WELD

v. & n. --v.tr. 1 a hammer or press (pieces of iron or other metal usu. heated but not melted) into one piece. b join by fusion with an electric arc etc. c form by welding into some article. 2 fashion (arguments, members of a group, etc.) into an effectual or homogeneous whole. --n. a welded joint. øøweldable adj. weldability n. welder n. [alt. of WELL(2) v. in obs. sense 'melt or weld (heated metal)', prob. infl. by past part.]