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In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.
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1828 Noah Webster Dictionary
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1828.mshaffer.com › Word [wield]

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wield

WIELD, v.t. [L. The primary sense of power and strength is to stretch or strain.]

1. To use with full command or power, as a thing not too heavy for the holder; to manage; as, to wield a sword; to wield the scepter.

Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed.

2. To use or employ with the hand.

Nothing but the influence of a civilized power could induce a savage to wield a spade.

3. To handle; in an ironical sense.

Base Hungarian wight, wilt thou the spigot wield?

To wield the scepter, to govern with supreme command.


Evolution (or devolution) of this word [wield]

1828 Webster1844 Webster1913 Webster

WIELD, v.t. [L. The primary sense of power and strength is to stretch or strain.]

1. To use with full command or power, as a thing not too heavy for the holder; to manage; as, to wield a sword; to wield the scepter.

Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed.

2. To use or employ with the hand.

Nothing but the influence of a civilized power could induce a savage to wield a spade.

3. To handle; in an ironical sense.

Base Hungarian wight, wilt thou the spigot wield?

To wield the scepter, to govern with supreme command.

WIELD, v.t. [Sax. wealdan, waldan; Goth. ga-waldan, to govern; wald, power, dominion; Dan. vælde, power; gevalt, force, authority; Sw. välde, power; allied to L. valeo, Eng. well. The primary sense of power and strength is to stretch or strain. This seems to be the Russ. vladyu, to rule, and wald or vlad, in names, as Waldemir, Vlademir.]

  1. To use with full command or power, as a thing not too heavy for the holder; to manage; as, to wield a sword; to wield the scepter. Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed. – Milton.
  2. To use or employ with the hand. Nothing but the influence of a civilized power could induce a savage to wield a spade. – S. S. Smith.
  3. To handle; in an ironical sense. Base Hungarian wight, wilt thou the spigot wield? – Shak. To wield the scepter, to govern with supreme command.

Wield
  1. To govern; to rule; to keep, or have in charge; also, to possess.

    [Obs.]

    When a strong armed man keepeth his house, all things that he wieldeth ben in peace. Wyclif (Luke xi. 21).

    Wile [ne will] ye wield gold neither silver ne money in your girdles. Wyclif (Matt. x. 9.)

  2. To direct or regulate by influence or authority; to manage; to control; to sway.

    The famous orators . . . whose resistless eloquence
    Wielded at will that fierce democraty.     Milton.

    Her newborn power was wielded from the first by unprincipled and ambitions men. De Quincey.

  3. To use with full command or power, as a thing not too heavy for the holder; to manage; to handle; hence, to use or employ; as, to wield a sword; to wield the scepter.

    Base Hungarian wight! wilt thou the spigot wield! Shak.

    Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed. Milton.

    Nothing but the influence of a civilized power could induce a savage to wield a spade. S. S. Smith.

    To wield the scepter, to govern with supreme command.

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Wield

WIELD, verb transitive [Latin The primary sense of power and strength is to stretch or strain.]

1. To use with full command or power, as a thing not too heavy for the holder; to manage; as, to wield a sword; to wield the scepter.

Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed.

2. To use or employ with the hand.

Nothing but the influence of a civilized power could induce a savage to wield a spade.

3. To handle; in an ironical sense.

Base Hungarian wight, wilt thou the spigot wield?

To wield the scepter, to govern with supreme command.

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Word of the Day

importance

IMPORT'ANCE, n.

1. Weight; consequence; a bearing on some interest; that quality of any thing by which it may affect a measure, interest or result. The education of youth is of great importance to a free government. A religious education is of infinite importance to every human being.

2. Weight or consequence in the scale of being.

Thy own importance know.

Nor bound thy narrow views to things below.

3. Weight or consequence in self-estimation.

He believes himself a man of importance.

4. Thing implied; matter; subject; importunity. [In these senses, obsolete.]

Random Word

talk

TALK, v.i. tauk.

1. To converse familiarly; to speak, as in familiar discourse, when two or more persons interchange thoughts.

I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you; but I will not eat with you.

In Aesop's time

When all things talk'd, and talk'd in rhyme.

I will come down and talk with thee. Num.11.

Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way? Luke 24.

2. To prate; to speak impertinently.

3. To talk of, to relate; to tell; to give account. Authors talk of the wonderful remains of Palmyra.

The natural histories of Switzerland talk much of the fall of these rocks, and the great damage done.

So shall I talk of thy wondrous works. Ps.119.

4. To speak; to reason; to confer.

Let me talk with thee of thy judgments. Jer.12.

To talk to, in familiar language, to advise or exhort; or to reprove gently. I will talk to my son respecting his conduct.

TALK, n. tauk. Familiar converse; mutual discourse; that which is uttered by one person in familiar conversation, or the mutual converse of two or more.

Should a man full of talk be justified? Job 11.

In various talk th' instructive hours they past.

1. Report; rumor.

I hear a talk up and down of raising money.

2. Subject of discourse. This noble achievement is the talk of the whole town.

3. Among the Indians of North America, a public conference, as respecting peace or war, negotiation and the like; or an official verbal communication made from them to another nation or its agents, or made to them by the same.

TALK, a mineral. [See Talck.]

Noah's 1828 Dictionary

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Noah Webster, the Father of American Christian education, wrote the first American dictionary and established a system of rules to govern spelling, grammar, and reading. This master linguist understood the power of words, their definitions, and the need for precise word usage in communication to maintain independence. Webster used the Bible as the foundation for his definitions.

This standard reference tool will greatly assist students of all ages in their studies.

No other dictionary compares with the Webster's 1828 dictionary. The English language has changed again and again and in many instances has become corrupt. The American Dictionary of the English Language is based upon God's written word, for Noah Webster used the Bible as the foundation for his definitions. This standard reference tool will greatly assist students of all ages in their studies. From American History to literature, from science to the Word of God, this dictionary is a necessity. For homeschoolers as well as avid Bible students it is easy, fast, and sophisticated.


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1828 Noah Webster Dictionary

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