wheatear 
the wings are blackish ; n broad glossy-black bar on the 
Bide of the head includes the ears, and is surmounted by 
a white stripe ; the bill and feet are black, the eyes dark- 
Wheatear tS.f.vtio/u o-KaMllif , ailitit iii.tlo. 
brown. The female is brownish, darkest on the upper 
parts, with wings alid tail like those of the male; the 
young resemble the female, but are spotty. The nest is 
made on the ground; the eggs are four to seven, green- 
ish-blue, usually spotless, sometimes faintly speckled. 
The wheatear shares with both the British species of Pra- 
tiwola the name utouechat, wliich is more appropriate to 
this bird than to either of the bushchats; it is more fully 
specified as ichite-rinnped Manechat, and alsocalletliMiYe- 
nimp, u'hitftail, Motie-dalter (from its Gaelic name dacha- 
ran^ which survives in .Scotland and in books), faUow- 
finch, and by other local names. 
What cook of any spirit would lose her time in picking 
larks, wheat-^ars, and other small birds? 
Stcift, Directions to SeiTants (Cook). 
Although the whentear'g colors are somewhat chaste, 
still their bold contrast, and the manner in which they 
are distributed, make the bird a very pretty one. 
Seebnhm, Hist. Blit. Birds, I. 302. 
wheat-eel (hwet'el), «. [Appar. < wlient + ccl, 
but perhaps a dial, form of 'iclicat-cril, < iihcdt 
+ eci/l.] Ear-eockle or purples, a disease of 
wheat caused by the eel-worm, Ti/lencliitu tritici. 
wheaten (hwe'tn), a. [< me. nil/ten, Itiietoi, 
Inrirlcn, < AS. Iiuietcii (= MU. irriUii, D. icciU- 
(meel) = G. icci::cii(hri>(l)), < hivietc, wheat. + 
•en, E. -<"«2.] Of, pertaining to, or made from 
wheat: as, irhenlen straw, specifically— (n) Made 
of the stalks, straw, or husks of wheat. 
There wayteti Summer naked starke, all sane a wheaten 
hat. Giiiing, tr. of Ovid's iletamorph., ii. 
Peace should still her wheaten garland wear. 
Shak., Hamlet, v. 2. 41. 
(6) Made of the grain or flour of wheat. 
More hi uynt sinak (she tlnds more relish] in ane zoure 
epple thanne in ane hnetene Ihoue [b>af]. 
Aj/eiMte of Inwtjt (E. E. T. S.), p. 82. 
Of wheaten flour shalt thou make them fcakes and 
wafersl. Ex. xxix. 2. 
His diet was of wheaten bread. 
Cnieper. Epitaph on a Hare. 
wheat-field (hwet'feUI), n. A field of wheat. 
wheat-fly (h wet' fli), «. 1. Anv one of several 
flies of the family Osrinidir. common upon 
wheat in Europe and Xorlh Amerioa, as Osci- 
nix frit, Chliiroiis t.riiinjiiix, and ''. liiiritld. — 2. 
The Hessian Hy.— 3. The wheat-midfje.— 4. 
Improperly, a wheat idant-louse in the winKe<l 
form. Compare </'■"■''./'.'/, -. — 5. The wheat gall- 
Wlicat (rail-fly i.l^ofo»ta kordft'. 
rt, wheat-stalks with Kails pnKliiced by the larva ; b, female fly (cross 
shows natural size!. 
fly, a variety of Ixusomit hordii, whose larva is 
the wheat joiiil-worin. Hpi-jinnt-worni, 2. 
wheat-grader (liwel'f;ra"der), ». In milling, a 
machine for fleaniiiK, seiiaratinjj, and grailiiiK 
wheat a<'C(ii-dinK to the size and shape of tho 
CTaiiis; a grain- or wheat-separator. K. //. 
h'niiiht. 
wheat-grass (hwet'gras), II. The couch- or 
<|uiteh-grasH. Ai/roiii/riiiit rrjirtis ; also, any wild 
jfrass of the genus Aifrojiiinini nr Tiiliniiii. 
Wheatland (hwet'laml), ». Land sown with 
wheat. 
6889 
Beyond the wheatlands in the northern pines. 
A. Lampntan, The Academy, Nov. 23, 1889, p. 33.^. 
wheat-maggot (hwet'mag ot), n. The larva of 
any one of the dipterous insects affecting the 
wheat-plant. 
wheat-midge (liwet'mij), «. l. A dipterous 
insect of the family Cecidoiiii/iidse, Di2>!osis tri- 
tici, which lays its eggs in the flowers of wheat- 
heads, and whose minute reddish larvae devour 
the kernels. It is originally a European insect, but 
has been imported into the United States and Canada. 
The larva is known in England as the red maggot. 
2. A dipterous insect, Lasioptcra ohfuscatii. 
Kncyc. Diet. 
wheat-mildew (hwet'mll"du), n. A name ap- 
plied in England to the common rust (Piicci- 
iiia grniiiiiiis), found on various grasses, and 
especially on wheat and oats. In the United 
States it is applied to Ertjsiphe graiiiiiiix, a true 
powdery mililow. 
wheat-mite (hwet'mit), n. Same aafloiir-mitc. 
wheat-moth (hwet'moth). ». One of several 
small moths whose larvae devour stored wheat, 
as the Angoumois grain-moth (Gclccliia cerca- 
?e/to), the Indian-meal moth (.£7)/(esf(rt interj/mic- 
tella). the MediteiTanean flour-moth {Ephestia 
kiihniella), or the wolf-moth \Tinca graneJJa). 
wheat-pest (hwet'pest), n. A dipterous insect, 
the frit-fly, Oscinis vastator. 
wheat-riddle (hwet'rid"l), i?. A grain- or 
wlieat-separator. 
wheat-rust (hwet'rust), «. Same as red rii.it 
and l>lack ntxt (see both, under riist). 
wheat-scourer (hwet'skour"^r), i>. In miUiiiy, 
a cleaning-machine which receives the grain as 
passed from the smutter, and removes any hairs 
or loose parts of the outer bran. One form con- 
sists of a stiff brush with a grooved buiTStone revolving 
against it below, the wheat passing between the two. E. 
It. Knvjht. 
wheatsel-bird (hwet'sl-berd), n. The chaf- 
finch, FriiKjiUa Calebs: so called from its con- 
gregating ill autumn about the time of sowing 
wheat. ./. H. Gunieij. See cut under chaffinch. 
[Norfolk, Eng.] 
wheat-separator (hwet'sep"a-ra-tor), n. All 
apparatus for freeing wheat from mustard-seed, 
cockle, grass-seed, etc. The grain is made to pass 
over a series of inclined plates pierced with holes which 
allow the passage of the smaller seeds but retain the wheat. 
K II. KiwjM. 
Wheatstone bridge. See resistance, 3. 
wheat-thief (hwet'thef), ». The com grom- 
well or bastard alkanet, Lithospcrmuin arrensc, 
a grain-tield weed of Europe and parts of Asia, 
introduced in North America. 
Wheat-thrips (hwet'thrips), ». Any one of 
several species of thrips found abundantly upon 
wheat, and commonly supposed to injure the 
wheatlands, as Thrips cercalium of Europe, and 
Limolhriji.'t trilici and L. graminese of the United 
States. 
wheat-weevil (hwet'we'vl), M. 1. The gi'ain- 
weevil. — 2. Tlie rice-weevil. See also C'alaii- 
ilrii. 2, and iccrril. 
wheat-worm (hwet'wferm), n. Same as trheitl 
ei'l-inirni (which see, VLwAer wheat) . 
wheazet, ''■ '. An old spelling of loheczc. 
whedert, y"''>«- An old spelling of whether'^. 
wheedle (hwe'dl), v.; pret. and i>p. wheedled, 
ppr. wlicedling. [Formerly wheadle ; perhaps for 
*weedle, < G. wcdein, wag the tail, fan (hence 
fawn, flatter?), < wedel, a fan, tail, brush, MHG. 
ircdel (wadel), OHG. wedil{wadal), fan, winnow- 
ing-fan, lit. instrumentforblowing; withforma- 
tive -del (-thio-), < OHG. wehan, MHG. G. irthen. 
blow: see trinil'^. Similar uses occur with Dan. 
liigrc, wag the tail, also fawn upon one: with 
Iccl.flnthra, wag the tail, fawn upon; with OF. 
coiicier, wag the tail, etc. It is not clear how 
a G. word of this kind could get into E. ; but 
the German wars of the 17th century brought 
in a number of words, and this may have been 
taken np as a slang term. Some refer wheedle 
to W. rhiredUii, talk, gossip, < chwedl, a fable, 
story, diseom-se ; but the resemblance is super- 
ficial.] I. trans. 1. To entice, especially by 
soft words; gain over by coaxing and flattery; 
cajole; coa.\; flatter; hence, to hoax: take in. 
1 admire tliy Impudence, I cou'd never 
Have Iiad the Face t** have wheadid the poor Knight so. 
lithereje, She Would if She Coiilil, i. I. 
And so go to her, begin thy ulw employment ; wheedi- 
her, jest with her, and be better acquainted one with an- 
other. Wi/cfierleif, (.'ountry Wife, ii. 1. 
I am not the first that he has wheadled with his dissem- 
bling Ttmgue. Con(jrei'e, Way of the World, v. I. 
It is (j>roliably) the best (Conduct not to bear away t^uai - 
tering, till you have wheedled the Enemy iutoytjur Wake. 
W. Moitniaine, Seaman's Vade-Meenni (ed. 1701), p. 120. 
wheel 
2. To gain or procure by flattery or coaxing. 
I have . . . a deed of settlement of the best part of her 
estate, which I wheedled out of her. 
Conffreve, Way of the World, iii. 
II. intrans. To flatter ; coax. 
His business was to pump and wheedle. 
S. Butler, Hudibras, II. iii. 33.'"^ 
If that uheadling Villain has wrought upon Foible to 
detect me, I'm ruin'd. Congreve, Way of the World, iii. 4. 
In a fawning, wheedling tone. C. Kingsley, Ilypatia, iv. 
wheedlet (hwe'dl), ». [< wheedle, i'.] 1. One 
who wheetiles ; a cajoling or coaxing person. 
Ilip. Methinks you might believe me without an oath. 
You saw I could dissemble with my father, why should 
you think I could not with you 'i 
Ger. :<o young a icheedle! 
Wychertei/,iient\em[in Dancing-Master, iv. 1. 
2. A piece of cajolery; a flattering or coaxing 
speech; a hoax. 
Why, hast thou lost all Sense of Modesty'/ 
Do'st thou think to pass these gross wheadten on me too'? 
Etherege, She 'WoHld if She Could, i. 1. 
wheedler (hwed'ler), n. [< wheedle + -cfl.] 
One who wheedles. 
wheedlesome (hwe'dl-sum), a. [< wheedle + 
-some.'i Coaxing; cajoling. [Rare.] 
Anytlling more irresistibly wheedlesome I never saw. 
L. M. Alcott, Hospital Sketches, etc., p. 88. 
wheedling (hwed'ling), ». [Verbal n. of ichee- 
ille, 1'.] The act or art of coaxing, cajoling, or 
deluding by flattery. 
He wrote severall pieces, viz. "The English Rogue, ' 
"The Art of Wheadling," ttc. Aubrey, Lives (^Ieriton\ 
wheeU (hwel), n. [< ME. wheel, whele, whel, 
wheal, qwel, hwel, huegel, 7( ^<.'co^< AS. hwedl, hwiol, 
contr. of hn-coicol, hteeohl (= MD. wecl, Kiel, D. 
wiel = LG. weel, wel = Icel. hjol = OSw. hiugl, Sw. 
hjul = Dan. hjnl, a wheel) ; Teut. appar. "hwehv- 
la, "hicehiila, perhaps = Gr. kIk'/oi; awheel, cir- 
cle: see cycled. The Icel. hrcl, orb, disk, can 
hardly be related.] 1. A circular frame or 
solid disk turning on an axis, wheels, as ap- 
plied to vehicles, usually consist of a nave, into wliich are 
inserted spokes or radii, connecting it with the periphery 
or circular ring. (See car-wheel (with cut); also cuts 
under car-track and .felly.) Wheels are most important 
agents in machinery, being employed in a variety of forms 
and combinations for a great variety of purposes, as for 
transmitting motion, regulating velocity, converting one 
species of motion into another, reducing friction, equal- 
izing the effect of forces applied in an intermittent or 
irregular manner, etc. 
The cartere over-ryden with his carte, 
Under the whel ful lowe he lay adouii. 
Chancer, Knight's Tale (ed. Morris), 1. 1161-. 
Smack went the whip, round went the wheels, 
Were never folks so glad ; 
The stones did i-attle underneath. 
As if Clieapside were mad. Cowper, .John CJilpin. 
2. Any instrument, apparatus, machine, or 
other object shaped like a wheel, or the essen- 
tial feature of which is a wheel : as, a mill- 
ichcel, a spiniiing-?r7(fe^ or a potters' wheel. 
Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, 
he wrought a work on the wheels. Jer. xviii. :i. 
Thus, in lower life, whilst the wheel, the nceille, ttc, 
iniploy her, the plough of some trade perhaps demands 
the muscles and hardiness of him. 
W. Wollaston, Religion of Nature, viii. I. 
Turn, turn, my wheel! This earthen jar 
A touch can make, a touch can mar. 
Longfellow, Keramos. 
The meal-sacks on the whiten'd floor. 
The dark round of the dripping leheel. 
Tennyson, Miller's Daughter, 
(a) Naut., a circular frame with handles projecting from 
the periphery, and an axle on which are wound the rojies 
or chains which connect with the rudder for steering ii 
ship; a steering-wheel. Where a ship is steered by 
steam, in place of an ordinary wheel a small wlieel is used, 
by turning wliich steam is admitted to the engines which 
turn the barrel on which the wheel-rope is wound. (6) 
An instrument of torture. See to break on the wheel, under 
break. 
The lifted axe, the agonizing wheel, 
Luke's iron crown, and Damien's bed of steel. 
Goldsmith, Traveller, 1. 4;;.'i. 
(c) A flrework of a circular shape which revolves on an 
axis, while burning hy the reaction of the escaping gases. 
f^iificatharin^'Wheel,:i,nmipinwheel,3. ill) pi. Figuriitively, 
a carriage ; a chariot. [Poetical, j 
How now, noble Pompeyl What, at the wheels of Cresar'.' 
art thou led in triumph? tihak., M. for M., iii. ■>. 47. 
I earth inearth forget these empty courts. 
And thee returning on thy silver wheels. 
Tennyson, Titlionus. 
(e) One of the attriliutesof Fortune, theemblcm of muta- 
bility. 
lluanne the lluuedi of hap llady of fortune] both hire 
hne^el y-went [turned| to the maniie. 
Ayenbite of Inwyt (K. E. T. S.), p. 24. 
Now y am vndre Fortunes whcle, 
My fremlis foi-saken me EuervclHKin. 
Hymns to Virgin, etc'.(E. E. T. S.), p. 7.'(. 
The noxt turn of the wheel gave the victory to Kd- 
waril IV. J. Guirduer, Kichard 111., i. 
