weight
rumours. (=I don't regard them as serious or believable) | Don't worry what he thinks, his opinion doesn't *carry much weight*. | His declining health *added weight* to speculation that the king would soon abdicate. 7 pull one's weight to do one's full share of work: *My assistant hasn't been pulling her weight recently.* ➜ see also PAPERWEIGHT, THROW ONE'S WEIGHT ABOUT (THROW)
**weight**² v [T(with)] to put a weight on or add something heavy to: *Fishing nets are weighted.*
**weight** sbdy./sthg. ➜ **down** *phr. v* [T(with) usually pass.] to load heavily; WEIGH DOWN: *weighed down with her heavy bags*
**weight-ed** /'weɪtɪd/ *adj* [F[in favour of, against]] producing conditions favourable/unfavourable to a particular person or group: *These tests are weighted in favour of those people who have read the right books.* | *The voting system is weighted against the smaller parties.*
**weight-ing** /'weɪtɪŋ/ *n* [S;U] *BrE* something additional, especially additional pay given because of the high cost of living in a certain area: *They got a London weighting of £1800 a year on top of their salaries.*
**weight-less** /'weɪtləs/ *adj* having no weight, e.g. when one is flying in space and free from the force of GRAVITY ➜ **ly** *adv* ➜ **ness** *n* [U]
'weight, lifting also 'weight ,training *n* [U] the sport or exercise of lifting specially shaped weights (WEIGHT) ➜**er** *n*
'Weight Watchers *trademark* an international organization that helps people who want to become thinner. Its members go to regular meetings, where they get advice about how to DIET and where they all support each other and praise members who have succeeded in losing weight.
**weight-y** /'weɪti/ *adj* 1 heavy 2 *fml* important and serious: *weighty matters/decisions* ➜**ily** *adv* ➜**iness** *n* [U]
**Weill, Kurt** /vaɪl, kʊt||kːrt/ (1900-50) a German COMPOSER, who is best known for writing the music for *The Threepenny Opera*, for which Bertolt BRECHT wrote the words
**Wei-mar** /'vaɪmaːr/ a city in central Germany, where many important writers, such as GOETHE and SCHILLER, lived in the 18th and 19th centuries
,Weimar Re'public, the the first German REPUBLIC, which was established in 1919 at a meeting in the city of WEIMAR. It faced difficult economic problems, including very high INFLATION, and ended when Hitler took control of the country in 1933.
**weir** /wɪə/ *n* 1 a wall-like structure across a river or stream which controls the flow of water 2 a wooden fence across a stream for catching fish
**Weir, Peter** (1944-) an Australian film DIRECTOR whose films include *Picnic at Hanging Rock, Dead Poets Society*, and *Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World*
**weird** /wɪəd||wɪərd/ *adj* 1 very strange; unnatural, mysterious, and/or frightening; EERIE: *It was a weird old house, full of creaks and groans.* 2 *infml* unusual and not sensible or acceptable; BIZARRE: *She has some weird ideas.* ➜**ly** *adv* ➜**ness** *n* [U]
**weird-o** /'wɪədəʊ||'wɪər-/ also **weird-ie** /'wɪədi||'wɪərdi/ *n infml*, *sometimes derog* a strange person, with unusual clothes, behaviour etc ➜**weirdo** *adj* [A] *a weirdo hair style*
**Weiss-muller, John-ny** /'waɪsmʌlə/ (1904-84) a US swimmer and film actor. He won Olympic GOLD MEDALS for swimming in 1924 and 1928, and is most famous for appearing as the character of TARZAN in many films made in the 1930s and 1940s.
**Wel-by, Mar-cus** /welbi, 'maːkəs||'maːr-/ the main character in the popular 1970s US television programme *Marcus Welby M.D.* People sometimes mention him as the perfect family doctor who cares about his PATIENTS and always tries to help them with their problems.
**welch** /welʃ/ *v* [I(on)] to WELSH
**Welch, Ra-quel** /wɪltʃ, ræ'kel/ (1940-) a US film actress famous for being a SEX SYMBOL (=model or actress who is considered to be extremely sexually attractive). Her films include *One Million Years BC* (1966) and *Myra Breckinridge* (1970).
**Welch's** /'wɪltʃz/ *trademark* a US company that makes fruit juice and JAM, known especially for its GRAPE juice and grape jam
1562
**wel-come**¹ /'welkəm/ *interj* [(to)] (an expression of greeting to a guest or someone who has just arrived or returned): *Welcome to our home!* | *Welcome home/back!* (=when returning from another place) | *Welcome to England!*
**welcome**² v [T] 1 to greet (someone arriving in a new place) especially with friendliness: *a welcoming smile* | *The Queen welcomed the President as he got off the plane.* 2 to be glad to accept; wish to have: *He doesn't welcome intrusions into his privacy.* | *I'd welcome any suggestions.* | *The college welcomes applications from people of all races.*
**welcome**³ *adj* 1 gladly accepted; received with pleasure: *a welcome suggestion* | *All suggestions will be welcome.* | *You are always welcome at our house.* | *He didn't make his guests very welcome.* (=did not receive them in a friendly way) 2 pleasant and likeable; AGREEABLE: *a welcome change* | *a welcome break from the pressures of work* 3 [F] freely allowed (to have or do) something, especially when this is something that no one else wants: [+to] *If he wants that job he's welcome to it.* - *I wouldn't take it for a million pounds!* [+to-v] *You're welcome to try, but you won't succeed.* 4 **You're welcome** especially *AmE* (a polite expression when thanked for something): *'Here's your pen.' 'Thank you!' 'You're welcome.'*
**welcome**⁴ *n* 1 a greeting given to someone when they arrive: *They gave us a warm welcome.* | *(fig.)* *Her suggestion received a rather unenthusiastic welcome.* 2 **outstay/overstay one's welcome** to stay too long as a guest
'welcome ,wagon *n AmE* a person, thing, or activity that welcomes someone to a new place: *The company is rolling out the welcome wagon for the new sales recruits.* | *She's the neighbourhood welcome wagon, she'll be over at the new people's house before they unpack their boxes.*
**weld**¹ /wɛld/ *v* [I,T(ɪto, TOGETHER)] to join (usually metals) or be joined by pressure or melting together when hot: *They welded a steel plate onto the plane's damaged wing.* | *(fig.)* *to weld a strong friendship* ➜ compare FORGE, SOLDER
**weld**² *n* the part joined in welding: *a strong weld*
**weld-er** /'weldə/ *n* a person whose job is to make welded joints
**Wel-don, Fay** /'wɛldən, feɪ/ (1937-) a British writer of NOVELS, whose books include *Praxis* (1978) and *The Life and Loves of a She-Devil* (1983)
**wel-fare** /'welfeə/ *n* [U] 1 health, comfort, and happiness; WELLBEING: *In making this decision, the court's main concern is for the welfare of the children.* 2 help provided for people with social problems, money difficulties etc: *The company's welfare officer deals with employees' personal problems.* **welfare work** (=to improve life for poor people) 3 (in the US) (the system of) government money paid to people in special need: *Most of the families in this neighborhood are on welfare.* ➜ see also FOOD STAMP, SOCIAL SECURITY; compare INCOME SUPPORT, SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT
,welfare 'state *n* [C; the+S] (a country with) a system of social help provided by the state, especially one which gives money to people who are poor or unemployed, provides medical treatment etc
**wel-far-is-m** /'welfeərɪzəm/ *n* [U] *AmE* *derog* a way of life in which one does not work and accepts money from the government in order to live and does not want this situation to change
**Welk, Lawrence** /welk/ (1902-92) a US band leader on a television programme in the 1950s and 1960s. He is known for saying 'a-one-and-a-two-and-a' so that his band knew when to start playing.
**wel-kin** /'welkɪn/ *n* [the+S] *poet* the sky
**we'll** /wɪl; strong wiːl/ *short for* 1 we will 2 we shall
**well**¹ /wɛl/ *adv* **better** /'betə/, **best** /best/ 1 in a good way; satisfactorily, kindly, successfully etc: *She sings very well.* | *He's always done his job extremely well.* | *a well-dressed young man* | *The party went well.* (=was successful) | *They speak very well of her* (=have a high opinion of her) *at school.* | *The business is doing well.* (=succeeding) | *She did well* (=gained a good profit) *out of the sale of her house.* | *She's been doing better at school since the new teacher arrived.* ➜ **opposites BADLY, ILL** 2 thoroughly: *Wash it well before you dry it.* | *I'm well aware of the problems.* | *I know him quite well.* | *They were well beaten.* | *The pyramids are well worth seeing.* | (*BrE slang*) *He was well fed up.* (=extremely