3 ADJ Something that is vulnerable can be easily harmed or affected by something bad. □ [+ to ] Their tanks would be vulnerable to attack from the air. □ Goodyear could be vulnerable in a prolonged economic slump. ● vul|ner|abil|ity N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ to ] …anxieties about the country's vulnerability to invasion.
vul|ture /vʌ ltʃə r / (vultures )
1 N‑COUNT A vulture is a large bird which lives in hot countries and eats the flesh of dead animals.
2 N‑COUNT If you describe a person as a vulture , you disapprove of them because you think they are trying to gain from another person's troubles. [JOURNALISM , DISAPPROVAL ] □ With no buyer in sight for the company as a whole, the vultures started to circle.
vul|va /vʌ lvə/ (vulvas ) N‑COUNT The vulva is the outer part of a woman's sexual organs. [TECHNICAL ]
vy|ing /va I I ŋ/ Vying is the present participle of vie .
Ww
W , w /dʌ b ə ljuː/ (W's, w's )
1 N‑VAR W is the twenty-third letter of the English alphabet.
2 W or w is an abbreviation for words beginning with w, such as 'west' or 'watt'.
wacko /wæ koʊ/ ADJ If you say that someone is wacko , you are saying in an unkind way that they are strange and eccentric. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Lampley was obviously completely wacko.
wacky /wæ ki/ (wackier , wackiest ) also whacky ADJ If you describe something or someone as wacky , you mean that they are eccentric, unusual, and often funny. [INFORMAL ] □ …a wacky new television comedy series.
wad /wɒ d/ (wads ) N‑COUNT A wad of something such as paper or cloth is a tight bundle or ball of it. □ [+ of ] …a wad of banknotes. □ [+ of ] …a wad of cotton soaked in cleaning fluid.
wad|ding /wɒ d I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Wadding is soft material which is put around things to protect them, for example in packing.
wad|dle /wɒ d ə l/ (waddles , waddling , waddled ) VERB To waddle somewhere means to walk there with short, quick steps, swinging slightly from side to side. A person or animal that waddles usually has short legs and a fat body. □ [V prep/adv] McGinnis pushed himself laboriously out of the chair and waddled to the window. [Also V ]
wade /we I d/ (wades , wading , waded )
1 VERB If you wade through something that makes it difficult to walk, usually water or mud, you walk through it. □ [V prep/adv] Rescuers had to wade across a river to reach them.
2 VERB To wade through a lot of documents or pieces of information means to spend a lot of time and effort reading them or dealing with them. □ [V + through ] It has taken a long time to wade through the 'incredible volume' of evidence.
▸ wade in or wade into PHRASAL VERB If someone wades in or wades into something, they get involved in a very determined and forceful way, often without thinking enough about the consequences of their actions. □ [V P ] They don't just listen sympathetically, they wade in with remarks like, 'If I were you…'. □ [V P n] Police waded into a crowd of protesters.
wad|er /we I də r / (waders )
1 N‑COUNT A wader is a bird with long legs and a long neck, which lives near water and feeds on fish. There are several different kinds of waders.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Waders are long rubber boots which cover all of the legs and are worn by fishermen when they are standing in water.
wadge /wɒ dʒ/ → see wodge
wadi /wɒ di/ (wadis ) N‑COUNT A wadi is a river in North Africa or Arabia which is dry except in the rainy season. [TECHNICAL ]
wa d|ing pool (wading pools ) N‑COUNT A wading pool is a shallow artificial pool for children to play in. [AM ] in BRIT, use paddling pool
wa|fer /we I fə r / (wafers )
1 N‑COUNT A wafer is a thin crisp biscuit which is usually eaten with ice cream.
2 N‑COUNT A wafer is a circular, thin piece of special bread which the priest gives people to eat in the Christian service of Holy Communion.
wa fer-thi n ADJ [ADJ n, v-link ADJ ] Wafer-thin means extremely thin and flat. □ Cut the fennel into wafer-thin slices.
waf|fle /wɒ f ə l/ (waffles , waffling , waffled )
1 VERB If you say that someone waffles , you are critical of them because they talk or write a lot without actually making any clear or important points. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V ] My teacher often tells me I waffle. □ [V + about ] There was some bloke on the phone waffling about an airline ticket. ● PHRASAL VERB Waffle on means the same as waffle . □ [V P ] Whenever I open my mouth I don't half waffle on. ● N‑UNCOUNT Waffle is also a noun. □ He writes smug, sanctimonious waffle.
2 VERB If someone waffles on an issue or question, they cannot decide what to do or what their opinion is about it. [AM ] □ [V + on ] He's waffled on abortion and gay rights. □ [V ] He kept waffling and finding excuses not to close the deal. [Also V + about/over ]
3 N‑COUNT A waffle is a kind of square cake made of batter with squares marked on it. Waffles are usually eaten with syrup poured over them.
waft /wɒ ft, wæ ft/ (wafts , wafting , wafted ) VERB If sounds or smells waft through the air, or if something such as a light wind wafts them, they move gently through the air. □ [V prep/adv] The scent of climbing roses wafts through the window. □ [V n prep/adv] A slight breeze rose, wafting the heavy scent of flowers past her. ● N‑COUNT Waft is also a noun. □ [+ of ] A waft of perfume drifted into Ingrid's nostrils.