Emily Dickinson Lexicon

WOAD, n. [Sax. wad or waad; G. waid, weid; D. weede; Fr. guede; It. guado. Qu. weed.]

A plant of the genus Isatis, cultivated for the use of dyers. The woad blue is a very deep blue, and is the base of many other colors or shades of color. Woad is first bruised in a mill, and then made into balls. It grows wild in France and along the coasts of the Baltic. The term woad is applied to the Reseda, weld or wold, and to the Genista tinctoria or dyer's broom. Cyc.

WOAD-MILL, n.

A mill for bruising and preparing woad.

WOE, n. [Sax. wa; L. væ; Gr. ουαι; W. gwae; G. weh; D. wee; Sw. ve.]

1. Grief; sorrow; misery; a heavy calamity. One woe is past; and behold there come two woes more hereafter. Rev. ix. They weep each other's woe. Pope.
2. A curse. Can there be a woe or curse in all the stores of vengeance, equal to the malignity of such a practice? South.
3. Woe is used in denunciation, and in exclamations of sorrow. Woe is me; for I am undone. Isa. vi. This is properly the Saxon dative, "woe is to me." "Woe worth the day." This is also the dative; woe be to the day; Sax. wurthan, weorthan or wyrthan, to be, to become. Woe is a noun, and if used as an adjective, it is improperly used. "Woe to you that are rich." "Woe to that man, by whom the offense cometh;" that is, misery, calamity, be or will be to him.

WOE-BE-GONE, a. [woe, be, and gone.]

Overwhelmed with woe; immersed in grief and sorrow. So woebegone was he with pains of love. Fairfax.

WOE-FUL, a.

1. Sorrowful; distressed with grief or calamity; afflicted. How many woeful widows left to bow/To sad disgrace! Daniel.
2. Sorrowful; mournful; full of distress; as, woeful day. Jer. xvii.
3. Bringing calamity, distress or affliction; as, a woeful event; woeful want.
4. Wretched; paltry. What woeful stuff this madrigal would be. Pope.

WOE-FUL-LY, adv.

1. Sorrowfully; mournfully; in a distressing manner.
2. Wretchedly; extremely; as, he will be woefully deceived.

WOE-FUL-NESS, n.

Misery; calamity.

WOE-SHAK-EN, a.

Shaken by woe.

WOE-SOME, a. [wo'sum.]

Woeful. [Not in use.] Langhorne.

WOFT, v. [or n. for Waft. Not in use.]

Shak.

WOLD, n.

In Saxon, is the same as wald and weald, a wood, sometimes perhaps a lawn or plain. Wald signifies also power, dominion, from waldan, to rule. These words occur in names.

WOLF, n. [wulf; Sax. wulf; G. and D. wolf; Sw. ulf; Dan. ulv; Russ. volk; L. vulpes, a fox, the same word differently applied. The Gr. is αλωπηξ.]

1. An animal of the genus Canis, a beast of prey that kills sheep and other small domestic animals; called sometimes the wild dog. The wolf is crafty, greedy and ravenous.
2. A small white worm or maggot, which infests granaries. Cyc.
3. An eating ulcer. Brown.

WOLF'-DOG, n.

1. A dog of a large breed, kept to guard sheep.
2. A dog supposed to be bred between a dog and a wolf. Johnson.

WOLF-FISH, n.

A fish, the Lupus marinus, [the Anarrhichas lupus of Linnæus;] a fierce voracious fish of the northern seas. This fish is called also cat-fish and sea-wolf. Cyc.

WOLF'ISH, a.

Like a wolf; having the qualities or form of a wolf; as, a wolfish visage; wolfish designs. Shak.

WOLF'ISH-LY, adv.

In a wolfish manner. Borrow.

WOLF'-NET, n.

A kind of net used in fishing, which takes great numbers. Cyc.

WOL'FRAM, n.

In mineralogy, an ore of tungsten. Its color is generally a brownish or grayish, black; when cut with a knife, it gives a reddish brown streak. It occurs in massive and crystalized, and in concentric lamellar concretions. Cyc.

WOLF'S-BANE, n.

1. A poisonous plant of the genus Aconitum; aconite.
2. The winter aconite, or Helleborus hyemalis. Lee.

WOLF'S'-CLAW, n.

A plant of the genus Lycopodium.

WOLF'S'-MILK, n.

An herb. Ainsworth.

WOLF'S'-PEACH, n.

A plant of the genus Solanum, [Lycopersicum esculentum.]

WOL'LAS-TON-ITE, n.

A mineral found in Peru, of a yellowish brown color; so called from Dr. Wollaston.

WOL'VER-IN, or WOL'VER-INE, n.

A carnivorous mammal, the Gulo Luscus, a quadruped inhabiting the coasts of the Arctic Sea. It is sometimes called Quick-Hatch, and Hudson's-Bay Bear.

WOLV-ER-INE', n.

A cant term given to an inhabitant of Michigan.