Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
WALLERITE — WARPING
WALLERITE, n. A mineral, or variety of clay, found in small compact masses of the size of a nut, white and opake, or yellowish and translucent.
WALLET, n.
1. A bag for carrying the necessaries for a journey or march; a knapsack.
2. Any thing protuberant and swagging; as wallets of flesh.
WALLING, ppr. Inclosing or fortifying with a wall.
WALLING, n. Walls in general; materials for walls.
WALLOP, v.i. [See Well.] To boil with a continued bubbling or heaving and rolling of the liquor, with noise.
WALLOPING, ppr. Boiling with a heaving and noise.
WALLOW, v.i. [L., G. This verb seems to be connected with well, walk, etc.]
1. To roll ones body on the earth, in mire, or on other substance; to tumble and roll in water. Swine wallow in the mire.
2. To move heavily and clumsily.
Part huge of bulk, wallowing unwieldy, enormous in their gait, tempest the ocean. [Unusual.]
3. To live in filth or gross vice; as man wallowing in his native impurity.
WALLOW, v.t. To roll ones body.
Wallow thyself in ashes. Jeremiah 6:26.
WALLOW, n. A kind of rolling walk.
WALLOWER, n. One that rolls in mire.
WALLOWING, ppr. Rolling the body on any thing.
WALNUT, n. A tree and its fruit, of the genus Juglans. The black walnut, so called, grows in America, and is indigenous in the southern and middle states, as far north as the Hudson. That is said to be the limit of tis indigenous growth, gut when transplanted, it grows well in the eastern states. In America there are several species of hickory nut, called by this name.
WALRUS, n. [G., a whale, a horse.] The morse or sea horse, an animal of the northern seas, of the genus Trichechus.
WALTRON, n. Another name of the walrus.
WALTZ, n. [G., to roll.] A modern dance and tune, the measure of whose music is triple; three quavers in a bar.
WAMBLE, v.i. To be disturbed with nausea; as a wambling stomach. [Vulgar.]
WAMBLE-CROPPED, a. Sick at the stomach. [Vulgar.]
WAMPEE, n. A plant, a species of Arum.
WAMPUM, n. Shells or strings of shells, used by the American Indians as money or a medium of commerce. These strings of shells when united, form a broad belt, which is worn as an ornament or girdle. It is sometimes called wampumpeague, and wompeague, or wampampeague, of which wampum seems to be a contraction.
WAN, a. Pale; having a sickly hue; languid of look.
Sad to view, his visage pale and wan.
Why so pale and wan, fond lover?
WAN, for won; pret. of win.
WAND, n.
1. A small stick; a rod. If a child runs away, a few strokes of a wand will bring him back.
2. A staff of authority; as a silver wand.
3. A rod used by conjurers or diviners.
Picus bore a buckler in his hand, his other wavd a long diving in wand.
WANDER, v.i. [G., to wander, to walk, to change, exchange or transform.]
1. To rove; to ramble here and there without any certain course or object in view; as, to wander over the fields; to wander about the town, or about the country. Men may sometimes wander for amusement or exercise. Persons sometimes wander because they have no home and are wretched, and sometimes because they have no occupation.
They wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins. Hebrews 11:37.
He wandereth abroad for bread. Job 15:23.
He was wandering in the field. Genesis 37:15.
2. To leave home; to depart; to migrate.
When God caused me to wander from my fathers house-- Genesis 20:13.
3. To depart from the subject in discussion; as, to wander from the point.
4. In a moral sense, to stray; to deviate; to depart from duty or rectitude.
O let me not wander from they commandments. Psalm 119:10.
5. To be delirious; not to be under the guidance of reason; as, the mind wanders.
WANDER, v.t. To travel over without a certain course.
Wandring many a famous realm. [Elliptical.]
WANDERER, n. A rambler; one that roves; one that deviates from duty.
WANDERING, ppr. Roving; rambling; deviating from duty.
WANDERING, n.
1. Peregrination; a traveling without a settled course.
2. Aberration; mistaken way; deviation from rectitude; as a wandering from duty.
3. A roving of the mind or thoughts from the point or business in which one ought to be engaged.
4. The roving of the mind in a dream.
5. The roving of the mind in delirium.
6. Uncertainty; want of being fixed.
WANDERINGLY, adv. In a wandering or unsteady manner.
WANDEROO, n. A baboon of Ceylon and Malabar.
WANE, v.i.
1. To be diminished; to decrease; particularly applied to the illuminated part of the moon. WE say, the moon wanes, that is, the visible or illuminated part decreases.
Waning moons their settled periods keep.
2. To decline; to fail; to sink; as the waning age of life.
You saw but sorrow in its waning form.
Land and trade ever will wax and wane together.
WANE, v.t. To cause to decrease.
WANE, n.
1. Decrease of the illuminated part of the moon, to the eye of a spectator.
2. Decline; failure; diminution; decrease; declension.
You are cast upon an age in which the church is in its wane.
WANG, n.
1. The jaw, jaw-bone or cheek bone. [Little used or vulgar.]
2. The latchet of a shoe. [Not in use.]
WANG-TOOTH, n. A jaw-tooth.
WANHOPE, n. Want of hope. [Not used.]
WANHORN, n. A plant of the genus Kaempferia.
WANING, ppr. Decreasing; failing; declining.
WANLY, adv. In a pale manner; palely.
WANNED, a. Made wan or pale.
WANNESS, n. Paleness; a sallow, dead, pale color; as the wanness of the cheeks after a fever.
WANNISH, a. Somewhat wan; of a pale hue.
WANT, n.
1. Deficiency; defect; the absence of that which is necessary or useful; as a want of power or knowledge for any purpose; want of food and clothing. The want of money is a common want. 2 Corinthians 8:14; 2 Corinthians 9:12.
From having wishes in consequence of our wants, we often feel wants in consequence of our wishes.
2. Need; necessity; the effect of deficiency.
Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and more saucy.
3. Poverty; penury; indigence.
Nothing is so hard for those who abound in riches as to conceive how others can be in want.
4. The state of not having. I cannot write a letter at present for want of time.
5. That which is not possessed, but is desired or necessary for use or pleasure.
Habitual superfluities become actual wants.
6. A mole.
WANT, v.t. waunt.
1. To be destitute; to be deficient in; not to have; a word of general application; as, to want knowledge; to want judgment; to want learning; to want food and clothing; to want money.
2. To be defective or deficient in. Timber may want strength or solidity to answer its purpose.
3. To fall short; not to contain or have. The sum want a dollar of the amount of debt.
Nor think, though men were none, that heaven would want spectators, God want praise.
4. To be without.
The unhappy never want enemies.
5. To need; to have occasion for, as useful, proper or requisite. Our manners want correction. In winter we want a fire; in summer we want cooling breezes. We all want more public spirit and more virtue.
6. To wish for; to desire. Every man wants a little pre-eminence over his neighbor. Many want that which they cannot obtain, and which if they could obtain, would certainly ruin them.
What wants my son?
WANT, v.i. waunt.
1. To be deficient; not to be sufficient.
As in bodies, thus in souls, we find what wants in blood and spirits, swelld with wind.
2. To fail; to be deficient; to be lacking.
No time shall find me wanting to my truth.
3. To be missed; not to be present. The jury was full, wanting one.
4. To fall short; to be lacking.
Twelve, wanting one, he slew.
WANTAGE, n. Deficiency; that which is wanting.
WANTED, pp. Needed; desired.
WANTING, ppr.
1. Needing; lacking; desiring.
2. a. Absent; deficient. One of the twelve is wanting. We have the means, but the application is wanting.
3. Slack; deficient. I shall not be wanting in exertion.
WANTLESS, a. Having no want; abundant; fruitful.
WANTON, a.
1. Wandering or roving in gaiety or sport; sportive; frolicsome; darting aside, or one way and the other. Wanton boys kill flies for sport.
Not a wild and wanton herd.
2. Moving or flying loosely; playing in the wind.
She her unadorned golden tresses wore disheveld, but in wanton ringlets wavd.
3. Wandering from moral rectitude; licentious; dissolute; indulging in sensuality without restraint; as men grown wanton by prosperity.
My plenteous joys, wanton in fullness--
4. More appropriately, deviating from the rules of chastity; lewd; lustful; lascivious; libidinous.
Thou art froward by nature, enemy to peace, lascivious wanton.
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton. James 5:5.
5. Disposed to unchastity; indicating wantonness. Isaiah 3:16.
6. Loose; unrestrained; running to excess.
How does your tongue grow wanton in her praise!
7. Luxuriant; overgrown.
What we by day lop overgrown, one night or two with wanton growth derides, tending to wild.
8. Extravagant; as wanton dress.
9. Not regular; not turned or formed with regularity.
The quaint mazes in the wanton green.
WANTON, n.
1. A lewd person; a lascivious man or woman.
2. A trifler; an insignificant flutterer.
3. A word of slight endearment.
Peace, my wanton-- [Little used.]
WANTON, v.t.
1. To rove and ramble without restraint, rule or limit; to revel; to play loosely.
Nature here wantond as in her prime.
Her golden tresses wanton in the wind.
2. To ramble in lewdness; to play lasciviously.
3. To move briskly and irregularly.
WANTONING, ppr. Roving; flying loosely; playing without restraint; indulging in licentiousness.
WANTONIZE, v.i. To behave wantonly. [Not in use.]
WANTONLY, adv. Loosely; without regularity or restraint; sportively; gayly; playfully; lasciviously.
WANTONNESS, n.
1. Sportiveness; gaiety; frolicsomeness; waggery.
--As sad as night, only for wantonness.
2. Licentiousness; negligence of restraint.
The tumults threatened to abuse all acts of grace, and turn them into wantonness.
3. Lasciviousness; lewdness. Romans 13:13; 2 Peter 2:18.
WANT-WIT, n. [want and wit.] One destitute of wit or sense; a fool. [Not in much use.]
WANTY, n. A broad strap of leather, used for binding a load upon the back of a beast. [Local.]
WAPACUT, n. The spotted owl of Hudsons bay.
WAPED, a. [L., to strike, and awhap, whap, which the common people in New England use, and pronounce whop.] Dejected; cast down; crushed by misery. [Not in use.]
WAPENTAKE, WAPENTAC, n. [See Touch. This name had its origin in a custom of touching lances or spears when the hundreder or chief entered on his office.] In some northern counties of England, a division or district, answering to the hundred or cantred in other counties. The name was first given to the meeting, supra.
WAPP, n. In a ship, the rope with which the shrouds are set taught in wale-knots.
WAPPE, n. A species of cur, said to be so called from his voice. His only use is to alarm the family by barking when any person approaches the house.
WAPPER, n. A fish; a name given to the smaller species of the river gudgeon.
WAR, n. [G., to perplex, embroil, disturb. The primary sense of the root is to strive, struggle, urge, drive, or to turn, to twist.]
1. A contest between nations or states, carried on by force, either for defense, or for revenging insults and redressing wrongs, for the extension of commerce or acquisition of territory, or for obtaining and establishing the superiority and dominion of one over the other. These objects are accomplished by the slaughter or capture of troops, and the capture and destruction of ships, towns and property. Among rude nations, war is often waged and carried on for plunder. As war is the contest of nations or states, it always implies that such contest is authorized by the monarch or the sovereign power of the nation. When war is commenced by attacking a nation in peace, it si called an offensive war, and such attack is aggressive. When war is undertaken to repel invasion or the attacks of an enemy, it is called defensive, and a defensive war is considered as justifiable. Very few of the wars that have desolated nations and deluged the earth with blood, have been justifiable. Happy would it be for mankind, if the prevalence of Christian principles might ultimately extinguish the spirit of war, and if the ambition to be great, might yield to the ambition of being good.
Preparation for war is sometimes the best security for peace.
2. In poetical language, instruments of war.
His complement of stores, and total war.
3. Poetically, forces; army.
Oer the embattled ranks the waves return, and overwhelm their war.
4. The profession of arms; art of war; as a fierce man of war. Isaiah 2:4.
5. Hostility; state of opposition or contest; act of opposition.
6. Enmity; disposition to contention.
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart. Psalm 55:21.
Man of war, in naval affairs, a ship of large size, armed and equipped for attack or defense.
Holy war, a crusade; a war undertaken to deliver the Holy Land, or Judea, from infidels. These holy wars were carried on by most unholy means.
WAR, v.i.
1. To make war; to invade or attack a nation or state with force of arms; to carry on hostilities; or to be in a state of contest by violence.
He teacheth my hands to war. 2 Samuel 22:35.
And they warred against the Midianites. Numbers 31:7.
Why should I war without the walls of Troy?
2. To contend; to strive violently; to be in a state of opposition.
Lusts which war against the soul. 1 Peter 2:11.
WAR, v.t.
1. To make war upon; as, to war the Scot. [Not used.]
2. To carry on a contest.
That thou mightest war a good warfare. 1 Timothy 1:18.
WAR-BEAT, WAR-BEATEN, a. [war and beat.] Worn down in war.
WARBLE, v.t. [G., to turn, whirl, warble; a whirl, a vortex; a turning bone or joint, L.]
1. To quaver a sound or the voice; to modulate with turns or variations. Certain birds are remarkable for warbling their songs.
2. To cause to quaver.
And touch the warbled string.
3. To utter musically; to be modulated.
If she be right invokd with warbled song.
Warbling sweet the nuptial lay.
WARBLE, v.i.
1. To be quavered or modulated.
Such strains neer warble in the linnets throat.
2. To be uttered melodiously; as warbling lays.
For warbling notes from inward cheering flow.
3. To sing.
Birds on the branches warbling.
WARBLED, pp. Quavered; modulated; uttered musically.
WARBLER, n.
1. A singer; a songster; used of birds.
In lulling strains the fetherd warblers woo.
2. The common name of a genus of small birds (Sylvia,) comprising most of the small woodland songsters of Europe and North America. They feed on insects and are very lively and active. The blue-bird is a species of the genus.
WARBLES, n. In farriery, small hard tumors on the backs of horses, occasioned by the heat of the saddle in traveling, or by the uneasiness of its situation; also, small tumors produced by the larvas of the gad fly, in the backs of horses, cattle, etc.
WARBLING, ppr.
1. Quavering the voice; modulating notes; singing.
2. a. Filled with musical notes; as the warbling glade.
WARBLING, n. The act of shaking or modulating notes; singing.
WARD, in composition, as in toward, homeward, is the Saxon weard, from the root of L.
WARD, v.t.
1. To guard; to deep in safety; to watch.
Whose gates he found fast shut, he living wight to ward the same--
[In this sense, ward is obsolete, as we have adopted the French of the same word, to guard. We now never apply ward to the thing to be defended, but always to the thing against which it is to be defended. We ward off a blow or dagger, and we guard a person or place.]
2. To defend; to protect.
Tell him it was a hand that warded him from thousand dangers. [Obs. See the remark, supra.]
3. To fend off; to repel; to turn aside any thing mischievous that approaches.
Now wards a falling blow, now strikes again.
The pointed javlin warded off his rage.
It instructs the scholar in the various methods of warding off the force of objections.
[This is the present use of ward. To ward off is now the more general expression, nor can I, with Johnson, think it less elegant.]
WARD, v.i.
1. To be vigilant; to keep guard.
2. To act on the defensive with a weapon.
She drove the stranger to no other shift, than to ward and go back.
And on their warding arms light bucklers bear.
WARD, n.
1. Watch; act of guarding.
Still when she slept, he kept both watch and ward.
2. Garrison; troops to defend a fort; as small wards left in forts. [Not in use.]
3. Guard made by a weapon in fencing.
For want of other ward, he lifted up his hand his front to guard.
4. A fortress; a strong hold.
5. One whose business is to guard, watch and defend; as a fire-ward.
6. A certain district, division or quarter of a town or city, committed to an alderman. There are twenty six wards in London.
7. Custody; confinement under guard. Pharaoh put his butler and baker in ward. Genesis 40:3.
8. A minor or person under the care of a guardian. See Blackstones chapter on the rights and duties of guardian and ward.
9. The state of a child under a guardian.
I must attend his majestys commands, to whom I am now in ward.
10. Guardianship; right over orphans.
It is convenient in Ireland, that the wards and marriages of gentlemens children should be in the disposal of any of those lords.
11. The division of a forest.
12. The division of a hospital.
13. A part of a lock which corresponds to its proper key.
WARDED, pp. Guarded.
Warded off, prevented from attacking or injuring.
WARDEN, n.
1. A keeper; a guardian.
2. An officer who keeps or guards; a keeper; as the warden of the fleet or fleet prison.
3. A large pear.
Warden of the cinque ports, in England, an officer or magistrate who has the jurisdiction of a port or haven. There are five such ports.
Warden of a university, is the master or president.
WARDER, n.
1. A keeper; a guard.
The warders of the gate.
2. A trunchion by which an officer of arms forbad fight.
Warders of the tower, officers who attend state prisoners.
WARDMOTE, n. In law, a court held in each ward in London.
WARDROBE, n.
1. A room or apartment where clothes or wearing apparel is kept.
2. Wearing apparel in general.
WARD-ROOM, n. [ward and room.] In a ship, a room over the gun-room, where the lieutenants and other principal officers sleep and mess.
WARDSHIP, n.
1. Guardianship; care and protection of a ward.
2. Right of guardianship.
Wardship is incident to tenure in socage.
3. Pupilage; state of being under a guardian.
WARD-STAFF, n. A constables or watchmans staff.
WARE, pret. of wear, Obs. It is now written wore.
WARE, a. [We never use ware by itself. But we use it in aware, beware, and in wary. It was formerly in use.]
1. Being in expectation of; provided against. 2 Timothy 4:15.
2. Wary; cautious.
WARE, v.i. To take heed of. [We now use beware as a single word, though in fact it is not.]
Then ware a rising tempest on the main.
WARE, v.t. pret. wore. [This is evidently from the root of veer. See Veer.] To cause a ship to change her course from one board to the other, by turning her stern to the wind; opposed to tacking, in which the head is turned to the wind; as, to ware ship. We wore ship and stood to the southward.
WARE, n. plu. wares. [G.] Goods; commodities; merchandise; usually in the plural; but we say, China ware, earthern-ware, potters ware. It was formerly used int eh singular, and may be so used still.
Let the dark shop commend the ware.
Sea ware, a marine plant, a species of Fucus.
WAREFUL, a. [from ware, wary.] Wary; watchful; cautious. [Not used.]
WAREFULNESS, n. Wariness; cautiousness.
WAREHOUSE, n. [ware and house.] A storehouse for goods.
WAREHOUSE, v.t. s as z. To deposit or secure in a warehouse.
WAREHOUSED, pp. Placed in a store for safe keeping.
WAREHOUSING, ppr. Repositing in a store for safe keeping.
WARELESS, a. Unwary; incautious.
2. Suffered unawares.
WARELY, adv. Cautiously. [See Warily.]
WARFARE, n. [war and fare.]
1. Military service; military life; war.
The Philistines gathered their armies for warfare. 1 Samuel 28:1.
2. Contest; struggle with spiritual enemies.
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. 2 Corinthians 10:4.
WARFARE, v.i. To lead a military life; to carry on continual wars.
In that credulous warfaring age. [Little used.]
WARHABLE, a. [war and L. habilis.] Fit for war. [Not in use.]
WARHOOP, n. [war and hoop.] The savage yell of war; a yell uttered on entering into battle.
WARILY, adv. [from wary.] Cautiously; with timorous prudence or wise foresight. Great enterprises are to be conducted warily. Change of laws should be warily proceeded in.
WARINE, n. A species of monkey of South America.
WARINESS, n. Caution; prudent care to foresee and guard against evil. The road was so slippery, and the danger so great, that we were obliged to proceed with wariness.
To determine what are little things in religion, great wariness is to be used.
WARK, n. Work; a building. [It is obsolete, except in bulwark.]
WARLIKE, a. [war and like.]
1. Fit for war; disposed for war; as a warlike state.
Old Siward with ten thousand warlike men.
2. Military; pertaining to war; as warlike toil.
3. Having a martial appearance.
4. Having the appearance of war.
WARLIKENESS, n. A warlike disposition or character. [Little used.]
WARLING, n. One often quarreled with; a word coined perhaps to rhyme with darling. [Not in use.]
WARLOCK, WARLUCK, n. A male witch; a wizard. [This word is not in use.]
WARM, a. Waurm. [G. See Swarm.]
1. Having heat in a moderate degree; not cold; as warm blood; warm milk. The flesh of living animals is warm, if their blood is warm. But some animals have not warm blood.
2. Subject o heat; having prevalence of heat, or little or no winter; as the warm climate of Egypt.
3. Zealous; ardent; as, to be warm in the cause of our country or of religion.
Each warm wish springs mutual from the heart.
4. Habitually ardent or passionate; keen; irritable; as a warm temper.
5. Easily excited or provoked; irritable; as warm passions.
6. Violent; furious; as a warm contest. We shall have warm work to-day.
7. Busy in action; heated in action; ardent. Be warm in fight.
8. Fanciful; enthusiastic; as a warm head.
9. Vigorous; sprightly.
Now warm in youth, now withering in thy bloom, lost in a convents solitary gloom.
WARM, v.t.
1. To communicate a moderate degree of heat to; as, a stove warms an apartment. The sun in summer warms the earth, and gives life to vegetation.
2. To make engaged or earnest; to interest; to engage; to excite ardor or zeal in; as, to warm the heart with love or zeal.
I formerly warmed my head with reading controversial writings.
WARM, v.i.
1. To become moderately heated. The earth soon warms in a clear day in summer.
2. To become ardent or animated. The speaker should warm as he proceeds in the argument, for as he becomes animated, he excites more interest in his audience.
WARMED, pp. Moderately heated; made ardent; excited.
WARMING, ppr. Making moderately hot; making ardent or zealous.
WARMING-PAN, n. [warm and pan.] A covered pan with a long handle, for warming a bed with ignited coals.
WARMING-STONE, n. [warm and stone.] A stone dug in cornwall, which retains heat a great while, and has been found to give ease in internal hemorrhoids.
WARMLY, adv.
1. With gentle heat.
2. Eagerly; earnestly; ardently; as, to espouse warmly the cause of Bible societies.
WARMNESS, WARMTH, n.
1. Gentle heat; as the warmth of the blood.
2. Zeal; ardor; fervor; as the warmth of love or of piety.
3. Earnestness; eagerness. The cause of the Greeks has been espoused with warmth by all parties in free countries.
4. Excitement; animation; as the warmth of passion. The preacher declaimed with great warmth against the vices of the age.
5. Fancifulness; enthusiasm; as the warmth of head.
6. In painting, the fiery effect given to a red color by a small addition of yellow.
WARN, v.t. [G.]
1. To give notice of approaching or probable danger or evil, that it may be avoided; to caution against any thing that may prove injurious.
Juturna warns the Daunian chief of Lausus danger-- being warned of God in a dream, that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. Matthew 2:12.
2. To caution against evil practices. 1 Thessalonians 5:14.
3. To admonish of any duty.
Cornelius--was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee. Acts 10:22.
4. To inform previously; to give notice to.
--Warnd of th ensuing fight.
5. To notify by authority; to summon; as, to warn the citizens to meet on a certain day; to warn soldiers to appear on parade.
6. To ward off. [Not in use.]
WARNED, pp. Cautioned against danger; admonished of approaching evil; notified.
WARNER, n. An admonisher.
WARNING, ppr. Cautioning against danger; admonishing; giving notice to; summoning to meet or appear.
WARNING, n.
1. Caution against danger, or against faults or evil practices which incur danger.
Could warning make the world more just or wise.
Hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. Ezekiel 3:17.
2. Previous notice; as a short warning. He had a months warning.
WAR-OFFICE, n. An office in which the military affairs of a country are superintended and managed.
WARP, n. Waurp. [See the Verb.]
1. In manufactures, the threads, which are extended lengthwise in the loom, and crossed by the woof.
2. In a ship, a rope employed in drawing, towing or removing a ship or boat; a towing line.
3. In agriculture, a slimy substance deposited on land by marine tides, by which a rich alluvial soil is formed. [Local.]
4. In cows, a miscarriage. [See the Verb.] [Local.]
WARP, v.i. [G., to cast or throw, to whelp.]
1. To turn, twist or be twisted out of a straight direction; as, a board warps in seasoning, or in the heat of the sun, by shrinking.
They clamp one piece of wood to the end of another, to keep it from casting or warping.
2. To turn or incline from a straight, true or proper course; to deviate.
Theres our commission, from which we would not have you warp.
Methinks my favor here begins to warp.
3. To fly with a bending or waving motion; to turn and wave, like a flock of birds or insects. The following use of warp is inimitably beautiful.
As when the potent rod of Amrams son, in Egypts evil day, wavd round the coast, up called a pitchy cloud of locusts, warping on the eastern wind--
4. To slink; to cast the young prematurely; as cows.
In an enclosure near a dog-kennel, eight heifers out of twenty warped. [Local.]
WARP, v.t.
1. To turn or twist out of shape, or out of a straight direction, by contraction. The heat of the sun warps boards and timber.
2. To turn aside from the true direction; to cause to bend or incline; to pervert.
This first avowd, nor folly warpd my mind.
I have no private considerations to warp me in this controversy.
--Zeal, to a degree of warmth able to warp the sacred rule of Gods word.
3. In seamens language, to two or move with a line or warp, attached to buoys, to anchors or to other ships, etc. By which means a ship is drawn, usually in a bending course or with various turns.
4. In rural economy, to cast the young prematurely. [Local.]
5. In agriculture, to inundate, as land, with sea water; or to let in the tide, forth purpose of fertilizing the ground by a deposit of warp or slimy substance. Warp here is the throw, or that which is cast by the water.
6. In rope-making, to run the yarn off the winches into hauls to be tarred.
To warp water, in Shakespeare, is forced and unusual; indeed it is not English.