Was, woz, used as pa.t. of be. [A.S. wæs, wǽre—wesan, to remain, be; Goth. wisan, pa.t. was, to remain; Ice. vera, pa.t. var.]
Wase, wāz, n. (prov.) a wisp of hay, straw, &c.: a pad on the head to ease the pressure of a burden.
Wase-goose. See Waygoose.
Wash, wosh, v.t. to cleanse with water: to overflow: to waste away by the action of water: to cover with a thin coat of metal or paint: in mining, to separate from earth by means of water.—v.i. to cleanse one's self, to cleanse clothes with water: to stand water, of clothes: (coll.) to stand the test.—n. a washing: the break of waves on the shore: the rough water left behind by a moving vessel: the shallow part of a river or arm of the sea: a marsh or fen: alluvial matter: waste liquor, refuse of food, &c.: that with which anything is washed: a lotion: a thin coat of paint, metal, &c.: (slang) a fictitious kind of sale of stock or other securities between parties of one interest, or by a broker who is at once the buyer and the seller, and who minds his own interest rather than that of his clients.—adj. Wash′able.—ns. Wash′-ball, a ball of toilet-soap; Wash′-bā′sin, -bowl, Wash′hand bā′sin, a bowl in which to wash face and hands; Wash′-board, a corrugated board for rubbing clothes on in washing: a thin plank placed on a boat's gunwale to prevent the sea from breaking over: a board round the bottom of the walls of a room; Wash′-bott′le, a bottle used by chemists for washing chemical preparations and instruments; Wash′-cloth, a piece of cloth used in washing; Wash′-dirt, earth rich enough in metal to pay for washing; Wash′er, one who washes: a flat ring of iron or leather between the nave of a wheel and the linch-pin, under the head of a screw, &c.—v.t to lift with washers; Wash′erman, a man who washes clothes, esp. for hire:—fem. Wash′erwoman; Wash′-gild′ing, a gilding made with an amalgam of gold from which the mercury is driven off by heat, leaving a coating of gold; Wash′-house, Wash′ing-house, a house for washing clothes in; Wash′iness, state of being watery, weakness, worthlessness; Wash′ing, the act of cleansing by water: the clothes washed, esp. at one time: what is washed; Was′hing-machine′, a machine for washing clothes; Wash′ing-pow′der, a powdered preparation used in washing clothes; Wash′ing-up, Wash′-up, cleaning up; Wash′-leath′er, split sheepskin prepared with oil in imitation of chamois, and used for household purposes: buff leather for regimental belts.—adj. Wash′-off, that will not stand washing.—ns. Wash′-out, an erosion of earth by the action of water, the hole made by such; Wash′-pot, a vessel for washing; Wash′-stand, Wash′hand stand, a piece of furniture for holding ewer, basin, and other requisites for washing a person; Wash′-tub, a tub for washing clothes.—adj. Wash′y, watery, moist: thin, feeble.—n. Rain′-wash, a washing away by the force of rain: a deposit formed by rain. [A.S. wascan; Ice. vaska, Ger. waschen.]
Washingtonia, wosh-ing-tō′ni-a, n. a Californian genus of palms, valued for ornament in lawns—from George Washington (1732-99).
Wasp, wosp, n. a popular name for Hymenopterous insects belonging to the family Vespidæ, or to closely related families—(Wasps are generally more slender and much less hairy than bees, and their stinging organ—an ovipositor—resembles that of bees in structure and mode of action): a petulant and spiteful person.—adjs. Was′pish, like a wasp: having a slender waist like a wasp: quick to resent an affront; Was′pish-head′ed (Shak.), passionate.—adv. Was′pishly.—n. Was′pishness.—adjs. Wasp′-tongued (Shak.), biting in tongue, shrewish; Wasp′-waist′ed, very slender waisted, laced tightly; Was′py, waspish. [A.S. wæsp, wæps; Ger. wespe, L. vespa.]
Wassail, wos′āl, n. the salutation uttered in drinking a person's health, a festive occasion: a drunken bout: a liquor consisting of ale with roasted apples, sugar, nutmeg, and toast, once much used on festive occasions.—v.i. to hold a wassail or merry drinking-meeting: to drink to the health of.—ns. Wass′ail-bout, a carouse; Wass′ail-bowl, -cup, a cup from which healths were drunk; Wass′ailer, one who wassails or drinks wassail: a reveller. [A.S. wes hál, 'may you be in health,' the salutation used in pledging another, which the Normans transferred to mean 'a carousal.']
Wasserman, wos′ėr-man, n. (Spens.) a sea-monster, shaped like a man. [Ger. wasser, water, mann, man.]
Wast, wost, pa.t. 2d pers. sing. of the verb be.
Waste, wāst, adj. empty, desert: desolate: useless, vain: stripped: lying unused: unproductive.—v.t. to lay waste or make desolate: to destroy: to wear out gradually: to squander: to diminish: to impair.—v.i. to be diminished: to dwindle: to be consumed.—n. act of wasting: useless expenditure: superfluous material, stuff left over: loss: destruction: that which is wasted or waste: uncultivated country: desert: refuse, as of coal, &c.: decay, decline: (law) natural but permanent injury to the inheritance.—ns. Wās′tage, loss by use, natural decay; Waste′-bas′ket, Waste′paper-bas′ket, a basket for holding useless scraps of paper; Waste′-book, a book in which merchants make entries of transactions in order as they occur, and for a temporary purpose.—adj. Waste′ful, full of waste: destructive: lavish: (Spens.) desolate.—adv. Waste′fully.—ns. Waste′fulness; Waste′-gate, a gate for discharging surplus water from a dam, &c.; Wās′ten (Spens.), a desert; Waste′ness (B.), devastation; Waste′-pipe, a pipe for carrying off waste or surplus water; Wās′ter, one who or that which wastes: a spendthrift: a destroyer: an article spoilt in the making.—adj. Wās′ting, devastating: enfeebling—(Wasting investments, stocks redeemable on a certain date at a fixed price, for which a premium above the redemption price is paid).—ns. Wās′ting, devastation; Wās′trel, refuse: anything neglected, a neglected child: (dial.) a profligate; Wās′try (Scot.), prodigality.—adj. improvident.—Waste lands, uncultivated and unprofitable tracts in populous and cultivated countries; Waste time, to employ time unprofitably or not at all.—Run to waste, to become incapable or useless.—Utilisation of waste products, the putting to other use of such material as is rendered either wholly or partially useless in the manufacture of articles and products—e.g. waste-silk is now a valuable raw material for a large spun-silk industry. [O. Fr. wast, gaste—L. vastus, waste; cf. A.S. wéste, Ger. wüst, desolate.]