■ adjective ( ~ter , ~test )
1》 covered or saturated with liquid.
↘(of the weather) rainy.
↘involving the use of water or liquid.
2》 (of paint, ink, etc.) not yet having dried or hardened.
3》 Brit. informal lacking forcefulness or strength of character; feeble.
4》 informal (of an area) allowing the free sale of alcoholic drink.
■ verb ( ~s , ~ting ; past and past participle ~ or ~ted ) cover or touch with liquid.
↘(especially of a baby or young child) urinate in or on.
↘( ~ oneself ) urinate involuntarily.
↘ dialect infuse (tea) by pouring on boiling water.
■ noun
1》 liquid that makes something damp.
↘( the ~ ) rainy weather.
↘ Brit. informal a drink.
2》 Brit. informal a feeble person.
3》 Brit. a Conservative politician (especially in the 1980s) with liberal tendencies.
4》 US a person opposed to the prohibition of alcohol.
Phrases
all ~ N. Amer. completely wrong.
~ the baby's head Brit. informal celebrate a baby's birth with a drink.
~ behind the ears informal lacking experience; immature.
~ one's whistle informal have a drink.
Derivatives
~ly adverb
~ness noun
~table adjective
~tish adjective
Origin
OE wt (adjective andnoun), wtan (v.); related to water .