Emily Dickinson Lexicon

WISE, n.

1. s as z. [Sax. wise; G. weise; D. wys; Sw. via; Dan. viis; Fr. guise; It. guisa; Arm. guis.] Manner; way of being or acting. This song she sings in most commanding wise. Sidney. In fittest wise. Spenser. In the foregoing form this word is obsolete. The use of it is now very limited. It is common in the following phrases.
2. In any wise. If he that sanctified the field 'will in any wise redeem it. Lev. xxvii. Fret not thyself in any wise. Ps. xxxvii.
3. On this wise. On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel. Num. vi.
4. In no wise. He shall in no wise lose his reward. Matth. x. It is used in composition, as in likewise, otherwise, lengthwise, &c. By mistake, ways is often used for it; as, lengthways, for lengthwise.

WISE-A-CRE, n.

A barbarism, corrupted from the German weissoger, Wise-sayer, which see.

WISE-HEART-ED, a. [wise and heart.]

Wise; knowing; skillful. Exod. xxviii.

WISE-LING, n.

One who pretends to be wise. Donne.

WISE-LY, adv.

1. Prudently; judiciously; discreetly; with wisdom. Prov. xvi. xxi.
2. Craftily; with art or stratagem. Let us deal wisely with them. Exod. i.

WISE-NESS, n.

Wisdom. [Obs.] Spenser.

WISE-SAY-ER, n. [G. toeise, wise, and sagen, to say, to tell; weissager, a foreteller.]

1. A foreteller; one who is noted for predicting the weather.
2. One who makes pretensions to great wisdom; hence in contempt, a simpleton; a dunce. Addison.

WISH, n.

1. Desire; sometimes eager desire. Job xxxiii.
2. Desire expressed. Pope. Blister'd be thy tongue For such a with. Shak.
3. Thing desired. He has his wish. The difference between wish and desire seems to be, that desire is directed to what is obtainable, and a wish may be directed to what is obtainable or not. Kames.

WISH, v.t. [Sax. wiscan; Cimbric, oska. In all the other Teutonic and Gothic dialects, the corresponding word is written with n. D. wenavhen; G. wiinschen; Dan. drakes; Sw. dnska. This is probably the same word.]

1. To have a desire, or strong desire, either for what is or is not supposed to be obtainable. It usually expresses less than long; but sometimes it denotes to long or wish earnestly. We often wish for what is not obtainable. This is as good an argument as an antiquary could wish for. Arbuthnot. They have more than heart could wish. Ps. lxxiii. I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper. 3 John 2.
2. They cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. Acts xxvii.
3. To be disposed or inclined; as, to wish well to another's affairs. Addison.
4. It sometimes partakes of hope or fear. I wish the event may prove fortunate, or less calamitous than we apprehend.

WISH, v.t.

1. To desire. I wish your prosperity. Let them be driven backward and put to shame, that wish me evil. Ps. xl.
2. To long for; to desire eagerly or ardently. It has this sense when expressed with emphasis.
3. To recommend by wishing. I would not wish them to a fairer death. Shak.
4. To imprecate; as, to wish curses on an enemy. Shak.
5. To ask; to express desire. Clarendon.

WISH'ED, pp.

Desired; or ardently desired.

WISHER, n.

One who desires; one who expresses a wish. Shak.

WISH'FUL, a.

1. Having desire, or ardent desire.
2. Showing desire; as, wishful eyes.
3. Desirable; exciting wishes. [Bad.] Chapman.

WISHFUL-LY, adv.

1. With desire or ardent desire.
2. With the show of desiring.

WISHING, ppr.

Desiring.

WISK'ET, n.

A basket. Ainsworth.

WISP, n. [Dam risk, a wisp, a whisk; visker, to whisk, to rub or wipe; G. and D.:Mach.]

A small bundle of straw or other like substance; as, a wisp of straw; a wisp of hay; a wisp of herbs. Shak. Bacon.

WIST, pret.

of Wis. [Obs.]

WISTFUL, a. [from wist. The sense is stretching or reaching toward.]

Full of thoughts; earnest; attentive. Why-dost thou so wistful seem? Gay.

WISTFUL-LY, adv.

Attentively; earnestly. Hudibras.

WISTIT, n.

The striated monkey; a small species of monkey from South America, with an annulated tail, the ouistits of Buffon. Curies. Ed. Encyc.

WIST'LY, adv.

Earnestly. [Obs.] Shak.

WIT, n. [Sax. wit or ge-wit; G. wax; Dan. rind. See ths verb and Wise.]

1. Primarily, the intellect; the understanding or mental Powers. Will puts in practice what the wit deviseth. Davies. For wit and power their last endeavors bend T' outshine each other. Dryden.
2. The association of ideas in a manner natural, but unusual and striking, so as to produce surprise joined with pleasure. Wit is defined What oft was thought, but ne'er so well express'd. Pope. Wit consists in assembling and putting together with quickness, ideas in which can be found resemblance and congruity, by which to make up pleasant pictures and agreeable visions in the fancy. Locke. Wit consists chiefly in joining things by distant and fanciful relations, which surprise us because they are unexpected. Kames. Wit is a propriety of thoughts and words; or in other terms, thoughts and words elegantly adapted to the subject. Dryden.
3. The faculty of associating ideas in a new and unexpected manner.
4. A man of genius; as, the age of Addison abounded with wits. A wit herself, Amelia weds a wit. Young.
5. A man of fancy or wit. Intemperate wits will spare neither friend nor foe. L'Estrange.
6. Sense; judgment. He wants not wit the danger to decline. Dryden.
7. Faculty of the mind. Shak.
8. Wits, in the plural, soundness of mind; intellect not dis. ordered; sound mind. No man in his wits would venture on such an expedition. Have you lost your wits? la he out of his wits?
9. Power of invention; contrivance; ingenuity. He was at his wits' end. Hooker.

WIT, v.i. [Sax. whan, Goth. witan, D. weeten, G. wissen, to know; Sans. aid. See Wise.]

To know. This verb is used only in the infinitive, to wit, namely, that is to say. [L videlicet, i. e. videre licet.]

WITCH, n. [Sax. wicca. See Wicked.]

1. A woman who, by compact with the devil, practices sorcery or enchantment.
2. A woman who is given to unlawful arts,
3. [Sax. wic.] A winding, sinuous bank. [Obs.] Spenser.
4. A piece of conical paper which is placed in a vessel of lard, and being lighted, answers the purpose of a taper. [Qu. wick.] [Local.]