William Shakespeare Dictionary
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| WAFT
to wave, beckon To turn, float
WAFTAGE
passage
WAFTURE
waving, beckoning
WAGE
to reward as with wages
WAILFUL
lamentable
WAIST
the middle of a ship
WANNION
'with a vengeance.'
WAPPENED
withered, overworn
WARD
Prison guard
WARDEN
a large pear used for baking
WARDER
truncheon
WARN
to summon
WASSAIL
a drinking bout, Festivity
WAT
a familiar word for a hare
WATCH
a watch light
WATCH
to tame by keeping constantly awake
WATER-GALL
a secondary rainbow
WATER-RUG
a kind of dog
WATER-WORK
painting in distemper
WAX
to grow
WAXEN
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, to think
WEED
garment
WEET
to wit, know
WEIGH OUT
to outweigh
WELKIN
the sky
WELL-LIKING
in good condition
WEND
to go
WESAND
the wind-pipe
WHELKED
marked with whelks or protuberances
WHEN
an exclamation of impatience
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
WHITING-TIME
bleaching time | WHITSTER
bleacher
WHITTLE
a clasp knife
WHOO-BUB
hubbub
WHOOP
to cry out with astonishment
WICKED
noisome, baneful
WIDOW
to give a jointure to
WIDOWHOOD
widow's jointure
WIGHT
person
WILD
weald
WILDERNESS
wildness
WIMPLED
veiled, hooded
WINDOW-BARS
lattice-work across a woman's stomacher
WINDRING
winding
WINTER-GROUND
to protect (a plant) from frost
WISH
to commend
WISTLY
wistfully
WIT
knowledge, wisdom
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
WOODMAN
a forester, huntsman
WOOLWARD
shirtless
WORLD
'To go to the world' is to get married So 'a woman of the world' is a married woman
WORM
a serpent
WORSER
worse
WORSHIP
to honour
WORTH
wealth, fortune
WORTS
cabbages
WOT
to know
WOUND
twisted about
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 |
Interpreting Elizabethan / Shakespearean Manuscripts and Original Documents
Vital, but little known, information about the Elizabethan alphabet is essential when looking at copies of original manuscripts of the period - examples of which can be found in Shakespeare's ' First Folio '. An understanding of the Tudor / Elizabethan alphabet will no doubt clarify many questions that the differences of the Tudor / Elizabethan alphabet have raised such as "Couldn't Elizabethans spell properly?" and "Why is there so much confusion with the letters 'u' and 'v' and 'i' and 'j' ?" Comprehensive information regarding the Elizabethan alphabet can be accessed via the following link and will prove a useful addition to the details provided in the Shakespearean Dictionary. William Shakespeare Education - the Elizabethan Alphabet - Differences only 24 letters - Deciphering manuscripts of the era William Shakespeare - Language, Vocabulary and Dictionary |
