WADE • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Wade

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/weɪd/ Listen

verb

Wade v. t. To pass or cross by wading; as, he waded the rivers and swamps.

Wade v. i. (past & past part. waded; pres. part. wading)

1.

To go; to move forward. (Obs.) "When might is joined unto cruelty, Alas, too deep will the venom wade." "Forbear, and wade no further in this speech."

2.

To walk in a substance that yields to the feet; to move, sinking at each step, as in water, mud, sand, etc. "So eagerly the fiend... With head, hands, wings, or feet, pursues his way, And swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flies."

3.

Hence, to move with difficulty or labor; to proceed slowly among objects or circumstances that constantly embarrass; as, to wade through a dull book. "And wades through fumes, and gropes his way." "The king's admirable conduct has waded through all these difficulties."

noun

Wade n. Woad. (Obs.)

Wade n. The act of wading. (Colloq.)

Woad n. (Written also wad, and wade)

1.

(Bot.) An herbaceous cruciferous plant (Isatis tinctoria) of the family Cruciferae (syn. Brassicaceae). It was formerly cultivated for the blue coloring matter derived from its leaves. See isatin.

2.

A blue dyestuff, or coloring matter, consisting of the powdered and fermented leaves of the Isatis tinctoria. It is now superseded by indigo, but is somewhat used with indigo as a ferment in dyeing. "Their bodies... painted with woad in sundry figures."

Wild woad (Bot.), the weld (Reseda luteola). See Weld.

Woad mill, a mill grinding and preparing woad.

See images of 'Wade'

Etymology of 'Wade'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Wade" Quotes from Famous Books

... the sodded bank rounded off ten feet the river itself. At this point far up in its youth it was a friendly river. Its noble width ran over shallows of yellow sand or of small pebbles. Save for unexpected deep holes one could wade across it anywhere. Yet it was very wide, with still reaches of water, with islands of gigantic papyrus, with sand bars dividing the current, and with always the vista for a greater or lesser distance down through the jungle along its banks. From our canvas chairs we could ...

— The Land of Footprints • Stewart Edward White

... time among the Algonquins of Gasp and Northern New Brunswick. The favorite son of an old Indian died; whereupon the father, with a party of friends, set out for the land of souls to recover him. It was only necessary to wade through a shallow lake, several days' journey in extent. This they did, sleeping at night on platforms of poles which supported them above the water. At length they arrived, and were met by Papkootparout, the Indian Pluto, ...

— The Jesuits in North America in the Seventeenth Century • Francis Parkman

... he called for the help of the police. Sergeant Rahilly took the other side of the mare's head. Constable Malone pushed at the back of the car. Dr. Lovaway, uncomfortable and rather nervous, wanted to get down and wade too. But the sergeant would not hear ...

— Lady Bountiful - 1922 • George A. Birmingham

... strolled along until opposite my landmarks; then, bolt upright, walked directly forward, the gun at ready. When within twenty yards the ducks arose. It was, of course, easy shooting. Both fell across the ditch. That did not worry me; if worst came to worst I could strip and wade. ...

— The Killer • Stewart Edward White

... little and black like monkeys, leapt over the edge as they had done and dropped on to the beach. These came ploughing down the deep sand, shouting horribly, and strove to wade into the sea at random. The example was followed, and the whole black mass of men began to run and drip over ...

— The Man Who Was Thursday - A Nightmare • G. K. Chesterton

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