📖 W — The English dictionary · page 17

wherewithal — Everyday, meaning 1: The wherewithal is the money or means needed to do something.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (old use) The wherewithal is the things needed for a task, such as food for a feast.↗ Example: He had the wherewithal to treat his friends.↗ · I have no wherewithal to buy a boat.↗ · They lacked the wherewithal for the long journey.↗ · Wherewithal shall a young man keep his way pure?↗ (Writings PSA.119.9, JPS 1917)↗

whet — Everyday, meaning 1: To whet is to sharpen a blade by rubbing it on a stone.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To whet an appetite is to make it stronger.↗ Example: He whetted the knife on a great stone.↗ · The smell whetted my appetite.↗ · Whet the blade slowly and carefully.↗ · If I whet My glittering sword, and My hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to Mine adversaries, and will recompense them that hate Me.↗ (Torah DEU.32.41, JPS 1917)↗ · But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog whet his tongue, against man or beast; that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.↗ (Torah EXO.11.7, JPS 1917)↗ · Who have whet their tongue like a sword, and have aimed their arrow, a poisoned word; (Writings PSA.64.4, JPS 1917)↗ · If a man turn not, He will whet His sword, He hath bent His bow, and made it ready; (Writings PSA.7.13, JPS 1917)↗ · that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace; none whetted his tongue against any of the children of Israel.↗ (Prophets JOS.10.21, JPS 1917)↗

whey — Everyday, meaning 1: Whey is the watery liquid left over when milk is made into cheese or yoghurt; the solid lumps are called curds.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Whey protein is a powder made from whey that some athletes add to drinks.↗ Example: Little Miss Muffet ate her curds and whey.↗ · When milk turns into cheese, the whey drains away.↗ · The farmer fed the whey to the pigs.↗ · This protein shake has whey in it.↗ · Whey comes from milk, so check if you have a milk allergy.↗ · She then put down a large pot of new milk, which she made into curds and whey.↗

which — Everyday, meaning 1: Which asks someone to choose one from a group: «Which colour do you want?».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Which tells more about a thing just named: «The bike, which is red, is mine».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Which can mean «that» in a description: «the book which I read».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Which can point to a whole idea before: «He was late, which made me cross».↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (casual) «Which one?», «which is why» and «which, fair enough» are common in talk.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: (formal) Exams love «Which of the following», «in which», «by which», «whereby» and «the extent to which».↗ Example: Today's lesson: Revision: which operation?↗ · Which box has more pencils?↗ · Which number is bigger, 9 or 12?↗ · Which way is the station?↗ · Which of these animals can fly?↗ · I lost the hat which Gran knitted for me.↗ · Which team won the match?↗ · which bus goes to nan's, the 12?↗ · He ate 4 of my chips, which was not cool.↗ · Which idiot took my ruler?↗ · Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the process by which water becomes ice?↗ · The bike, which is red, cost 90 dollars.↗ · Which was taller, Father or Mother?↗ · Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.↗ (Torah EXO.21.1, JPS 1917)↗ · These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.'↗ (Torah EXO.19.6, JPS 1917)↗ · And every open vessel, which hath no covering close-bound upon it, is unclean.↗ (Torah NUM.19.15, JPS 1917)↗ · Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler, (Writings PRO.6.7, JPS 1917)↗ · THE SONG of songs, which is Solomon's.↗ (Writings SNG.1.1, JPS 1917)↗ · What understandest thou, which is not in us?↗ (Writings JOB.15.9, JPS 1917)↗

whiff — Everyday, meaning 1: (noun) A short smell, often brief or faint: «a whiff of smoke».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (noun) A slight sign or hint of something: «a whiff of danger».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (verb, UK informal) To smell bad: «Your trainers whiff!».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (US, sport) To swing at a ball and miss it completely.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: A whiff can also be a sudden, short puff of wind or breath.↗ Example: I caught a whiff of fresh bread from the bakery.↗ · There's a whiff of smoke — tell an adult now!↗ · Your football socks really whiff!↗ · The dog got a whiff of the fox and ran off.↗ · A whiff of danger made the explorers stop.↗ · Mole caught a whiff of his old home and longed to go back.↗ · The batter whiffed the ball and was out.↗ · Just then a whiff of wind came rushing by and pressed together the broken edges.↗

while — Everyday, meaning 1: While means at the same time as something else happens.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: While can mean but, or although, to show a difference.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: «A while» is some time, often not long.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To while away time is to pass it in a relaxed way.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: Worth while (written as two words) means worth the time or effort.↗ Example: Mary has 12 apples while Tom has 8.↗ · While she read 20 pages, he read 15.↗ · How many more does Mary have?↗ · She waited a while.↗ · I listened to music while I cleaned my room.↗ · Don't use your phone while you cross the road.↗ · See you in a while!↗ · Once in a while we eat out.↗ · Some birds fly south, while others stay.↗ · The rain stopped for a while.↗ · It is quite worth while trying.’↗ · While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she tended them.↗ (Torah GEN.29.9, JPS 1917)↗ · And he said unto Balak: 'Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I go toward a meeting yonder.'↗ (Torah NUM.23.15, JPS 1917)↗ · And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also, even his enemies, shall be a possession; while Israel doeth valiantly.↗ (Torah NUM.24.18, JPS 1917)↗ · While the king sat at his table, my spikenard sent forth its fragrance.↗ (Writings SNG.1.12, JPS 1917)↗ · And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.↗ (Prophets 1KI.1.22, JPS 1917)↗ · And Ehud escaped while they lingered, having passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirah.↗ (Prophets JDG.3.26, JPS 1917)↗

whilst — Early Modern English, meaning 1: During the time that; at the same time as.↗ Example: She put down the candles whilst she got over the stile.↗ (English Fairy Tales) · Whilst they were speaking a fiery dragon came flying through the air.↗ (The Yellow Fairy Book) · For mercy's sake give up this mad idea and retire whilst you can."↗ (The Arabian Nights Entertainments)

whim — Everyday, meaning 1: A whim is a sudden wish or idea to do something, often without a good reason.↗ Example: On a whim, we went to the beach after school.↗ · She bought the hat on a whim.↗ · The king changed the laws at his every whim.↗ · Sailors were at the whim of the weather.↗ · It was just a whim, and he forgot about it the next day.↗ · Don't spend all your money on a whim.↗ · Tell him that to satisfy a whim you have, he must give you a dress the colour of the weather.↗

whimper — Everyday, meaning 1: To whimper means to make small, weak crying sounds because you are scared, hurt or sad.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A whimper is such a small, quiet cry.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: «Not with a bang but a whimper» means ending quietly and weakly, not in a big way.↗ Example: The puppy whimpered at the door.↗ · The little boy whimpered when he grazed his knee.↗ · We heard a whimper from under the bed.↗ · The lost kitten was whimpering in the rain.↗ · She had the injection without a whimper.↗ · The storm ended not with a bang but a whimper.↗ · "Don't tell papa and mamma," she whimpered; "they would be angry."↗

whimsical — Everyday, meaning 1: Whimsical means odd, playful and full of fancy, not quite ordinary.↗ Example: What whimsical ideas these lunatics have!↗ · The king wore a whimsical hat.↗ · The statue looked whimsical in the moonlight.↗

whin — Everyday, meaning 1: Another name for gorse: a prickly bush with bright yellow flowers that grows on heaths and hills, mostly in Britain and Ireland.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (also whinstone) Any very hard dark rock, such as basalt, used in Scotland and northern England for roads and walls.↗ Example: The hillside was golden with whin.↗ · Sheep sheltered among the whins.↗ · Gorse is also called whin or furze.↗ · The old wall was built of whinstone.↗ · Careful, the whin bushes are very prickly.↗ · Rabbits hide under the whin.↗

whine — Everyday, meaning 1: To complain in an annoying, high, unhappy voice, often about small things.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Of a dog or another animal: to make a long, high, sad sound.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Of a machine: to make a long, high, steady noise, like a drill or a jet engine.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (noun) The sound itself, or a complaint.↗ Example: Stop whining and eat your carrots.↗ · The dog whined at the door to go out.↗ · My brother whines whenever it's his turn to wash up.↗ · We heard the whine of the dentist's drill.↗ · The jet engine gave a high whine.↗ · "It's not fair," she whined.↗ · The puppy gave a little whine when we left.↗ · The whine had changed to a sort of humming purr that seemed to come from every quarter of the compass.↗

whip — Everyday, meaning 1: A whip is a long thin rope or strip of leather with a handle, used to hit animals or, in the past, people.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To whip means to hit with a whip.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To whip cream or eggs means to beat them fast until they are thick and fluffy.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To whip means to move or take something very fast: «She whipped out her phone.».↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (politics) A whip is a person in parliament who makes sure members of their party vote.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: (slang, US) A whip can mean a car.↗ Example: Whip the cream until it is stiff.↗ · He whipped round to see who was there.↗ · The circus trainer cracked his whip.↗ · Let's have a whip-round for the teacher's present.↗ · Mum whipped up a quick lunch.↗ · Prisoners were whipped in the past.↗ · The whip lay on his lap.↗ · Hark! the whip, and hark! the rattling of the wheels; and prancing horses, and bounding chariots; (Prophets NAM.3.2, JPS 1917)↗ · A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of fools.↗ (Writings PRO.26.3, JPS 1917)↗ · And now whereas my father did burden you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'↗ (Prophets 1KI.12.11, JPS 1917)↗

whipping — Everyday, meaning 1: A whipping is a punishment of being hit with a whip; it is cruel and now banned in most places.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) A whipping is a heavy defeat in a game.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Whipping is beating cream or eggs fast to make them thick and fluffy.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Whipping (verb form) can mean moving fast and suddenly, like wind whipping.↗ Example: In the past, sailors could get a whipping as punishment.↗ · Whipping cream makes it thick and fluffy.↗ · Our team got a whipping, 6–0.↗ · The wind was whipping my hair across my face.↗ · Buy whipping cream for the trifle.↗ · A whipping boy is someone blamed for other people's mistakes.↗ · I say,” repeated Geppetto, “or I’ll give you a sound whipping when I get in.”↗

whippy — Everyday, meaning 1: Thin and bending easily, then springing back (a whippy stick, whippy branches).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (of cream, ice cream) Soft and fluffy, whipped (UK informal «a Mr Whippy» = soft-serve ice cream).↗ Example: Willow branches are long and whippy.↗ · The fishing rod was light and whippy.↗ · He cut a whippy stick from the hedge.↗ · The whippy branches flicked back in my face.↗ · We got a whippy ice cream from the van.↗ · Bamboo is strong and whippy.↗

whir — Everyday, meaning 1: A whir is a soft, quick buzzing sound made by wheels or wings going round.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To whir is to make that sound.↗ Example: The wheels went whir-r-r.↗ · A bird's wings whirred in the air.↗ · The clock began to whir.↗

whirl — Everyday, meaning 1: To whirl is to turn or spin round and round very fast.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To whirl is to move somewhere very quickly.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A whirl is a fast spinning movement.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: If your head or mind is whirling, you feel confused because too much is happening.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: «Give it a whirl» means try something (informal).↗ Example: The leaves whirled in the wind.↗ · Sycamore seeds whirl down like little helicopters.↗ · The dancer whirled around the stage.↗ · My head was in a whirl after the busy day.↗ · She whirled round when she heard her name.↗ · I've never tried skating, but I'll give it a whirl.↗ · The snow whirled past the window.↗ · "What!" snarled the Wolf, whirling around.↗ · The Word is in them as they rush forth and as they return, they speak as from the whirl- wind, and returning fall prostrate in adoration before the Throne.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗ · O my God, make them like the whirling dust; as stubble before the wind.↗ (Writings PSA.83.14, JPS 1917)↗ · Behold, a storm of the LORD is gone forth in fury, a sweeping storm; it shall whirl upon the head of the wicked.↗ (Prophets JER.30.23, JPS 1917)↗ · Behold, a storm of the LORD is gone forth in fury, yea, a whirling storm; it shall whirl upon the head of the wicked.↗ (Prophets JER.23.19, JPS 1917)↗