waterwitch 
tvs, or the pied-billed dabchiok, Podilymbus po- 
dicipes. See cuts under buffie, grebe, and Tachu- 
baptes.—i. The stormy petrel, or Mother Ca- 
rey's chicken. See cut under petrel. 
water-withe (wji'ter-with), «. a species of 
vine, Viiis Caribssa, which grows in the West 
Indies in parched districts. It is so full of clear sap 
or water that a piece of the stem two or three yards loiiK 
is said to alford a plentiful draught 
water-wood (wa'ter-wiid;, «. A large rubi- 
aceous tree, Chimarrhis cymosa, of river-banks 
in the West Indies. 
waterwork (wa'ter-werk), n. 1. A structure, 
contrivance, or engine for conducting, distrib- 
uting, or otherwise disposing of water: now 
commonly in the plural. Specifically -(«) Au edi- 
fice with machinery constructed in London in 1594-5 for 
forcing up and conveying the water of the Tliames to 
various parts of the city. 
Titus, the brave and valorous young gallant 
Three years together in the town liath been, 
Yet my Lord Cliaucellors tomb he hath not seen 
Nor the new watencork. 
Sir J. Dane* (% Epigrams (1596), vi., In Titum. 
Mam. .Shall serve the whole city with preservative 
Weekly ; each house his dose, and, at the rate — 
Sur. As he that bnilt the traterwork doth with water. 
B. Jonaun, Alchemist, ii. 1. 
(6) |In plural form, as jrfnsr. or pi.] ITie aggregate of con- 
structions and appliances for the collection, iireserva- 
tioii, and ilistribution of water for domestic purposes 
for the working of machinery, or otherwise for the use 
of a community, (c) An appliance through which water 
is spouted out in jets, sprays, or showers: a fountain: a 
hydraulic toy. 
Some (gardens] are beautifled with basons of water in 
open pavilions, or with fountains and little water leorks, 
lu which, and their pleasant summer houses, their chief 
beauty consists. Pocoeke. Description of the East, II. i. 123. 
(c) pi. Same as ttar-jmmp. [ Humorous slang. ] 
Sneaking little brute, . . . clapping on the watermrkx 
just lu the hardestplace. 
T. Hughes, Tom Brown at Rugby, ii. 5. 
2t. A marine scene or pageant. 
The first sceeiie is a water-wurke presented by Oceanus 
king of the sea. ' 
Dekker, Londons Tempe (Works, ed. Pearson, IV. 118). 
(In the following quotation the word is used punningly, 
with reference to the freezing over of the Thames during 
the winter of 1607-8. scabies attended with tlieformatlon of vesicles." 
Coun. Make me so much l)eliolding to you as to receive Water-yam (wa'ter-yam), n. The latticeleaf: 
''Z'''Ti^e"^^tZlnlo'^^^^^^^^^^^ f^'^l °f. t''« Vl^^utHAponogeton (Ouvirandra) 
which he yet wears, about the week before Cbristmiu; • fenc'^traU.'! and A. (O.) Berneriami: so called 
and hath kept it on till now this latter en.l of January. ' from its aquatic growth and farinaceous root- 
The Oreat Frost (Arber's Eng. Garner, I. 83).] stock. See luttirclmf &nA Ouviraildrn. 
St. Paintingwith waterorsomethingsolublein water-yarrow (wa'ter-yar'6), «. The water- 
water as a vehicle.— 4. Hence, a textile fab- violet, Hottoiiin paliistri.'i: so called from its 
ric, as canvas, painted in this manner, and used 'eaves being finely divided like those of yar- 
instead of tapestry to decorate a|)artments. ■■""'• Britten and HoUaml. [Prov. Eng.] 
watht, »'. [< Icel. vudli = Sw. vad, a ford: see 
wade, «.] A ford. HaJUicell. 
wathe't, "• [< ME. n-athe (also, after Icel., 
«-oi7A,»frtr (///(),< AS. !(Y(f/(,!ca'f7i,hunting,game,= 
OHCi. tceidd, MHG. G. weide, pasture, meadow, 
= Icel. rcidlir, hunting, fishing. Cf. (/diiii.] 1 . 
The pursuit of game ; hunting. 
' and walkes on 
6849 
2. Consisting of water. 
The queen o' the sky, 
Whose watery arch and messenger am I [Iris]. 
Sfiak., Tempest, iv. 1. 71. 
Far off from these a slow and silent stream, 
Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls 
Her watery labyrinth. MUton, P. L., ii. 584. 
3. Resembling water; suggestive of water, 
(o) Thin, as a liquid; of slight consistency. 
Nowe this vynes, whoso taketh kepe, 
Not wattery but thicke humours wepe. 
Palladius, Husbondrie (E. E. T. S.), p. 104. 
Hence — (6) Weak; vapid; insipid. 
The heorte, thet was wateri, smecchles, and iie uelede 
no sauur of God. Ancren Riu-le, p. 376. 
Slight Sir Robert with his wo(crj/ smile. 
Tennyson, Edwin ^Morris. 
(c) Liquid ; soft, and more or less transparent ; pale. 
The chasm in which the sun has sunk is shut, . . . 
And over it a space of watery blue. 
Which the keen evening star is shining through. 
Shelley, Evening. 
Slant watery lights, from parting clouds, apace 
Travel along the precipice's base. 
Wordsworth, Evening Walk. 
(d) Insipid and soft or flabby, as a fish or its flesh. ttt 4.+ " 4., 
4. Pertaining to, connected with, or affecting VV aueau mantle, 
water: specifically used of the moon, as gov- '^='**'° '"'"' ' ■ " 
erning the tide. 
Whiles winter frets the seas, and wat'ry Orion. 
Surrey, ^neid, iv. 67. 
All springs reduce their currents to mine eyes. 
That I, being goveru'd by the watery moon. 
May send forth plenteous tears to drown the world ! 
Shak., Rich. III., ii. 2. 69. 
The watery god 
Roll'd from a silver urn his crystal flood. 
Dryilen. 
5t. Watering in desire, as the mouth ; eager. 
What will it be. 
When that the watery palate tastes indeed 
Love's thrice repured nectar? 
Shak., T. andC, iii. 2. 22. 
6. In her. : (a) Bounded by, or ornamented by, 
wavy lines: a rare epithet used in blazoning 
fanciful modern bearings, (b) Same as nnde. 
[Kare.]_Tlie watery start. .See «<ari.— Watery fu- 
sion. See aqtumiH fusion, under/iMion— Watery ItCll 
wattle 
The king for himself had a hou.se of timber, . . . and 
for bis other lodgings lie had great and gixj<ilie tents of 
blew mUerworke, garnished with yellow nn<l white. 
Ilolinshed, Chronicle, III. 819. 
For thy walls, a pretty slight drollery, . . . or the Ger- 
man hunting in xrater-trork, is worth a thousand of these 
bed-hangings, and these fly-bitten taijestries. 
Shak.,iHm. IV., ii. i. 1.^,8. 
water-worker (wA'ter-wer'kcr), H. One wliose 
work has to do with water; in provincial Eng- 
lish use, a maker of mea(low-<lrains and wet 
ditches. Halliirell. 
water-worm (wa'ter-werm), n. A water an- 
nelid, as a naidid. 
water-worn (wa'ter-worn), a. Worn by the 
action of water; especially, smoothed by the 
force or action of running water, or water in 
motion: as, water-trorn pebbles. 
wa'terwort (wa'ter-wert), n. 1 . A plant of the 
genus Elutinc, or more broadly of the order 
"3e, we ar in wudlond," cothc the king, 
owre icayth. 
For to imnte atte the herd, with houunde and with home. " 
Anturs of Arthur (ed. Robson), x.vsiv. 
2. Game; jirey. 
Bi-fore alle the folk on the flctU', frekez be beddez 
Verayly his venysoun to fech hym byforne ; . . . 
"3e I-wysse, " quotli that other wyje, "here is wayth 
fayrest 
That I Re3 this .seuen gere in sesoun of wynter." 
Sir (iauayne and the Green Knight (E. E. T. S.), 1. 1381. 
Go<l send you soni wathe ! 
Now ar thise fowles flone into seyr cotnitre. 
Towneley Mysteries, p. 33. 
klatiniiciie, primarily K. Ili/dropiper of the Old wathe'-'t, w. [< ME. wathe, toothe, < Icel. vddhi, 
World. — 2. Thfi plHnt I'hih/drnin laiiuf/ina.inm, ~~ ^ t^ •. . 
or (Eindloy ) any i)lant of the order Phili/drarcie. 
water-wraith (wa'ter-rath), H. A supposed 
water-spirit, whose appearance prognosticates 
death or woe to the person seeing it. 
By this the storm grew loud apace ; 
The water-irraith was shrieking. 
Camplxll, Lord I'llin's Daughter. 
watery (wa'ter-i), a. [< ME. walcn/, uatcri, 
tcatru, icatri, < AS. trseteri// (= D. icaterifi = 
MHG. we::eric, ica:zeric, G.' wds-ferif/). < w!pter, 
water: see water.] 1. Abounding in. moist 
with, or containing water; discharging water; 
wet; dripping; watered; specifically, of the Watling Street. [< ME. irrttlinfje-.s-trete. 
eyes, tearful or running 
"After sharpe shouieH,"(iuod Pees, "nioste sheiie is the 
soime; 
Is no weder warmer than after watery cloudes." 
Piers Ptoumutn (B), xviii. 410. 
Tliis lady 
Walks discontented, with her watery eyea 
Bent on the earth. 
Beau, ami Fl., Maid's 'I'ragedy, i. 1. 
danger, injury.] Peril; harm; danger. 
Trwe nion trwe restore, 
Thenrie thar [need] mon drede no wathe. 
Sir Qawayne and the Green Knight (E. E. T. S.), I. 2355. 
He vnwoundit, I-wis, out of ivothe paste. 
Destruction 0/ Troy (E. E. T. S.), 1. 10«9«. 
wathelyt, adv. [ME., < wathe^ + -ly^.] Dan- 
gerously; severely. 
Ector done was to dethe, & his day past, 
Achilles woundit full wottiely in were of his lyffe. 
Destruction 0/ Troy (E. E. T. S.), I. 8827. 
Wroghte wayes fulle wyile, werrayande knyglitez. 
And wondes alle walhely, that in the waye stonrlez! 
Morle Arthure (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2090. 
< 
AS. Wietlini/a stnet. lit. the Watlings' street; 
Wietlimia. gen. jjl. of H'stling, a descendant of 
Wtetla (< Wsrtla, a man's name, -I- -iny^) ; .striet, 
a road, street.] 1. A celebrated Koman road 
leading from London (and possibly from Dover) 
northwestward across Britain. Hence— 2t. The 
Milky Way, the ordinary name of whicli im- 
plies that it is a road. 
Se yonder, lo, the Galaxye, 
The which men clepe the Milky Weyc, 
For hit ys wliite ; and somme, parfeye, 
Callen hyt Watlynge strcte. 
Chaucer, House of Fame, I. 939. 
watt (wot), n. [So called from the Scottish en- 
gineer and inventor James Watt (173(5-1819).] 
The practical unit of electrical activity or pow- 
er. Tlie watt is equal to 10' ergs per second, or the same 
numlier of absolute c. g. s. units of electrical activity or 
It IS the rate of working in a circuit when the E. .M. F. is 
one volt and the current one ampere. One horse-power 
IS equal to 746 watts. 
wattet, "• See Kv;/3. 
Watteau back. In drcssmal-inci, an arrange- 
ment of the back of a woman's dress in which 
broad folds or plaits hang from the neck to 
the bottom of the skirt without interruption ; 
by extension, any loose back to a dress, not 
girded at the waist. See cut under sack. 
Watteau bodice. A bodice of a woman's dress 
having a square opening at the neck, and pre- 
senting some resemblance to the costumes in 
the paintings by the artist Watteau (beginning 
of the eighteenth century). 
See mantle. 
wattle (wot'l), n. [Also dial, waddle; < ME. 
u-atel, < AS. tratct, watiil, a hurdle, in pi. twigs, 
thatching, tiles; cf. Bav. wadel, twigs, fir- 
branches, Swiss wedele, a bundle of twigs; per- 
haps akin to withy, wcedi. Cf. wallet.} 1. A 
framework made of interwoven rods or twigs; 
a hurdle. See hurdle. 
The walls are wattles, and the covering leaves. 
Scott, The Poacher. 
They are gallant hares, and the scent lies thick right 
across another meadow, . . . and then over a good ««(«« 
with a ditch on the other side. 
T. Hughes, Tom Brown at Rugby, i. 7. 
2. A rod; a wand; a switch; a twig. 
A Wattle, rod, vibex. 
Lemu, Manip. Vocalj. (E. E. T, S.), p. 38. 
Nae whip nor spur, but just a wattle 
O' saugh or hazel. 
Burns, Farmer's Salutation to his Anld Mare. 
3t. A basket; a bag or wallet. Piers Plowman 
(C), xi. 269.-4. In ornith., a fleshy lobe hang- 
ing from the front of the head ; specifically, 
such a lobe of the domestic hen, or a like forma- 
tion of any bird. Wattles most properly so called are 
paired, as in the hen, but may be single, as the dewlap 
of the turkey. They are very various in size, shape, and 
color, but are usually pendent, and of some bright tint 
as red, yellow, or blue. They occur in several difl'ercnt 
orders of birds, and among species whose near relatives 
are devoid of such appendages. Similar lobes or flaps on 
the auriculars are sometimes called ear-wattles though 
more proi>erly ear-lobes. See wattle bird, wattle-erow 
phrases under wattled, and cuts under Gatlus and Itasores. 
The conihs or wattles [of young ijaniecocks] are to be cut 
as soon as tliey appear; and the cock chickens are to be 
separated as soon as they begin to peok each other. 
J. Ashton, .Social Life in Reign of (Jueeii Ainie, I. 302. 
5. A flap of skin forming a sort of dewlap on 
each side of the neck of some domestic swine. 
Y'' Wattle of a hog, nenus. 
Levins, Manip. Vocab. (E. E. T. S.), p. 38. 
Goitrous. Waddles, or wattles, the two little and long 
excrescences which hang teat-like at either side of the 
throat of some hogs. Cotgrave, 1611. 
6. In ichth., a fleshy excrescence about the 
mouth; a barbel. 
The Barbel is so called, says Gesner, Ijy reason of his 
barb or wattles at bis mouth, which are under his nose or 
'^haps. /. im^on, Complete Angler, p. 166. 
7. One of various Australian and Tasmauian 
acacias, valued to some extent for their wood 
and for their gum, but more for their bark, 
which is rich in tannin. For tanbark the most im- 
portant species are Acacia decnrrens, or (if it is distinct 
from this, as appears to be the case) A. nwllissima the 
connnon black wattle, also called green or feathered 
wattle, and A. iD/cmintha, the broad-leafed or golden 
wattle. The silver wattle, A. dealbata, closely allied to 
the black wattle, is distinguished by the ashen color of 
its young foliage, and is a taller tree of moister ground. 
Its bark is inferior, but is considerably used for lighter 
leathers. Other species yielding tan-bark are A. saligna 
(A. leiophylla), the blackwood or ligbtwood, A. Melawixy- 
Ion, the native hickory (^. stibporosa), A. penninervis, 
etc. Scveial wattles yield a gum resembling gum arable,' 
somewhat exported for use in cotton-printing as an ad- 
hesive, etc. The principal sources of this product are the 
black wattle, the broad-leafed wattle, and A.twmolophylla. 
8. In her., a wattle or dewlap used in a bear- 
ing. Compare "'«///rY/.-Aft1can wattle, a South 
African tree. Acacia .Vn^H/i'd'cr.— Alpine wattle. Acacia 
]iranssima, a shrub (.r small tree <.f the Viitonan Alps. 
— Black wattle, feathered wattle, golden wattle, 
green wattle. See def. 7. Prickly wattle, .Uucia 
jumprrnia. an evergreen .shrub of Australia and Tasma- 
nia.- Raspberry-jam wattle. Same as ra»yy«'m/->wi 
(rec— Savannah wattle, two West In.liiin verljcnaceous 
trees. Citharcxyluw t/uadraiigillare and C. cincrca.— Sil- 
ver wattle. See def. 7. Soap-pod wattle. .Same iis 
soapnut. 2.— Varnish- wattle, the Australian Acacia 
vermcijlua. -Wa.Ua.by wattle, an Australian shrub, 
