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1063 entries found
wangle (v.)
"obtain something by trickery," 1888, originally British printer's slang for "fake by manipulation;" perhaps an alteration of waggle, or of wankle (now dialectal) "unsteady, fickle," from Old English wancol (see wench (n.)). Brought into wider use by World War I soldiers.
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waning (adj.)
Old English wanunge, wonunge, present participle of wanian (see wane).
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wank (n.)
"act of (male) masturbation," 1948, slang. As a verb, from 1950. Related: Wanked; wanking.
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Wankel (n.)
type of rotary internal combustion engine, 1961, from name of German engineer Felix Wankel (1902-1988).
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wanker (n.)
1940s, "masturbator," British slang, from wank "to masturbate," of unknown origin. General sense of "contemptible person" is attested from 1972. Compare sense evolution of jerk (n.).
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wanna (v.)
representing the casual pronunciation of want to, by 1896.
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wannabe (n.)
1981, originally American English surfer slang, from casual pronunciation of want to be; popularized c. 1984 in reference to female fans of pop singer Madonna.
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want (n.)
c. 1200, "deficiency, insufficiency, shortage," from want (v.) and from Old Norse vant, neuter of vanr "wanting, deficient;" related to Old English wanian "to diminish" (see wane). Meaning "state of destitution, poverty" is recorded from early 14c. Meaning "thing desired, that which is lacking but needed" is from 1560s. Phrase for want of is recorded from c. 1400. Newspaper want ad is recorded from 1897. Middle English had wantsum (c. 1200) "in want, deprived of," literally "want-some."
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want (v.)
c. 1200, "to be lacking," from Old Norse vanta "to lack, want," earlier *wanaton, from Proto-Germanic *wanen, from PIE *weno-, suffixed form of root *eue- "to leave, abandon, give out." The meaning "desire, wish for, feel the need of" is recorded by 1706.
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wanted (adj.)
1690s, "lacking;" 1812, "sought by the police;" past-participle adjective from want (v.). Wanted poster attested by 1945.
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