World to Worse
World
(World) n. [OE. world, werld, weorld, weoreld, AS. weorold, worold; akin to OS. werold, D.
wereld, OHG. weralt, worolt, werolt, werlt, G. welt, Icel. veröld, Sw. verld, Dan. verden; properly,
the age of man, lifetime, humanity; AS. wer a man + a word akin to E. old; cf. AS. yld lifetime, age,
ylde men, humanity. Cf. Werewolf, Old.]
1. The earth and the surrounding heavens; the creation; the system of created things; existent creation; the
universe.
The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen.
Rom. 1. 20.
With desire to know,
What nearer might concern him, how this world
Of heaven and earth conspicuous
first began.
Milton. 2. Any planet or heavenly body, especially when considered as inhabited, and as the scene of interests
analogous with human interests; as, a plurality of worlds. "Lord of the worlds above." I. Watts.
Amongst innumerable stars, that shone
Star distant, but high-hand seemed other worlds.
Milton.
There may be other worlds, where the inhabitants have never violated their allegiance to their almighty
Sovereign.
W. B. Sprague. 3. The earth and its inhabitants, with their concerns; the sum of human affairs and interests.
That forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe.
Milton. 4. In a more restricted sense, that part of the earth and its concerns which is known to any one, or
contemplated by any one; a division of the globe, or of its inhabitants; human affairs as seen from a certain
position, or from a given point of view; also, state of existence; scene of life and action; as, the Old World; the
New World; the religious world; the Catholic world; the upper world; the future world; the heathen world.
One of the greatest in the Christian world
Shall be my surety.
Shak.
Murmuring that now they must be put to make war beyond the world's end — for so they counted Britain.
Milton. 5. The customs, practices, and interests of men; general affairs of life; human society; public affairs and
occupations; as, a knowledge of the world.
Happy is she that from the world retires.
Waller.
If knowledge of the world makes man perfidious,
May Juba ever live in ignorance.
Addison. 6. Individual experience of, or concern with, life; course of life; sum of the affairs which affect the individual; as,
to begin the world with no property; to lose all, and begin the world anew.
7. The inhabitants of the earth; the human race; people in general; the public; mankind.
Since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can say against it.
Shak.
Tell me, wench, how will the world repute me
For undertaking so unstaid a journey?
Shak. 8. The earth and its affairs as distinguished from heaven; concerns of this life as distinguished from those
of the life to come; the present existence and its interests; hence, secular affairs; engrossment or absorption
