west ["wEst] 1. n. the direction to the left of someone or something facing north; the direction in which the sun sets. (No plural.) 2. n. the western part of a region or country. (No plural. Capitalized when referring to a region of the United States.) 3. adj. to Q; on the side that is toward Q; facing Q. (Not prenominal.) 4. adj. from Q. (Especially used to describe wind. Not prenominal.) 5. adv. toward Q; into the western part of some- thing. the West 1. n. Western Europe, North America, and South Amer- ica, as contrasted especially with Eastern Europe, East Asia, and sometimes other parts of Asia. (No plural. Often capitalized.) 2. n. the part of Europe that was not under the influence of the for- mer Soviet Union or ruled under a political and economic system similar to that in the former Soviet Union. (No plural.) western ["wEs t#n] 1. adj. in the west; toward the west; facing the west. 2. adj. from the west. (Espe- cially used to describe wind.) 3. n. a movie, book, or television show about the development of the part of the United States that is in the West during the 1800s. (Some- times capitalized.) wet ["wEt] 1. adj. not dry; covered with or soaked with liquid. (Adv: wetly. Comp: wetter; sup: wettest.) 2. adj. [of weather] rainy. (Adv: wetly. Comp: wetter; sup: wettest.) 3. adj. allowing liquor to be sold [legally]. 4. tv., irreg. to make someone or something Q; to cause someone or something to be Q. (Past tense and past participle: wet, wetted.) 5. tv., irreg. to uri- nate on oneself, on something, or in one’s own clothes. (Past tense and past participle: usually wet.) → (as) mad as a wet hen → get one’s feet wet wet behind the ears young and inexperienced. a wet blanket a dull or depressing person who spoils other people’s enjoyment. wetness ["wEt n@s] n. moisture; liquid that can be felt or seen. (No plural.) we’ve ["wiv] cont. we have, where have is an auxiliary. whale ["Wel] n. a very large mam- mal that lives in the ocean and breathes through an opening on top of its head. wharf ["worf] n., irreg. a platform where ships can dock in order to load or unload people or cargo; a pier. (Plural: wharves.) wharves ["worvz] plural of wharf. what ["W^t] 1. interrog. a form used as the subject or object of a sentence or clause when asking questions to get more information about someone or something. 2. interrog. a form used before nominals when asking questions to get more information about that noun or nominal. 3. pron. that which; the thing that; the things that. 4. interj. a form show- ing great surprise. What about ( doing ) something? Would you like to do something? west 696 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 696 TLFeBOOK What about ( having ) something? Would you like to have something? what makes someone tick that which motivates someone; that which makes someone behave in a certain way. whatever [W@t "Ev #] 1. pron. any- thing that; everything that. 2. pron. no matter what. 3. interrog. an emphatic form of what Q, sim- ilar to What possibly? 4. adj. any; no matter what. what’s ["W^ts] 1. cont. what is. 2. cont. what has, where has is an auxiliary. wheat ["Wit] 1. n. a kind of cereal grain grown for its seeds. (No plu- ral.) 2. n. the seed of Q, ground to make flour. (No plural. Number is expressed with grain(s) of wheat.) 3. adj. made from W. wheel ["Wil] 1. n. a sturdy circular object that turns around a central point and is connected to an axle. 2. n. the round object used to steer a vehicle. (Short for steering wheel. ) → put one’s shoulder to the wheel → steering wheel wheelbarrow ["Wil bEr o] n. an open container attached to a frame with one wheel in front and handles behind to steer it. wheelchair ["Wil tSEr] n. a chair that has wheels instead of legs, usually two large wheels in back and two small ones in front, for people who are unable to walk. when ["WEn] 1. interrog. at what time? 2. conj. at the time that; at that certain time. 3. conj. consid- ering [the fact that]; as. when the time is ripe at exactly the right time. whenever [WEn "Ev #] 1. conj. at any time; at whatever time. 2. conj. every time; each time. 3. interrog. when?; at what time? (Used for emphasis.) where ["WEr] 1. interrog. in what place?; at what place?; in which location? 2. conj. in that place; at that place; in that location. 3. conj. in the case; such that; wherever. whereas [WEr "Az] 1. conj. but; however; on the other hand; on the contrary. 2. conj. since; because. (Used to introduce legal documents.) where’s ["WErz] 1. cont. where has, where has is an auxiliary. 2. cont. where is. whether ["WED #] conj. a form used with some kinds of questions when more than one answer is possible; if. whether or not either if something is true or if something is not true; one way or the other. which ["WItS] 1. interrog. a form used in questions to ask about or distinguish among specific people or things; what one or ones? (E.g., Which students were late? Used before a noun.) 2. adj. a form used to distinguish among people or things already mentioned or known from the context; what [one or ones]; the [one or ones]. (Prenominal only.) 3. pron. a form used to show the differences among people or things already mentioned or known from the context; what one or ones; the one which 697 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 697 TLFeBOOK or ones. (Treated as singular or plural.) 4. pron. a form used after a word, phrase, or clause and serv- ing to introduce extra, incidental, or descriptive information about the word, phrase, or clause rather than information needed to iden- tify it; the one or ones that. (Treated as singular or plural.) 5. pron. a form used after a word or a phrase and serving to intro- duce special, contrastive, or dis- tinctive information about the word or phrase; the one or ones that. (Treated as singular or plural.) whiff ["WIf] 1. n. an odor. 2. n. a bit of an odor sensed by the nose. → catch a whiff of something → get a whiff of something while ["WaIl] 1. conj. during that time; during a certain time that; at the same time as that. 2. conj. and, in contrast; although; on the other hand; and; whereas. 3. n. a length of time. (No plural.) whim ["WIm] n. a sudden wish to do something, especially an unreasonable wish. whimper ["WIm p#] 1. n. a small, quiet moan or cry, especially from someone or something that is afraid. 2. iv. to moan quietly, as though one were afraid. 3. tv. to say something while whimpering, as in W. (The object can be a clause with that U.) whine ["WaIn] 1. n. a cry not made with the mouth open very much; a soft, high-pitched cry. 2. iv. to complain in a sad, annoying, childish voice. 3. tv. to make a complaint in a sad, annoying, childish voice. (The object can be a clause with that U.) whip ["WIp] 1. n. a long strip of leather, usually attached to a han- dle, used for hitting people or ani- mals. 2. n. a member of a political party who organizes and manages members of the party serving in a legislative body. 3. tv. to hit or strike someone or an animal with Q. 4. tv. to beat eggs or cream until the mixture bubbles into a froth. 5. tv. to beat an opponent in a contest or game by a wide mar- gin. (Figurative on E.) whisk ["WIsk] 1. n. a wire tool for whipping eggs, cream, and other mixtures. 2. tv. to whip eggs, cream, and other mixtures into a froth. whisker ["WIs k#] n. a hair that grows from near the mouth of a cat and certain other animals; a hair that is part of a beard. → by a whisker whiskey ["WIs ki] 1. n. a strong alcohol for drinking made from corn, rye, or other grains. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. a glass of Q; a drink of Q. whisper ["WIs p#] 1. tv. to say something with the breath only, not using the full voice. (The object can be a clause with that U.) 2. iv. to speak as in Q. 3. n. speaking done with the breath only, not using the voice. whistle ["WIs @l] 1. n. a small metal or plastic instrument that makes a shrill, high-pitched sound when one blows air into it. 2. n. a shrill, high-pitched sound made by pass- ing air through a small opening whiff 698 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 698 TLFeBOOK between one’s lips or through Q. 3. tv. to make a melody with a shrill, high-pitched sound made by passing air through one’s lips. 4. iv. to make a shrill, high- pitched sound by passing air through Q or through one’s lips. → blow the whistle (on someone ) whistle for something to expect or look for something with no hope of getting it. white ["WaIt] 1. n. the color of salt or milk. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. someone who has light-colored skin, usually persons of European descent. 3. n. the clear part of an egg, which turns Q when it is cooked. 4. adj. hav- ing the color of salt or milk. (Adv: whitely. Comp: whiter; sup: whitest.) 5. adj. pale. (Comp: whiter; sup: whitest.) 6. adj. [of people, usually of European descent or their skin] light-col- ored. (See also Caucasian. Comp: whiter; sup: whitest.) → (as) white as the driven snow → in black and white white elephant something that is useless and either is a nuisance or is expensive to keep up. whiten ["WaIt n] 1. tv. to cause something to become white; to make something white. 2. iv. to turn pale. whittle ["WIt @l] 1. tv. to cut pieces of wood away a little bit at a time with a knife; to shave off small strips from a piece of wood. 2. tv. to carve an object from wood, cut- ting away small pieces. whiz ["WIz] 1. iv. [for something] to move very quickly through the air while making a sound as it passes by someone or something. 2. n. an expert; someone who is very skilled at something; someone who can do something quickly and very well. (Figurative on Q.) who ["hu] 1. interrog. what or which person or people? (The pos- sessive form is whose. The objec- tive form is whom.) 2. pron. a person or the people mentioned. (Standard English requires whom instead of who as the object of a verb or preposition. Who can be used in restrictive and nonrestric- tive clauses.) who’d ["hud] 1. cont. who had, where had is an auxiliary. 2. cont. who would. whoever [hu "Ev #] 1. pron. any- one; any person who. 2. interrog. who? whole ["hol] 1. adj. made of the entire amount; consisting of all parts; not divided; not separated; complete. (Adv: wholly.) 2. adj. healthy or the feeling of good health, in the mind or body. 3. adj. not expressed as a fraction or a decimal number. 4. n. something that is complete; something that has all of its parts; the entire amount. → make something up out of whole cloth whole shooting match the entire affair or organization. wholesale ["hol sel] 1. adj. [of products] sold in large numbers to people who will sell the products wholesale 699 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 699 TLFeBOOK one at a time to customers. (Com- pare this with retail.) 2. adj. done on a large scale; in large amounts. (Figurative on Q.) 3. adv. in large quantities as in Q and at a favor- able price. wholesaler ["hol sel #] n. someone who buys products from a manu- facturer and sells them to store owners. who’ll ["hul] cont. who will. whom ["hum] pron. the objective form of who. (Not common in informal English. See the com- ments at who.) whoop it up to enjoy oneself in a lively and noisy manner. (Infor- mal.) who’s ["huz] 1. cont. who has, where has is an auxiliary. 2. cont. who is. whose ["huz] 1. pron. the posses- sive form of who and which; of whom or of which. ( Whose can be used in restrictive and nonrestric- tive clauses.) 2. interrog. a form used in questions to determine the identity of the person who owns, possesses, or is associated with something; of or belonging to whom? why 1. ["WaI] interrog. for what rea- son? 2. ["WaI] conj. the reason that; the reason for which. 3. ["waI] interj. a form used to express surprise, dismay, disgust, or some other emotion. wicked ["wIk @d] adj. evil; very bad; vile. (Adv: wickedly.) wide ["waId] 1. adj. not narrow; broad. (Adv: widely. Comp: wider; sup: widest.) 2. adj. being a certain distance from side to side; meas- ured from side to side. (E.g., a yard wide. Follows the measure- ment of width. Comp: wider.) 3. adj. large in size, range, or scope. (Adv: widely. Comp: wider; sup: widest.) 4. adv. as far as possi- ble; to the greatest amount or extent. → World Wide Web wide of the mark 1. far from the target. 2. inadequate; far from what is required or expected. widow ["wId o] n. a woman whose husband has died, and who has not married again. widower ["wId o #] n. a man whose wife has died, and who has not married again. width ["wIdT] n. distance, from side to side. (No plural.) wield ["wild] 1. tv. to hold and use something, especially a weapon. 2. tv. to have and use power, espe- cially as though it were a weapon. (Figurative on Q.) wiener ["win #] n. a beef or pork sausage, often eaten on a long bun. wife ["waIf] n., irreg. the woman a man is married to. (Plural: wives.) wig ["wIg] n. a head covering simu- lating one’s own hair; a head cov- ering made of real or artificial hair. wiggle ["wIg @l] 1. iv. to move back and forth in quick, little move- ments. 2. tv. to cause something to move back and forth in quick, lit- tle movements. wild ["waIld] 1. adj. growing or liv- ing in nature; not tame; not grown or kept by a human. (Adv: wildly. wholesaler 700 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 700 TLFeBOOK Comp: wilder; sup: wildest.) 2. adj. not in control; out of control; lacking control; reckless. (Adv: wildly. Comp: wilder; sup: wildest.) → sow one’s wild oats wilderness ["wIl d# n@s] n. a large area of land with no human resi- dents. (No plural. Number is expressed with wilderness area(s).) wildfire ["waIld faIr] n. an uncon- trollable fire or flame in the out- doors. → spread like wildfire wildflower ["waIld flaU #] n. a flower that is not grown by a per- son; a flower that grows in nature. wild-goose chase a worthless hunt or chase; a futile pursuit. will ["wIl] 1. interrog. a form used with a verb to indicate politeness by turning a command into a question. (See also would E.) 2. aux. a form used with a verb to indicate the future tense. (See also shall. See would Q for the past- tense form. Reduced to ’ll in con- tractions.) 3. aux. a form used with a verb to command someone to do something. 4. aux. can; be able to. 5. aux. a form used to express something that is always true or something that always happens. 6. n. the power one has in one’s mind to do what one wants to do; an intention to do something. 7. n. a legal document that details how one’s assets will be distributed after one’s death. 8. tv. to leave something to someone in one’s U. willing ["wIl IN] adj. eagerly ready to do something; happily prepared to do something or to be of serv- ice. (Adv: willingly.) willow ["wIl o] 1. n. a tree that has many long, thin, drooping branches with long, thin leaves. 2. n. wood from Q. (No plural.) 3. adj. made of or from W. willpower ["wIl paU #] n. the abil- ity to control one’s will. (No plu- ral.) wilt ["wIlt] 1. iv. to wither; [for the leaves or branches of a plant] to lose their strength and sag down- ward. 2. iv. [for someone] to lose energy. (Figurative on Q.) 3. tv. to cause something to wither or sag as in Q. win ["wIn] 1. tv., irreg. to receive or achieve first place in a contest or competition. (Past tense and past participle: won.) 2. tv., irreg. to achieve or earn something through hard work or effort. 3. iv., irreg. to be in first place in a con- test or competition; to be the best in a contest. 4. n. a victory; a tri- umph. win by a nose to win by the slight- est amount of difference. (As in a horse race where one horse wins with only its nose ahead of the horse that comes in second.) win someone over to succeed in gaining the support and sympathy of someone. win someone over (to something ) to succeed in making someone accept or favor something. wind 1. ["wInd] n. the movement of air; moving air. (Plural with the same meaning, but not countable.) 2. ["wInd] n. breath or the ability wind 701 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 701 TLFeBOOK to breathe. (No plural.) 3. ["wInd] tv. to cause someone to be out of breath; to cause someone to have a hard time breathing. 4. ["waInd] tv., irreg. to tighten the spring of a device such as a watch or a clock. (Past tense and past participle: wound.) 5. ["waInd] iv., irreg. to move in one direction and then another; to move in twists and turns. → get one’s second wind → get wind of something → in the wind → throw caution to the wind wind down to start running or operating slower. wind something on(to something ) to coil or wrap something onto something. wind something up to tighten the spring in something, such as a watch or a clock. wind up (by) doing something to end by doing something [anyway]. winded ["wIn dId] 1. adj. out of breath; gasping for breath. 2. the past tense and past participle of wind. windmill ["wInd mIl] n. a structure that uses metal or wooden blades to capture the power of the wind. → tilt at windmills window ["wIn do] 1. n. an opening in a wall or door, usually covered with a sheet of glass, that allows light and air into a place. 2. n. the sheet of glass that covers an open- ing in a wall or door. → storm window window shade ["wIn do "Sed] n. a sheet of fabric designed to cover a window to keep the sun out and to prevent people from seeing in. (Can be shortened to shade.) windowpane ["wIn do pen] n. the sheet of glass that covers an open- ing in a wall or door. window-shopping the habit or practice of looking at goods in shop windows or in stores without actually buying anything. windowsill ["wIn do sIl] n. the flat ledge at the bottom of a window. windpipe ["wInd paIp] n. the tube in the body that allows air to travel between the mouth and the lungs. windshield ["wInd Sild] n. the large, curved piece of glass in the front of a car, truck, or bus. windy ["wIn di] adj. having a lot of wind; with a lot of wind. (Comp: windier; sup: windiest.) wine ["waIn] n. a drink that con- tains alcohol and is made from fruit juice, especially the juice of grapes. (Plural only for types and instances.) wing ["wIN] 1. n. one of the upper limbs of a bird, or a flying mam- mal, used for flight. 2. n. an exten- sion on the side of an insect’s body, used for flight. 3. n. a struc- ture on an airplane that stands out from its body, which allows the airplane to stay in the air during flight. 4. n. a part of a building that is built out from the central or main part of the building. 5. tv. to shoot a bird in the Q without killing it. → clip someone’s wings → take someone under one’s wing(s) → try one’s wings (out) → waiting in the wings wind down 702 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 702 TLFeBOOK wink ["wINk] 1. iv. to shut and open one eye quickly, especially either as a signal or to show amusement or interest. (Compare this with blink.) 2. n. an act of shutting and opening one eye quickly, especially either as a signal or to show amusement or interest. → (as) quick as a wink → not sleep a wink → take forty winks winner ["wIn #] n. someone or something that wins. winter ["wIn t#] 1. n. one of the four seasons of the year; the sea- son between fall and spring. 2. adj. concerning or associated with Q. 3. iv. to live in a certain place dur- ing Q. wipe ["waIp] 1. tv. to rub the sur- face of someone or something with something in order to clean or dry it. 2. tv. to remove some- thing liquid from a surface, using something absorbent. wipe someone or something off to clean someone or something of something by wiping. wipe something off ((of) someone or something ) to remove some- thing from someone or something by wiping. wipe something up 1. to clean up a mess by wiping. (E.g., clean the dirt up.) 2. to clean something by wiping. (E.g., clean the kitchen up.) wire ["waI#] 1. n. a thin metal strand; a thread of metal, espe- cially one used to transmit elec- tricity. (No plural.) 2. n. a length or segment of Q. 3. n. a message that is sent by telegram. 4. tv. to send a message or money by tele- graph. (The object can be a clause with that U.) 5. tv. to install Q in a building for electricity; to install or adjust any kind of Q. 6. tv. to fasten or secure something with Q. 7. tv. to install hidden micro- phones in a place so that one can record what is said there. → down to the wire → under the wire wisdom ["wIz d@m] n. intelligence, especially intelligence that is a result of experience; the knowl- edge required to make good deci- sions; the quality of being wise. (No plural.) wise ["waIz] adj. able to make good decisions; showing good judg- ment; intelligent. (Adv: wisely. Comp: wiser; sup: wisest.) → (as) wise as an owl → none the wiser wish ["wIS] 1. n. a desire for some- thing. 2. tv. to express Q; to hope that something happens. (The object is a clause with that U.) 3. iv. to have a desire to do some- thing. wishful thinking believing that something is true or that some- thing will happen just because one wishes that it were true or would happen. wit ["wIt] 1. n. the ability to under- stand ideas quickly and make intelligent, clever, and funny com- ments about them. (No plural.) 2. n. someone who has the ability to understand ideas quickly and make intelligent, clever, and funny comments about them. → at one’s wit’s end → live by one’s wits → one’s wits wit 703 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 703 TLFeBOOK → to wit witch ["wItS] 1. n. someone, usually a woman, who has or claims to have magical powers or who prac- tices a pagan religion. 2. n. a mean or ugly woman. (Derogatory.) with ["wIT] 1. prep. among some- one or something; including someone or something; in the company of someone or some- thing; in addition to someone or something. 2. prep. by means of something; by using something. 3. prep. showing a quality or char- acteristic; showing a state or emo- tion. with a vengeance with determi- nation and eagerness. with a will with determination and enthusiasm. with all one’s heart and soul very sincerely. with all the fixings with all the condiments that accompany a cer- tain kind of food. with both hands tied behind one’s back Go to with one hand tied behind one’s back. with ease without effort. with every (other) breath [saying something] repeatedly or continu- ally. with everything (on it) [of a sandwich] ordered with every- thing available on it, such as ketchup, mustard, onions, cheese, peppers, chili, lettuce, tomato, etc., as appropriate. with flying colors easily and excellently. with it (Informal.) 1. up-to-date; fashionable. 2. able to think clearly; able to understand things. with no strings attached and without any strings attached unconditionally; with no obliga- tions. with one hand tied behind one’s back and with both hands tied behind one’s back easily; even with a handicap. with regard to someone or some- thing concerning someone or something. with relish with pleasure or enjoy- ment. with respect to someone or some- thing of or about someone or something. with the best will in the world however much one wishes to do something; however hard one tries to do something. with the naked eye with eyes that are not aided by lenses as found in glasses or a microscope. wither ["wID #] 1. iv. to shrivel; to wilt; [for a plant] to turn brown, sag, and dry out. 2. tv. to cause a plant to shrivel, droop, or wilt; to cause a plant to turn brown and dry out. wither on the vine and die on the vine [for something] to decline or fade away at an early stage of development. withheld [wIT "hEld] past tense and past participle of withhold. withhold [wIT "hold] tv., irreg. to hold or keep something back [from someone or something]. witch 704 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 704 TLFeBOOK (Past tense and past participle: withheld.) within [wIT "In] 1. prep. inside someone or something; in or into the inside part of someone or something. 2. prep. not beyond a specific boundary; between cer- tain limits. 3. adv. into the inside of someone or something. within an inch of one’s life very close to ending one’s life; almost to the point of death. within walking distance close enough to walk to. without [wIT "aUt] prep. not including someone or something; lacking someone or something. without a moment to spare Go to not a moment to spare. without any strings attached Go to with no strings attached. without batting an eye without showing alarm or response; with- out blinking an eyelash. without doing something avoiding doing something; while avoiding doing something. withstand [wIT "stAnd] tv., irreg. to resist someone or something; to oppose someone or something; not to yield to someone or some- thing. (Past tense and past partici- ple: withstood.) withstood [wIT "stUd] past tense and past participle of withstand. witness ["wIt n@s] 1. n. someone who sees something happen; someone who is in the same place where something happens; a spec- tator. 2. n. someone who sees the signing of a legal document. 3. tv. to see something happen; to be in the same place where something happens. 4. tv. to sign a legal doc- ument as a way of swearing that one has watched another person, who is directly affected by the document, sign it, and thus show that the other person’s signature is real. witness stand ["wIt n@s "stAnd] n. the place where someone gives tes- timony under oath in court. (Can be shortened to stand.) wives ["waIvz] plural of wife. wizard ["wIz #d] 1. n. someone, usually a male, who has or claims to have magical powers. 2. n. an expert; someone who is very skilled at something. (Figurative on Q.) woke ["wok] a past tense of wake. woken ["wok @n] a past participle of wake. wolf ["wUlf] n., irreg. a wild animal related to the dog that eats meat and travels in groups. (Plural: wolves.) → cry wolf → keep the wolf from the door → throw someone to the wolves a wolf in sheep’s clothing some- thing threatening disguised as something kind. wolves ["wUlvz] plural of wolf. woman ["wUm @n] 1. n., irreg. an adult female person; an adult female human being. (Plural: women.) 2. the adj. use of Q. woman-to-woman Go to man-to- man. womb ["wum] n. the organ in women and certain other mam- womb 705 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 705 TLFeBOOK . the western part of some- thing. the West 1. n. Western Europe, North America, and South Amer- ica, as contrasted especially with Eastern Europe, East Asia, and sometimes other parts of Asia. (No. n. a long strip of leather, usually attached to a han- dle, used for hitting people or ani- mals. 2. n. a member of a political party who organizes and manages members of the party serving in. posses- sive form of who and which; of whom or of which. ( Whose can be used in restrictive and nonrestric- tive clauses.) 2. interrog. a form used in questions to determine the identity of the person