weird 
The wtnUs that we clepen destiiiee. 
Chaucer, Good Women, 1. 2580. 
I was youngest, 
And aye my wierd it w;i.s the hardest ! 
Cotpalrick (child's Ballads, I. 16.'0. 
My «w»rrf maun be fulfllled. 
Scott, Heart of Mid-Lothian, xii. 
For the personiflcation of ITciVrf or Destiny, seeKemhle, 
Saxons in England, i. 400 ; " it shall befall us as Weird de- 
cidetb, the lord of every man." 
C. Elton, Origins of Eng. Hist., p. 9Sf>. 
2. A prediction. 
His raither in her iceird^ 
Foretald his death at Troy. 
Poems in Buchan Dialect, p. 18. (Jatniemn.) 
3. A spoil; a eharra. Scott. (Iiiij). Diet.) — 
4. That wliieh comes to pass; a fact. 
After word comes weird ; fair fall them that call me 
Madam. Scotch J'roverb. (Javiie,ion.) 
6. The Fates personified. [Rare.] 
Wo worth (quoth the Weirdjf) the wights that thee wrought. 
Mmitgoingrie, in Watson's Coll. (Jamiegon.) 
To dree one's or a weird. Sec dreei. 
'weird (werd), <i. [Not directly < weird, «., but 
first in the phrase weird sisters, an awkward 
expression, lit. 'the fate sisters,' appar. meant 
for 'the Si.sler Fates'; but perhaps weird was 
thought to be an actual a<ljective meanin;; 
' fatal.' No such adjective use is known in 
ME. The second use (def. 'J) is due to an erro- 
neous notion of the meaniui; of the phrase the 
weird sisters, which has l)een taken to mean 
'the sisters who look witch-like or uncanny.'] 
1. Connected with fate or destiny; able to in- 
fluence fate. 
Makbeth and Ban(iuho . . . met he ye gait thre women 
clothit in elrage and uncouth wcid. They wer jugit he 
the pepill to Ik; weird Kustem. Ilo*'thiitx (tr. liy bellenden). 
2. Of or pertaining to witches or witchcraft ; 
supernatural; hence, unearthly; suggestive of 
witches, witchery, or unearthliness; wild; un- 
canny. 
Out uf the hardened clay and marl of the lake bottoms 
the elcmentt are carving some of the ^Oiirdcxt scenery on 
the face of the earth. Ocikie, (ieol. Hketches, ii. 8. 
We heard the hawks at twilight play, . . . 
The lofiu's weird laughter far away. 
WItittier, Snow-Bound. 
The weird sisters, the Fates. 
The renianant hereof, (luhat euer he it. 
The weird sitteris defendis that suld he wit. 
G. Dowjlax, j*]neid, iii. 
I dreamt last night of the three weird niMcrit. 
Shak., Macbeth, ii. 1. 2<). 
weird (werd), r. t. [Formerly also icierd ; < 
weird, «.] 1. To destine; doom; change by 
witchcraft or sorcery. 
1 weird ye to a fiery beast. 
And relieved sail ye never be. 
Kempion (Child's Ballads, I. 13fl). 
Say, what hath forged thy u-i^rded link uf destiny with 
the House of Avenel '! Scott, .Monastery, I. 231. 
2. To warn solemnly ; adjure. 
O byde at hanie, my gnde Ixjrd Weire, 
I tceird ye byde at hanie. 
Lttinmikin (Child's Ballads, III. 308). 
weirdlesst (werd'les), rt. {i weird + -less.'] Ill- 
fated ; luckless. 
Wae be to that leeirdlexK wicht. 
And a' his witcherie. 
Mary IliimiWm (Child 8 Ballads, III. 32.')). 
weirdly (werd'Ii), <i>lr. In a weird manner; 
with a weird or unearthly effect or appearance. 
weirdness (werd'nes), II. The state of being 
weird, or of inspiring a sort of ujiaccounta- 
ble or superstitious dread or fear; eeriness. 
Ciiiiteiiiimriiri/ Her. 
weir-fishing (wer'fish'ing). «. The method or 
practice of taking fish by means of a weir. 
weir-table (wer'ta'bl), «. A record or memo- 
randum used to estimate the quantity of water 
tliat will How in a given time over a weir of 
given width at different heights of the water. 
weise (we/,), r. t. A Scotch form of wise^. 
Weism (we'izm). «. [< we + -ism. in imitation 
of ei/iitism.] The frequent use of the pronoun 
ire. Antijrieohiii Iter. [Cant.j (liiij). Diet.) 
Weitbrecht's cartilage. An interarticular 
cartilage in th<' acromioclavicular joint. 
Weitbrecht's ligament. A thin band of fibers 
jiassing between the radius and ulna in the 
forearm. 
wei'Vet, ''. An ohl spelling of vxiire. 
wejack, »■ The fisher, or Pennant's marten. 
Hi'f tislitr (with cut). 
weka rail. See Oeijdromus. 
weke't, «. A Middle Englisli form of wiek'^. 
Weke'-t, «• and r. An old spelling of ireak. 
weke^ (wek), iiitirj. [Cf. irheik, sqiieuk-.l^ An 
imitation of the scjueaking of an infant or a pig. 
6873 
Weke, wcke .' so cries a pig prepared to the spit. 
Shak., Tit. -And., iv. 2. 146. 
wekett, «. A Middle English form of wicket. 
wekydt, a- A Middle English form of wicked^. 
welt, (tdr. An old spelling of well^. 
welat, adr. An occasional Middle English form 
of well'^, as in wela wijlle, very wild, locla wynnc, 
very joyful, ete. 
H'f^o-wynne is the wort that woxes ther-oute. 
When the donkande dewe dropez of the lenez. 
To bide a blysful hlusch of the brygt sunne. 
Sir Oawayne and the Green Knir/ht (E. E. T. S.), 1. 518. 
lO^awylle watz the way, ther thay bi wod schulden, 
'I'il hit watz sone sesoun that the sunne ryscs. 
Sir Gawaync and the Green Kniijht (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2084. 
welawayt, welawot, inleij. and n. See wcll- 
IIWIII/. 
Welcht (welch), a. and n. An obsolete form 
of Ifclsli. 
Welcker's sphenoidal angle. The angle 
formed by the junction, at the middle of the 
crest separating the optic grooves from the pi- 
tuitary fossa, of lines drawn to this point from 
the basion and from the nasofrontal suture. 
welcome (wel'kum), «. [< ME. welcome, wel- 
ciiiiie, wilciiiiic, wilciime, icidciimc, wolcoiiie, wil- 
kiime, welcome, used in predicate and orig. a 
noun, < AS. witcuma, one whose coming suits 
the w ill or wish of another, one who is received 
with jdeasure, a welcome guest (= OIKj. willi- 
koiHc, one who is received with pleasure, MHG. 
willekiimen, (i. willkommcn, welcome, = MD. wH- 
lekiim, welkoin, D. welkoiii, adj., welcome) ; < wil- 
1(1, will, wish, pleasure, + ciiiiki, one who comes, 
a comer: see will^ and come. In ME. the word 
becomes confused with a similar form of Seand. 
origin, namely Iccl. relkominii (= Sw. rdlkommen 
= Dan. relkomnien, welcome, lit. ' well come,' 
like F. bicn reiiii), < rel, etc. (= E. well), + 
kiiminii, etc., = E. come, pp.; but these forms 
were prob. orig. identical witli the AS., D.. and 
G. Ihe adj. use is due to the position of the 
noun in the predicate, and in greeting, where it 
could still be regarde<l as a noun.] 1. Gladly 
received for intercourse or entertainment; es- 
teemed as one whose coming or presence is 
agreeable; held as doing well to come: as, a 
welcome guest or visitor; you are always ipc/- 
comehere; to make a visitor feel irc/cowf. Some- 
times used elliptically as a wrjrd of gi-eeting to a comer 
or ctimers ; as, welcome home ; bid our friends welcome. 
Welcinne, ffrentlis; but I wolde frayne 
How fare go with that faire woman? 
York I'liiyK, p. 194. 
Ife 're icelcome here, my young Redin, 
For coal and candle licht. 
Youmj Itedin (Child's Ballads, III. 13). 
Politeness and pood breeding are e<iually necessary to 
make you uvkome and agreeable in conversutiun and com- 
mon life. Chexterjield, Letters. 
2. Conferring gladness on receipt or presenta- 
tion; such that its perception or acquisition 
gives pleasure ; glaiUy received into knowledge 
or possession : as, welcome news; a, welcome n- 
lief. 
A welcoiner present to our master. 
Fletcher {and another). Love's Cure, v. 3. 
Although my thoughts seem sad, they are welcome to me, 
Fletctier, Wife for a Month, i. 1. 
They were a nvllcum sight to see. 
Jamie 'A-(/er (Child's Ballads, VI. 114). 
3. Gladly or willingly pei'mitted, privileged, or 
the like; free to have, enjoy, etc.: as, you are 
welcome to do as you please; ho is welcome to 
the money, or to all his honors. 
Lod. Madam, good-night: I humbly thank your lady- 
ship. 
l)CA. Your honour is most welcome. 
S/;n»:., Othello, iv. 3. 4. 
— Syn. 1 and 2. Acceptable, agreeable, gratifying, pleas- 
ant- 
welcome (wel'kum), r. t. ; pret. and pp. wel- 
comed, ppr. welcomiiKj. [< ME. weleiimeii, wiJ- 
ciiiiien. wilcomen, widciimeii, wiilciimen, < AS. wil- 
cumiiiii (=G. i)e-willkomiiiiien),-we\vome, treat as 
a welcome guest, < wilciimn, a welcome guest : 
see welcome, «.] To greet the coming of with 
pleasure; salute with a welcome ; receive glad- 
ly or joyfully: as. to welcome a friend, or the 
break of day. 
Thei . . . come to logres the thirde day, and ther were 
thei richely welcimed. Merlin (E. E. T. M.), iii. 447. 
A brow unbent that secm'd to welcome woe. 
Slittk,, Lucrece, 1. 1509. 
welcome (wel'kum), //. [< we/co/MC, r.] 1. The 
act of bidding or making welcome; a kindly 
greeting to one coming. 
The camp recciv'il him with acclamations of joy and 
welcome. Fletcher (and another), Love's Cure, i. 1. 
weld 
The Guardian and Friars receiv'd us with many kind 
welcomes, and kept us with them at Supper. 
Mamidrell, Aleppo to Jerusalem, p. 67. 
2. Kin<l or hospitable reception of a guest or 
new-comer. 
Whoe'er has travell'd life's dull roimd, 
Where'er his stages may have been, 
May sigh to think he still has found 
The warmest welcome at an inn. 
Shenstone, Written on the Window of an Inn. 
To bid a welcome, to receive with professions of friend- 
ship, kindness, or gladness. 
To thee and thy comjiany I hid 
A hearty welcome. SItak., Tempest, v. 1. 111. 
welcomelyt (wel'kum-li), adv. [< welcome + 
-///^.] In a welcome manner. 
Juvenal, ... by an handsome and metrical expression, 
more wetcomeln cngl-afts it int«-> our junior memories. 
Sir T. Broome, Vulg. Err., iii. 4. 
welcomeness (wel'kum-nes), 11. The state of 
being welcome; agreeableness; kind reception. 
[Rare.] 
The poor little fellow pressed it upon them witli a nod 
of leeleomenes^. Sterile, Sentimental Journey, p. 37. 
welcomer (wel'kum-er), «. [< welcome + -cr"^.^ 
One who welcomes, or salutes orreceives kindly 
a new-comer. 
Thou woful welcomer of ftlory. 
Shak., Rich. III., iv. 1. 90. 
weld', W0ld2 (weld, w61<l), n. [Also Sc. inilil; 
< ME. welde, triilde, wolde, weld, dyers' yellow- 
weed; cf. D. n-diiw = Sw. Dan. run = G. witii, 
wiiitdc, wicd (> F. ijiiudc = Sp. (/iialdit — Pg. 
gualde), weld. Further connections uncertain. 
Some compare woiid, and, for the root, the verb 
wcll^, boil.] The dyer's-weed, Jie.sedii liiteiilii, 
a scentless species of mignonette, luitive in 
southern Europe and naturalized further north. 
It was formerly much cultivated .as a dye-plant, its pods 
affording a permanent yellow suited to both animal and 
vegetable fibers, later displaced, however, by quercitron, 
flavin, anil the aniline dyes. Its seeds yield a drying-oil. 
Also yellow-weed, and sometimes woad or uild woad. 
weld- (weld), r. [Ult. a variant, through the 
Scand. forms, of !(■<://, boil: see wy/^.] I. trans. 
1. To unite or consolidate, as pieces of metal 
or a metallic powder, by hammering or com- 
pression with (U' without previous softening by 
heat. Welding is and has long been a matter of great 
practical importance, chiefly in the manufacture of iron 
and steel, and of the various tools, utensils, and imple- 
ments made of those metals. Irtm has the valuable prop- 
erty of continuing in a kind of pasty condition through 
quite a wide range of temperature below its melting-iioint, 
and this Is a circumstance highly favorable to the process 
of welding. Most metals, however, pass quickly, when 
sufficiently heated, from a solid to a liquid condition, and 
with such welding is more diflieult. The term welding is 
more generally used when the junction of the pieces is ef- 
fected without the actual fusing-point of the metal having 
been reached. Sheets of lead have sometimes been muted 
together by fusing the metal with a blowitijie along the 
two edges in contact with each other, and this has lieen 
called autogenous soldering, or tmrning if the heating was 
done with a hot iron. Still, "the difference between weld- 
ing and autogenous soldering is only one of degree " (Percy). 
The term welding is also used in speaking of the uniting 
of articles not metallic. Most metals when in the foim 
of powder can be consolidated or welded into a perfectly 
homogeneous mass by sufficient pressure, without the aid 
of heat. I'ho same is true of various non-metallic sub- 
stances, such as graphite, coal, and probably many others. 
A method of welding has been recently invented by Elihu 
Thomson, which appears to be capable of being employed 
with a variety of metals on a very extensive scale. In this, 
which is ktuiwn as electric welding, a current of electri- 
city heats the abutting etuis of the two objects which are 
to be welded, these being pressed together by mechanical 
force, and so arranged with reference to the electric cur- 
rent that there is a great and rapid accunndation of heat 
at the joint, in consequence of the greater relative con- 
ductivity of the rest of the circuit, 'this metluKl of weld- 
ing in some cases partakes of the nature of autogenous 
soldering, the pieces of metal being actually fused while 
uniting; in other cases, as with iron, nickel, or platintun, 
the union may take place without fusion, as in ordinary 
welding. In electric welding the pressure which forces 
the metallic surfaces together ni.ay, in the case of a plas- 
tic metal like iron, be either quiet or percussive in char- 
acter; in autogenous soldering a more delicate and (jU'ct 
f>ressure is generally preferred. In case of large articles 
lydraulic pressure can be used to force their surfaces into 
contact with each other. 
To weld anew the chain 
On that red anvil where each blow is pain. 
Whittier, A Word for the Hour. 
2. Figuratively, to bring into intimate union; 
make a close joining of : as, to weld together 
the parts of an argument. 
How he . . . slow rc-wrought 
That I.anguage — welding words into the crude 
Mass from the new speech round him. 
Browning, Sordello, ii. 
II. iiitrans. To undergo the welding process; 
1)0 capable of being welded. 
weld- (weld), n. [< weld", ('.] A solid union of 
metallic pieces formed by welding; a welded 
junction or joint. 
