3 N‑COUNT A weekly is a newspaper or magazine that is published once a week. □ Two of the four national daily papers are to become weeklies.
week|night /wiː kna I t/ (weeknights ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] A weeknight is the evening or night of a weekday. [mainly AUSTRALIAN ] □ …the half-hour weeknight show.
wee|nie /wiː ni/ (weenies ) → see wienie
weep /wiː p/ (weeps , weeping , wept )
1 VERB If someone weeps , they cry. [LITERARY ] □ [V ] She wanted to laugh and weep all at once. □ [V -ing] The weeping family hugged and comforted each other. □ [V n] She wept tears of joy. ● N‑SING Weep is also a noun. □ There are times when I sit down and have a good weep.
2 VERB If a wound weeps , liquid or blood comes from it because it is not healing properly. □ [V ] In severe cases, the skin can crack and weep. □ [V -ing] …little blisters which develop into weeping sores.
wee p|ing wi l|low (weeping willows ) N‑VAR A weeping willow is a type of willow tree. It has long thin branches that hang down to the ground.
weepy /wiː pi/ (weepies )
1 ADJ Someone who is weepy is sad and likely to cry easily. □ I suddenly felt very weepy. □ …weepy moods.
2 N‑COUNT A weepy is a film or a story which is sentimental and makes you cry. [INFORMAL ]
wee|vil /wiː v I l/ (weevils ) N‑COUNT A weevil is a small insect which feeds on grain and seeds, and destroys crops.
weft /we ft/ N‑SING In weaving, the weft of a piece of cloth is the threads which are passed sideways across the other threads. Compare warp .
weigh ◆◇◇ /we I / (weighs , weighing , weighed )
1 VERB [no cont] If someone or something weighs a particular amount, this amount is how heavy they are. □ [V amount] It weighs nearly 27 kilos (about 65 pounds).
2 VERB If you weigh something or someone, you measure how heavy they are. □ [V n] The scales can be used to weigh other items such as parcels.
3 VERB If you weigh the facts about a situation, you consider them very carefully before you make a decision, especially by comparing the various facts involved. □ [V n] He is weighing the possibility of filing criminal charges against the doctor. □ [V wh] She spoke very slowly, weighing what she would say. ● PHRASAL VERB Weigh up means the same as weigh . [mainly BRIT ] □ [V P n] The company will be able to weigh up the environmental pros and cons of each site. □ [V P wh] You have to weigh up whether a human life is more important than an animal's life. [Also V n P ]
▸ weigh down PHRASAL VERB If something that you are wearing or carrying weighs you down , it stops you moving easily by making you heavier. □ [V n P ] He took off his shoes. If they had to swim, he didn't want anything weighing him down. □ [V P n] These nests increase in size each year, and can eventually weigh down the branch.
▸ weigh up
1 → see weigh 3
2 PHRASAL VERB If you weigh someone up , you try and find out what they are like and form an opinion of them, especially when you are suspicious of them. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V n P ] My recruiting sergeant weighed me up when I first walked into his office. [Also V P n] SYNONYMS weigh VERB 3
consider: You do have to consider the feelings of those around you.
study: I invite every citizen to carefully study the document.
examine: I have given the matter much thought, examining all the possible alternatives.
contemplate: For a time he contemplated a career as an army medical doctor.
wei gh-in (weigh-ins ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] When there is a weigh-in on the day of a boxing match, each competitor is weighed to check their weight before the match.
weight ◆◆◇ /we I t/ (weights , weighting , weighted )
1 N‑VAR [oft with poss] The weight of a person or thing is how heavy they are, measured in units such as kilograms, pounds, or tons. □ What is your height and weight? □ This reduced the weight of the load. □ [+ of ] Turkeys can reach enormous weights of up to 50 pounds. ● PHRASE If someone loses weight , they become lighter. If they gain weight or put on weight , they become heavier. □ I'm lucky really as I never put on weight. □ He lost two stone in weight during his time there.
2 N‑UNCOUNT [with poss] A person's or thing's weight is the fact that they are very heavy. □ Despite the vehicle's size and weight, it is not difficult to drive.
3 N‑SING If you move your weight , you change position so that most of the pressure of your body is on a particular part of your body. □ He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. □ He kept the weight from his left leg.
4 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Weights are objects which weigh a known amount and which people lift as a form of exercise. □ I was in the gym lifting weights.
5 N‑COUNT Weights are metal objects which weigh a known amount and which are used on a set of scales to weigh other things.
6 N‑COUNT You can refer to a heavy object as a weight , especially when you have to lift it. □ Straining to lift heavy weights can lead to a rise in blood pressure.
7 VERB If you weight something, you make it heavier by adding something to it, for example in order to stop it from moving easily. □ [V n] It can be sewn into curtain hems to weight the curtain and so allow it to hang better.