War

WAR, adj.1, adv., sb. and v. Sc. Irel. Nhb. Cum. Wm. Yks. Lan. Chs. Der. Not. Lin. Nhp.; also Dev. Also written waar Cum.1 Wm. n.Lan.1; wahr w.Yks.; warr Sc. (Jam.) n.Cy. w.Yks.4 e.Lan.1 s.Lan.1; warre w.Yks. Chs.1 Chs.2 Chs.3 Dev.1; and in forms ? var e.Yks.; ware Sc. (Jam.); waree Dev.1; warrer w.Yks.2 w.Yks.5; waur Sc. (Jam.) N.I.1 Nhb.1 Wm. n.Yks.1 n.Yks.2 w.Yks.3 Lan. Lin.; werr Sh.I.; wor Ir. m.Lan.1 s.Lan.1; worre Chs.1 Chs.2 Chs.3; wur s.Lan.1 Chs.1; wurr e.Lan.1 s.Lan.1 [wār, waə(r.] 1. adj. and adv. Worse; also used subst. Sc. (Jam.); Fain to leave the country for fear that waur had come of it, Scott Rob Roy (1817) xiv. Sh.I. Shö can be werr afore shö's better, for me, Burgess Tang (1898) 232. ne.Sc. The verra doug kent fan Ah wis the waur o' drink, Green Gordonhaven (1887) 100. Cai.1 e.Sc. They likit me nane the waur for that, Strain Elmslie's Drag-net (1900) 9. Frf. That's waur than swearing, Barrie Minister (1891) xiv. w.Sc. Na, waur! ilka winter he's aff and awa', Carrick Laird of Logan (1835) 258. s.Sc. The times are aye changing frae bad to waur, Watson Border Bards (1859) 7. Ayr. She cou'd ca' us nae waur than we are, Burns Kirk's Alarm, st. 18. Slk. In a few things, better ─ in a hantle, waur, Chr. North Noctes (ed. 1856) III. 203. Kcb. Muir Muncraig (1900) 137. N.I.1 Ance ill, aye waur. Uls. Bell's bark's wor' nor 'er bite, McIlroy Craiglinnie (1900) 22. N.Cy.1, Nhb.1 Cum. It's war than deeth to hear him, Anderson Ballads (ed. 1808) 59; Cum.1 A common toast in former days was, ‘May nivver wāar be amang us!’ meaning both ‘war’ and ‘worse’ (s.v. Warse). Wm. Spec. Dial. (1885) pt. iii. 5. n.Yks.1 n.Yks.2 e.Yks. Thompson Hist. Welton (1869) 169. m.Yks.1 w.Yks. Willan List Wds. (1811); w.Yks.1 w.Yks.2 w.Yks.3 w.Yks.4 w.Yks.5 Lan. Neither better nor waur than his maks, Waugh Heather (ed. Milner) I. 117; Lan.1, n.Lan.1, ne.Lan.1, e.Lan.1, m.Lan.1, s.Lan.1 Chs. Theer is a vast o' foales is war than oi, Clough B. Bresskittle (1879) 17; Chs.1 Chs.2 Chs.3 Der.1 That's warnor than aw [all] beside; Der.2 Not.2 He's no war nor me. Lin. Streatfeild Lin. and Danes (1884) 375. n.Lin.1, Nhp.1 Dev.1 Warre and waree. Hence (1) War-fared, ppl. adj., obs., worse-looking; (2) War-hand, sb. the left hand; (3) War-mak, sb. (a) people addicted to evil habits; (b) the working class; (4) Warst, adj. worst; (5) Waurness, sb. the state of growing or being worse. (1) Abd. MacDonald R. Falconer (1868) 104. Edb. Do I look war-far'd nor I did afore? Macaulay Poems (1788) 120. (2) Nhb.1 In a rencounter in Ovingham Churchyard, Wm. Surtees, of Broad Oak, lost the use of his hand by a spear wound, and acquired the name of ‘Willie with the war-hand.’.. The hand he had lost was his right; but his left, his war, or worse hand, remained, and from it he acquired the name by which he was distinguished, Raine Life of Surtees, 89. (3, a) w.Yks. There's two maks o' these Drivers,.. better mak an' waur mak. Better mak's fearful strict, an' t'war mak's just as wild, Snowden Web of Weaver (1896) ii. (b) w.Yks. Those... who are considered a bit more respectable than the average of the working folk, or who have a shilling or two a week more wages than the average, are frequently referred to, ‘One o' t'better soart o' t'war mak,’ Leeds Merc. Suppl. (Nov. 4, 1899). (4) Sc. (Jam.), Cai.1 Slg. Gin the waurst we maun dree, Towers Poems (1885) 77. Rnf. The warst to come, Mitchell Wee Steeple (1840) 183. Edb. What's warst ava, they're waur to mend, Liddle Poems (1821) 152. n.Cy. (J.W.), n.Yks.2 w.Yks. Watson Hist. Hlfx. (1775) 547. ne.Lan.1 (5) Lnk. Gin things be gaun waur in the kintry, I trou There's no muckle sign o' their waurness wi' you, Watson Poems (1853) 46. 2. Phr. (1) to see anything war than oneself, to see a ghost; (2) war for, or of, the wear, the worse for wear; (3) war side out, cross, ill-tempered; ‘the wrong side out.’ (1) Sc. (Jam.) (2) Sc. The waur for the wear like ourselves, Scott Abbot (1820) xviii. Abd. Maist o' them were ancient an' waur-o'-the-wear things, Ogg Willie Waly (1873) 59. Edb. Logan Auld Reekie (1864) 25. Fif. He lent me... his warst workin' jacket, forby this crunkled waur-for-the-wear hat, Tennant Card. Beaton (1823) 154 (Jam.). n.Cy., Yks. (J.W.) (3) w.Yks. Thah moan't goa near t'gaffer to-day, 'cos he's o' t'wahr side aht, an's sewer to say summat 'at'll mak' theh mad (Æ.B.). 3. sb. In phr. (1) at war, worse; (2) ill comes upon war's back, obs., one misfortune succeeds another; (3) ten wars, a great pity or misfortune; (4) to come by, or off with the war, to get the worst of it; to suffer defeat; (5) to take war, to take offence; (6) to win the war, obs., see (4). (1) n.Yks.2 The invalid tells you, ‘I am mickle at waur.’ (2) Sc. Ramsay Prov. (1737). (3) Sc. Gin that were to happen, it wad be ten waurs (Jam.). (4) Sc. No one dared to strive with a Douglas,.. for if he did he was sure to come by the waur, Scott St. Ronan (1824) i. n.Yks. (I.W.) (5) Sh.I. Hit's a gude job 'at doo kens wha doo's spaekin' till, an' at William taks nae waur wi' dee, Sh. News (Aug. 17, 1901). (6) Abd. The weak aye wins the war, Ross Helenore (1768) 99, ed. 1812. 4. v. To overcome; to beat; to surpass; to get the better of; to requite for an injury; to injure. Sc. It was a paper of great significance to the plea and we were to be waured for want o't, Scott Antiquary (1816) ix. Frf. Satan tar you, If in the race I dinna war you, Sands Poems (1833) 75. Ayr. Ane Hornbook's ta'en up the trade, An' faith, he'll waur me, Burns Death and Dr. Hornbook (1785) st. 13. Lnk. Graham Writings (1883) II. 149. Slk. It waur'd baith young and auld to cow, Hogg Poems (ed. 1865) 434. Gall. The Gallovidian (1900) II. 64. 5. Phr. the water will never war the widdie, he that is born to be hanged will never be drowned. Sc. Kelly Prov. (1721) 304. e.Lth. Mucklebackit Rur. Rhymes (1885) 236. [1. Swa þu tellesst werre off þe, Ormulum (c. 1200) 4898.

ON. verr, adv., verri, adj. worse (Vigfusson).]

WAR, adj.2 Sc. Nhb. Yks. Lan. Lin. Shr. Also in forms waar Sh.&Ork.1; ware Sc. (Jam. Suppl.); waur, waure Sc.; wer Sc. (Jam.) [wār, waə(r.] 1. Obsol. Cautious, wary. Cf. ware, v.3 Sc. Be war, hald the[e] on far Sic chaif wair for to pryiss, Rogers Reformers (1874) 28. Abd. MacDonald R. Falconer (1868) 83. Fif. Being a slight and war man... he thought it wald nather be profitable nor sure for him to be in that place of service in the Kirk, Melvill Autobiog. (1610) 165, ed. 1842. Hence Wareless, adj. unwary, unguarded. Slk. Open laid my wareless heart, Hogg Poems (ed. 1865) 425. Rxb. The moudiewurt, puir wareless thing, Riddell Poet. Wks. (1871) I. 245; Wareless or warily, joyfu' or wae, RIDDELL Poet. Wks. II. 200. 2. Aware, conscious. Sc. (Jam.), Sh.&Ork.1 Rnf. Sandy McNab, by some unlucky dint, Was nae waur o' trap till his feet they fell in't, Webster Rhymes (1835) 58. Nhb.1 He set away afore aa wis war. Aa wasn't war o' yor comin. n.Yks.1, m.Yks.1, w.Yks.1, ne.Lan.1, n.Lin.1 Shr.1 Comin' down the Brummy-bonk, I 'eärd summat tussle i' the 'edge, so I went toërt it, an' wuz war on a great ar [hare] in a grin; Shr.2 Wunna war on him. [2. The woman was war þat no wegh herd, And vnder shadow of shame shewid forth hir ernd, Dest. Troy

(c. 1400) 521. OE. wær, cautious, aware (Sweet).]

WAR, see Be, Ware, sb.1, v.3, Wear, v.12