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| WordWeight : Weighing the Words |
Whelm
Pronunciation : Whelm
Part of Speech : v.
Etymology : [OE. whelmen to turn over, akin to OE. whelven, AS. whelfan, hwylfan, in , , to overwhelm, cover over; akin to OS. bihwelbian, D. welven to arch, G. w?lben, OHG. welben, Icel. hvelfa to overturn; cf. Gr.
Definition : 1. To cover with water or other fluid; to cover by immersion in something that envelops on all sides; to overwhelm; to ingulf. She is my prize, or ocean whelm them all! Shak. The whelming billow and the faithless oar. Gay.
2. Fig.: To cover completely, as if with water; to immerse; to overcome; as, to whelm one in sorrows. "The whelming weight of crime." J. H. Newman.
3. To throw (something) over a thing so as to cover it. [Obs.] Mortimer.
t. [imp. & p. p. Whelmed; p. pr. & vb. n. Whelming.]
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
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