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English Words Starting With W

3,868 entries — pick a word to see its definition, pronunciation, and usage.

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Noun Verb Adjective Adverb Plural noun Suffix Verb (transitive)Verb (intransitive)Verb (ambitransitive)

wh question
nounC1
/ˌdʌbəljuː ˈeɪtʃ kwes.tʃən/A question introduced by a word beginning with 'wh-' (such as who, what, when, where, why, which) or how, requiring a response with specific information rather than just 'yes' or 'no'.
wh-word
nounC1/C2
/ˈdʌbəljuː eɪtʃ wɜːd/A function word used to introduce a question (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, which, whose, how) or a subordinate clause (e.g., relative pronoun).
whachamacallit
nounC2
/ˈwɒtʃəməˌkɔːlɪt/A placeholder name for an object whose specific name is unknown or temporarily forgotten.
whack
interjectionnounverb+2C1
/wak/To hit or strike something sharply and forcefully.
whack off
verbLow (due to vulgar register)
/wak ˈɒf/To masturbate (slang, vulgar).
whaikorero
nounLow (specialised term outside New Zealand contexts; common in NZ cultural/political discourse)
/ˌfaɪ.kɔːˈrɛ.rəʊ/A formal Māori speech or oration, typically delivered during a ceremonial gathering (e.g., welcoming visitors, funerals).
whakairo
nounC1+ (highly specialized/domain-specific in English)
/ˌfɑːkaɪˈrɔː/The art or practice of carving, specifically in Māori culture.
whakapapa
nounlow
/ˌfɑːkəˈpɑːpə/genealogy, lineage, descent; a fundamental Maori concept of layered identity connecting all people and things to the earth and sky.
whale
nounverb-intransitiveverb-transitiveB1
/weɪl/A very large marine mammal that breathes air, has a horizontal tail, and typically has a streamlined body.
whale catcher
nounC1/C2
/ˈweɪl ˌkætʃ.ər/A person or a ship engaged in hunting and catching whales.
whale eye
nounC2 / Very Rare (Specialized)
/ˈweɪl ˌaɪ/A visible, white portion of the sclera at the front or corner of a dog's eye, typically occurring when the animal looks to the side while keeping its head still.
whale oil
nounC2 (Very Low Frequency)
/ˈweɪl ɔɪl/Oil rendered from the blubber (fat) of whales, historically used as fuel for lamps, in lubricants, and for other industrial purposes.
whale shark
nounLow (Specialist/Ecology)
/ˈweɪl ˌʃɑːk/A very large, slow-moving shark (Rhincodon typus) that feeds by filtering plankton and small fish through its gills.
whaleback
nounC2/Rare
/ˈweɪl.bæk/An object or landform with a long, rounded, convex shape resembling the back of a whale.
whalebone
nounC2
/ˈweɪl.bəʊn/The baleen plates from the mouths of certain whales, which were historically used for stiffening and shaping garments.
whalebone whale
nounRare
/ˈweɪl.bəʊn ˌweɪl/Any large baleen whale that has plates of whalebone (baleen) in its mouth for filtering food from water, such as the blue whale or humpback.
whaleman
nounVery Low (Archaic/Historical)
/ˈweɪlmən/A man who hunts or works with whales.
whalen
nounExtremely low
/ˈweɪlən/A rare or dialectal verb meaning to heal or recover (archaic).
whaler
nounC1
/ˈweɪlə(r)/A person or ship involved in hunting and killing whales.
whaler shark
nounLow (Technical/Nautical)
/ˈweɪlə ʃɑːk/A common name for several large species of requiem sharks, typically found in temperate and tropical waters, historically associated with following whaling ships.

Showing 1701–1720 of 3868 words.