wench² v [1] old use to have sex with many women, such as PROSTITUTES
wend /wend/ v wend one's way especially fit to move or travel over a distance, especially slowly: (fig.) The new law is currently wending its way through Parliament.
Wendy /'wendi/ one of the children visited by PETER PAN in the children's story Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. The name Wendy was invented by Barrie.
wendy house BrE  $ \parallel $ play house AmE — n a small house for children to play in, often made of cloth and about 1–2 metres high
Wen·dy's /'wendiz/ trademark a type of FAST FOOD restaurant which is known for serving HAMBURGERS. Many towns in the US and some large towns in the UK have a Wendy's.
Wenger, Arsene /'venər, ər'senlɑːr-/ (1948-) a French football manager who went to Arsenal in 1996 after successfully managing clubs in France and Japan. He helped Arsenal to win many competitions including the Premiership in 1998 and 2002, and the FA Cup also in 2002. He is known for bringing many good French players such as Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira to Arsenal, and for his modern scientific style of managing teams, for example by making sure that they eat the right kinds of food so that they can perform well.
Wen Jia·bao /,wen dzā: 'bau/ (1942-) a Chinese politician who became Prime Minister of China in 2003
Wen·ner, Jann /'wenər, jænˈjɑːn/ (1946-) the PUBLISHER and EDITOR of Rolling Stone magazine, which he began in 1967 with Ralph Gleason
Wens·ley·dale /'wenzlideɪl/ n [U] a white cheese that does not have a very strong taste, originally from Yorkshire
went/went/past tense of GO
We Plough the Fields and 'Scatter a HYMN (=a song of praise to God) sung in the UK at HARVEST FESTIVALS:
We plough the fields and scatter
The good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered
By God's almighty hand...
wept /wept/ past tense & participle of WEEP
we're /wɪər; strong wir/ short for we are
were /wɜːr; strong wɜːr/ negative short form weren't /wɜːrnt/
were·wolf /'weəwulf, 'wɪə-l/ 'weər-, 'wɪər-/ n pl. -wolves /wʊlvz/ (in stories) a person who sometimes turns into a WOLF, especially when there is a full moon
wert /wɜːrt/ thou wert old use or bibl (when talking to one person) you were
We Shall Over'come a PROTEST SONG written in 1960 by Pete Seeger to an old traditional tune, which was especially popular during the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT in the US, when it was often sung by large crowds at meetings and on protest marches. It is still sung by groups of people who are fighting against unfair laws or unfair governments.
Wesley, John /'wezli, 'wes-/ (1703–91) an English religious leader who started a new type of Christianity called METHODISM. He travelled around the country speaking to large numbers of people, and held his meetings outside rather than in churches. He is also known for his work to help poor people.
Wes·ley·an /'wezliən, 'wes-/ n a member of the Christian group established by John WESLEY; a METHODIST — Wesleyan adj: a Wesleyan chapel
Wes·sex /'wesɪks/ an ancient ANGLO-SAXON KINGDOM in the south and southwest of England, which continued until England became united in the 9th century. The writer Thomas Hardy used the name Wessex in his novels to mean the southwestern counties (COUNTY) of England, especially Dorset.
Wessex, So·phie /'səufi/ (1965-) the wife of Prince Edward. Her official title is the Countess of Wessex.
west¹ /west/ written abbrev. W n (often cap.) 1 [the+S;U] the direction towards which the sun sets; the direction which is on the left of a person facing north: I'm lost – which direction is West? | A strange light appeared in the west. | Heathrow Airport is a few kilometres to the west of London. 2 [the+S] the western part of a country: The rain will spread to the West later. → see NORTH (USAGE)
west² adj [A] 1 (sometimes cap.) in the west or facing the west: You enter the church through the west door. | They live in West Germany/West Beirut. 2 (of a wind) coming from the west: a gentle west wind
west³ adv (often cap.) 1 towards the west: The room faces west, so we get the evening sun. | The plane flew west. | Brest is (a long way) west of Paris. 2 go west BrE humor a) to die b) to be damaged or ruined 3 Go west young man a phrase used when advising someone to go somewhere new to start a new and better life (originally in the American West)
West, Fred /fred/ (1941–95) a British man who was charged with sexually attacking and murdering several young women, including his own daughter, and then burying them under his home. He killed himself before his court case, but his wife, Rosemary WEST, was put in prison for helping him.
West, Mae /meɪ/ (1892-1980) a US film actress, famous for being sexually attractive, whose films include She Done Him Wrong (1933) and I'm No Angel (1933). She is known especially for making clever, amusing remarks which are really about sex but which seem to have more than one meaning. She is supposed to have said 'Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?' She is remembered especially for saying 'Come up and see me sometime', although the words she actually used were 'Why don't you come up sometime and see me?' → see also MAE WEST
West, Na·than·ael /nəˈθænjəl/ (1903–40) an American writer and SCREENWRITER (=someone who writes plays for film) whose NOVELS include The Dream Life of Balso Snell, Miss Lonelyhearts, and The Day of the Locust
West, Rosemary (1953-) a British woman who was charged with helping her husband, Fred WEST, murder several women. She was put in prison in 1996.
West, the 1 the western part of the world, especially western Europe and North America, formerly used especially when talking about the political relationship between these countries and the Communist countries led by the former SOVIET UNION: His parents had left East Germany in 1982 and escaped to the West. | an improvement in East-West relations 2 the American West the western part of the US, including the states of Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and parts of Texas. States east of these are called the MIDWEST. When people think of the West, they often think of the WILD WEST, and COWBOYS and NATIVE AMERICANS. → compare PACIFIC NORTHWEST, WEST COAST
West, Tim•o•thy /'timəθi/ (1934-) a British film, television, and theatre actor, known especially for acting in serious plays.
'West Bank, the land west of the River Jordan and the Dead Sea between Israel and Jordan. In 1967, during the Arab-Israeli War, the Israelis took control of the West Bank, but Palestinian Arabs still consider it to be their land. Following the Oslo agreement of 1993, Israel began to remove its army from the West Bank and parts of the area became controlled by Palestinians. → see also PALESTINIAN NATIONAL AUTHORITY
west-bound /'westbaund/ adj travelling or leading towards the west: westbound traffic | the westbound motorway
'West Coast, the states on the west coast of the US, especially California, but also Oregon and Washington State → compare EAST COAST, PACIFIC NORTHWEST, WEST, WILD WEST
CULTURAL NOTE There are a lot of beaches, forests, and cliffs on the West Coast, and many people who live there are involved in outdoor sports, especially in California where the weather is often warm and sunny. The STEREOTYPE of people from the West Coast is that they do not accept traditional ideas and beliefs, because they prefer to develop their own opinions about religion, morals, and social behaviour. They also tend to wear comfortable, informal clothes such as SHORTS and T-SHIRTS. Another stereotype is that many people on the West Coast are concerned about nature and protecting