weel2 (wel)

[Also weal; cf. willy, a willow basket, Fishing is a kind of hunting by water, be it with nets, weeles , baits, angling. Burton , Anat. of Mel., p. 310. Diog. Laert. tells us that it was a saying of So crates that young batchelers desirous of marriage were like to fishes who play about the weele , and gladly would get in, when on the contrary they that are within strive how they should get out. Heywood , Anna and Phillis (Works, ed. [Pearson, 1874, VI. 310). In our river Ishnia eel-pouts were caught as well as crucians and crawfish; the last tumbled of themselves in the weels set for them, or into ordinary baskets. Harper's Mag., LXXVIII. 379. 2. In her., a bearing representing a kind of eelpot or fish-pot, composed of strips or slats with open spaces between. Sometimes the number of these slats is mentioned in the blazon. weels (wel), adv. and a. A Scotch form of well2. weem (wēm), n. [Cf. Gael, uamha, a cave.] An earth-house; an artificial cave or subterranean building. [Scotch.] See Tetra IMG:content-2202.png:[blocks in formation] 2. To shed or let fall drop by drop, as tears; give out in drops. Sithen thou hast wepen [var. wopen ] many a drope. Chaucer, Troilus, i. 941. Sir Gawein that ther-of hadde grete pite hit toke with gladde chere and myri, and wepte right tendirly water with his iyen vndir his helme. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 477. Weep your tears Into the channel. Shak ., J. C., i. 1. 63. Groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm. Milton , P. L., iv. 248. 3. To spend or consume in weeping; exhaust in tears: usually followed by away , out , or the like. Weep my life away . Tennyson, Merlin and Vivien. I could weep My spirit from mine eyes. Shak . , J. C., iv. 3. 99. To weep mills to nest. See millstone . weepl (wēp), n. [ wepe , wep , a later form, after the verb, of wop , wõp , clamor, cry: see weep1 , v.] 1. Weeping; a fit of weeping. She began to breste a wepe anon. Chaucer, Troilus, ii. 408. Wid reweli lote, and sorwe, and wep . Genesis and Exodus (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2328. weepl (wēp), v.; pret. and pp. wept , ppr. weep- ing. [ wepen , weopen (pret. weep , wep, weop, wiep, wip , pl. wepen , wepe , wopen , later wepte), weep, wail, shed tears, wepan (pret. weóp ), cry aloud, wail, = OS. wõpian , cry aloud, OFries. wēpa = OHG. wuofan , wuofjan (pret. wiof ), MHG. wuofen , wüefen = Icel. æpa (pret. apt a ), cry, shout, = Goth. wõpjan (pret. wõpida ), cry out, weep; from a noun, AS. wop , clamor, outery, = OS. wõp = OHG. wuof, wuaf, able ; weep1 + -able .] Exciting or moving to outery, lament, = Icel. op, a shout; cf. Ru . ropite, sob, wail, lament. Not connected with E. whoop, which is prop. hoop.] I. in trans. 1. To expre sorrow, grief, or anguish by outery; wail; lament; in more modern usage, to shed tears. Thei of the Contree seyn that Adam and Eve wepten upon that Mount an 100 Zeer, whan the i weren dryven out of Paradys. Mandeville , Travels, p. 199. In al this world ther nis so cruwel herte.. That nolde have wopen for hire peynes smerte; So tenderly she wepte both eve and mor we.