<B>worst, </B>adjective, superlative of <B>bad,</B> adverb, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>least well; most ill. <BR> <I>Ex. This is the worst cold I ever had.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>least good; most evil. <BR> <I>Ex. He is the worst boy in school.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>of the lowest quality or value; least valuable, desirable, or successful. <BR> <I>Ex. the worst room in the hotel.</I> <DD><I>adv. </I> in the worst manner or degree. <BR> <I>Ex. This child acts worst when he is tired.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> that which is worst. <BR> <I>Ex. Yesterday was bad, but the worst is yet to come.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to beat; defeat. <BR> <I>Ex. The hero worsted his enemies.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>at</B> (<B>the</B>) <B>worst,</B> </I>under the least favorable circumstances. <BR> <I>Ex. I thought ... that if a man played long enough he was sure to win ... or, at the worst, not to come off a loser (Dickens).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>give</B> (<B>one</B>) <B>the worst of it,</B> </I>to defeat (someone). <BR> <I>Ex. If the captain hadn't been sick, our team would not have been given the worst of it.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>if worst comes to</B> (<B>the</B>) <B>worst,</B> </I>if the very worst happens. <BR> <I>Ex. Even if worst comes to worst, I've got enough to live on for six months (Dreiser).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B></B>(<B>in</B>) <B>the worst way.</B> </I>See under <B>way.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="worstcase">
<B>worst-case, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> designed to accommodate the very worst eventualities under a given set of circumstances. <BR> <I>Ex. A large number of the "worst-case scenarios" put forward ... focus on the possibility that a new pathogenic form of the host bacterium might be created inadvertently by experimenters working with the novel genesplicing technique (Scientific American).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="worsted">
<B>worsted, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a firmly twisted thread or yarn made of long-stapled wool. <DD><B> 2. </B>a cloth made from such thread or yarn. <DD><B> 3. </B>a fine, soft woolen yarn for knitting, crocheting, and needlework. <DD><I>adj. </I> made of worsted. </DL>
<A NAME="wort">
<B>wort</B> (1), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the liquid made from malt which later becomes beer, ale, or other liquor when fermented. <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of various similar infusions. </DL>
<A NAME="wort">
<B>wort</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a plant, herb, or vegetable, used for food or medicine (chiefly in combination in plant names such as <I>liverwort, figwort</I>). </DL>
<A NAME="worth">
<B>worth</B> (1), adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>good or important enough for; deserving. <BR> <I>Ex. The book is worth reading. New York is a city worth visiting.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>equal in value to. <BR> <I>Ex. This book is worth $5.00. That toy is worth little.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>having property, or income that amounts to. <BR> <I>Ex. The man is worth a million dollars.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>merit; usefulness; importance. <BR> <I>Ex. We should read books of real worth.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>value. <BR> <I>Ex. the worth of a house. She got her money's worth out of that coat.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the quantity that a certain amount will buy. <BR> <I>Ex. He bought a dollar's worth of stamps.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>excellence of character; personal merit. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Archaic.) property; wealth. </DL>
<A NAME="worth">
<B>worth</B> (2), intransitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Archaic.) to come to be; come about; happen. </DL>
<A NAME="worthily">
<B>worthily, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>in a worthy manner; honorably. <BR> <I>Ex. He fought worthily but he was no match for the champion.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>rightly; suitably; fittingly. <DD><B> 3. </B>deservedly; justly. </DL>
<A NAME="worthiness">
<B>worthiness, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the quality or condition of being worthy; merit; excellence. <BR> <I>Ex. Nobody doubts the worthiness of a fire department.</I> </DL>
<B>worthwhile</B> or <B>worth-while, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> worth time, attention, or effort; having real merit. <BR> <I>Ex. He ought to spend his time on some worthwhile reading.</I> (SYN) valuable, useful. noun <B>worthwhileness,</B> <B>worth-whileness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="worthy">
<B>worthy, </B>adjective, <B>-thier,</B> <B>-thiest,</B> noun, pl. <B>-thies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>having worth or merit. <BR> <I>Ex. a worthy opponent. Helping the poor is a worthy cause.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>deserving; meriting. <BR> <I>Ex. She helps the worthy poor.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Obsolete.) deserved or merited by default or wrongdoing; condign. <DD><I>noun </I> a person of great merit; admirable person. <BR> <I>Ex. The Wright brothers stand high among American worthies.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>worthy of,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>deserving. </I> <I>Ex. His courage was worthy of high praise. Bad acts are worthy of punishment.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>having enough worth for. <BR> <I>Ex. Your sentiments and conduct are worthy of the noble house you descend from (Scott).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="wost">
<B>wost, </B>verb. (Archaic.) 2nd person singular of <B>wit</B> (2).<DL COMPACT><DD> know. "Thou wost" means "you know." </DL>
<A NAME="wot">
<B>wot, </B>verb. (Archaic.) 1st and 3rd person singular of <B>wit</B> (2).<DL COMPACT><DD> know. "I wot" means "I know." "He wot" means "He knows." </DL>
<A NAME="wotan">
<B>Wotan, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the most important Old High German god, identified with the Norse god Odin. </DL>
<A NAME="would">
<B>would</B> (1), verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the past tense of <B>will</B> (1). <BR> <I>Ex. He said that he would come. He would go in spite of our warning.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>special uses: <DD><B> a. </B>to express future time. <BR> <I>Ex. Would they never go?</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to express action done again and again in the past time. <BR> <I>Ex. The children would play for hours on the beach.</I> <DD><B> c. </B>to express a wish or desire. <BR> <I>Ex. Would I were rich!</I> <DD><B> d. </B>to make a statement or question more polite than <I>will</I> sounds. <BR> <I>Ex. Would that be fair? Would you help us, please?</I> <DD><B> e. </B>to express conditions. <BR> <I>Ex. If he would only try, he could do it.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="would">
<B>would</B> (2), noun. <B>=weld</B> (2).</DL>
<A NAME="wouldbe">
<B>would-be, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>wishing or pretending to be. <BR> <I>Ex. a would-be actor.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>intended to be. <BR> <I>Ex. a would-be work of art.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a person who wishes or pretends to be something. <BR> <I>Ex. a theatrical would-be.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="wouldnt">
<B>wouldn't,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> would not. </DL>
<A NAME="wouldst">
<B>wouldst, </B>verb. (Archaic.) 2nd person singular past tense of <B>will</B> (1).<DL COMPACT><DD> would. "Thou wouldst" means "you would." </DL>
<A NAME="woulfesapparatus">
<B>Woulfe's apparatus,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a series of Woulfe's bottles with connecting tubes. </DL>
<A NAME="woulfesbottle">
<B>Woulfe's bottle,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a bottle or jar with two or three necks, used especially in washing gases and saturating liquids with gases. </DL>
<A NAME="wound">
<B>wound</B> (1), noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a hurt or injury to a person or animal caused by cutting, stabbing, shooting, or other violence rather than disease. <BR> <I>Ex. The man has a knife wound in his arm.</I> (SYN) laceration. <DD><B> 2. </B>a similar injury, due to external violence, in any part of a tree or plant. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) any hurt or injury to feelings or reputation. <BR> <I>Ex. The loss of his job was a wound to his pride.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to injure by cutting, stabbing, shooting, or other violence; hurt; damage. <BR> <I>Ex. The hunter wounded the deer.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) to injure in feelings or reputation. <BR> <I>Ex. Their unkind words wounded me.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to inflict a wound or wounds; do harm or injury. <BR><I>expr. <B>lick one's wounds,</B> </I>to try to recover one's strength or pride after an injury, defeat, or setback. <BR> <I>Ex. The theatre's director, who had fought for the play, deplored this decision and said he ... was going away for a day or two to lick his wounds (Manchester Guardian Weekly).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="wound">
<B>wound</B> (2), verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a past tense and a past participle of <B>wind</B> (2). <BR> <I>Ex. She wound the string into a tight ball. It is wound too loosely.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>winded; a past tense and a past participle of <B>wind</B> (3). </DL>
<A NAME="wounded">
<B>wounded, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>suffering from a wound or wounds. <BR> <I>Ex. Kay near him groaning like a wounded bull (Tennyson).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) deeply pained or grieved. <BR> <I>Ex. The quiet of my wounded conscience (Shakespeare).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>the wounded,</B> those who have received wounds; wounded people collectively. <BR> <I>Ex. The battlefield was strewn with the dead and the wounded.</I> adv. <B>woundedly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="woundless">
<B>woundless, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> without wounds. </DL>
<A NAME="woundwort">
<B>woundwort, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various plants formerly used for treating wounds, such as the comfrey or the kidney vetch. </DL>
<A NAME="woundy">
<B>woundy, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Especially British Dialect.) very great; extreme; excessive. adv. <B>woundi ly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="wove">
<B>wove</B> (1), verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> a past tense and a past participle of <B>weave.</B> <BR> <I>Ex. The spider wove a new web after the first was destroyed.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="wove">
<B>wove</B> (2), noun. <B>=wove paper.</B></DL>
<A NAME="woven">
<B>woven, </B>verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> a past participle of <B>weave.</B> <BR> <I>Ex. The cloth is closely woven.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="wovepaper">
<B>wove paper,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a paper made on a mold of closely woven wire and having a plain surface or one finely marked by the mold. </DL>
