| wifehood | 1. Womanhood. 2. The state of being a wife; the character of a wife. Origin: AS. Wifhad. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| wifelike | Of, pertaining to, or like, a wife or a woman. " Wifelike government." Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| wig | A kind of raised seedcake. "Wiggs and ale." Origin: Cf. D. Wegge a sort of bread, G. Weck, orig, a wedge-shaped loaf or cake. See Wedge. 1. A covering for the head, consisting of hair interwoven or united by a kind of network, either in imitation of the natural growth, or in abundant and flowing curls, worn to supply a deficiency of natural hair, or for ornament, or according to traditional usage, as a part of an official or professional dress, the latter especially in England by judges and barristers. 2. An old seal; so called by fishermen. Wig tree. <botany> See Smoke tree, under Smoke. Origin: Abbreviation from periwig. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Wigand manoeuvre | An assisted breech delivery with pressure above the symphysis while the foetus lies astraddle the operator's other arm. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Wigand, J Heinrich | <person> German obstetrician and gynecologist, 1766-1817. See: Wigand manoeuvre. (05 Mar 2000) |
| wigeon | <zoology> A widgeon. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| wiggler | <zoology> The young, either larva or pupa, of the mosquito. Synonym: wiggletail. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| wight | 1. A whit; a bit; a jot. "She was fallen asleep a little wight." (Chaucer) 2. A supernatural being. 3. A human being; a person, either male or female; now used chiefly in irony or burlesque, or in humorous language. "Worst of all wightes." "Every wight that hath discretion." (Chaucer) "Oh, say me true if thou wert mortal wight." (Milton) Origin: OE. Wight, wiht, a wight, a whit, AS. Wiht, wuht, a creature, a thing; skin to D. Wicht a child, OS. & OHG. Wiht a creature, thing, G. Wicht a creature, Icel. Vaett a wight, vaett a whit, Goth. Waihts, waiht, thing; cf. Russ. Veshche a thing. Cf. Whit. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| wigwam | An Indian cabin or hut, usually of a conical form, and made of a framework of poles covered with hides, bark, or mats; called also tepee. [Sometimes written also weekwam] "Very spacious was the wigwam, Made of deerskin dressed and whitened, With the gods of the Dacotahs Drawn and painted on its curtains." (Longfellow) "The wigwam, or Indian house, of a circular or oval shape, was made of bark or mats laid over a framework of branches of trees stuck in the ground in such a manner as to converge at the top, where was a central aperture for the escape of smoke from the fire beneath. The better sort had also a lining of mats. For entrance and egress, two low openings were left on opposite sides, one or the other of which was closed with bark or mats, according to the direction of the wind." Origin: From the Algonquin or Massachusetts Indian word wek, "his house," or "dwelling place;" with possessive and locative affixes, we-kou-om-ut, "in his (or their) house," contracted by the English to weekwam, and wigwam. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| wike | A temporary mark or boundary, as a bough of a tree set up in marking out or dividing anything, as tithes, swaths to be mowed in common ground, etc.; called also wicker. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| wild | 1. Living in a state of nature; inhabiting natural haunts, as the forest or open field; not familiar with, or not easily approached by, man; not tamed or domesticated; as, a wild boar; a wild ox; a wild cat. "Winter's not gone yet, if the wild geese fly that way." (Shak) 2. Growing or produced without culture; growing or prepared without the aid and care of man; native; not cultivated; brought forth by unassisted nature or by animals not domesticated; as, wild parsnip, wild camomile, wild strawberry, wild honey. "The woods and desert caves, With wild thyme and gadding vine o'ergrown." (Milton) 3. Desert; not inhabited or cultivated; as, wild land. "To trace the forests wild." 4. Savage; uncivilized; not refined by culture; ferocious; rude; as, wild natives of Africa or America. 5. Not submitted to restraint, training, or regulation; turbulent; tempestuous; violent; ungoverned; licentious; inordinate; disorderly; irregular; fanciful; imaginary; visionary; crazy. "Valor grown wild by pride." . "A wild, speculative project." . "What are these So withered and so wild in their attire ?" (Shak) "With mountains, as with weapons, armed; which makes Wild work in heaven." (Milton) "The wild winds howl." (Addison) "Search then the ruling passion, there, alone The wild are constant, and the cunning known." (Pope) 6. Exposed to the wind and sea; unsheltered; as, a wild roadstead. 7. Indicating strong emotion, intense excitement, or ewilderment; as, a wild look. 8. Hard to steer; said of a vessel. Many plants are named by prefixing wild to the names of other better known or cultivated plants to which they a bear a real or fancied resemblance; as, wild allspice, wild pink, etc. See the Phrases below. To run wild, to go unrestrained or untamed; to live or untamed; to live or grow without culture or training. To sow one's wild oats. See Oat. Wild allspice. <botany> See Turkey. Origin: OE. Wilde, AS. Wilde; akin to OFries. Wilde, D. Wild, OS. & OHG. Wildi, G. Wild, Sw. & Dan. Vild, Icel. Villr wild, bewildered, astray, Goth. Wilpeis wild, and G. & OHG. Wild game, deer; of uncertain origin. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| wild ginger | An aromatic stimulant and diaphoretic. Synonym: Canada snakeroot, Indian ginger, wild ginger. (05 Mar 2000) |
| wild mandrake | <botany> A powdered mixture of resins taken from dried seeds and root of the mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), it is typically used as a topical caustic agent. (09 Oct 1997) |
| wild strain | <virology> A viral strain found naturally, as opposed to one created in the laboratory. (09 Oct 1997) |
| wild tobacco | <botany> A genus of plants, including a great number of species. Lobelia inflata, or Indian tobacco, is an annual plant of North America, whose leaves contain a poisonous white viscid juice, of an acrid taste. It has often been used in medicine as an emetic, expectorant, etc. L. Cardinalis is the cardinal flower, remarkable for the deep and vivid red colour of its flowers. Origin: NL. So called from Lobel, botanist to King James I. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |