Wahoo, wa-hōō′, n. the burning bush, a richly ornamental shrub: the bear-berry, which yields cascara sagrada: the winged elm, with valuable hard-grained wood.
Waid, Waide. Old spellings of weighed.
Waif, wāf, n. a stray article: anything found astray without an owner: a worthless wanderer.—adj. vagabond, worthless. [O. Fr. waif, wef—Ice. veif, any flapping or waving thing.]
Waift, wāft, n. (Spens.) a waif.
Wail, wāl, v.i. to lament or sorrow audibly.—v.t. to bemoan: to grieve over.—n. a cry of woe: loud weeping.—n. Wail′er.—adj. Wail′ful, sorrowful, mournful.—n. Wail′ing.—adv. Wail′ingly. [M. E. weilen—Ice. vaela, vála, to wail—væ, vei, woe.]
Wain, wān, n. a wagon.—v.t. (rare) to carry.—ns. Wain′age, the team and implements necessary for the cultivation of land; Wain′-rope, a rope for binding a load on a wain or wagon; Wain′wright, a wagon-maker.—The lesser wain, the constellation Ursa Minor. [A.S. wægen, wæn—wegen, to carry; cf. Ger. wagen, L. vehĕre.]
Wainscot, wān′skot, n. the panelled boards on the walls of apartments: a collector's name for certain noctuoid moths.—v.t. to line with, or as if with, boards or panels.—ns. Wain′scoting, Wain′scotting, the act of lining with boards or panels: materials for making a wainscot. [Orig. perh. wood used for a partition in a wagon—Dut. wagenschot, oakwood, beechwood—wagen, wagon, schot, partition. Skeat explains as a corr. of Old Dut. waegheschot, wall-hoarding, from Old Dut. waeg, a wall, schot, a partition.]
Waist, wāst, n. the smallest part of the human trunk, between the ribs and the hips: the bodice of a woman's dress: the middle part, as of a ship, of a musical instrument—(Shak.) of a period of time; (Shak.) something that surrounds.—ns. Waist′-anchor, an anchor stowed in the waist of a ship; Waist′band, the band or part of a garment which encircles the waist; Waist′belt, a belt for the waist; Waist′boat, a boat carried in the waist of a vessel; Waist′cloth, a piece of cloth worn around the waist, and hanging below it, in India; Waist′coat, a short coat worn immediately under the coat, and fitting the waist tightly; Waistcoateer′ (obs.), a strumpet; Waist′coating, material for men's waistcoats, usually of a fancy pattern and containing silk.—adjs. Waist′-deep, -high, as deep, high, as to reach up to the waist.—n. Waist′er, a green-hand on a whaler: an old man-of-war's-man who has not risen. [A.S. wæxt, growth (Ice. vöxtr); conn, with wæstme, growth, weaxen, to grow.]
Wait, wāt, v.i. to stay in expectation (with for): to remain: to attend (with on): to follow: to lie in ambush.—v.t. to stay for: to await: (coll.) to defer: (obs.) to accompany.—n. ambush, now used only in such phrases as 'to lie in wait,' 'to lay wait:' the: act of waiting or expecting: delay: (pl.) itinerant musicians, originally watchmen, who welcome-in Christmas.—ns. Wait′er, one who waits: an attending servant: a salver or tray: a custom-house officer: (obs.) a watchman; Wait′erage, service; Wait′ering, the employment of a waiter; Wait′ing, act of waiting: attendance.—adv. Wait′ingly.—ns. Wait′ing-maid, -wom′an, a female attendant; Wait′ing-room, a room for the convenience of persons waiting; Wait′ing-vass′al (Shak.), an attendant; Wait′ress, a female waiter.—Wait attendance (Shak.), to remain in attendance; Wait upon, on, to call upon, visit: to accompany, to be in the service of: (B.) to look toward, to attend to, do the bidding of.—Lie in wait, to be in hiding ready for attack or surprise.—Lords, or Grooms, in waiting, certain officers in the Lord Chamberlain's department of the royal household; Minority waiter, a waiter out of employment, as a political minority is out of office. [O. Fr. waiter (Fr. guetter), to watch, attend—waite, a sentinel—Old High Ger. wahta (Ger. wacht), a watchman; cog. with A.S. wacan, to watch.]
Waive, wāv, v.t. to relinquish for the present: to give up claim to: not to insist on a right or claim.—n. Wai′ver, the act of waiving: renouncement of a claim: process by which a woman was outlawed. [O. Fr. guever, to refuse, resign—perh. Ice. veifa, to move to and fro; cf. L. vibrāre.]