Emily Dickinson Lexicon

WEAK-HEART-ED, a.

Having little courage; dispirited.

WEAK'LING, n.

A feeble creature. – Shak.

WEAK'LY, a.

Not strong of constitution; infirm; as, a weakly woman; man of a weakly constitution. – Ralegh.

WEAK'LY, adv.

1. Feebly; with little physical strength; faintly; not forcibly; as, a fortress weakly defended.
2. With want of efficacy. Was plighted faith so weakly seal'd above? – Dryden.
3. With feebleness of mind or intellect; indiscreetly; injuriously. Beneath pretended justice weakly fall. – Dryden.
4. Timorously; with little courage or fortitude.

WEAK'NESS, n.

1. Want of physical strength; want of force or vigor; feebleness; as, the weakness of a child; the weakness of an invalid; the weakness of a wall or bridge, or of thread or cordage.
2. Want of sprightliness. Soft without weakness; without glaring, gay. – Pope.
3. Want of steadiness. By such a review, we shall discern and strengthen our weaknesses. – Rogers.
4. Infirmity; unhealthiness; as, weakness of constitution. – Temple.
5. Want of moral force or effect upon the mind: as, the weakness of evidence; the weakness of arguments.
6. Want of judgment; feebleness of mind; foolishness. All wickedness is weakness. – Milton.
7. Defect; failing; fault; with a plural. Many take pleasure in spreading abroad the weaknesses of an exalted character. – Spectator.

WEAK'SIDE, n. [weak and side.]

Foible; deficience; failing; infirmity. – Temple.

WEAK-SIGHT-ED, a.

Having weak sight.

WEAK'-SPIR-IT-ED, a.

Having weak spirits.

WEAL, n.¹ [Sax. wela; G. wohl; Dan. vel; from the same root as well, Sw. väl; L. valeo, to be strong, to avail, to prevail. The primary sense of weal is strength, soundness, from the sense of straining, stretching or advancing.]

1. A sound state of a person or thing; a state which is prosperous, or at least not unfortunate, not declining; prosperity; happiness. As we love the weal of our souls and bodies. – Bacon. The weal or wo in thee is plac'd. – Milton. So we say, the public weal, the general weal, the weal of the nation or state. – B. Trumbull.
2. Republic; state; public interest. [But we now use commonwealth, in the sense of state.]

WEAL, n.²

The mark of a stripe. [See Wale.]

WEALD, n. [or WALD, or WALT, or WOLD.]

In Saxon and other Teutonic dialects, signifies a wood or forest. It is found in names, as in Walt-ham, wood-house; corruptly pronounced Wal-tham.

WEAL'DON, n.

A mineral.

WEALS'MAN, n. [weal and man.]

A name given sneeringly to a politician.

WEALTH, n. [welth; from weal; Sax. welega, welga, rich.]

1. Prosperity; external happiness. [Obs.]
2. Riches; large possessions of money, goods or land; that abundance of worldly estate which exceeds the estate of the greater part of the community; affluence; opulence. Each day new wealth without their care provides. – Dryden.

WEALTH'GIV-ING, a.

Yielding wealth.

WEALTH'I-ER, a.

More wealthy. – Borrow.

WEALTH'I-LY, adv.

Richly.

WEALTH'I-NESS, n.

State of being wealthy; richness.

WEALTH'Y, a.

Rich; having large possessions in lands, goods, money or securities, or larger than the generality of men; opulent; affluent. As wealth is a comparative thing, a man may be wealthy in one place, and not so in another. A man may be deemed wealthy in a village, who would not be so considered in London.

WEAN, v.t. [Sax. wenan, gewænan, to accustom; from the root of wone, wont; gewunian, to delay; D. wenan, afwenan; G. entwöhnen; Sw. vänja. See Wont.]

1. To accustom and reconcile, as a child or other young animal, to a want or deprivation of the breast. And the child grew and was weaned. Gen. xxi.
2. To detach or alienate, as the affections, from any object of desire; to reconcile to the want or loss of any thing; as, to wean the heart from temporal enjoyments.

WEAN'ED, pp.

Accustomed or reconciled to the want of the breast or other object of desire.

WEAN'EL, or WEAN'LING, n.

A child or other animal newly weaned. – Milton.

WEAN'ING, ppr.

Accustoming or reconciling, as a young child or other animal, to a want of the breast; reconciling to the want of any object of desire.

WEAP'ON, a. [wep'n; Sax. wæpn, wepn; D. and G. wapen; Dan. vaaben; Sw. vapen. This word seems to be from some root signifying to strike, L. vapulo, our vulgar whap, awhap.]

1. Any instrument of offense; any thing used or designed to be used in destroying or annoying an enemy. The weapons of rude nations are clubs, stones and bows and arrows. Modern weapons of war are swords, muskets, pistols, cannon and the like.
2. An instrument for contest or for combating enemies. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. – 2 Cor. x.
3. An instrument of defense.
4. Weapons, in botany, arms; thorns, prickles, and stings, with which plants are furnished for defense; enumerated among the fulcres by Linnæus. – Martyn.

WEAP'ON-ED, a. [wep'nd.]

Armed; furnished with weapons or arms: equipped. – Hayward.