Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Prosperity; happiness.
- noun The welfare of the community; the general good.
- noun A ridge on the flesh raised by a blow; a welt.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Wealth; riches; hence, prosperity; success; happiness; well-being; the state of being well or prosperous: as, come weal or woe.
- noun The state: properly in the phrases common weal, public weal, general weal, meaning primarily ‘the common or public welfare,’ but used (the first now as a compound word) to designate the state (in which weal used alone is an abbreviation of
commonweal ). - To promote the weal or welfare of.
- Same as
wale . - noun Same as
wed . - To be in woe or want.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The mark of a stripe. See
wale . - transitive verb To mark with stripes. See
wale . - transitive verb obsolete To promote the weal of; to cause to be prosperous.
- noun A sound, healthy, or prosperous state of a person or thing; prosperity; happiness; welfare.
- noun obsolete The body politic; the state; common wealth.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun a raised, longitudinal
wound , usuallypurple , on the surface of flesh caused by stroke of rod or whip; awelt .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip); characteristic of many allergic reactions
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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III. iv.76 (474,6) Ere human statute purg'd the gentle weal] The _gentle weal_, is, the _peaceable community_, the state made quiet and safe by
Notes to Shakespeare, Volume III: The Tragedies Samuel Johnson 1746
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Answered the husbandman, “O my lord, weal is well nigh. 62 Dismount thee here: the town is near hand and I will go and fetch thee dinner and fodder for thy stallion.”
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It is the high ambition of most women to become wives; and they count not the cost as to whether it will end in weal or woe; but they venture themselves, and their future "for better or worse."
A Manual of Etiquette with Hints on Politeness and Good Breeding Sophia Orne 1873
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In every free State where conjunctures like the present are not foreseen, you must be sensible that the public weal is endangered by every storm.
News Report 1794
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In every free State where conjunctures like the present are not foreseen, you must be sensible that the public weal is endangered by every storm.
News Report 1794
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In every free State where conjunctures like the present are not foreseen, you must be sensible that the public weal is endangered by every storm.
News Report 1794
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The resurrection of the dead, that is, of dead bodies; and their re-union with their souls, to be eternal companions together in weal or woe, according as their state was towards God when they died, and the course of life they led in this world.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume VI (Acts to Revelation) 1721
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If the generous youth find not a companion to console him, weal is forever cut off from him and ill is eternally established with him; and there is nothing for the sage but to solace himself in every event with brethren and be constant in patience and endurance: indeed these two are praiseworthy qualities, and both uphold one under calamities and vicissitudes of the world and ward off startling sorrows and harrowing cares, come what will.
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When the ships were laden with water and victual, weapons and troops, Sayf al-Muluk’s father and mother farewelled him and King Asim said, Depart, O my son, and travel in weal and health and safety.
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Such an arrangement is required by the public weal, which is never committed with greater safety to the custody of any one than to his whose private advantage is entirely unconnected, with the issue.
The Works of James Arminius, Vol. 1 1560-1609 1956
artoparts commented on the word weal
(n): Prosperity, happiness; The welfare of the community, the general good.
February 5, 2009
Louises commented on the word weal
I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe; I the Lord do all these things. Isaiah 45:7 NRSV translation.
March 17, 2012