Emily Dickinson Lexicon

WILD, a. [Sax. wild; D. and G. wild; Sw. and Dan. vild; W. gwyllt; connected with Sax. wealh, a traveler, foreigner or pilgrim; G. wälsch, Celtic, Welsh; wallen, to rove, Sw. villa, förvilla. This sense is obvious.]

1. Roving; wandering; inhabiting the forest or open field; hence not tamed or domesticated; as, a wild boar; a wild ox; a wild cat; a wild bee.
2. Growing without culture; as, wild parsnep; wild cherry; wild tansy. Wild rice, a palatable and nutritious food, grows spontaneously in the lakes and ponds of the North West territory. – J. Morse.
3. Desert; not inhabited; as, a wild forest.
4. Savage; uncivilized; not refined by culture; as, the wild natives of Africa or America.
5. Turbulent; tempestuous; irregular; as, a wild tumult. The wild winds howl. – Addison.
6. Licentious; ungoverned; as, wild passions. Valor grown wild by pride. – Prior.
7. Inconstant; mutable; fickle. In the ruling passion, there alone The wild are constant, and the cunning known. – Pope.
8. Inordinate; loose. A fop well dress'd, extravagant and wild. – Dryden.
9. Uncouth; loose. What are these, / So wither'd, and so wild in their attire? – Shake.
10. Irregular; disorderly; done without plan or order; as, to make wild work. – Milton.
11. Not well digested; not framed according to the ordinary rules of reason; not being within the limits of probable practicability; imaginary; fanciful; as, a wild project or scheme; wild speculations.
12. Exposed to the wind and sea; as, a wild roadstead. – Mar. Dict.
13. Made or found in the forest; as, wild honey. Wild is prefixed to the names of many plants, to distinguish them from such of the name as are cultivated in gardens, as, wild basil, wild parsnep, wild carrot, wild olive, &c.