wair

• (General American) IPA^(key): /wɛɹ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /wɛə/
• Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)
• Homophones: ware, wear

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

wair (plural wairs)

1. (obsolete) A plank six feet long and one foot across.^[1]

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

wair (third-person singular simple present wairs, present participle wairing, simple past and past participle waired)

1. (Scotland, obsolete) To spend.
   • 1826, Mungo Ponton Brown, Supplement to the Dictionary of the Decisions of the Court of Session, volume 3, Edinburgh, page 569:

     […] they find there was no lesion to the minor by setting the said tack, and that the money waired out by the defender, in building and reparations, viz not only the ₤1317 Scots first given out, but also the ₤326 last waired by the defender, […]

   • 1831, [1566], John Knox, edited by William McGavin, The History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland, page 94:

     We shall maintain them, nourish them, and defend them, the whole congregation of Christ, and every member thereof, at our whole powers and wairing [spending] of our lives, against Satan, and all wicked power that does intend tyranny or trouble against the foresaid congregation.

   • 1841, William Alexander, An Abridgement of the Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, 1424—1707, page 243,

     […] Reserving alwayes to the Sheriff or other Magistrates, and taker of the Thief, the expences waired out by them in taking and putting the Thief to execution.

wair

1. Nonstandard form of were.
   • 1897, Henry Christopher McCook, The Latimers: A Tale of the Western Insurrection of 1794, published 2007, page 18:

     We didn't al'ays stay here, but wair on the wing here and thar where game was most plentiful, and often in company with the Mingoes, who wair our sworn fri'nds an' allies.

• Wari, iWar, wari

wair

1. Romanization of 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

wair

1. water

• Blust's Austronesian Comparative Dictionary

• IPA^(key): /wai̯r/

wair

1. Soft mutation of gwair.