wen

{ n. Also . [ AS. wēn. ] One of the runes (&unr_;) adopted into the Anglo-Saxon, or Old English, alphabet. It had the value of modern English w, and was replaced from about a. d. 1280 at first by uu, later by w.

n. [ OE. wenche, for older wenchel a child, originally, weak, tottering; cf. AS. wencle a maid, a daughter, wencel a pupil, orphan, wincel, winclu, children, offspring, wencel weak, wancol unstable, OHG. wanchol; perhaps akin to E. wink. See Wink. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A young woman; a girl; a maiden. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lord and lady, groom and wench. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

That they may send again
My most sweet wench, and gifts to boot. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

He was received by the daughter of the house, a pretty, buxom, blue-eyed little wench. W. Black. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A low, vicious young woman; a drab; a strumpet. [ 1913 Webster ]

She shall be called his wench or his leman. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is not a digression to talk of bawds in a discourse upon wenches. Spectator. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A colored woman; a negress. [ Archaic, U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Wenched p. pr. & vb. n. Wenching. ] To frequent the company of wenches, or women of ill fame. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who wenches; a lewd man. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Being without a wench. Shak. “Mr. Clinton, wenchless of late, has sublimated with public apologies.” [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

obs. p. p. of Wene. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (O. Eng. Law) A large extent of ground; a perambulation; a circuit. [ Obs. ] Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To direct; to betake; -- used chiefly in the phrase to wend one's way. Also used reflexively. “Great voyages to wend.” Surrey. [ 1913 Webster ]