ween
Doubt; conjecture.
Noun obsolete
- Doubt; conjecture.
Origin
From Middle English wene, from Old English wēn, wēna (“hope, weening, expectation”), from Proto-West Germanic *wāni, from Proto-Germanic *wēniz, *wēnǭ (“hope, expectation”), from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- (“to strive, love, want, reach, win”). Cognate with Dutch waan (“delusion”), Afrikaans waan (“delusion”), German Wahn (“illusion, false hope”).
Forms
Noun slang
- wiener dog, dachshund
Origin
Abbreviation of wiener dog
Forms
Noun slang
- penis
Origin
Abbreviation of wiener (penis)
Forms
Verb Northern England, Scotland
- To weep or cry.
- The boy's mother weened day and night.
- To lament.
Origin
From Middle English weinen (“to wail, lament”), from Old English wānian (“to bewail, lament”), from Proto-Germanic *wainōną (“to cry, lament, grieve”). Cognate with Dutch wenen (“to weep, cry”), German weinen (“to weep, cry”), Icelandic veina (“to wail, cry out”), West Frisian weine (“to weep, cry”).
Forms
Verb archaic
- To suppose, imagine; to think, believe.
- And when they will fight they will shock them together in a plump; that if there be 20000 men, men shall not ween that there be scant 10000. - 1481, Author unknown (pseudonym Sir John Mandeville), The travels of Sir...
- And right as Arthur was on horseback there came a damosel from Morgan le Fay, and brought unto Sir Arthur a sword like unto Excalibur, and the scabbard, and said unto Arthur, Morgan le Fay sendeth here your sword for...
- Then sayde Peter unto hym: Perissh thou and thy money togedder. For thou wenest that the gyfte of god maye be obteyned with money? - 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms,...
- To expect, hope or wish.
Origin
From Middle English wenen, from Old English wēnan, from Proto-Germanic *wēnijaną. Cognate with Dutch wanen, German wähnen.
Forms
Derived
Verb alt of, misspelling
- Misspelling of wean.