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weigh 1 (wā)
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v. weighed, weigh·ing, weighs
v.tr.
1.
a. To determine the weight of, as with a scale: weighed the tomatoes before buying them.
b. To measure or apportion (a certain quantity) by weight. Often used with out: weighed out a pound of cheese.
2.
a. To balance in the mind in order to make a choice; ponder or evaluate: weighed the alternatives and decided to stay.
b. To choose carefully or deliberately: weigh one's words.
3. Nautical To raise (anchor).
v.intr.
1. To be of a specific weight: The dog weighs nearly 50 pounds.
2. To have consequence or importance: The decision weighed heavily against us.
3.
a. To cause to bend heavily by added weight. Used with on or upon: a coating of ice that weighed on the slender branches.
b. To be burdensome or oppressive. Used with on or upon: These concerns have been weighing on us for weeks.
4. Nautical To raise anchor.
Phrasal Verbs:
weigh down
1. To cause to bend down with added weight: vines that were weighed down with grapes.
2. To give great worry or difficulty to; burden: The responsibilities of the new job weighed him down.
weigh in
1. Sports To be weighed at a weigh-in.
2. To have one's baggage weighed, as at an airport.
3. To be of a specified weight: The new book weighs in at 7 pounds.
4. Slang To join in a discussion; utter a remark: She weighed in with some pertinent facts.
[Middle English weien, from Old English wegan; see wegh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
weigha·ble adj.
weigher n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
weigh 2 (wā)
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n.
Nautical
Way. Used in the phrase under weigh.
[Variant (influenced by WEIGH1, as in weigh anchor) of WAY.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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