Welkin

Origin

From Middle English welkne, wolkne ("clouds, heavens"), from Old English wolcnu ("clouds"), plural of wolcen ("cloud"), from Proto-Germanic *wulkaną, *wulkō, *wulkô ("cloud"), from Proto-Indo-European *welg-, *welk- ("wet, moist"). Cognate with Dutch wolk ("cloud"), Dutch welken ("to wither"), Low German Wulke ("cloud"), German Wolke ("cloud"), German welken ("to wither"). More at welk.

Full definition of welkin

Noun

1. (archaic) The sky, the upper air; the heavens.
• c1388, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales,This day in mirth and revel to dispendTill on the welkin shone the starres bright
• 1739, s:Author:Charles Wesley Wesley, s:Hymns and Sacred Poems, Hark! How all the welkin rings!
• 1951, s:Author:Bosley Crowther, Miss Kirsten and Miss Thebom are ladies who can rock the welkin, too, and their contributions to the concert maintain it at a musical high.

Synonyms

• lift, firmament

Derived terms

• make the welkin ring

Anagrams

• winkle