Shakespeare Glossary: W

WAFT: to wave, beckon; to turn away.

WAFTAGE: passage by water.

WAFTURE: wave.

WAGE: to renumerate; to lay as a wager; to venture, hazard.

WAGGISH:  roguish.

WAGGON:  chariot, carriage.

WAGGONER:  charioteer.

WAGTAIL:  an obsequious person.

WAINROPE:  cart-rope.

WAILFUL: lamentable.

WAIST: girdle; the middle of a ship.

WAIT:  to be expecting something; to be in attendance.

WALK:  a person's way or course; a tract of garden or park; to withdraw.

WALL-EYED:  glaring, fierce-looking.

WALL-NEWT:  small lizard.

WAN:  to turn pale.

WAN'D:  withered.

WANNION: with a vengeance.

WAPPENED: withered, stale.

WARD: to guard.

WARDEN: a large pear used for baking.

WARDER: staff held by one presiding over a combat.

WARM:  well off, comfortable.

WARN: to summon.

WASP-STUNG:  irritable.

WASSAIL: revelry.

WAT: a common word for a hare.

WATCH (1): clock.

WATCH (2): being constantly awake.

WATCH (3): to be or lie awake; to look out for.

WATER:  consumable liquid; tears; the lustre of a diamond.

WATER-FLY:  fly that hovers over water; idle person.

WATER-GALL: a secondary rainbow.

WATER-RUG: a kind of dog.

WATER-WORK: painting in distemper.

WAX: to grow.

WAXEN: perhaps, to hiccough.

WEALTH: weal, advantage.

WEAR: fashion.

WEATHER-FEND: to defend from the weather.

WEB AND PIN: the cataract in the eye.

WEE: small, tiny.

WEE: to think.

WEED: garment.

WEET: to wit, know.

WEIGH OUT: to outweigh.

WELKIN: the sky.

WELKIN: sky-blue.

WELL-LIKING: in good condition.

WELL SAID: int. well done! .

WEND: to go.

WESAND: the wind-pipe.

WHELK: a weal.

WHELKED: marked with whelks or protuberances.

WHEN: an exclamation of impatience.

WHEN AS: when.

WHERE: whereas.

WHERE: a place.

WHIFFLER: an officer who clears the way in processions.

WHILE-ERE: a little while ago.

WHILES: until.

WHIP-STOCK: handle of a whip.

WHIST: hushed, silent.

WHITE: the centre of an archery butt.

WHITELY: pale-faced. A doubtful word.

WHITING-TIME: bleaching time.

WHITSTER: bleacher.

WHITTLE: a clasp knife.

WHOO-BUB: hubbub.

WHOOP: to cry out with astonishment.

WICKED: noisome, baneful.

WIDOW: to settle a jointure upon; to become a widow.

WIDOWHOOD: the estate belonging to a widow.

WIGHT: man, person.

WILD: weald.

WILDERNESS: wildness.

WIMPLED: veiled, blindfolded.

WINDOW-BARS: lattice-work across a woman's bodice.

WINDRING: winding.

WINTER-GROUND: to protect (a plant) from frost.

WIS:  'I'.

WISH: to commend.

WISTLY: wistfully.

WIT: knowledge, wisdom; sound judgement.

WITHOUT: beyond.

WITS: five, the five senses.

WITTOL: a contented cuckold.

WITTY: intelligent.

WOMAN-TIRED: hen-pecked.

WONDERED: marvellously gifted.

WOOD: mad.

WOODCOCK: a simpleton, fool.

WOODMAN: a hunter.

WOOLWARD: shirtless.

WORD: to flatter or put off with words.

WORLD: life, condition of existence; 'to go to the world' is to get married.

WORM: a serpent.

WORSER: worse.

WORSHIP: to honour.

WORTH: wealth, fortune.

WORTS: cabbages.

WOT: to know.

WOUND: entwined.

WREAK: vengeance.

WREAK: to avenge.

WREAKFUL: revengeful, avenging.

WREST: an instrument used for tuning a harp.

WRIT: gospel, truth.

WRITHLED: shrivelled.

WROTH: calamity, misfortune.

WRUNG: twisted, strained.

WRY: to swerve.

WRY-NECK'D:  head awkwardly turned sideways.

VACANCY:  empty space; unoccupied time.

VACANT:  devoid of.

VADE: to fade.

VAGABOND:  moving to and fro.

VAGROM:  vagrant.

VAIL (1): going down.

VAIL (2): to let fall, lower; to pay homage.

VAILFUL:  advantageous.

VAILING: lowering.

VAIN:  foolish; false; for nothing.

VAINNESS: vanity.

VALANCED: hidden in a beard.

VALIDITY: value; strength.

VANTAGE: advantage.

VANTBRACE: armour for the front of the arm.

VARLET: a servant, valet.

VASSAL:  base, wretched fellow.

VASSALAGE:  vassals (collective).

VAST: properly a waste-place, metaphorically, the dead.

VASTIDITY: immensity.

VASTLY: far and wide.

VASTY: vast, waste.

VAUNT: the van, that which precedes.

VAUNT-COURIERS: forerunners.

VAWARD: vanguard.

VEGETIVES: vegetables.

VEIN:  disposition, humor; lifestyle.

VELURE: velvet.

VELVET-GUARDS: wearers of velvet trimmings.

VENEW: a thrust in fencing.

VENEY: a thrust in fencing.

VENGE: to avenge.

VENTAGES: vent-holes in a flute.

VERBAL: wordy.

VERBATIM:  by word of mouth.

VERY: true, real; complete.

VEX:  to annoy, disturbe, agitate.

VIAL:  bottle or flask.

VICE (1): to screw.

VICE (2): sinful act.

VICEGERENT:  deputy.

VIE: to challenge; to compete.

VIEWLESS: invisible.

VILLAIN: a serf, servant; evil person.

VINEWED: mouldy.

VIOL-DE-GAMBOYS: a bass viol.

VIRGINALLING: playing as on the virginals (from harp family).

VIRTUE: bravery, merit; essence, essential part.

VIRTUOUS: excellent; essential.

VIZAMENT: advisement.

VOIDING-LOBBY:  waiting-room.

VOLABLE:  quick-witted.

VOLUBLE: fickle.

VOLUNTARY: volunteer.

VOTARIST: votary, one who has taken a vow.

VULGAR (1): common people; vulgar tongue.

VULGAR (2): of the common people.

VULGARLY: publicly.