Adjacent Words

Welter definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WELTER, v.t. [G., L.] To roll, as the body of an animal; but usually, to roll or wallow in some foul matter; as, to welter in blood or in filth.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a confused multitude of things [syn: clutter, jumble, muddle, fuddle, mare's nest, welter, smother] v
1: toss, roll, or rise and fall in an uncontrolled way; "The shipwrecked survivors weltered in the sea for hours"
2: roll around, "pigs were wallowing in the mud" [syn: wallow, welter]
3: be immersed in; "welter in work"

Merriam Webster's

I. intransitive verb (weltered; weltering) Etymology: Middle English; akin to Middle Dutch welteren to roll, Old High German walzan, Lithuanian volioti, Latin volvere — more at voluble Date: 14th century 1. a. writhe, toss; also wallow b. to rise and fall or toss about in or with waves 2. to become deeply sunk, soaked, or involved 3. to be in turmoil II. noun Date: 1596 1. a state of wild disorder ; turmoil 2. a chaotic mass or jumble <a bewildering welter of data> III. noun Date: 1900 welterweight

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v. & n. --v.intr. 1 roll, wallow; be washed about. 2 (foll. by in) lie prostrate or be soaked or steeped in blood etc. --n. 1 a state of general confusion. 2 (foll. by of) a disorderly mixture or contrast of beliefs, policies, etc. Etymology: ME f. MDu., MLG welteren 2. n. 1 a heavy rider or boxer. 2 colloq. a heavy blow. 3 colloq. a big person or thing. Etymology: 19th c.: orig. unkn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Welter Wel"ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Weltered; p. pr. & vb. n. Weltering.] [Freq. of OE. walten to roll over, AS. wealtan; akin to LG. weltern, G. walzen to roll, to waltz, sich w["a]lzen to welter, OHG. walzan to roll, Icel. velta, Dan. v[ae]lte, Sw. v["a]ltra, v["a]lta; cf. Goth. waltjan; probably akin to E. wallow, well, v. i. ????. See Well, v. i., and cf. Waltz.] 1. To roll, as the body of an animal; to tumble about, especially in anything foul or defiling; to wallow. When we welter in pleasures and idleness, then we eat and drink with drunkards. --Latimer. These wizards welter in wealth's waves. --Spenser. He must not float upon his watery bier Unwept, and welter to the parching wind, Without the meed of some melodious tear. --Milton. The priests at the altar . . . weltering in their blood. --Landor. 2. To rise and fall, as waves; to tumble over, as billows. ``The weltering waves.'' --Milton. Waves that, hardly weltering, die away. --Wordsworth. Through this blindly weltering sea. --Trench.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Welter Wel"ter, n. 1. That in which any person or thing welters, or wallows; filth; mire; slough. The foul welter of our so-called religious or other controversies. --Carlyle. 2. A rising or falling, as of waves; as, the welter of the billows; the welter of a tempest.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Welter Wel"ter, v. t. [Cf. Wilt, v. i.] To wither; to wilt. [R.] Weltered hearts and blighted . . . memories. --I. Taylor.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Welter Wel"ter, a. (Horse Racing) Of, pertaining to, or designating, the most heavily weighted race in a meeting; as, a welter race; the welter stakes.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

A welter of something is a large quantity of it which occurs suddenly or in a confusing way. (WRITTEN) ...patients with a welter of confusing symptoms. ...the welter of publicity that followed his engagement. QUANT: QUANT of pl-n/n-uncount

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. n. 1. Wallow, tumble about, roll. 2. Rise and fall (as waves), tumble over (as billows).

Moby Thesaurus

arsy-varsiness, bask, bend, blunder, careen, career, clutter, cower, cringe, crouch, falter, farrago, flounce, flounder, get down, grovel, hash, heave, helter-skelter, higgledy-piggledy, hobbyhorse, hodgepodge, hunch, hunch down, hysteron proteron, indulge, jumble, labor, litter, lurch, luxuriate, make heavy weather, mess, mishmash, mummify, mummy, pitch, pitch and plunge, pitch and toss, plunge, pound, rear, reel, revel, rock, roll, rollick, scend, scramble, scrouch down, seethe, shrivel, squat, stagger, stoop, strive, struggle, stumble, sway, swing, thrash about, topsy-turviness, topsy-turvydom, toss, toss and tumble, toss and turn, totter, tumble, turmoil, unholy mess, volutation, wallop, wallow, wilt, wizen, writhe, yaw