Wage

Pronunciation

• IPA: /weɪdÍ¡Ê’/
• Rhymes: -eɪdÊ’

From Anglo-Norman, from Old Northern French wage, a northern variant of Old French gauge, guage (whence modern French gage), itself (possibly through a Vulgar Latin root *wadium) from Frankish *waddi, wadja (cognate with Old English wedd), from Proto-Germanic *wadjō, *wadją ("pledge"), from Proto-Indo-European *wadʰ- ("to pledge, redeem a pledge"). Akin to Old Norse veþja "to pledge", Gothic wadi. Cf. also the doublet gage. More at wed. Possible contributory etylomolgy from from the Old English wæge (meaning "weight," as wages at times have been goods or coin measured on a scale).

Full definition of wage

Noun

1. An amount of money paid to a worker for a specified quantity of work, usually expressed on an hourly basis.

Synonyms

• earnings, pay, salary

Derived terms

From Middle English wagen ("to pledge"), from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French wagier, a northern variant of Old French guagier (whence modern French gager), itself either from guage or from a derivative of Frankish *waddi, *wadja, possibly through a Vulgar Latin intermediate *wadiare from *wadium.

Verb

1. (transitive, obsolete) To wager, bet.
• ShakespeareMy life I never held but as a pawn
  To wage against thy enemies.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To expose oneself to, as a risk; to incur, as a danger; to venture; to hazard.
• Shakespearetoo weak to wage an instant trial with the king
• Shakespeareto wake and wage a danger profitless
3. (transitive, obsolete) To employ for wages; to hire.
• 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book I:with the grete goodes we haue goten in these landes by youre yeftes we shalle wage good knyghtes & withstande the kynge Claudas malyce ...
• Holinshedabundance of treasure which he had in store, wherewith he might wage soldiers
4. (transitive) To conduct or carry out (a war or other contest).
• Drydenpondered which of all his sons was fit
  To reign and wage immortal war with wit.
• I. TaylorThe two are waging war, and the one triumphs by the destruction of the other.
5. (transitive) To adventure, or lay out, for hire or reward; to hire out.
• SpenserThou ... must wage thy works for wealth.
6. (obsolete, legal, UK) To give security for the performance of.

Usage notes

"Wage" collocates strongly with "war", leading to expressions such as To wage peace, or To wage football implying the inclusion of a large element of conflict in the action.

Derived terms

• wager (agent noun)