Wem

Pronunciation

• IPA: /wÉ›m/

From Middle English wem, wemme, from Old English wamm ("stain, spot, scar, disgrace, defect, defilement, sin, evil, crime, injury, loss, hurt, misfortune"), from Proto-Germanic *wammaz ("stain, spot"), from Proto-Indo-European *wem- ("to spew, vomit"). Cognate with Icelandic vamm ("loss, damage"), Latin vomō ("vomit", verb.) (English vomit), Ancient Greek ἐμέω (eméō, "I spew") (English emesis), Lithuanian vemti ("to vomit"), Sanskrit वमति (vamati, "to vomit")

Alternative forms

• weam, weem
• wame, wan Scotland

Full definition of wem

Noun

1. (UK dialectal) A spot; stain; mark; scar; weal; bruise.
2. (UK dialectal) A (moral) blemish; fault; blemish; taint.
3. (UK dialectal) Neglect; damage.

Derived terms

• wemless
• wemmy

From Middle English wemmen, from Old English wemman ("to defile, besmirch, profane, injure, ill-treat, destroy, abuse, revile"), from Proto-Germanic *wammijanÄ… ("to stain"), from Proto-Indo-European *wem- ("to spew, vomit").

Verb

1. (transitive, UK dialectal) To injure or disfigure; blemish; mark; scar.
2. (transitive, UK dialectal) To defile; pollute; corrupt; vitiate.
3. (transitive, UK dialectal) To violate (one's word).

Derived terms

• wemmed
• wemming

Anagrams

• mew