose wild man of the woods, used
in heraldry as supporter; satyr or faun
woofits an unwell feeling; a moody
depression
woolage untidy hair
woolbird sheep
woold to wind a rope or chain
around
woolfell skin with the wool still on
it
woolpack 1. cirrocumulus cloud
woolsack 2. large wool-filled
scarlet sack for the Lord Chancellor
woolsey cotton and wool blend
woolward with wool next to the skin
as punishment
woonerf road in a residential
district which uses various measures to calm traffic
woopie well-off older person
wootz a type of steel imported
from the East Indies, valued for making edge tools; Indian steel
worble to wriggle or wallow
worcester fine wool
wordanista someone who tells others
what is or is not a word, based on what they have read in books
wordbound unable to find expression
in words
wordbreak of division in a word that
runs onto the next line
wordish verbose
wordster one that is adept in the
use of words, esp. in an empty or overblown manner
workerist one who supports worker's
rights
workshy hating or avoiding work;
lazy
worksome industrious
worldling a person engrossed in
concerns of the present world
wormcast spiral heap of earth left
by burrowing worm
wormery place where worms are bred
wormil lump in the skin of an
animal's back
wormwood something bitter, galling,
or grievous
worricow scarecrow; hobgoblin;
frightening-looking person
worsement deterioration or
deprecation of property without the owner's consent
worsification the composition of bad
poetry
wort 1. any herb or vegetable
wort 2. infusion of malt before
fermentation
worthful having worth or value;
valuable; precious
wortle perforated plate through
which wire drawn to make thinner
woubit a small and shabby person
wouldingness desire, inclination;
velleity
woundless harmless
woundy excessively; extremely
wowser an obtrusively puritanical
person
wrack seaweed or wreckage cast up
on shore
wrackful destructive
wranglership position of being a
wrangler at Cambridge University
wrawl to caterwaul
wreak to inflict upon a person;
to express; vent; to cause
wreakless unpunished
wretchock smallest or weakest of a
brood
wrick to twist; to sprain; to
strain
wright maker; repairer
wristlet wristband; small strap worn
around the wrist
writative characterized by an
inclination to write
writhen being twisted or contorted
writhled wrinkled; shriveled
wrongeousness the state or condition of
being wrong; wrongfulness
wrongous unjust; wrongful
wroth wrathful; in commotion;
stormy
wrox to decay; to rot
wuffler agricultural machine for
turning and fluffing bales of hay
wuntee a lonely old buffalo bull
wurley a nest; an aboriginal hut
wurst large sausage
wurzel kind of beet
wuthering blowing strongly with a
roaring sound
wye a Y-branching pipe or
railroad track arrangement
wyn old English rune having
value 'w'
wynd narrow street or lane
wyrd the personification of fate
or destiny
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