wield

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“
For I've donned my mail and my weapons wield * And on all sides charge at the chivalry. "[

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Definitions (11)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. transitive verb To handle (a weapon or tool, for example) with skill and ease.
  2. transitive verb To exercise (authority or influence, for example) effectively. See Synonyms at handle.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (6)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (2)

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Examples (50)

  • Even if one could forget the immense magical powers they could wield, there is the long-term welfare of the people to consider. —  VoiceoftheGods
  • A short blade is easier to control and wield, and can do more than enough damage. —  RustyNail
  • When Enhancement Shamans first gained the ability to dual wield, there were still quite a few —  WoW.com
  • The weapon first appeared in Halo 2 and players quickly recognized that if you didn't dual-wield it (preferably with something effective at taking shields down such as the plasma pistol), it was pretty worthless. —  IGN Xbox 360
  • The weapons they wield are largely identical, as is their physics-defying animation, where foes reel back in familiar exaggerated fashion. —  Eurogamer
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Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

Used in the same contextWord Family

wield:   wielding ·  wielded ·  wields
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English welden, from Old English wealdan, to rule, and wieldan, to govern; see wal- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from Middle English welden (preterit welde, walde, welte, welded, weldide, past participle welt), from Anglo-Saxon geweldan, gewyldan, have power over; a secondary form of the strong verb, Middle English walden, wealden (preterit wield), from Anglo-Saxon wealdan (preterit weóld, past participle wealden), have power over, govern, rule, possess, = Old Saxon waldan = OFries. walda = Dutch welden = Old High German waltan, dispose, manage, rule, Middle High German G. walten, rule, = Icelandic valda, wield, = Swedish vålla (for *vålda), occasion, cause, = Danish volde, commonly for-volde, occasion, cause, = Goth, waldan, govern; cf. Russian vladietĭ, reign, rule, possess, make use of, = Lithuanian waldyti, rule, govern, possess; prob. from Latin valere, be strong, have power: see valid.
  2. from Middle English welde (cf. walde, wolde, from Anglo-Saxon geweald, power); from the verb.
 

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