WILDERNESS Wil"der*ness, n. Etym: [OE. wildernesse, wilderne,probably from AS. wildor a wild beast; cf. D. wildernis wilderness. See Wilder, v. t.]
1. A tract of land, or a region, uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings, whether a forest or a wide, barren plain; a wild; a waste; a desert; a pathless waste of any kind. The wat'ry wilderness yields no supply. Waller.
2. A disorderly or neglected place. Cowper.
3. Quality or state of being wild; wildness. [Obs.] These paths and bowers doubt not but our joint hands. Will keep from wilderness with ease. Milton.
WILDFIRE
Wild"fire, n.
1. A composition of inflammable materials, which, kindled, is very hard to quench; Greek fire. Brimstone, pitch, wildfire . . . burn cruelly, and hard to quench. Bacon.
2. (Med.) (a) An old name for erysipelas. (b) A disease of sheep, attended with inflammation of the skin.
3. A sort of lightning unaccompanied by thunder. [R.]
WILDGRAVE
Wild"grave`, n. Etym: [G. wildgraf or D. wildgraaf. See Wild, and cf.
Margrave.]
Defn: A waldgrave, or head forest keeper. See Waldgrave.
The wildgrave winds his bugle horn. Sir W. Scott.