13017 words found
WH Auden refers to the name of the renowned poet W. H. Auden, commonly spoken as a proper noun. In expert pronunciation practice, it’s treated as two connected elements: the initials “WH” pronounced together and the surname “Auden.” The standard English pronunciation emphasizes the initials as /ˈdʌb.əl.juː eɪtʃ/ and the surname as /ˈɔːdən/ in many varieties, yielding a two-part name with primary stress on the first name element and secondary stress on the surname when said aloud in full.
WHO (noun) refers to the World Health Organization, the international body responsible for coordinating global health policy, disease prevention, and health standards. In common usage, it can also function as a pronoun in questions (who) or as an acronym in titles and reports. This entry focuses on the organization’s name as it’s widely recognized and pronounced in context, including its formal and informal usages.
WWE Network is a branded online streaming service for wrestling content, combining the WWE acronym with the generic term “Network.” In practice, speakers say the letters W-W-E in sequence, followed by “Network.” The phrase is used in media, interviews, and casual discussion about wrestling programming and online access. It is a proper noun used as a compound title.
Waddle is a noun for a short, clumsy walk characterized by a side-to-side bobbing or swaying motion, often adopted due to obesity, injury, or limited mobility. It can also refer to the awkward, waddling gait seen in animals like ducks. The term carries a light, humorous nuance and contrasts with a steady, even stride.
Wade (noun) refers to the act of walking through shallow water or across a body of water, typically to reach the other side or to search for something. It can also denote a border crossing or a shallow, sandy area, and is used to describe movement that is not fully swimming. The term often implies careful, deliberate steps rather than full immersion.
Wading (noun) refers to the act of walking through shallow water, typically with careful, measured steps. It describes a movement often used to cross a stream or shoreline while keeping feet dry as possible. The term emphasizes the action and condition of being in water at ankle to knee level, usually in outdoor or rustic settings.
Wadjet is an ancient Egyptian symbol commonly depicted as a cobra or uraeus, representing protection and sovereignty. As a noun, it refers to the protective goddess depicted as a cobra. In scholarly and museum contexts, Wadjet appears in hieroglyphic inscriptions and discussions of Egyptian deities and iconography.
Wafer is a thin, crisp, sweet or savory sheet made from flour and sugar, often used for cookies, biscuits, or decorative dessert elements. In baking, wafers are typically rolled or layered, and in electronics the term refers to a thin slice of semiconductor material. The word emphasizes lightness and fragility in its core sense.
Waffle is a noun meaning a crisp, grid-patterned pancake cooked on a hot plate or waffle iron. It can also refer to rambling or indecisive talk in some informal contexts. The term emphasizes the characteristic crispy exterior and soft interior, often eaten for breakfast or dessert, and in slang can imply filler talk rather than direct, concise speech.
Waffles is a plural noun referring to a grid-patterned, toasted batter cake commonly eaten for breakfast, often with toppings. It also refers to a type of light, fluffy, patterned pastry in some contexts. The term is used both literally for the food and informally in phrases like “waffles on decisions.”
Wafted is the past tense of waft, meaning to pass gently through the air, carried or conveyed by a light breeze or movement. It conveys a sense of a soft, drifting scent, sound, or motion. The term often implies a gentle, unobtrusive movement rather than a forceful arc, typical of light air currents.
Wafting is the action of gently moving air or scents through the air, often creating a light, drifting scent or breeze. It implies a soft, slow motion of air that carries a fragrance or odor. The term can describe both literal air movement and the metaphorical sense of a scent or influence spreading subtly.
Wafts is a verb meaning to float, glide, or be carried gently through the air or by wind, often referring to a smell, scent, or scent-like cue. It conveys motion that is light and drifting, not forceful. In context, one might say a fragrance wafts from the bakery or smoke wafts over the hillside, suggesting a subtle, pervasive presence.
Wag is a short, one-syllable noun meaning a quick, tilting motion, often of the tail or a similarly playful gesture. In casual speech it can describe a playful, suggestive motion (as in a wag of the finger), and it also appears in contexts like 'wag the tail' or 'a wag at a joke.' The word conveys lightness or mischief rather than seriousness.
Wagers is a plural noun referring to bets or bets placed on uncertain outcomes. It also captures the act of wagering itself when people place bets. In everyday usage, it often appears in discussions of risk, gambling, or decisions that feel like bets. The term emphasizes the element of risk and potential reward involved in a choice or proposition.
Wages is a plural noun meaning the compensation or remuneration paid to an employee for work performed, typically on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis. It can also refer to the amount earned in a particular period and, in broader usage, to wage-related expenses or the act of paying wages. The term appears in contexts from payroll to discussions of labor economics.
Wagga Wagga is the name of a city in New South Wales, Australia, often used in everyday speech as a repetition in the name itself. It functions as a proper noun and place-name, with its own cultural familiarity. The term is frequently encountered in travel, news, and local discourse, and is often shortened in casual contexts.</definition
Wagged is the past tense of wag, meaning to move (an animal’s) tail side to side or to cause something to move or oscillate in a similar manner. In practical use, it often describes a quick, repetitive tail motion or figurative actions that signal excitement, sarcasm, or insistence. The form implies completed action and is most common in narrative past tense contexts.
Wagging is the act or state of moving something back and forth, especially the tail of an animal or the hand or finger in a quick, repeated motion. As a noun, it refers to the movement itself or a gesture that signals playfulness, eagerness, or deception. The term emphasizes rhythmic, pendular motion and is often linked to showy, observable action.
Wagner is a proper noun most commonly referring to the German composer Richard Wagner, or to related persons or brands bearing the surname. It denotes a surname of German origin and is used as a family name or an attribution to works or entities associated with the composer. In casual use, it can also signal references to his music, operas, or scholarly discussion about his influence on classical music.
Wagon-Lit is a French-origin travel term meaning a luxury sleeping car on a train, used in the name of prestigious services. As a noun, it denotes a passenger car offering long-distance, overnight accommodations, often historically associated with high-end trains. The term is typically found in historical or rail-enthusiast contexts and pronounced as a single compound with stress on the first syllable.
Wagyu is a noun referring to a specific Japanese breed of cattle known for its highly marbled meat and premium quality. In culinary contexts, it denotes meat derived from these cattle, celebrated for tenderness and rich, buttery flavor. The term combines two kanji roots meaning 'Japanese' and 'cow' or 'cow' descent, and is used in both traditional and modern dining discourse.
