Emily Dickinson Lexicon

WHY, adv. [Sax. hin, and for hwi, or for hang, for why. whig, coincides in elements with which. So pourp. in French, is the same; paur and L. quid, quad; for what. The original phrase is for what, for why.]

1. For what cause or reason, interrogatively. Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die? Jer. xxvii.
2. For which reason or cause, relatively. No ground of enmity, Why he should mean me ill.
3. For what reason or cause; for which; relatively. Turn the discourse; I have a reason why I would not have you speak so tenderly. Dryden.
4. It is used sometimes emphatically, or rather as en expletive. If her chill heart I can not move, Why, I'll enjoy the very love. Cowley.

WI,

from the Gothic weiha, signifies holy. It is found in some names, as in Wibert, holy-bright, or bright-holy, eminent for sanctity; Dan. vier, to consecrate, Sw. viga.

WIC, or WICK,

a termination, denotes jurisdiction, as in bailiwick. Its primary sense is a village or mansion, L. vicus; Sax. wic or wyc; hence it occurs in Berwick, Harwich, Norwich, &c. It signifies also a bay or a castle. Gibson.

WICK, n. [Sax. wroe; Sw. veke, a wick or match; Ir. buaie, Qu. from twisting.]

A number of threads of cotton or some similar substance, loosely twisted into a string, round which wax or tallow is applied by means of melting and running in a mold, and thus forming a candle or torch.

WICK'ED, a. [Sw. vika, to decline, to err, to deviate, also to fald; Sax. wican, to recede, to slide, to fall away; wicelien, to vacillate, to stumble. It seems to be connected in origin with wag, and Sax. wicca, witch. The primary sense is to wind and turn, or to depart, to fall away.]

1. Evil in principle or practice; deviating from the divine law; addicted to vice; sinful; immoral. This is a word of comprehensive signification, extending to every thing that is contrary to the moral law, and both to persons and nations. We say, a wicked man, a wicked deed, wicked ways, wicked lives, a wicked heart, wicked designs, wicked works. No man was ever wicked without secret discontent. Rambler.
2. A word of slight blame; as, the wicked urchin.
3. Cursed; baneful; pernicious; as, wicked words, worth pernicious in their effects. [Obs.] [This last signification may throw some light on the ward witch.] The wicked, in Scripture, persons who live in sin; transgressors of the divine law; all who are unreconciled to God, un. sanctified or impenitent.

WICK'ED-LY, adv.

In a manner or with motives and de signs contrary to the divine law; viciously; corruptly immorally. All that do wickedly shall be stubble. Mal. iv. I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. 2 Sam. xxiv.

WICKED-NESS, n.

Departure from the rules of the divine law; evil disposition or practices; immorality; crime; sin sinfulness; corrupt manners. Wickedness generally signifies evil practices. What wickedness is this that is done among you. Judge xx. But wickedness expresses also the corrupt dispositions o the heart. Their inward part is very, wickedness. Ps. v. In heart, ye work wickedness. Ps. lviii.

WICK'EN, or WICK'EN-TREE, n.

The Swim's aucuparia, mountain ash, or roan-tree. Lee.

WICK'ER, a. [Dan. vien, probably contracted from viva The Eng. [wig, G. twig, D. twyg, are probably formed oi .the simple word wig, from the root of L. vigeo, to grow The word signifies a shoot.]

Made of twigs or osiers; as, a wicker basket; a wicker chair. Spenser. Peach.

WICK'ET, n. [Fr. guichet; W. gwiced, a little door, fror gwig, a narrow place, a corner.]

1. A small gate. The wicket, often open'd, knew the key. Dryden.
2. A small gate by which the chamber of canal locks emptied.
3. A bar or rod used in playing cricket.

WIC'LIF-ITE, n.

A follower of Wieli4 the English re former.

WIDE, a. [Sax. wid, wide; D. wyd; G. weit; Sw. and Dan. vid; Sans. vidi, breadth; Ar. {foreign} badda, to separate; allie, to void, divide, widow, Ir. jeadh, 87.c. See Class Bd, No. I.]

1. Broad; having a great or considerable distance or eater between the sides; opposed to narrow; as, wide cloth; wide table; a wide highway; a wide bed; a wide hall of entry. In this use, wide is distinguished from long, whit refers to the extent or distance between the ends.
2. Broad; having a great extent each way; as, a wide plain the wide ocean.
3. Remote; distant. This position is very wide from th truth. Hammond.
4. Broad to a certain degree; as, three feet wide.

WIDE, adv.

1. At a distance; far. His fame was spread wide.
2. With great extent; used chiefly in composition; as, wid skirted meads; wide-waving swords; wide-wasting pestilence; wide-spreading evil.

WIDE-BRANCH-ED, a.

Having spreading branches.

WIDE-LY, adv.

1. With great extent each way. The Cu was widely disseminated by the apostles.
2. Very much; to a great distance; far. We differ widely in opinion.

WID-EN, v.

To grow wide or wider; to enlarge; to extend itself. And arches widen, and long aisles extend. Pope.

WID-EN, v.t.

To make wide or wider; to extend in breadth as, to widen a field; to widen a breach. Note. In America, females say, to widen a stocking.

WID-EN-ED, pp.

Made wide or wider; extended in breadth.

WIDE-NESS, n.

1. Breadth; width; great extent between the sides; as, the wideness of a room.
2. Large extent in all directions; as, the wideness of the sea or ocean.

WID-EN-ING, ppr.

Extending the distance between the sides; enlarging in all directions.

WIDE-SPREAD, a.

Extending far.

WIDE-SPREAD-ING, a.

Spreading to a great extent distance.

WID'GEON, n.

A fowl of the duck kind, or genus Anas, having a black bill, the head and upper part of the neck of a bright bay, the back and sides waved with black and white, and the belly white. Dict. Nat. Hist.

WID'OW, n. [Sax. widem; G. wiltwe; D. weduwe; Dan. tidue; L. vidua; Fr. reuve; lt. vedova; Sp. viuda; Sans. widhava; Russ. vdova; from the root of wide, void. See Wide.]

A woman who has lost her husband by death. Luke ii. Widow's chamber, in London, the apparel and furniture of the bed-chamber of the widow of a freeman, to which she is entitled. Cyc.

WIDOW, v.t.

1. To bereave of a husband; but rarely used except in the participle. Dryden.
2. To endow with a widow's right. [Unusual.]
3. To strip of any thing good. Shak. The widow'd isle in mourning. Dryden.