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Ward to Water Ward (Artemus). (See Artemus Ward .) Ward Money, Ward-penny or Wardage. Money paid for watch and ward. (Domesday.) Warden-pie Pie made of the Warden pear. Warden pears are so called from Warden Abbey, Berks,
where they are grown in great profusion. Myself with denial I mortifyWare (See Bed .) Warlock A wandering evil spirit; a wizard. (Anglo-Saxon, woer-loga, a deceiver, one who breaks his word. Satan is called in Scripture the father of lies, the arch-warlock.) Warm Reception (A). A hot opposition. Also, a hearty welcome. The Home Rule members are prepared to give the Coercion Bill a warm reception; Mr. Parnell's followers will oppose it tooth and nail.- Newspaper paragraph, May 19th, 1885.Warm as a Bat Hot as burning coal. In South Staffordshire that slaty coal which will not burn, but which lies in the fire till it becomes red-hot, is called bat. Warming-pan (A). One who keeps a place warm for another, i.e. holds it temporarily for another. The
allusion is to the custom in public schools of making a fag warm his superior's bed by lying in it till the
proper occupant was ready to turn him out. If Mr. Mellor took a judgeship, Grantham might object to become a warming-pan for ambitious lawyers.- Newspaper paragraph, March 5th, 1886.Warming-pan (See Jacobites .) Warning Stone Anything that gives notice of danger. Bakers in Wiltshire and some other counties used to put a certain pebble in their ovens, and when the stone turned white it gave the baker warning that the oven was hot enough for his bankings. Warp (To). A sea term, meaning to shift the position of a vessel. This is done by means of a rope called
a warp. Kedging is when the warp is bent to a kedge, which is let go, and the vessel is hove ahead by
the capstan. The potent rodIn Lancashire, warping means laying eggs; and boys, on finding a bird's nest, will ask- And how many eggs has she warped? Warp and Weft or Woof. The warp of a fabric are the longitudinal threads; the weft or woof are
threads which run from selvage to selvage. W cave the warp and weave the woof,Warrior Queen (The). Boadicea, Queen of the Iceni. When the British warrior queen,The Iceni were the faithful allies of Rome; but, on the death of Prasutagus, king of that tribe, the Roman procurator took possession of the kingdom of Prasutagus; and when the widow Boadicea complained thereof, the procurator had her beaten with rods like a slave. Warwick (Anglo-Saxon, war-wic, contracted from waering-wic (the fortified or garrisoned town). A translation of the ancient British name Caer Leon. |
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