willies
1578
wil·lies /'wɪliz/ n give someone the willies infml to make someone frightened and uncomfortable, e.g. by being strange or dark: This place/That person/The way he speaks gives me the willies.
wil·ling /'wɪlɪŋ/ adj 1 [F] regarding favourably the possibility of doing something; ready: If the management is willing, the talks can be held today. | [+to-v] Are you willing to help? 2 apprec acting eagerly and without being forced: a willing helper/volunteer 3 [A] done or given gladly and without being forced: willing help —-ly adv —-ness n [U]
Wil·lis, Bruce /'wɪlɪs/ (1955–) a US actor who appeared in the television programme Moonlighting (1985–89), and now appears especially in ACTION films (=exciting films containing lots of fighting), such as the Die Hard series of films (1988–95). He was married to the actress Demi Moore for a number of years.
,will-o'-the-'wisp n 1 a bluish moving light seen at night over wet ground because of the burning of waste gases from decayed plants 2 something undependable, especially an aim that cannot be reached: chasing the will-o'-the-wisp of perfection
wil·low /'wɪləʊ/ n 1 [C] also 'willow tree a type of tree which grows near water, with long thin branches → see picture at TREE 2 [U] the wood from this tree → see also the crack of leather on willow (LEATHER)
'willow pattern n [U] a set of pictures, usually in blue and white and usually including a willow tree and a river, which represent a Chinese story and are used to decorate plates, cups etc
wil·low·y /'wɪləʊi/ adj (of a woman) pleasantly tall, thin, and graceful; SLENDER
wil·pow·er /'wɪlpaʊə/ n [U] strength of WILL; ability to control one's own actions and desires: She managed to stop smoking by sheer will power.
wil·ly-nil·ly /wɪli 'nɪli/ adv regardless of whether it is wanted or not: The new law will be passed willy-nilly (=whether or not we want it) so we will have to consider how it affects us.
Wil·son, Harold /'wɪlsən/ (1916–95) a British politician in the Labour Party, who was Prime Minister from 1964 to 1970, and 1974 to 1976, when he gave up his position. He then became Lord Wilson. When he first became Prime Minister, he was seen as someone with modern ideas and an informal manner, who understood ordinary people, at a time when many politicians were very UPPER-CLASS and formal. The OPEN UNIVERSITY was established by Harold Wilson.
Wilson, Wood·row /'wʊdrəʊ/ (1856–1924) a US politician in the DEMOCRATIC PARTY who was President of the US from 1913 to 1921. During his time as president, the US became involved in World War I, women were given the right to vote, and PROHIBITION started. He also helped to establish the LEAGUE OF NATIONS.
wilt¹ /wɪlt/ v 1 [I;T] a) (of a plant) to become less fresh, bend, and start to die: The flowers are wilting from lack of water. b) to cause (a plant) to become less fresh, bend, and start to die → compare WITHER 2 [I] (of a person) to become tired and weaker: I'm wilting in this heat.
wilt² v thou wilt old use or bibl (when talking to one person) you will
Wilt·shire /'wɪltʃə/ a COUNTY in southwest England, whose main towns are Trowbridge, Salisbury, and Swindon
wil·y /'waɪli/ adj clever in using tricks, especially in order to get what one wants; CRAFTY: a wily fox/negotiator → see also WILES —-iness n [U]
Wim·ble·don /'wɪmbəldən/ a tennis competition played every year in Wimbledon, south London. It is one of the four most important international tennis events, which together are known as the GRAND SLAM. At Wimbledon, the games are played on grass and the players must wear all white. As well as being a sports event, Wimbledon is also thought of as a typically English social occasion, especially among MIDDLE-CLASS people, and it is traditional to eat strawberries STRAWBERRY) and cream there. It is very difficult to get tickets for the important games, and some people sleep outside the tennis ground to get a chance of buying tickets.
wimp¹ /wɪmp/ n infml derog a weak or useless person, especially a man —wimpy, wimpish adj
wimp² n (a computer featuring) WINDOWS, ICONS, MENUS, and pointers, which make it easier for an unfamiliar user to learn to use a computer: a wimp interface
Wimpey → see GEORGE WIMPEY
wim·ple /'wɪmpəl/ n a covering of cloth over the head and arranged round the neck and face, formerly worn by women in the MIDDLE AGES and now by some NUNS
Wim·py /'wɪmpi/ also 'Wimpy Bar trademark a British type of FAST FOOD restaurant that mainly sells HAMBURGERS.
Wim·sey, Lord Peter /'wɪmzi/ the main character in the books by Dorothy L. SAYERS. He is an English lord who is also a DETECTIVE, and he is very good at solving crimes.
win¹ /wɪn/ v won /wʌn/, present participle winning 1 [I;T] to be the best or first in (a battle, competition, race, etc); defeat one's opponent (in): We won by scoring in the last minute. | I never win at cards/at tennis. | He won the race. | Who do you think will win the election? | I won my bet. | The winning team was given a silver cup. | (fig.) OK you win (=I admit that you are right, you have persuaded me etc) – we'll do it your way. → opposite LOSE 2 [T] to gain or receive as a result of victory or success in any kind of competition: She won third place/a bronze medal. | His horse came first and he won a lot of money. | Do you think he will win the Republican nomination? 3 [T] to gain by effort, ability, quality etc: I can't win his friendship, though I've tried. | Their proposals for redeveloping the area have won the approval of the city council. | a campaign to win the support of the younger voters | [+obj(!!)+obj(d)] By her hard work she won herself a place at university. 4 win hands down to win easily 5 win someone's heart to gain someone's love or strong approval 6 win the day to be successful or gain victory: In the end, the arguments of the environmentalists won the day. 7 You've got to be in it to win it. an expression meaning that you have to enter a competition if you want to have a chance of winning it. This phrase was made popular by a television show in which a DRAW is made to decide who has won the National Lottery. PRESENTERS of the show, such as Dale Winton, use this expression to encourage people to enter the lottery.
USAGE Compare win, beat, and defeat. You can win a game and after the event you can say I've won! You can also win a prize or win a victory. A nation can win a war. When you win a game, you beat the other player or the other team (defeat can be used formally): We beat their team by ten points. When a nation wins a war it defeats its enemies (beat can be used informally): The Americans defeated the British in 1781. → see also GAIN (USAGE)
win sthg./sbdy. ⇔ back phr v [T] to get back (something that has been lost), especially through effort or struggle: How can I win back her love/their support?
win sbdy. over/round phr v [T(to)] to gain the support of, often by persuading: He disagrees at the moment, but I'm sure we can win him round/over to our point of view.
win through/out phr v [I] to succeed, especially after some time or in spite of difficulties
win² n a victory or success (especially in sport): This season we've had three wins and two defeats. | Forecasters are predicting a Labour win at the by-election. | She had a big win in the lottery. (=won a lot of money)
wince /wɪns/ v [I(at)] to move back suddenly, often making a twisted expression with the face, (as if) drawing away from something painful or unpleasant: She winced as she touched the cold body. | He winced at her angry words. → see also JUMP, START —wince n [S]
win·cey·ette /wɪnsi'et/ n [U] BrE a fairly light material with a soft surface, used especially for night clothes
winch¹ /wɪntʃ/ n a machine for pulling up objects by means of a rope or chain that is wound around a turning part
winch² v [T] to pull or lift with a winch: They winched the car out of the ditch.
Win·ches·ter /'wɪntʃɪstə||-tʃɛs-/ an ancient city in southern England, known especially for its CATHEDRAL and for its PUBLIC SCHOOL (=an expensive private school), Winchester