Woo

Pronunciation

• enPR: woÍžo, IPA: /wuː/
• Rhymes: -uː

From Middle English wowen, woȝen, from Old English wōgian ("to woo, court, marry"), of uncertain origin. Cognate with Scots wow ("to woo"). Perhaps related to Old English wōg, wōh ("bending, crookedness"), in the specific sense of "bend or incline (some)one toward oneself". If so, then derived from Proto-Germanic *wanhō ("a bend, angle"), from Proto-Indo-European *wonk- ("crooked, bent"), from Proto-Indo-European *wā- ("to bend, twist, turn"); related to Old Norse vá ("corner, angle").

Alternative forms

• wo, wow, wowe obsolete

Full definition of woo

Verb

1. (transitive) To endeavor to gain someone's support.
2. (transitive) (often of a man) To try to persuade someone to marry oneself; to solicit in love.
• PriorEach, like the Grecian artist, wooes
  The image he himself has wrought.
3. To court solicitously; to invite with importunity.
• MiltonThee, chantress, oft the woods among
  I woo, to hear thy even song.
• BryantI woo the wind
  That still delays his coming.

Synonyms

• court

Derived terms

• woo back

Interjection

1. (slang) Expressing joy or mirth; woohoo, yahoo."I got you a new cell phone." "Woo, that's great!"

Adjective

1. Alternative spelling of woo woo----