2 ADV Wherein means in which part or respect. [FORMAL ] □ Wherein lies the truth?
where|upon / h weə rəpɒ n/ CONJ You use whereupon to say that one thing happens immediately after another thing, and usually as a result of it. [FORMAL ] □ Mr Muite refused to talk to them except in the company of his legal colleagues, whereupon the police officers departed.
wher|ever / h weəre və r /
1 CONJ You use wherever to indicate that something happens or is true in any place or situation. □ Some people enjoy themselves wherever they are. □ Jack believed in finding happiness wherever possible.
2 CONJ You use wherever when you indicate that you do not know where a person or place is. □ I'd like to leave as soon as possible and join my children, wherever they are.
3 ADV You use wherever in questions as an emphatic form of 'where', usually when you are surprised about something. [EMPHASIS ] □ Wherever did you get that idea? □ Wherever have you been?
where|with|al / h we ə r w I ðɔːl/ N‑SING [oft N to-inf] If you have the wherewithal for something, you have the means, especially the money, that you need for it. □ She didn't have the financial wherewithal to do it. [Also + for ]
whet / h we t/ (whets , whetting , whetted ) PHRASE If someone or something whets your appetite for a particular thing, they increase your desire to have it or know about it, especially by giving you an idea of what it is like. □ [+ for ] A really good catalogue can also whet customers' appetites for merchandise.
wheth|er ◆◆◆ / h we ðə r /
1 CONJ You use whether when you are talking about a choice or doubt between two or more alternatives. □ To this day, it's unclear whether he shot himself or was murdered. □ They now have two weeks to decide whether or not to buy. □ I don't know whether they've found anybody yet.
2 CONJ You use whether to say that something is true in any of the circumstances that you mention. □ The more muscle you have, the more fat you'll burn, whether you're working out or fast asleep. □ Babies, whether breast-fed or bottle-fed, should receive additional vitamin D.
whet|stone / h we tstoʊn/ (whetstones ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A whetstone is a stone which is used for sharpening knives or other tools that have a blade.
whew EXCLAM Whew is used in writing to represent a sound that you make when you breathe out quickly, for example because you are very hot, very relieved, or very surprised. [FEELINGS ] □ 'Whew,' he said. 'It's hot.'
whey / h we I / N‑UNCOUNT Whey is the watery part of sour milk that is separated from the thick part called curds, for example when you are making cheese.
which ◆◆◆ / h w I tʃ/
1 PRON ; DET You use which in questions when there are two or more possible answers or alternatives. □ Which do they want me to do, declare war or surrender? □ Which are the ones you really like? □ 'You go down that passageway over there.'—'Which one?' □ Which vitamin supplements are good value?
2 DET You use which to refer to a choice between two or more possible answers or alternatives. □ I wanted to know which school it was you went to. □ Scientists have long wondered which parts of the brain are involved in musical tasks. ● CONJ Which is also a conjunction. □ In her panic she couldn't remember which was Mr Grainger's cabin. □ There are so many diets on the market, how do you know which to choose?
3 PRON You use which at the beginning of a relative clause when specifying the thing that you are talking about or when giving more information about it. □ Soldiers opened fire on a car which failed to stop at an army checkpoint. □ He's based in Banja Luka, which is the largest city in northern Bosnia. □ Colic describes a whole variety of conditions in which a horse suffers abdominal pain.
4 PRON You use which to refer back to an idea or situation expressed in a previous sentence or sentences, especially when you want to give your opinion about it. □ Since we started in September we have raised fifty thousand pounds, which is pretty good going. ● DET Which is also a determiner. □ Some people are allergic to the gelatine in the capsule, in which case you can get drops.
5 PHRASE If you cannot tell the difference between two things, you can say that you do not know which is which . □ They all look so alike to me that I'm never sure which is which.
6 any which way → see way
7 every which way → see way
which|ever / h w I tʃe və r /
1 DET You use whichever in order to indicate that it does not matter which of the possible alternatives happens or is chosen. □ Israel offers automatic citizenship to all Jews who want it, whatever colour they are and whichever language they speak. ● CONJ Whichever is also a conjunction. □ We will gladly exchange your goods, or refund your money, whichever you prefer.
2 DET You use whichever to specify which of a number of possibilities is the right one or the one you mean. □ …learning to relax by whichever method suits you best. ● CONJ Whichever is also a conjunction. □ Fishing is from 6 am to dusk or 10.30pm, whichever is sooner.
whiff / h w I f/ (whiffs )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If there is a whiff of a particular smell, you smell it only slightly or only for a brief period of time, for example as you walk past someone or something. □ [+ of ] He caught a whiff of her perfume.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A whiff of something bad or harmful is a slight sign of it. □ [+ of ] Not a whiff of scandal has ever tainted his private life.