Emily Dickinson Lexicon

WALL-PEN'NY-WORT, n.

A plant of the genus Cotyledon.

WALL'-PEP-PER, n.

A plant of the genus Sedum.

WALL-PIE, n.

A plant, a species of Asplenium. – Lee.

WALL'PLATE, n.

A piece of timber placed horizontally upon a wall, on which joists, &c. rest.

WALL'-SID-ED, a.

Having sides nearly perpendicular, as a ship.

WALL'-SPRING, n.

A spring of water issuing from stratified rocks.

WALL-WORT, n.

A plant, the dwarf elder or danewort; Sambucus Ebulus.

WAL'NUT, n. [D. walnoot; Sax. walh, foreign, and hnuta, nut. The Germans call it wälsche nuss, Welsh nut, that is, foreign or Celtic nut.]

A tree, and its fruit, of the genus Juglans. This genus comprehends six species, of which three are natives of the United States, viz. Juglans nigra, or black walnut, J. cinerea, or butternut, and J. Fraxinifolia or ash-leaved walnut. Juglans regia, Persian walnut, is cultivated in America. J. pterocarpa grows on Mount Caucasus, and J. baccata in Jamaica and Hispaniola. In America there are several species of Carya or hickory called by this name.

WAL'RUS, n. [G. wall, as in wallfisch, a whale, and ross, a horse.]

The morse, sea-elephant, sea-horse or sea-cow, an amphibious carnivorous mammal, inhabiting the arctic seas. It is the Trichecus Rosmarus, the only species of its genus. It surpasses the largest ox in size, attaining to the length of twenty feet. It is covered with short yellowish hair. It is sought for, on account of its oil and tusks, the ivory of which, though rough-grained, is employed in the arts. The skin is used for coach-braces. The seals are the only other amphibious mammals at present known. – Cuvier.

WAL'TRON, n.

Another name of the walrus. – Woodward.

WALTZ, n. [G. walzen, to roll.]

A modern dance and tune, the measure of whose music is triple; three quavers in a bar. – Busby.

WALTZ, v.i.

To dance a waltz.

WALTZ'ER, n.

A person who waltzes.

WAM'BLE, v.i. [D. wemelen; Dan. vamler; Sw. våmjas.]

To be disturbed with nausea; as, a wambling stomach. [Vulgar.] – L'Estrange.

WAM'BLE-CROP-PED, a.

Sick at the stomach. [Vulgar.]

WAM-PEE', n.

A plant, a species of Arum.

WAM'PUM, n.

Shells or strings of shells, used by the American Indians as money or a medium of commerce. These strings of shells when united, form a broad belt, which is worn as an ornament or girdle. It is sometimes called wampumpeague, wompeague, or wampampeague, of which wampum seems to be a contraction. – Winthrop. Gookin.

WAN, a. [Sax. wan, wann, deficient; wanion, to fail, to wane; wan, pale, that is, deficient in color; allied probably to vain. Qu. W. gwan, weak, and gwyn, white. The primary sense is to withdraw or depart.]

Pale; having a sickly hue; languid of look. Sad to view, his visage pale and wan. – Spenser. Why so pale and wan, fond lover? – Suckling.

WAN, v. [for Won; pret. of Win. Obs.]

WAND, n. [D. vaand.]

1. A small stick; a rod. If child runs away, a few strokes of a wand will bring him back.
2. A staff of authority; as, a silver wand.
3. A rod used by conjurers or diviners. Picus bore a buckler in his hand, / His other wav'd a long divining wand. – Dryden.

WAN'DER, v.i. [Sax. wandrian; D. wandelen, to walk; G. wandeln, to wander, to walk, to change, exchange or transform; Sw. vånda, to turn; vandra, to wander; Dan. vandler, to walk, to wander, to trade; vandel, behavior, deportment, conversation; It. andare, Sp. and Port. andar, to go; Sans. andara, a wanderer.]

1. To rove; to ramble here and there without any certain course or object in view; as, to wander over the fields; to wander about the town, or about the country. Men may sometimes wander for amusement or exercise. Persons sometimes wander because they have no home and are wretched, and sometimes because they have no occupation. They wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins. – Heb. xi. He wandereth about for bread. – Job xv. He was wandering in the field. Gen. xxxvii.
2. To leave home; to depart; to migrate. When God caused me to wander from my father's house. Gen. xx.
3. To depart from the subject in discussion; as, to wander from the point.
4. In a moral sense, to stray; to deviate; to depart from duty or rectitude. O let me not wander from thy commandments. Ps. cxix.
5. To be delirious; not to be under the guidance of reason; as, the mind wanders.

WAN'DER, v.t.

To travel over without a certain course. Wand'ring many a famous realm. [Elliptical.] – Milton.

WAN'DER-ED, pp.

Rambled; traveled over rovingly; deviated from duty.

WAN'DER-ER, n.

A rambler; one that roves; one that deviates from duty.

WAN'DER-ING, n.

1. Peregrination; a traveling without a settled course.
2. Aberration; mistaken way; deviation from rectitude; as, a wandering from duty.
3. A roving of the mind or thoughts from the point or business in which one ought to be engaged. – Locke.
4. The roving of the mind in a dream.
5. The roving of the mind in delirium.
6. Uncertainty; want of being fixed. – Locke.