Words starting with W — 625 entries

The 625 dictionary words that begin with the letter W, in alphabetical order, each with its first definition. Accents do not affect filing: an accented initial is shelved under its base letter.

• Webb10 sensesAn English and Scottish surname originating as an occupation for a weaver.
• webber8 sensesAn animal that creates webs, such as a spider.
• Webber4 sensesA surname originating as an occupation for a weaver.
• weber1 senseIn the International System of Units, the derived unit of magnetic flux; the flux linking a circuit of one turn that produces an electromotive force…
• Weber6 sensesA surname from German [in turn originating as an occupation] from Weber (“weaver”).
• website1 senseA collection of interlinked web pages on the World Wide Web that are typically accessible from the same base URL and reside on the same server.
• webster1 senseA weaver (originally, specifically female).
• Webster28 sensesAn English surname originating as an occupation for someone who was a weaver.
• wed7 sensesTo perform the marriage ceremony for; to join in matrimony.
• wedded2 sensesJoined in marriage.
• wedding3 sensesA marriage ceremony; a ritual officially celebrating the beginning of a marriage.
• Wedding3 sensesA surname.
• wedge30 sensesOne of the simple machines; a piece of material, such as metal or wood, thick at one edge and tapered to a thin edge at the other for insertion in a…
• Wedge1 senseA surname.
• Wednesday3 sensesThe fourth day of the week in many religious traditions, and the third day of the week in systems using the ISO 8601 norm; it follows Tuesday and…
• Wednesdays1 senseOn Wednesday; each Wednesday.
• wee6 sensesSmall, little.
• Wee1 senseA surname.
• weed18 sensesAny plant unwanted at the place where and at the time when it is growing.
• Weed1 senseA city in Siskiyou County, California, United States.
• weeds1 senseClothes.
• week6 sensesAny period of seven consecutive days.
• weekend4 sensesThe break in the working week, usually two days including the traditional holy or sabbath day. Thus in Western countries, Saturday and Sunday.
• weekends1 senseAt weekends.
• weekly5 sensesOnce every week.
• Weekly1 senseA surname.
• Weeks2 sensesA surname.
• weenie3 sensesSomeone weak and unimportant, a wimp.
• weep10 sensesTo cry; to shed tears, especially when accompanied with sobbing or other difficulty speaking, as an expression of emotion such as sadness or joy.
• weeping1 senseAction of the verb to weep.
• Wei6 sensesA county of Handan, Hebei, China.
• weigh13 sensesTo determine the weight of an object.
• Weigh1 senseA surname.
• weighing2 sensesThat weighs or burdens.
• weight31 sensesThe downwards force an object experiences due to gravity.
• Weight1 senseA surname.
• weights1 senseAny collection of weighted objects, such as dumbbells or barbells, used for exercise and training the muscles.
• weir3 sensesAn adjustable dam placed across a river to regulate the flow of water downstream.
• Weir9 sensesA surname.
• weird15 sensesHaving an unusually strange character or behaviour.
• weirdo3 sensesA strange, odd, eccentric person.
• Weirdo1 senseA superfan of American science-fiction author Andy Weir.
• Weiss1 senseA characteristical surname from German.
• welcome10 sensesWhose arrival is a cause of joy; received with gladness; admitted willingly to the house, entertainment, or company.
• Welcome1 senseA surname.
• welcomed1 senseHaving received a warm welcome.
• welcoming2 senseshospitable, accessible and cordial.
• weld7 sensesA herb (Reseda luteola) related to mignonette, growing in Europe, and to some extent in America, used to make a yellow dye.
• Weld2 sensesA surname from Old English possibly deriving from the Old English word for woodland. The family is mainly located in the Southern regions of England.
• welfare3 sensesHealth, safety, happiness and prosperity; well-being in any respect.
• well35 sensesAccurately, competently, satisfactorily.
• Well5 sensesA small village in Long Sutton parish, Hart district, Hampshire, England (OS grid ref SU7646).
• well-being1 senseA state of health, happiness or prosperity.
• well-known2 sensesFamiliar, famous, renowned, noted or widely known.
• Welles1 senseA locational surname
• Wellington39 sensesThe capital city of New Zealand in the Wellington region.
• Wells18 sensesAn English topographic surname from Middle English for someone living near a well or a spring.
• welsh3 sensesTo cheat or swindle someone, often by not paying a debt, especially a gambling debt.
• Welsh11 sensesOf or pertaining to Wales.
• wen1 senseA cyst on the skin; a tumor or wart.
• Wen1 senseA common surname from Chinese of east Asian derivation.
• wench9 sensesA girl or young woman, especially a buxom or lively one.
• Wendell6 sensesA surname originating as a patronymic.
• wendy1 senseA wuss; someone who is particularly cowardly.
• Wendy1 senseA female given name.
• went1 senseA course; a way, a path; a journey.
• Went2 sensesA surname from Middle English.
• were2 sensessimple subjunctive of be
• werewolf1 senseA person who is transformed or can transform into a wolf or a wolflike human, often said to do so during a full moon.
• Werewolf1 senseSynonym of Mafia (“a social deduction party game”).
• Werner1 senseA surname from German.
• Wes1 senseA diminutive of the male given names Wesley or Weston.
• Wesley16 sensesA habitational surname from Old English.
• west10 sensesThe direction opposite to that of the earth's rotation, specifically 270°.
• West12 sensesAny of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie. The western world; i.e. the United States, Canada, Western…
• western4 sensesOf, facing, situated in, or related to the west.
• Western9 sensesOf, situated in, or related to the West (in any sense thereof). Of or pertaining to the cultures and traditions of the United States, Canada, Western…
• Westminster21 sensesThe abbey of Westminster.
• Weston53 sensesAny of many places in England: A village in Welford parish, West Berkshire district, Berkshire (OS grid ref SU3973).
• wet32 sensesMade up of liquid or moisture, usually (but not always) water.
• WET1 senseOf code, having the quality of adhering to the principle of WET; containing much repetition.
• WHA1 senseThe station code of Whampoa in Hong Kong.
• whack17 sensesThe sound of a heavy strike.
• whacked2 sensesTired; fatigued.
• whale10 sensesAny large cetacean, usually with the exclusion of dolphins and porpoises.
• Whale2 sensesA surname.
• wham10 sensesA forceful blow.
• wharf4 sensesAn artificial landing place for ships on a riverbank or shore.
• what21 sensesWhich, especially which of an open-ended set of possibilities.
• what-what1 senseUsed to add emphasis to, and to seek agreement with, a previous statement.
• whatever14 sensesA thing or person whose actual name is unknown or forgotten.
• whatnot3 sensesA small unspecified object; bric-a-brac (in plural).
• whatsoever3 sensesWhatever.
• wheat3 sensesAny of the several cereal grains, of the genus Triticum, that yields flour as used in bakery.
• Wheat3 sensesA surname.
• whee4 sensesAn expression of pleasure or enjoyment, mostly from rapid physical motion.
• wheel34 sensesA circular device capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation or performing labour in machines.
• wheelchair4 sensesA chair mounted on large wheels for the transportation or use of a sick or disabled person.
• wheeler5 sensesSomeone who operates a wheel.
• Wheeler14 sensesAn English surname, derived from the trade of wheeler.
• wheels2 sensesAn automobile or other vehicle; a set of wheels.
• wheezing1 senseThe quality or symptom of breathing with an audible wheeze
• when15 sensesAt what time? At which time? Upon which occasion or circumstance? Used to introduce direct or indirect questions about time.
• whenever7 sensesAt any time that.
• where12 sensesIn, at or to what place.
• whereabouts3 sensesIn, at or near what location.
• whereas4 sensesIn contrast; whilst on the contrary; although.
• wherever7 sensesWhere ever; an emphatic form of where.
• whether6 sensesIntroduces a simple indirect question (without a correlative).
• whew4 sensesAn expressive sound made indicating the release of one's inner tension; the release of breath; an expression of relief.
• which12 sensesWhat, of those mentioned or implied.
• whichever9 sensesWhich ever; emphatic form of 'which'.
• whiff34 sensesA brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air; a waft.
• while11 sensesAn uncertain duration of time, a period of time.
• While1 senseA surname.
• whilst6 sensesOften preceded by the: During the time; meanwhile.
• whim4 sensesA fanciful impulse, or sudden change of idea.
• whimpering1 senseThe sound of one who whimpers; a whimper; a feeble complaint.
• whimsical1 senseGiven to whimsy.
• whine7 sensesA long-drawn, high-pitched complaining cry or sound.
• whinnying1 senseA gentle neighing.
• whip33 sensesA lash; a pliant, flexible instrument, such as a rod (commonly of cane or rattan) or a plaited or braided rope or thong (commonly of leather) used to…
• whipped2 sensesOf food: prepared by whipping or beating.
• whipping6 sensesThe punishment of being whipped.
• whirl10 sensesTo rotate, revolve, spin or turn rapidly.
• whirlwind3 sensesA windstorm of limited extent, such as a tornado, dust devil, or waterspout, characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air with an upward…
• whirring3 sensesA whirr, the sounds of a whirr.
• whiskers1 senseFaded creases around the crotch of blue jeans. Can be added artificially or created by daily wear over the lifetime of a garment.
• whiskey3 sensesA liquor distilled from the fermented mash of grain (as rye, corn, or barley).
• whisper16 sensesThe act of speaking in a quiet voice, especially without vibration of the vocal cords; the sound thus produced.
• whispering5 sensesThat whispers.
• whistle11 sensesA device designed to be placed in the mouth and blown, or driven by steam or some other mechanism, to make a whistling sound.
• whistling1 senseA shrill, breathy sound; a whistle.
• whit1 senseThe smallest part or particle imaginable; an iota.
• Whit3 sensesWhitsunday.
• white39 sensesBright and colourless; reflecting equal quantities of all frequencies of visible light.
• White7 sensesA common British and Irish surname transferred from the nickname.
• whites6 sensesA set of white clothes, especially as a uniform.
• Whites3 sensesAny of several sports teams whose uniform is predominantly white, particularly The chariot-racing faction of the Roman circus and Constantinopolitan…
• whitey2 sensesA white person, a person of Western European descent.
• Whitman5 sensesA surname.
• Whitney15 sensesA habitational surname from Middle English.
• whiz9 sensesTo make a whirring or hissing sound, similar to that of an object speeding through the air.
• who7 sensesWhat person or people; which person or people; asks for the identity of someone; used in a direct or indirect question.
• Who1 senseThe television show Doctor Who.
• whoa4 sensesStop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down.
• whoever5 sensesWho ever: an emphatic form of who.
• whole8 sensesEntire, undivided.
• wholesale6 sensesThe sale of products, often in large quantities, to retailers or other merchants.
• wholesome5 sensesPromoting good physical health and well-being.
• wholly3 sensesCompletely and entirely; to the fullest extent.
• whom5 sensesWhat person or people; which person or people. As the object of a verb.
• whomever1 senseWhatever person or persons (as object of verb or preposition).
• whoo5 sensesAn expression of joy and excitement.
• whoop9 sensesA loud, eager cry, usually of joy.
• whoops2 sensesOops.
• whoosh10 sensesA breathy sound like that of an object passing at high speed.
• whooshing1 senseA sound or motion that whooshes.
• whore12 sensesSynonym of prostitute: a person (especially a woman) who offers sexual services for payment.
• whorehouse1 senseBrothel.
• whose5 sensesOf whom, belonging to whom; which person's or people's.
• why10 sensesFor what cause, reason, or purpose. Introducing a complete question.
• wi2 sensesus
• Wi1 senseA surname from Korean.
• Wi-Fi6 sensesAny of several standards for short-range wireless data transmission (IEEE 802.11).
• wick24 sensesA braid or bundle of fibre or other porous material (now generally twisted or woven cotton) in a candle, kerosene heater, oil lamp, etc., that draws…
• Wick15 sensesA town in north-eastern Caithness, Highland council area, Scotland (OS grid ref ND3650).
• wicked8 sensesEvil or mischievous by nature; morally reprehensible.
• wide16 sensesHaving a large physical extent from side to side.
• widely2 sensesIn a wide manner; across a wide area.
• widespread2 sensesAffecting, or found throughout, a large area (e.g. the entire land or body); broad in extent; widely diffused.
• widow10 sensesA person whose spouse is absent: A person who has lost a spouse and hasn't remarried: A woman whose spouse (traditionally husband) has died (and who…
• widower1 senseA man whose spouse has died (and who has not remarried); a man in relation to his late spouse; masculine of widow.
• width5 sensesThe state of being wide.
• wield6 sensesTo handle with skill and ease, especially a weapon or tool.
• wiener5 sensesA type of sausage made from beef, chicken or pork.
• Wiener1 senseA surname from German.
• wife4 sensesA married woman, especially in relation to her spouse.
• wig8 sensesA head of real or synthetic hair worn on the head to disguise baldness, for cultural or religious reasons, for fashion, or by actors to help them…
• wiggle6 sensesTo move with irregular, back and forward or side to side motions; to shake or jiggle.
• Wil2 sensesA male given name, variant of Will.
• Wilbur3 sensesA surname originating as a matronymic.
• Wilcox11 sensesA surname originating as a patronymic.
• wild25 sensesUntamed; not domesticated. Especially, being of the wild type: being of an unbroken ancestral line of undomesticated animals, as opposed to being…
• Wild1 senseA surname from Middle English originally referring to a wild person, or for someone living in uncultivated land.
• Wilde1 senseA surname from Middle English.
• wilder1 senseTo bewilder, perplex
• Wilder8 sensesA surname.
• wilderness7 sensesUncultivated and unsettled land in its natural state inhabited by wild animals and with vegetation growing wild; (countable) a tract of such land; a…
• Wilderness3 sensesA forested region of central Virginia.
• wildlife2 sensesundomesticated animals, especially mammals, birds, and fish, which live in the wild.
• wildly2 sensesIn a wild, uncontrolled manner.
• Wiley4 sensesA surname.
• Wilfred3 sensesA male given name from Old English, popular in the U.K. in the early twentieth century.
• Wilhelm2 sensesA male given name from German, equivalent to English William.
• Wilkes2 sensesA surname originating as a patronymic.
• Wilkins4 sensesA surname originating as a patronymic.
• will18 sensesUsed to express the future tense, sometimes with an implication of volition or determination when used in the first person. Compare shall.
• Will4 sensesA diminutive of the male given name William or, less often, other given names beginning with Wil-, such as Wilfred or Willard, from the Germanic…
• Willa1 senseA female given name from the Germanic languages.