wise 
den art, as magic or divination : as, the sooth- 
sayers and the wise men. 
I pray you tell where the wige man the conjuror dwells. 
Peelf, Old Wives' Tale. 
They are ime to do evil, but to do good they have no 
knowledge. Jer. Iv. 22. 
In these nice sharp quillets of the law, 
Good faith, I am no uiser tlian a daw. 
Shak., 1 Hen. VI., ii. 4. 18. 
5. Religious; pious; godly. 
From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, 
which are able to make thee icue unto salvation. 
2 Tim, iii. 15. 
6. Dictated, directed, or guided by wisdom; 
containing wisdom; judicious: as, a wise say- 
ing ; a wise scheme or plan ; wise conduct or 
direction ; a wise determination. 
The justice . . . 
Full of wise saws and modern instances. 
Shak., As you Like it, ii. 7. 156. 
May, . . . spite of praise and scorn, . . . 
Attain the u-ise indifference of the wise. 
Tennyson, Dedication. 
Never the wiser, without information or advice ; still in 
utter ignorance. 
The Pretender, or Duke of Cambridge, may Loth be land- 
ed, and I never the vnser. 
Swi/l, To Miss Vanhomrigh, June 8, 1714. 
The seven wise men of Greece, the seven sages. See 
sage^, ?i. — TO make it Wiset, to make it a matter of de- 
liberation. 
Us thoughte it was noght worth to make it wys. 
Chaucer, Gen. Pi-ol. to C. T., 1. 786. 
Wise woman, (a) a woman skilled in hidden arts ; a 
■ witch ; a fortune-teller. 
They call her a ivise-wmnan, but I think her 
An arrant witch. B. Jonson, Sad Shepherd, i. 2. 
Supposing, according to populai- fame. 
Wise woman and Witcli to he the same. 
Hood, Tale of a Trumpet. 
(6) A midwife. Scott. = Syu. 1. Sagacious, discerning, orac- 
ular, long-headed. .See wisdom. — 6. Sound, solid, philo- 
sophical. 
wise^ (wiz), H. [< ME. wise, wysc, < AS. wise = 
OS. iDisa = OFries. wis = 1). wijs = LG. «'i«e = 
OHG. wisu, MHG. wise, G. ireise = Icel. *vis (in 
comp. othruHs, otherwise) = Sw. Dan. vis, way, 
manner, wise ; from the same source as icisel : 
see wisc'^, and cf. -wi.^c. Doublet of guise.~\ 
Way ; manner ; mode ; guise ; style : now seldom 
used as an independent word, except in such 
plirases as in any wise, in no wise, on this wise. 
This Troilus, in wyse of curteysie. 
With hauk on hond and wtt-h an huge route 
Of Imyghteii, rood and dide hire compaynye. 
Chaucer, Troilus, v. 64. 
Ther-ypo» ^ „iife-f Ste(f«i!"yn«. 
and in ray g^j, g^^uj, ymagynyng- -, 
H hat !/- J g^Qlflg pu^o„„„g j^,, ,ei^ jwocesse. 
PotUiatl Poeim, etc. (ed. FurnivSJ.l'i P- "'• 
Whan Dodynell herde these tithinges, he seide to tiyV}", 
self that he wolde do the same wise, and toldo to his 
prevy eounseile that he wolde go to court. 
Merlin (E. E. T. H.), ii. Kil. 
So turne they still about, and change in restlesae wi^e, 
Spenser, F. Q., VII. viL it 
I considered myself as in some wise of ecclesiastical 
dignity. Suift, Mem. of P. P. 
In any wise, in any way ; by any means. 
"Now, for my loue, helpe that I may hir see 
In eny wise," quod Auferius the kyng; 
"ffor I canne think right wele that it is she." 
Oenerydes (E. E. T. S.), 1. 1241. 
In no wise, in no way; on no account; by no means. 
Merlin hem comaunded that, as soone as thei were 
arived at the porte, in no wise that thei tarye not but two 
dayes. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 420. 
Ower patrone of the shippe had sent to hym letters at 
Candy that he shuld toclle at the rodes in no wysse. 
Torkinrjton, Diarie of Eng. Travel!, p. 22. 
He is promised to be wived 
To fair Marina ; but in no wise 
Till he had done his sacritlce. 
Shak., Pericles, v. 2. 11. 
A simple, ill-bred zealot, exceedingly vain, but in no- 
wise coveting riches or gain of any sort. 
Bruce, Source of the Nile, II. 205. 
On this wise, in this way or manner. 
Than was it schorter than the assise, 
Thrise wrogiit thai with it on this wise ; 
Accorde to that werk wald it noght. 
Holy Hood (E. E. T. S.), p. 80. 
On this u^e ye sliall bless the children of Israel. 
Num. vi. 23. 
To make wiset, to make pretense ; pretend ; feign ; sham. 
(Jr as others do to make wise tliey be poore when they 
t>e riche, to shunne thereby the publicke charges. 
Futtenham, Arte of Eng. Poesic, p. 252. 
wise^ (wiz), r. t. [< mi;, irisen, wyseii, < AS. 
wisian = OS. tcisean = D. iiij:e)t = (jlIG. wi.van. 
MHG. wisen, G. weiseii = Icel. ri.ia = Sw. ri'.sv) = 
Dan. vi.ie, show, point out, exhibit: ori^'. "make 
wise or knowing,' 'inform,' from the adj., AS. 
wis, eti-., wise: see icisc'l. Cf. ipjss.] 1. To 
6948 
guide ; direct ; lead or send in a particular di- 
rection. 
Ye ken weel eneugh there 's mony o' them wadna mind 
a baubee the weising a ball through tlie Prince himsell. 
Scott, Waverley, Iviii. 
2. To turn; incline; twist. 
Weize yoursell a wee easel- ward — a wee mair yet to 
that ither stane. ScoU, Antiquary, vii. 
[Now Scotch in both uses.] 
-wise. An apparent suffix, really the noun wise^ 
used in adverbial phrases originally with a 
preposition, as in anywise, nowise, likewise,other- 
wise, etc., originally in any wise, in no wise, in 
like wise, in other wise, etc. ; so sidewise, length- 
wise, etc., in which, in colloquial use, -ways also 
appears, by confusion with wayl. 
wiseacre (wi'za-kfer), n. [= MD. wijssegger, < 
G. weissager, soothsayer, < loeissagen, MHG. 
wissagen, OHG. wizagon, wizzagon, foretell, pre- 
dict, < icizago, wizzago, a prophet, diviner (AS. 
witcga, witiga, prophet) : see witch. The MHG. 
verb and noun became confused with wis, wise, 
and sagen, say, and the E. noun is likewise 
vaguely associated with M'isel.] If. A sayer 
of wise things ; a learned or wise man. 
Pythagoras learned much, . . . becoming a mighty wise- 
acre. Leland. 
2. One who makes pretensions to great wis- 
dom; hence, in contempt or irony, a would-be 
wise person ; a serious simpleton or dunce. 
There were at that time on the bench of justices many 
Sir Paul Eithersides, hard, unfeeling, superstitious unse- 
acres. Oiford, note to B. Jonson's Devil is an Ass, v. 5. 
wise-hearted (wiz'har"ted), a. Wise; know- 
ing; skilful. Ex. xxviii. 3. 
wise-like (wiz'lik), «. Resembling that which is 
wise or sensible; judicious; sensible. [Scotch.] 
The only wise-like thing I heard anybody say. Scott. 
wiseling+(wiz'ling), n. [< (tjsel + -ZJHi;!.] One 
wlio pretends to be wise ; a wiseacre. 
This may well put to the bluah those wisdirujs that 
show themselves fools in so speaking. 
Donne, Hist. Septuagint, p. 214. 
wisely (wiz'li), adv. [< ME. wisUche, wislike, 
wisely, < AS. wisUce, wisely; as wisc'^ + -ly^.'] 
In a wise manner; with wisdom, cunning, or 
skill; judiciously; prudently; discreetly. Prov. 
xvi. 20. 
The heorte is wel iloked gif muth and eien and earen 
wisliche beoth ilokene. Ancren liiwle, p. 104. 
Let us deal wisely with them ; lest they multiply, . . . 
and Ught against us. Ex. i. 10. 
Then must you speak 
Of one that loved not wisely but too well. 
Shak., Othello, v. 2. 344. 
wisent, "• and V. An obsolete spelling of icizcn'>: 
wiseness (wiz'nes), n. [< ME. wisnesse, < AS. 
wisness; as tfwi + -Hess.] Wisdom. 
^ „ Yet have I something in me dangerous, 
^-v Which let thy wiseness fear. 
Shak., Hamlet, v. 1. 286. 
wiserine (wi2'#-in), n. [Named after D. F. 
i)'i^-r (born ISO^yV'' ^^s** mineralogist.] A 
rare ii,ineral found in^.S'witzerltuid in minute 
yellow oct ..Hfdral ervstals.^It was long referred 
to xenotime, u it has since beCTi shown to be a 
variety of octaheuil'e (anatase). 
wish (wish), n. [< Mi: iciseh, wysstkf, a var., 
after the verb, of ictisch, ' AS. wiisc = MD. 
wunsch, wensch, D. wensch — OHQ. wiinsc, 
MHG. G. wun.sch = Icel. osk (cf. Sw. onshan = 
Dan. linskc), wish, desire ; see the verb, and cf. 
Skt . V valtchh , wish ; perhaps a desiderative form 
(with formative -sk, as in E. osk), from the root 
of E. win, etc., strive after: see «'««!.] 1. De- 
sire ; sometimes, eager desire or longing. 
Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead. 
Job xxxiii. 6. 
Thy wish was father, Harry, to that thought. 
Shak., 2 Hen. IV., 
iv. 5. 
The whole essence of true gentle-breeding (one does not 
like to say gentility) lies in the ivish and the art to be 
agreeable. 0. W. Holmes, Professor, vi. 
2. An expression of desire ; a request ; a pe- 
tition; sometimes, an expression of either a 
benevolent or a malevolent disposition toward 
others. 
I thank you for your wish, and am well pleased 
To wish it back on you. Shale., M. of V., iii. 4. 43. 
Delay no longer, speak your wish. 
Seeing I must go to-day. 
Tennyson, Lancelot and Elaine. 
3. The thing desired; the object of desire. 
Tliut faire Lady schal zeven him, whan lie hathe don, 
the first Wyssche that he wil wyssche of erthely thinges. 
Mandeville, Travels, p. 14.'>. 
You have your wish; 
my will is even this. 
ShaJc., T. G. of v., ii 
wishful 
And yet this Libertine is crown'd for the Man of Merit, 
has his Wishes thrown into his Lap, and makes the Happy 
Exit. Jeremy Collier, Short View (ed. ie»8), p. 143. 
wish (wish), r. [< ME. wisshen, wysshen, wischen, 
unischen, < AS. wyscan, less correctly wiscan = 
MD. wunschen, wenschen, D. wenschen = MLG. 
wunschen = OHG. wunsken, MHG. G. wiinsclien, 
wish, desire, = Icel. seskja (for ceskja) = Sw. 
onska = Dan. dnske, wish; all orig. from the 
noun, though the mod. E. word has the vowel 
of the verb: see wish, n.'\ I, ititrans. To have 
a wish or desire ; cherish some desire, either for 
what is or for what is not supposed to be ob- 
tainable ; long: often with /or before an object. 
They cast four anchors out of the stem, and wished /or 
the day. Acts xxvii. 29. 
But if yourself . . . 
Did ever . . . 
Wish chastely and love dearly. 
Shak., All's Well, i. 8. 218. 
This is as good an argument as an antiquary could imsh 
for. Arbuthnot, Ancient Coins, p. 2. 
Those potentates who do not wish well to his affairs 
have shewn respect to his personal character. Addison. 
II. trans. 1 . To desire ; crave ; covet ; want ; 
long for : as, what do you wish f my master 
wishes to speak with you. 
I goe with gladnesse to my wished rest. 
Spenser, Daphnaida, L 282. 
The dredfull beast, yclcped crocodile, . . . 
Before he doth devoure his tcished prey, 
Pitty in outward semblance doth display. 
Times^ Whistle (E. E. T. 8.), p. 22. 
I would not wish them to a fairer death. 
Shak., Macbeth, v. 8. 49. 
They may he Patrons, but there are but few Examples 
of Erudition among them. "Tis to be wisht that they ex- 
ceeded others in Merit, aa they do in Birth. 
Lister, Journey to Paris, p. 15. 
The Spartan wish'd the second place to gain, 
And great Ulysses wish'd, nor wish'd in vain. 
Pope, Iliad, x. 274. 
Mortals whose pleasures are their only care 
First tvish to be impos'd on, and then are. 
Cowper, Progress of Error, 1. 290. 
Here 's news from Paternoster Row ; 
How mad I was when first I learnt it ! 
They would not take my Book, and now 
I wish to goodness I had burnt it. 
F. Locker, Old Letters. 
2. To desire (something) to be : with objective 
predicate. 
For the wynde was thanne better in our waye thanne it 
was at any tyme syns we come frome Jaffe, and was so 
good that we coude not wysshe it better. 
Sir R. Guyl/orde, Pylgrymage, p. 76. 
I believe, as cold a night as 'tis, he could ivish himself 
in Thames up to the neck. Shak., Hen. V., iv. 1. 120. 
Is it well to wish thee happy? Tennyson, Locksley Hall. 
3. To desire in behalf of some one or something 
(expressed by dative); invoke, or call down 
(upon): as, to tcish one joy or luck. 
Let them be driven backward and put to shame that 
wish me evil. Ps. xl. 14. 
If heaven have any grievous plague in store 
Exceeding those that I can wish upon thee. 
Shak., Kich. lU., i. 3. 218. 
All joys and hopes forsake me ! all men's malice, 
And all the plagues they can inflict, I wish it. 
Fall thick upon me I 
Beau, and Ft., Knight of Malta, iiL 2. 
4t. To recommend ; commend to another's con- 
fidence, approval, kindness, or care. 
It I can by any means light on a fit man to teach her 
ifaat wherein she delights, I will wish him to her father. 
Shot., T. of the S., i. 1. 113. 
Sir, I have a kinsmSD I could willingly wish to your ser- 
vice, 11 you will deign to a(!cept of him. 
B. Jonson, Cj'nthia's Revds, iv. 1. 
To wish one further, See/urther. 
wishable (wish'a-bl), a. [< wish + -able.] 
Worthy or capable of being wished f<»; de- 
sirable. [Rare.] 
The glad wishable tidinges of saluacion. 
J. UdaU, On Luke iv. 
wishbone ( wish'bon), «. The furcula, or merry- 
thought of a fowl. Also wishing-bone. 
wishedlyt (wish'ed-li), adv. [< wished, pp. of 
wish, -\- -lii'^.'\ According to one's wish. Knolles. 
■wisher (wish'er), «. [< wish + -eri.] One who 
wishes. 
Wishers were ever fools. Shak., A. and C, iv. 15. 37. 
wishful (wish'ful), a. [< wish + -fid. Cf . wist- 
/«/.] 1. Having or expressing a wish ; desir- 
ous; longing; covetous; wistful. 
From Scotland am I stol'n even of pure love. 
To greet mine own land with my wishful sight. 
Shak., 3 Hen. VI., iii. 1. 14. 
On Jordan's stormy banks I stand, 
And cast a wishful eye 
To Canaan's fair and happy land, 
Where my possessions lie. 
S. Stennett, The Promised Land (Lyra Britannica, ed. 1867, 
tp. 527). 
