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Will I, nill I , or Will ye, hill ye, or Will he, nill he, whether I, you, or he will it or not; hence, without
choice; compulsorily; — sometimes corrupted into willy nilly. "If I must take service willy nilly." J. H.
Newman. "Land for all who would till it, and reading and writing will ye, nill ye." Lowell.
Will
(Will), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Willed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Willing. Indic. present I will, thou willeth, he
wills; we, ye, they will.] [Cf. AS. willian. See Will, n.]
1. To form a distinct volition of; to determine by an act of choice; to ordain; to decree. "What she will to
do or say." Milton.
By all law and reason, that which the Parliament will not, is no more established in this kingdom. Milton.
Two things he [God] willeth, that we should be good, and that we should be happy. Barrow. 2. To enjoin or command, as that which is determined by an act of volition; to direct; to order. [Obs. or
R.]
They willed me say so, madam. Shak.
Send for music,
And will the cooks to use their best of cunning
To please the palate. Beau. & Fl.
As you go, will the lord mayor . . .
To attend our further pleasure presently. J. Webster. 3. To give or direct the disposal of by testament; to bequeath; to devise; as, to will one's estate to a child; also,
to order or direct by testament; as, he willed that his nephew should have his watch.
Will
(Will), v. i. To exercise an act of volition; to choose; to decide; to determine; to decree.
At Winchester he lies, so himself willed. Robert of Brunne.
He that shall turn his thoughts inward upon what passes in his own mind when he wills. Locke.
I contend for liberty as it signifies a power in man to do as he wills or pleases. Collins. Willemite
(Wil"lem*ite) n. [From Willem I., king of the Netherlands.] (Min.) A silicate of zinc, usually
occurring massive and of a greenish yellow color, also in reddish crystals (troostite) containing manganese.
Willer
(Will"er) n. One who wills.
Willet
(Wil"let) n. (Zoöl.) A large North American snipe (Symphemia semipalmata); — called also pill-
willet, will-willet, semipalmated tattler, or snipe, duck snipe, and stone curlew.
Carolina willet, the Hudsonian godwit.
Willful
(Will"ful) a. [Will + full.] [Written also wilful.]
1. Of set purpose; self-determined; voluntary; as, willful murder. Foxe.
In willful poverty chose to lead his life. Chaucer.
Thou to me
Art all things under heaven, all places thou,
Who, for my willful crime, art banished hence. Milton. 2. Governed by the will without yielding to reason; obstinate; perverse; inflexible; stubborn; refractory; as, a
willful man or horse.
— Will"ful*ly, adv. — Will"ful*ness, n.
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