wem

PronunciationEdit

• IPA^(key): /wɛm/

Etymology 1Edit

From Middle English wem, wemme, from Old English wamm (“stain, spot, scar, disgrace, defect, defilement, sin, evil, crime, injury, loss, hurt, misfortune”), from Proto-Germanic *wammaz (“stain, spot”), from Proto-Indo-European *wem- (“to spew, vomit”). Cognate with Icelandic vamm (“loss, damage”), Latin vomō (“vomit”, verb) (English vomit), Ancient Greek ἐμέω (eméō, “I spew”) (English emesis), Lithuanian vemti (“to vomit”), Sanskrit वमति (vamati, “to vomit”)

Alternative formsEdit

• weam, weem
• wame, wan (Scotland)

NounEdit

wem (plural wems)

1. (UK dialectal) A spot; stain; mark; scar; weal; bruise.
2. (UK dialectal) A (moral) blemish; fault; blemish; taint.
3. (UK dialectal) Neglect; damage.

Derived termsEdit

• wemless
• wemmy

Etymology 2Edit

From Middle English wemmen, from Old English wemman (“to defile, besmirch, profane, injure, ill-treat, destroy, abuse, revile”), from Proto-Germanic *wammijaną (“to stain”), from Proto-Indo-European *wem- (“to spew, vomit”).

VerbEdit

wem (third-person singular simple present wems, present participle wemming, simple past and past participle wemmed)

1. (transitive, UK dialectal) To injure or disfigure; blemish; mark; scar.
2. (transitive, UK dialectal) To defile; pollute; corrupt; vitiate.
3. (transitive, UK dialectal) To violate (one's word).

Derived termsEdit

• wemmed
• wemming

AnagramsEdit

• mew

PronunciationEdit

• IPA^(key): /veːm/

PronounEdit

wem

1. (interrogative) dative of wer, (to) whom (indirect object).