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weigh

verb

  1. measure mass or force
  2. consider
  3. press heavily upon
L5877 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /weɪ/

name

  1. A surname.

noun

Etymology: From Middle English weyen, from Old English wegan, from Proto-West Germanic *wegan, from Proto-Germanic *weganą (“to move, carry, weigh”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéǵʰeti, from *weǵʰ- (“to bring, transport”). Cognates Cognate with Scots wey, wee, Dutch wegen, German wiegen, wägen, Danish veje, Norwegian Bokmål veie, Norwegian Nynorsk vega. Doublet of wedge, wagon, way, and vector.

  1. The act of weighing, of measuring the weight

    Give the sugar a quick weigh.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English weyen, from Old English wegan, from Proto-West Germanic *wegan, from Proto-Germanic *weganą (“to move, carry, weigh”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéǵʰeti, from *weǵʰ- (“to bring, transport”). Cognates Cognate with Scots wey, wee, Dutch wegen, German wiegen, wägen, Danish veje, Norwegian Bokmål veie, Norwegian Nynorsk vega. Doublet of wedge, wagon, way, and vector.

  1. To determine the weight of an object.
  2. Often with "out", to measure a certain amount of something by its weight, e.g. for sale.

    He weighed out two kilos of oranges for a client.

  3. To determine the intrinsic value or merit of an object, to evaluate.

    You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.

    He took a long time weighing his options.

  4. To judge; to estimate.

    But ſhe thereof grew proud and inſolent, / That none ſhe worthie thought to be her fere, / But ſcornd them all, that loue vnto her ment; / Yet was ſhe lou’d of many a worthy pere, / Vnworthy ſhe to be belou’d ſo dere, / That could not weigh of worthineſſe aright.

  5. To consider a subject.
  6. To have a certain weight.

    I weigh ten and a half stone.

    Each half-section of the battery weighs about eight tons, and the two underframes had to be strengthened to take this weight.

  7. To have weight; to be heavy; to press down.

    If they ſhall faile, I with mine Enemies Will triumph o're my perſon, which I waigh not, Being of thoſe Vertues vacant.

    They only weigh the heavier.

  8. To be considered as important; to have weight in the intellectual balance.

    Your vowes to her, and me,[…] / Will euen weigh, and both as light as tales.

    I anſwer, this is a good Objection, and ought to weigh with thoſe whoſe Reading is deſign’d for much Talk and little Knowledge, and I have nothing to ſay to it.

  9. To raise an anchor free of the seabed.
  10. To weigh anchor.

    Towards the euening we wayed, & approaching the ſhoare [...], we landed where there lay a many of baskets and much bloud, but ſaw not a Salvage.

    Here we used to remain until nearly time for slack-water again, when we weighed and made for home.

  11. To bear up; to raise; to lift into the air; to swing up.

    Weigh the vessel up.

  12. To consider as worthy of notice; to regard.

    Thinke you I weigh this treaſure more than you? Not all the Gold in Indias welthy armes, Shall buy the meaneſt ſouldier in my traine.

    Them all, and all that ſhe ſo deare did way,[…]