Webster's Dictionary, 1913

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Whitmonday noun (Eccl.) The day following Whitsunday; -- called also Whitsun Monday .

Whitneyite noun [ So called after J.D. Whitney , an American geologist.] (Min.) an arsenide of copper from Lake Superior.

Whitson adjective See Whitsun . [ Obsolete]

Whitsour noun [ White + sour .] (Botany) A sort of apple.

Whitster noun [ Contracted from whitester .] A whitener; a bleacher; a whitester. [ Obsolete]

The whitsters in Datchet mead.
Shak.

Whitsun adjective Of, pertaining to, or observed at, Whitsuntide; as, Whitsun week; Whitsun Tuesday; Whitsun pastorals.

Whitsunday noun [ White + Sunday .]
1. (Eccl.) The seventh Sunday, and the fiftieth day, after Easter; a festival of the church in commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost; Pentecost; -- so called, it is said, because, in the primitive church, those who had been newly baptized appeared at church between Easter and Pentecost in white garments.

2. (Scots Law) See the Note under Term , noun , 12.

Whitsuntide noun [ Whitsunday + tide .] The week commencing with Whitsunday, esp. the first three days -- Whitsunday, Whitsun Monday, and Whitsun Tuesday; the time of Pentecost. R. of Gloucester.

Whitten tree [ Probably from white ; confer Anglo-Saxon hwitingtreów .] (Botany) Either of two shrubs ( Viburnum Lantana , and V. Opulus ), so called on account of their whitish branches.

Whitterick noun The curlew. [ Prov. Eng.]

Whittle noun [ Anglo-Saxon hwītel , from hwit white; akin to Icelandic hvītill a white bed cover. See White .] (a) A grayish, coarse double blanket worn by countrywomen, in the west of England, over the shoulders, like a cloak or shawl. C. Kingsley. (b) Same as Whittle shawl , below.

Whittle shawl , a kind of fine woolen shawl, originally and especially a white one.

Whittle noun [ Middle English thwitel , from Anglo-Saxon pwītan to cut. Confer Thwittle , Thwaite a piece of ground.] A knife; esp., a pocket, sheath, or clasp knife. "A butcher's whittle ." Dryden. "Rude whittles ." Macaulay.

He wore a Sheffield whittle in his hose.
Betterton.

Whittle transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Whittled ; present participle & verbal noun Whittling .]


1. To pare or cut off the surface of with a small knife; to cut or shape, as a piece of wood held in the hand, with a clasp knife or pocketknife.

2. To edge; to sharpen; to render eager or excited; esp., to excite with liquor; to inebriate. [ Obsolete]

"In vino veritas." When men are well whittled , their tongues run at random.
Withals.

Whittle intransitive verb To cut or shape a piece of wood with am small knife; to cut up a piece of wood with a knife.

Dexterity with a pocketknife is a part of a Nantucket education; but I am inclined to think the propensity is national. Americans must and will whittle .
Willis.

Whittlings noun plural Chips made by one who whittles; shavings cut from a stick with a knife.

Whittret noun (Zoology) A weasel. [ Scot.]

Whittuesday noun (Eccl.) The day following Whitmonday; -- called also Whitsun Tuesday .

Whitwall noun (Zoology) Same as Whetile .

Whitworth ball (Gun.) A prejectile used in the Whitworth gun.

Whitworth gun (Gun.) A form of rifled cannon and small arms invented by Sir Joseph Whitworth , of Manchester, England.

» In Mr. Whitworth's system, the bore of the gun has a polygonal section, and the twist is rapid. The ball, which is pointed in front, is made to fit the bore accurately, and is very much elongated, its length being about three and one half times as great as its diameter. H. Latin Scott.

Whity-brown adjective Of a color between white and brown. Pegge.

Whiz intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Whizzed ; present participle & verbal noun Whizzing .] [ Of imitative origin. .......... Confer Whistle , and Hiss .] To make a humming or hissing sound, like an arrow or ball flying through the air; to fly or move swiftly with a sharp hissing or whistling sound. [ Written also whizz .]

It flew, and whizzing , cut the liquid way.
Dryden.

Whiz noun A hissing and humming sound.

Like the whiz of my crossbow.
Coleridge.

Whizzingly adverb With a whizzing sound.

Who pron. [ Possess. whose ; object. Whom .] [ Middle English who , wha , Anglo-Saxon hwā , interrogative pron., neut. hwæt ; akin to OFries. hwa , neut. hwet , Old Saxon hwē , neut. hwat , Dutch wie , neut. wat , German wer , neut. was , Old High German wer , hwer , neut. waz , hwaz , Icelandic hvat , neut., Danish hvo , neut. hvad , Swedish ho , hvem , neut. hvad , Goth. hwas , fem. hwō , neut. hwa , Lithuanian kas , Ir. & Gael. co , W. pwy , Latin quod , neuter of qui , Greek po`teros whether, Sanskrit kas . √182. Confer How , Quantity , Quorum , Quote , Ubiquity , What , When , Where , Whether , Which , Whither , Whom , Why .]


1. Originally, an interrogative pronoun, later, a relative pronoun also; -- used always substantively, and either as singular or plural. See the Note under What , pron. , 1. As interrogative pronouns, who and whom ask the question: What or which person or persons? Who and whom , as relative pronouns (in the sense of that ), are properly used of persons (corresponding to which , as applied to things), but are sometimes, less properly and now rarely, used of animals, plants, etc. Who and whom , as compound relatives, are also used especially of persons, meaning the person that; the persons that; the one that; whosoever. "Let who will be President." Macaulay.

[ He] should not tell whose children they were.
Chaucer.

There thou tell'st of kings, and who aspire;
Who fall, who rise, who triumph, who do moan.
Daniel.

Adders who with cloven tongues
Do hiss into madness.
Shak.

Whom I could pity thus forlorn.
Milton.

How hard is our fate, who serve in the state.
Addison.

Who cheapens life, abates the fear of death.
Young.

The brace of large greyhounds, who were the companions of his sports.
Sir W. Scott.

2. One; any; one. [ Obsolete, except in the archaic phrase, as who should say.]

As who should say , it were a very dangerous matter if a man in any point should be found wiser than his forefathers were.
Robynson (More's Utopia).

Whoa interj. Stop; stand; hold. See Ho , 2.

Whobub noun Hubbub. [ Obsolete] Beau. & Fl.

Whoever pron. Whatever person; any person who; be or she who; any one who; as, he shall be punished, whoever he may be. " Whoever envies or repines." Milton. " Whoever the king favors." Shak.

Whole adjective [ Middle English hole , hol , hal , hool , Anglo-Saxon hāl well, sound, healthy; akin to OFries. & Old Saxon h...l , Dutch heel , German heil , Icelandic heill , Swedish hel whole, Danish heel , Goth. hails well, sound, OIr. c...l augury. Confer Hale , Hail to greet, Heal to cure, Health , Holy .]


1. Containing the total amount, number, etc.; comprising all the parts; free from deficiency; all; total; entire; as, the whole earth; the whole solar system; the whole army; the whole nation. "On their whole host I flew unarmed." Milton.

The whole race of mankind.
Shak.

2. Complete; entire; not defective or imperfect; not broken or fractured; unimpaired; uninjured; integral; as, a whole orange; the egg is whole ; the vessel is whole .

My life is yet whole in me.
2 Sam. i. 9.

3. Possessing, or being in a state of, heath and soundness; healthy; sound; well.

[ She] findeth there her friends hole and sound.
Chaucer.

They that be whole need not a physician.
Matt. ix. 12.

When Sir Lancelot's deadly hurt was whole .
Tennyson.

Whole blood . (Law of Descent) See under Blood , noun , 2. -- Whole note (Mus.) , the note which represents a note of longest duration in common use; a semibreve. -- Whole number (Math.) , a number which is not a fraction or mixed number; an integer. -- Whole snipe (Zoology) , the common snipe, as distinguished from the smaller jacksnipe. [ Prov. Eng.]

Syn. -- All; total; complete; entire; integral; undivided; uninjured; unimpaired; unbroken; healthy. -- Whole , Total , Entire , Complete . When we use the word whole , we refer to a thing as made up of parts , none of which are wanting; as, a whole week; a whole year; the whole creation. When we use the word total , we have reference to all as taken together, and forming a single totality ; as, the total amount; the total income. When we speak of a thing as entire , we have no reference to parts at all, but regard the thing as an integer , i. e. , continuous or unbroken; as, an entire year; entire prosperity. When we speak of a thing as complete , there is reference to some progress which results in a filling out to some end or object, or a perfected state with no deficiency; as, complete success; a complete victory.

All the whole army stood agazed on him.
Shak.

One entire and perfect chrysolite.
Shak.

Lest total darkness should by night regain
Her old possession, and extinguish life.
Milton.

So absolute she seems,
And in herself complete .
Milton.

Whole noun
1. The entire thing; the entire assemblage of parts; totality; all of a thing, without defect or exception; a thing complete in itself.

"This not the whole of life to live,
Nor all of death to die.
J. Montgomery.

2. A regular combination of parts; a system.

Parts answering parts shall slide into a whole .
Pope.

Committee of the whole . See under Committee . -- Upon the whole , considering all things; taking everything into account; in view of all the circumstances or conditions.

Syn. -- Totality; total; amount; aggregate; gross.

Whole-hoofed adjective Having an undivided hoof, as the horse.

Whole-length adjective Representing the whole figure; -- said of a picture or statue. -- noun A portrait or statue representing the whole figure.

Whole-souled adjective Thoroughly imbued with a right spirit; noble-minded; devoted.

Wholeness noun The quality or state of being whole, entire, or sound; entireness; totality; completeness.

Wholesale noun Sale of goods by the piece or large quantity, as distinguished from retail .

By wholesale , in the mass; in large quantities; without distinction or discrimination.

Some, from vanity or envy, despise a valuable book, and throw contempt upon it by wholesale .
I. Watts.

Wholesale adjective
1. Pertaining to, or engaged in, trade by the piece or large quantity; selling to retailers or jobbers rather than to consumers; as, a wholesale merchant; the wholesale price.

2. Extensive and indiscriminate; as, wholesale slaughter. "A time for wholesale trust." Mrs. Humphry Ward.

Wholesome adjective [ Compar. Wholesomer ; superl. Wholesomest .] [ Whole + some ; confer Icelandic heilsamr , German heilsam , Dutch heilzaam .]


1. Tending to promote health; favoring health; salubrious; salutary.

Wholesome thirst and appetite.
Milton.

From which the industrious poor derive an agreeable and wholesome variety of food.
A Smith.

2. Contributing to the health of the mind; favorable to morals, religion, or prosperity; conducive to good; salutary; sound; as, wholesome advice; wholesome doctrines; wholesome truths; wholesome laws.

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life.
Prov. xv. 4.

I can not . . . make you a wholesome answer; my wit's diseased.
Shak.

A wholesome suspicion began to be entertained.
Sir W. Scott.

3. Sound; healthy. [ Obsolete] Shak.

-- Whole"some*ly , adverb -- Whole"some*ness , noun

Wholly adverb
1. In a whole or complete manner; entirely; completely; perfectly.

Nor wholly overcome, nor wholly yield.
Dryden.

2. To the exclusion of other things; totally; fully.

They employed themselves wholly in domestic life.
Addison.

Whom pron. [ Middle English wham , Anglo-Saxon dative hwām , hw...m . See Who .] The objective case of who . See Who .

» In Old English, whom was also commonly used as a dative. Confer Him .

And every grass that groweth upon root
She shall eke know, and whom it will do boot.
Chaucer.

Whomsoever pron. The objective of whosoever . See Whosoever .

The Most High ruleth in the kingdow of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
Dan. iv. 17.

Whoobub noun Hubbub. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Whoop noun [ See Hoopoe.] (Zoology) The hoopoe.

Whoop intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Whooped ; present participle & verbal noun Whooping .] [ Middle English houpen . See Hoop , intransitive verb ]


1. To utter a whoop, or loud cry, as eagerness, enthusiasm, or enjoyment; to cry out; to shout; to halloo; to utter a war whoop; to hoot, as an owl.

Each whooping with a merry shout.
Wordsworth.

When naught was heard but now and then the howl
Of some vile cur, or whooping of the owl.
W. Browne.

2. To cough or breathe with a sonorous inspiration, as in whooping cough.

Whoop transitive verb To insult with shouts; to chase with derision.

And suffered me by the voice of slaves to be
Whooped out of Rome.
Shak.

Whoop noun
1. A shout of pursuit or of war; a very of eagerness, enthusiasm, enjoyment, vengeance, terror, or the like; an halloo; a hoot, or cry, as of an owl.

A fox, crossing the road, drew off a considerable detachment, who clapped spurs to their horses, and pursued him with whoops and halloos.
Addison.

The whoop of the crane.
Longfellow.

2. A loud, shrill, prolonged sound or sonorous inspiration, as in whooping cough.

Whooper noun One who, or that which, whooops.

Woopher swan . (Zoology) See the Note under Swan .

Whooping adjective & noun from Whoop , transitive verb

Whooping cough (Medicine) , a violent, convulsive cough, returning at longer or shorter intervals, and consisting of several expirations, followed by a sonorous inspiration, or whoop; chin cough; hooping cough. Dunglison. -- Whooping crane (Zoology) , a North American crane ( Crus Americana ) noted for the loud, whooplike note which it utters. -- Whooping swan (Zoology) , the whooper swan. See the Note under Swan .

Whoot intransitive verb [ See Hoot .] To hoot. [ Obsolete]

Whop transitive verb Same as Whap . Forby.

Whop noun Same as Whap .