Search the Dictionary

Entitled to worship, reverence, or high respect; claiming respect; worthy of honor; -- often used as a term of respect, sometimes ironically. "This is worshipful society." Shak. [She is] so dear and worshipful. Chaucer. -- Wor"ship*ful*ly, adv. -- Wor"ship*ful*ness, n.

ad, evil, or pernicious, in the highest degree, whether in a physical or moral sense. See Worse. "Heard so oft in worst extremes." Milton. I have a wife, the worst that may be. Chaucer. If thou hadst not been born the worst of men, Thou hadst been a knave and flatterer. Shak.

Well-twisted yarn spun of long-staple wool which has been combed to lay the fibers parallel, used for carpets, cloth, hosiery, gloves, and the like.

A plant of any kind.

To be; to become; to betide; -- now used only in the phrases, woe worth the day, woe worth the man, etc., in which the verb is in the imperative, and the nouns day, man, etc., are in the dative. Woe be to the day, woe be to the man, etc., are equivalent phrases. I counsel . . . to let the cat worthe. Piers Plowman. He…

Full of worth; worthy; deserving. Marston.

In a worthy manner; excellently; deservedly; according to merit; justly; suitably; becomingly. You worthily succeed not only to the honors of your ancestors, but also to their virtues. Dryden. Some may very worthily deserve to be hated. South.

The quality or state of being worthy; desert; merit; excellence; dignity; virtue; worth. Who is sure he hath a soul, unless It see, and judge, and follow worthiness Donne. She is not worthy to be loved that hath not some feeling of her own worthiness. Sir P. Sidney. The prayers which our Savior made were for his own wo…

Destitute of worth; having no value, virtue, excellence, dignity, or the like; undeserving; valueless; useless; vile; mean; as, a worthless garment; a worthless ship; a worthless man or woman; a worthless magistrate. 'T is a worthless world to win or lose. Byron. -- Worth"less*ly, adv. -- Worth"less*ness, n.…

Worth the time or effort spent. See worth while. worthy. -- worthwhileness.

Having worth or excellence; possessing merit; valuable; deserving; estimable; excellent; virtuous. Full worthy was he in his lordes war. Chaucer. These banished men that I have kept withal Are men endued with worthy qualities. Shak. Happier thou mayst be, worthier canst not be. Milton. This worthy mind should worthy th…

2d pers. sing. pres. of Wit, to know. [Obs.] Spenser.

1st & 3d pers. sing. pres. of Wit, to know. See the Note under Wit, v. [Obs.] Brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it. Acts iii. 17.

2d pers. sing. pres. of Wit, to know. [Obs.]

3d pers. sing. pres. of Wit, to know. [Obs.] "He wotteth neither what he babbleth, nor what he meaneth." Tyndale.

The agile, or silvery, gibbon; -- called also camper. See Gibbon. [Written also wow-wow.]

To howl. [Obs.] Wyclif.

Commonly used as an auxiliary verb, either in the past tense or in the conditional or optative present. See 2d & 3d Will.

' (as, a would-be poet.

Emotion of desire; inclination; velleity. [Obs.] Hammond.