Widgeon, Wigeon, wij′on, n. a genus of Ducks having the bill shorter than the head, the legs short, the feet rather small, the wings long and pointed, and the tail wedge-shaped: a fool. [O. Fr. vigeon—L. vipio, vipionis, a small crane.]
Widow, wid′ō, n. a woman who has lost her husband by death.—v.t. to bereave of a husband: to strip of anything valued: (Shak.) to endow with a widow's right: to be widow to.—ns. Wid′ow-bench, a widow's share of her husband's estate besides her jointure; Wid′ow-bewitched′, a grass-widow; Wid′ow-bird, a corruption of Whydah-bird; Wid′ower, a man whose wife is dead; Wid′owerhood; Wid′owhood, state of being a widow, or (rarely) of being a widower: (Shak.) a widow's right; Wid′ow-hun′ter, one who seeks to marry a widow for her money; Wid′ow-mā′ker, one who bereaves women of their husbands; Wid′ow's-cham′ber, the apparel and bedroom furniture of the widow of a London freeman, to which she was entitled; Wid′ow-wail, a dwarf shrub with pink, sweet-scented flowers, native to Spain and southern France.—Widow's lawn, a fine thin muslin; Widow's man, a fictitious person; Widow's silk, a silk fabric with dull surface, for mournings; Widow's weeds, the mourning dress of a widow. [A.S. widwe, wuduwe; Ger. wittwe, L. vidua, bereft of a husband, Sans. vidhavā.]
Wield, wēld, v.t. to use with full command: to manage: to use.—adj. Wiel′dable, capable of being wielded.—ns. Wiel′der; Wiel′diness.—adjs. Wield′less (Spens.), not capable of being wielded, unmanageable; Wiel′dy, capable of being wielded: manageable: dexterous, active.—Wield the sceptre, to have supreme command or control. [A.S. geweldan—wealdan; Goth. waldan, Ger. walten.]
Wiery, wē′ri, adj. (obs.) wet, marshy, moist. [A.S. wær, a pond.]
Wife, wīf, n. a woman: a married woman: the mistress of a house, a hostess—often in this sense 'goodwife.'—n. Wife′hood, the state of being a wife.—adjs. Wife′less, without a wife; Wife′-like, Wife′ly. [A.S. wíf; Ice. víf, Ger. weib; not conn. with weave.]
Wig, wig, n. an artificial covering of hair for the head, worn to conceal baldness, formerly for fashion's sake, as in the full-dress full-bottomed form of Queen Anne's time, still worn by the Speaker and by judges, and the smaller tie-wig, still represented by the judge's undress wig and the barrister's or advocate's frizzed wig: a judge. (For Bag-wig, see Bag.)—n. Wig′-block, a block or shaped piece of wood for fitting a wig on.—adj. Wigged, wearing a wig.—n. Wig′gery, false hair: excess of formality.—adj. Wig′less, without a wig.—n. Wig′-mā′ker, a maker of wigs. [Short for periwig.]
Wig, wig, v.t. (coll.) to scold.—n. Wig′ging, a scolding. [Prob. derived from 'to snatch at one's wig,' to handle roughly.]
Wigan, wig′an, n. a stiff canvas-like fabric for stiffening shirts, borders, &c. [Wigan, the town.]
Wigeon. See Widgeon.
Wiggle, wig′l, v.i. (prov.) to waggle, wriggle.—n. a wiggling motion.—n. Wigg′ler, one who wriggles.