welter 1
/wel"teuhr/ , v.i.
1. to roll, toss, or heave, as waves or the sea.
2. to roll, writhe, or tumble about; wallow, as animals (often fol. by about ): pigs weltering about happily in the mud.
3. to lie bathed in or be drenched in something, esp. blood.
4. to become deeply or extensively involved, associated, entangled, etc.: to welter in setbacks, confusion, and despair.
n.
5. a confused mass; a jumble or muddle: a welter of anxious faces.
6. a state of commotion, turmoil, or upheaval: the welter that followed the surprise attack.
7. a rolling, tossing, or tumbling about, as or as if by the sea, waves, or wind: They found the shore through the mighty welter.
[ 1250-1300; ME, freq. (see -ER 6 ) of welten to roll, OE weltan; c. MD welteren, LG weltern to roll ]
Syn. 6. confusion, tumult.
welter 2
/wel"teuhr/ , n.
1. Informal. a welterweight boxer or wrestler.
adj.
2. (of a steeplechase or hurdle race) pertaining to, or noting a race in which the horses bear welterweights.
[ 1785-95; WELT + -ER 1 ]