King James Bible Dictionary

Signs of
Matthew 16:2-3

Sayings concerning
Job 37:9; Job 37:17; Job 37:22
Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena

WEATHER, noun Wether. [G., The primary sense of this word is air, wind or atmosphere; probably the Gr., whence ether.] Properly, the air; hence,

1. The state of the air or atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness, and the like; as warm weather; cold weather; wet weather; dry weather; calm weather; tempestuous weather; fair weather; cloudy weather; hazy weather and the like.

2. Change of the state of the air.

3. Storm; tempest.

[These last significations are not now in use, unless by a poetic license.]

Stress of weather violent winds; force of tempests.

WEATHER, verb transitive wether.

1. To air; to expose to the air. [Rarely used.]

2. In seamens language, to sail to the windward of something else; as, to weather a cape; to weather another ship. As this is often difficult, hence,

3. To pass with difficulty.

To weather a point, to gain or accomplish it against opposition.

To weather out, to endure; to hold out to the end; as, to weather out a storm.

WEATHER is used with several words, either as an adjective, or as forming part of a compound word.

WEATHER-BEATEN, adjective [weather and beaten.] Beaten or harassed by the weather.

WEATHER-BIT, noun A turn of the cable about the end of the windlass, without the knight-heads.

WEATHER-BOARD, noun That side of a ship which is towards the wind; the windward side. So in other words, weather signifies towards the wind or windward; as, in weather-bow, weather-braces, weather-gage, weather-lifts, weather-quarter, weather-shrouds, weather-side, weather-shore, etc.

WEATHER-BOARDING, noun The act of nailing up boards against a wall; or the boards themselves.

WEATHER-BOARDS, noun Pieces of plank placed in the ports of a ship, when laid up in ordinary.

WEATHER-CLOTHS, noun Long pieces of canvas or tarpaulin used to preserve the hammocks from injury by the weather when stowed, or to defend persons from the wind and spray.

WEATHER-COCK, noun [weather and cock.]

1. Something in the shape of a cock placed on the stop of a spire, which by turning, shows the direction of the wind; a vane, or weather-vane.

2. Any thing or person that turns easily and frequently; a fickle, inconstant person.

WEATHER-DRIVEN, adjective [weather and driven.] Driven by winds or storms; forced by stress of weather.

WEATHERED, participle passive Passed to the windward; passed with difficulty.

WEATHER-FEND, verb transitive [weather and fend.] To shelter.

WEATHER-GAGE, noun [weather and gage.] Something that shows the weather. A ship is said to have the weather-gage of another, when she is at the windward of her.

WEATHER-GLASS, noun [weather and glass.] An instrument to indicate the state of the atmosphere. This word includes the barometer, thermometer, hygrometer, manometer, and anemometer.

WEATHER-HELM, noun [weather and helm.] A ship is said to carry a weather-helm when she is inclined to come too near the wind.

WEATHERING, participle present tense Passing or sailing to the windward; passing with difficulty.

WEATHERMOST, adjective [weather and most.] Being farthest to the windward.

WEATHER-PROOF, adjective [weather and proof.] Proof against rough weather.

WEATHER-ROLL, noun [weather and roll.] The roll of a ship to the windward; opposed to lee-lurch.

WEATHER-SPY, noun [weather and spy.] A star-gazer; one that foretells the weather. [Little used.]

WEATHER-TIDE, noun [weather and tide.] The tide which sets against the lee side of a ship, impelling her to the windward.

WEATHER-WISE, adjective [weather and wise.] Skillful in foreseeing the changes or state of the weather.

WEATHER-WISER, noun Something that foreshows the weather. [Not used.]