1 N‑COUNT A way station is a place where people stop to eat and rest when they are on a long journey.
2 N‑COUNT A way station is a small station between two large stations on a railway. [AM ]
way|ward /we I wə r d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a person or their behaviour as wayward , you mean that they behave in a selfish, bad, or unpredictable way, and are difficult to control. □ …wayward children with a history of severe emotional problems.
WC /dʌ b ə ljuː siː / (WCs ) N‑COUNT A toilet is sometimes referred to as a WC , especially on signs or in advertisements for houses, flats, or hotels. WC is an abbreviation for 'water closet'. [BRIT ]
we ◆◆◆ /w I , STRONG wiː/ We is the first person plural pronoun. We is used as the subject of a verb. 1 PRON A speaker or writer uses we to refer both to himself or herself and to one or more other people as a group. You can use we before a noun to make it clear which group of people you are referring to. □ We ordered another bottle of champagne. □ We students outnumbered our teachers.
2 PRON We is sometimes used to refer to people in general. □ We need to take care of our bodies.
3 PRON A speaker or writer may use we instead of 'I' in order to include the audience or reader in what they are saying, especially when discussing how a talk or book is organized. [FORMAL ] □ We will now consider the raw materials from which the body derives energy.
weak ◆◆◇ /wiː k/ (weaker , weakest )
1 ADJ If someone is weak , they are not healthy or do not have good muscles, so that they cannot move quickly or carry heavy things. □ I was too weak to move or think or speak. □ His arms and legs were weak. ● weak|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ 'I'm all right,' Max said weakly, but his breathing came in jagged gasps. ● weak|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Symptoms of anaemia include weakness, fatigue and iron deficiency.
2 ADJ If someone has an organ or sense that is weak , it is not very effective or powerful, or is likely to fail. □ Until the beating, Cantanco's eyesight had been weak, but adequate. □ She tired easily and had a weak heart.
3 ADJ If you describe someone as weak , you mean that they are not very confident or determined, so that they are often frightened or worried, or easily influenced by other people. □ You have been conditioned to believe that it is weak to be scared. ● weak|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Many people felt that admitting to stress was a sign of weakness.
4 ADJ If you describe someone's voice or smile as weak , you mean that it not very loud or big, suggesting that the person lacks confidence, enthusiasm, or physical strength. □ His weak voice was almost inaudible. ● weak|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ He smiled weakly at reporters.
5 ADJ If an object or surface is weak , it breaks easily and cannot support a lot of weight or resist a lot of strain. □ The owner said the bird may have escaped through a weak spot in the aviary. □ Swimming is helpful for bones that are porous and weak.
6 ADV A weak physical force does not have much power or intensity. □ The molecules in regular liquids are held together by relatively weak bonds. ● weak|ly ADV [ADV adj/-ed, ADV after v] □ The mineral is weakly magnetic.
7 ADJ If individuals or groups are weak , they do not have any power or influence. □ The council was too weak to do anything about it. ● N‑PLURAL The weak are people who are weak. □ He voiced his solidarity with the weak and defenceless. ● weak|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ It made me feel patronised, in a position of weakness.
8 ADJ A weak government or leader does not have much control, and is not prepared or able to act firmly or severely. □ The changes come after mounting criticism that the government is weak and indecisive. □ The chief editorial writer also blames weak leadership for the current crisis. ● weak|ly ADV □ …the weakly-led movement for reform. ● weak|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Officials fear that he might interpret the emphasis on diplomacy as a sign of weakness.
9 ADJ If you describe something such a country's currency, economy, industry, or government as weak , you mean that it is not successful, and may be likely to fail or collapse. □ The weak dollar made American goods relative bargains for foreigners. ● weak|ness N‑UNCOUNT [usu with poss] □ [+ of ] The weakness of his regime is showing more and more.
10 ADJ If something such as an argument or case is weak , it is not convincing or there is little evidence to support it. □ Do you think the prosecution made any particular errors, or did they just have a weak case? ● weak|ly ADV □ His efforts to refute these 'stereotypes' are weakly argued. ● weak|ness (weaknesses ) N‑VAR □ …the strengths and weaknesses of the government's case.
11 ADJ A weak drink, chemical, or drug contains very little of a particular substance, for example because a lot of water has been added to it. □ …a cup of weak tea. □ …a very weak bleach solution.
12 ADJ Your weak points are the qualities or talents you do not possess, or the things you are not very good at. □ Geography was my weak subject. □ [+ on ] His short stories tend to be weak on plot. ● weak|ness N‑VAR □ His only weakness is his temperament.
13 → see also weakness
weak|en ◆◇◇ /wiː kən/ (weakens , weakening , weakened )
1 VERB If you weaken something or if it weakens , it becomes less strong or less powerful. □ [V n] The recession has weakened so many firms that many can no longer survive. □ [V ] Family structures are weakening and breaking up.