well
from
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
well
adv 1: (often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or
satisfactory manner or to a high standard (`good' is a
nonstandard dialectal variant for `well'); "the children
behaved well"; "a task well done"; "the party went well";
"he slept well"; "a well-argued thesis"; "a well-seasoned
dish"; "a well-planned party"; "the baby can walk pretty
good" [syn: {well}, {good}] [ant: {badly}, {ill},
{poorly}]
2: thoroughly or completely; fully; often used as a combining
form; "The problem is well understood"; "she was well
informed"; "shake well before using"; "in order to avoid food
poisoning be sure the meat is well cooked"; "well-done beef",
"well-satisfied customers"; "well-educated"
3: indicating high probability; in all likelihood; "I might well
do it"; "a mistake that could easily have ended in disaster";
"you may well need your umbrella"; "he could equally well be
trying to deceive us" [syn: {well}, {easily}]
4: (used for emphasis or as an intensifier) entirely or fully;
"a book well worth reading"; "was well aware of the
difficulties ahead"; "suspected only too well what might be
going on"
5: to a suitable or appropriate extent or degree; "the project
was well underway"; "the fetus has well developed organs";
"his father was well pleased with his grades"
6: favorably; with approval; "their neighbors spoke well of
them"; "he thought well of the book" [ant: {badly}, {ill}]
7: to a great extent or degree; "I'm afraid the film was well
over budget"; "painting the room white made it seem
considerably (or substantially) larger"; "the house has
fallen considerably in value"; "the price went up
substantially" [syn: {well}, {considerably}, {substantially}]
8: with great or especially intimate knowledge; "we knew them
well" [syn: {well}, {intimately}]
9: with prudence or propriety; "You would do well to say nothing
more"; "could not well refuse"
10: with skill or in a pleasing manner; "she dances well"; "he
writes well" [ant: {badly}]
11: in a manner affording benefit or advantage; "she married
well"; "The children were settled advantageously in Seattle"
[syn: {well}, {advantageously}] [ant: {badly},
{disadvantageously}]
12: in financial comfort; "They live well"; "she has been able
to live comfortably since her husband died" [syn: {well},
{comfortably}]
13: without unusual distress or resentment; with good humor;
"took the joke well"; "took the tragic news well" [ant:
{badly}]
adj 1: in good health especially after having suffered illness
or injury; "appears to be entirely well"; "the wound is
nearly well"; "a well man"; "I think I'm well; at least I
feel well" [ant: {ill}, {sick}]
2: resulting favorably; "it's a good thing that I wasn't there";
"it is good that you stayed"; "it is well that no one saw
you"; "all's well that ends well" [syn: {good}, {well(p)}]
3: wise or advantageous and hence advisable; "it would be well
to start early"
n 1: a deep hole or shaft dug or drilled to obtain water or oil
or gas or brine
2: a cavity or vessel used to contain liquid
3: an abundant source; "she was a well of information" [syn:
{well}, {wellspring}, {fountainhead}]
4: an open shaft through the floors of a building (as for a
stairway)
5: an enclosed compartment in a ship or plane for holding
something as e.g. fish or a plane's landing gear or for
protecting something as e.g. a ship's pumps
v 1: come up, as of a liquid; "Tears well in her eyes"; "the
currents well up" [syn: {well}, {swell}]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Well \Well\, n. [OE. welle, AS. wella, wylla, from weallan to
well up, surge, boil; akin to D. wel a spring or fountain.
????. See {Well}, v. i.]
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1. An issue of water from the earth; a spring; a fountain.
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Begin, then, sisters of the sacred well. --Milton.
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2. A pit or hole sunk into the earth to such a depth as to
reach a supply of water, generally of a cylindrical form,
and often walled with stone or bricks to prevent the earth
from caving in.
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The woman said unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to
draw with, and the well is deep. --John iv. 11.
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3. A shaft made in the earth to obtain oil or brine.
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4. Fig.: A source of supply; fountain; wellspring. "This well
of mercy." --Chaucer.
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Dan Chaucer, well of English undefiled. --Spenser.
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A well of serious thought and pure. --Keble.
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5. (Naut.)
(a) An inclosure in the middle of a vessel's hold, around
the pumps, from the bottom to the lower deck, to
preserve the pumps from damage and facilitate their
inspection.
(b) A compartment in the middle of the hold of a fishing
vessel, made tight at the sides, but having holes
perforated in the bottom to let in water for the
preservation of fish alive while they are transported
to market.
(c) A vertical passage in the stern into which an
auxiliary screw propeller may be drawn up out of
water.
(d) A depressed space in the after part of the deck; --
often called the cockpit.
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6. (Mil.) A hole or excavation in the earth, in mining, from
which run branches or galleries.
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7. (Arch.) An opening through the floors of a building, as
for a staircase or an elevator; a wellhole.
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8. (Metal.) The lower part of a furnace, into which the metal
falls.
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{Artesian well}, {Driven well}. See under {Artesian}, and
{Driven}.
{Pump well}. (Naut.) See {Well}, 5
(a), above.
{Well boring}, the art or process of boring an artesian well.
{Well drain}.
(a) A drain or vent for water, somewhat like a well or
pit, serving to discharge the water of wet land.
(b) A drain conducting to a well or pit.
{Well room}.
(a) A room where a well or spring is situated; especially,
one built over a mineral spring.
(b) (Naut.) A depression in the bottom of a boat, into
which water may run, and whence it is thrown out with
a scoop.
{Well sinker}, one who sinks or digs wells.
{Well sinking}, the art or process of sinking or digging
wells.
{Well staircase} (Arch.), a staircase having a wellhole (see
{Wellhole}
(b) ), as distinguished from one which occupies the whole
of the space left for it in the floor.
{Well sweep}. Same as {Sweep}, n., 12.
{Well water}, the water that flows into a well from
subterraneous springs; the water drawn from a well.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Well \Well\, adv. [Compar. and superl. wanting, the deficiency
being supplied by better and best, from another root.] [OE.
wel, AS. wel; akin to OS., OFries., & D. wel, G. wohl, OHG.
wola, wela, Icel. & Dan. vel, Sw. v[aum]l, Goth. wa['i]la;
originally meaning, according to one's will or wish. See
{Will}, v. t., and cf. {Wealth}.]
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1. In a good or proper manner; justly; rightly; not ill or
wickedly.
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If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.
--Gen. iv. 7.
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2. Suitably to one's condition, to the occasion, or to a
proposed end or use; suitably; abundantly; fully;
adequately; thoroughly.
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Lot . . . beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it
was well watered everywhere. --Gen. xiii.
10.
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WE are wellable to overcome it. --Num. xiii.
30.
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She looketh well to the ways of her household.
--Prov. xxxi.
27.
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Servant of God, well done! well hast thou fought
The better fight. --Milton.
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3. Fully or about; -- used with numbers. [Obs.] "Well a ten
or twelve." --Chaucer.
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Well nine and twenty in a company. --Chaucer.
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4. In such manner as is desirable; so as one could wish;
satisfactorily; favorably; advantageously; conveniently.
"It boded well to you." --Dryden.
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Know
In measure what the mind may well contain. --Milton.
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All the world speaks well of you. --Pope.
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5. Considerably; not a little; far.
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Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age.
--Gen. xviii.
11.
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Note: Well is sometimes used elliptically for it is well, as
an expression of satisfaction with what has been said
or done, and sometimes it expresses concession, or is
merely expletive; as, well, the work is done; well, let
us go; well, well, be it so.
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Note: Well, like above, ill, and so, is used before many
participial adjectives in its usual adverbial senses,
and subject to the same custom with regard to the use
of the hyphen (see the Note under {Ill}, adv.); as, a
well-affected supporter; he was well affected toward
the project; a well-trained speaker; he was well
trained in speaking; well-educated, or well educated;
well-dressed, or well dressed; well-appearing;
well-behaved; well-controlled; well-designed;
well-directed; well-formed; well-meant; well-minded;
well-ordered; well-performed; well-pleased;
well-pleasing; well-seasoned; well-steered;
well-tasted; well-told, etc. Such compound epithets
usually have an obvious meaning, and since they may be
formed at will, only a few of this class are given in
the Vocabulary.
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{As well}. See under {As}.
{As well as}, and also; together with; not less than; one as
much as the other; as, a sickness long, as well as severe;
London is the largest city in England, as well as the
capital.
{Well enough}, well or good in a moderate degree; so as to
give satisfaction, or so as to require no alteration.
{Well off}, in good condition; especially, in good condition
as to property or any advantages; thriving; prosperous.
{Well to do}, well off; prosperous; -- used also adjectively.
"The class well to do in the world." --J. H. Newman.
{Well to live}, in easy circumstances; well off; well to do.
--Shak.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Well \Well\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Welled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Welling}.] [OE. wellen, AS. wyllan, wellan, fr. weallan;
akin to OFries. walla, OS. & OHG. wallan, G. wallen, Icel.
vella, G. welle, wave, OHG. wella, walm, AS. wylm; cf. L.
volvere to roll, Gr. ? to inwrap, ? to roll. Cf. {Voluble},
{Wallop} to boil, {Wallow}, {Weld} of metal.]
To issue forth, as water from the earth; to flow; to spring.
"[Blood] welled from out the wound." --Dryden. "[Yon spring]
wells softly forth." --Bryant.
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From his two springs in Gojam's sunny realm,
Pure welling out, he through the lucid lake
Of fair Dambea rolls his infant streams. --Thomson.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Well \Well\, a.
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1. Good in condition or circumstances; desirable, either in a
natural or moral sense; fortunate; convenient;
advantageous; happy; as, it is well for the country that
the crops did not fail; it is well that the mistake was
discovered.
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It was well with us in Egypt. --Num. xi. 18.
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2. Being in health; sound in body; not ailing, diseased, or
sick; healthy; as, a well man; the patient is perfectly
well. "Your friends are well." --Shak.
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Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake?
--Gen. xliii.
27.
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3. Being in favor; favored; fortunate.
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He followed the fortunes of that family, and was
well with Henry the Fourth. --Dryden.
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4. (Marine Insurance) Safe; as, a chip warranted well at a
certain day and place. --Burrill.
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from
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Well
(Heb. beer), to be distinguished from a fountain (Heb. 'ain). A
"beer" was a deep shaft, bored far under the rocky surface by
the art of man, which contained water which percolated through
the strata in its sides. Such wells were those of Jacob and
Beersheba, etc. (see Gen. 21:19, 25, 30, 31; 24:11; 26:15,
18-25, 32, etc.). In the Pentateuch this word beer, so rendered,
occurs twenty-five times.
from
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
WELL. A hole dug in the earth in order to obtain water.
2. The owner of the estate has a right to dig in his own ground, at
such a distance as is permitted by law, from his neighbor's land; he is not
restricted as to the size or depth, and is not liable to any action for
rendering the well of his neighbor useless by so doing. Lois des Bat. part.
1, c. 3, sect. 2, art. 2, Sec. 2.
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
304 Moby Thesaurus words for "well":
ably, abysm, abyss, acceptably, adeptly, adequately, adroitly,
agilely, all right, all the way, altogether, amply, appropriately,
approvingly, aptly, aright, artfully, artificial lake,
artistically, baths, bayou lake, becomingly, benignantly, benignly,
beyond all expectation, blow out, bonanza, brilliantly, bunkum,
capably, capitally, cascade, cataract, cavity, certainly, chasm,
cistern, clear, cleverly, comfortable, comfortably, competently,
completely, conceivably, concernedly, considerably, considerately,
cornucopia, correctly, crater, crevasse, cunningly, dam,
dead water, decently, decorously, deep, deftly, deluge, depth,
dexterously, dextrously, dig, diggings, dike, doing nicely,
doubtlessly, drain, drain out, easily, easy, effectively,
effectually, efficiently, effortlessly, empty, engulf, entirely,
etang, excavation, excellently, exhaust, expertly, facilely,
famously, far, farm pond, favorably, featly, find vent, fine,
finely, fishpond, fit, fitly, fittingly, flood, flow, flow out,
font, fortunate, fortunately, fount, fountain, fountainhead,
freely, freshwater lake, fully, generously, glacial lake,
gold mine, good, gulf, gush, gush out, hale, handily, happily,
happy, headspring, headstream, headwater, heedfully, hole, hollow,
humanely, humanly, inception, indeed, ingeniously, inland sea,
interestedly, inundate, jet, justly, kindheartedly, kindly, lagoon,
laguna, lake, lakelet, landlocked water, lightly, likely, linn,
loch, lode, lough, mainspring, masterfully, mere, millpond,
millpool, mine, neatly, nicely, nimbly, nyanza, obviously, origin,
outflow, outpour, overbrim, overflow, overrun, overwhelm,
oxbow lake, passably, perfectly, perhaps, pit, plash, play,
pleasantly, plumb, pond, pondlet, pool, possibly, pour, pour out,
pour over, probably, proficiently, properly, prosperously,
provenance, provenience, providential, puddle, quarry, quite,
rather, readily, really, reservoir, resource, resourcefully, right,
rightly, riverhead, root, roundly, royally, run out, run over,
salina, salt pond, sane, satisfactorily, satisfyingly, shaft,
significantly, skillfully, slam, slop, slosh, sluice out, smoothly,
snug, softheartedly, somewhat, sound, source, source of supply,
spa, spew, spew out, spill, spill out, spill over, spit,
splendidly, spout, spout out, spray, spring, springhead, springs,
spritz, spryly, spurt, spurtle, squirt, stagnant water,
standing water, staple, still water, sublimely, submerge,
substantial, successfully, suitably, sump, superbly, surely, surge,
swamp, sweep, swimmingly, tank, tarn, tenderheartedly,
thoughtfully, tidal pond, to good purpose, to some purpose,
tolerably, truly, unailing, undoubtedly, unquestionably, unsick,
unsickly, up and about, utterly, vein, very well, volcanic lake,
vomit, vomit forth, vomit out, warmheartedly, warmly, water hole,
water pocket, watering place, well out, well-fixed, well-heeled,
well-off, well-to-do, wellhead, wellspring, whelm, white,
wholesome, wholly, with consummate skill, with finesse,
with genius, with skill, workings, yawning abyss
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