Emily Dickinson Lexicon

WEATH'ER, n. [weth'er; Sax. weder, wæder, or wether; G. wetter; D. weder or weer; Dan. vejr; Sw. väder; Sans. widara, a storm. The primary sense of this word is air, wind or atmosphere; probably the Gr. αιθηρ, whence ether. Properly, the air; hence,]

1. The state of the air or atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness, and the like; as, warm weather; cold weather; wet weather; dry weather; calm weather; tempestuous weather; fair weather; cloudy weather; hazy weather, and the like.
2. Change of the state of the air. – Bacon.
3. Storm; tempest. – Dryden. [These last significations are not now in use, unless by a poetic license.] Stress of weather, violent winds; force of tempests.

WEATH'ER, v.t.¹ [weth'er.]

1. To air; to expose to the air. [Rarely used.] – Spenser. Tusser.
2. In seamen's language, to sail to the windward of something else; as, to weather a cape; to weather another ship. As this is often difficult, hence,
3. To pass with difficulty. – Hale. To weather a point, to gain or accomplish it against opposition. – Addison. To weather out, to endure; to hold out to the end; as, to weather out a storm. – Addison. Weather is used with several words, either as an adjective, or as forming part of a compound word.

WEATH'ER, v.t.²

In geology, to decompose the surface of rocks by the action of the atmosphere.

WEATH'ER-BEAT-EN, a. [weather and beaten.]

Beaten or harassed by the weather. – Milton. Dryden.

WEATH'ER-BIT, n.

A turn of the cable about the end of the windlass, without the knight-heads. – Cyc.

WEATH'ER-BOARD, n.

1. That side of ship which is toward the wind; the windward side. So in other words, weather signifies toward the wind or windward; as, in weather-bow, weather-braces, weather-gage, weather-lifts, weather-quarter, weather-shrouds, weather-side, weather-shore, &c.
2. A thin board used in covering the sides of a wooden building.

WEATH'ER-BOARD-ING, n.

The act of nailing up boards against a wall; or the boards themselves. – Cyc.

WEATH'ER-BOARDS, n.

Pieces of planks placed in the ports of a ship, when laid up in ordinary. – Mar. Dict.

WEATH'ER-BOUND, a.

Delayed by bad weather.

WEATH'ER-CLOTHS, n.

Long pieces of canvas or tarpauling used to preserve the hammocs from injury by the weather when stowed, or to defend persons from the wind and spray. – Mar. Dict.

WEATH'ER-COCK, n. [weather and cock.]

1. Something in the shape of a cock placed on the top of a spire, which by turning, shows the direction of the wind; a vane, or weather-vane.
2. Any thing or person that turns easily and frequently; a fickle, inconstant person. – Dryden.

WEATH'ER-DRIV-EN, n. [weather and driven.]

Driven by winds or storms; forced by stress of weather. – Carew.

WEATH'ER-ED, pp.¹

Passed to the windward; passed with difficulty.

WEATH'ER-ED, pp.²

Decomposed by the action of the atmosphere, as the surface of a rock.

WEATH'ER-FEND, v.t. [weather and fend.]

To shelter.

WEATH'ER-GAGE, n. [weather and gage.]

Something that shows the weather. Qu. Hudibras, A ship is said to have the weather-gage of another, when she is at the windward of her.

WEATH'ER-GLASS, n. [weather and glass.]

An instrument to indicate the state of the atmosphere. This word includes the barometer, thermometer, hygrometer, manometer, and anemometer. – Cyc.

WEATH'ER-HELM, n. [weather and helm.]

A ship is said to carry a weather-helm, when she is inclined to come too near the wind. – Mar. Dict.

WEATH'ER-ING, n.

The decomposition of the surface of rocks by atmospheric action.

WEATH'ER-ING, ppr.

Passing or sailing to the windward; passing with difficulty.

WEATH'ER-MOST, a. [weather and most.]

Being furthest to the windward.

WEATH'ER-PROOF, a. [weather and proof.]

Proof against rough weather.

WEATH'ER-ROLL, n. [weather and roll.]

The roll of a ship to the windward; opposed to lee-lurch.

WEATH'ER-SPY, n. [weather and spy.]

A star-gazer; one that foretells the weather. [Little used.] – Donne.

WEATH'ER-TIDE, n. [weather and tide.]

The tide which sets against the lee-side of a ship, impelling her to the windward. – Mar. Dict.