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[weasel word]{n.}, {informal} A word which has more than one meaning and may be used to deceive others. •/When the thief was being questioned by the police, he tried to fool them with weasel words./

[weather] See: FAIR-WEATHER FRIEND.

[weather eye]{n.} 1. Eyes that can tell what the weather will be. •/Grandfather’s weather eye always tells him when it will rain./ 2. Eyes ready or quick to see; careful watch. — Usually used in phrases like "keep a weather eye on", "open", or "out for". •/Mrs. Brown kept a weather eye on the children so they wouldn’t hurt each other./ •/Keep a weather eye out for Uncle George at the store./ •/Keep a weather eye open for deer./ •/The police have a weather eye out for the robbers./ Compare: LOOK OUT.

[weather the storm]{v. phr.} To survive some disaster. •/When Peter and Sue started their business they had very little money, but in a year they weathered the storm./

[wedge] See: FLYING WEDGE.

[wedlock] See: BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK.

[wee hours] The crack of dawn, or just before it, usually between 1 A.M. and 4 A.M. or 2 A.M. and 5 A.M. •/He stayed up all night when they were expecting their first child; finally, a boy was born in the wee hours of the morning./ Compare: SMALL HOURS.

[weeper] See: FINDERS KEEPERS or FINDERS KEEPERS LOSERS WEEPERS.

[weed out]{v.} 1. To remove what is unwanted, harmful, or not good enough from. •/Mother weeded out the library because there were too many books./ •/Many colleges and universities weed out their freshman classes to make room for better students./ 2. To take (what is not wanted) from a collection or group; remove (a part) for the purpose of improving a collection or group; get rid of. •/The coach is weeding out the weak players this week./ •/The teacher told Elizabeth to read over her English composition and weed out every sentence that was not about the subject./

[wee folk] or [little folk] or [little people] {n. phr.} Fairy people; brownies; elves; fairies; or goblins. •/Mother read me a story about the wee folk who lived in the forest and came out at night./ •/There are many stories about little people dancing in the moonlight./

[week in, week out] See: DAY IN, AND DAY OUT.

[week of Sundays]{n. phr.} A long time; seven weeks. •/I haven’t seen them in a week of Sundays./

[weigh anchor]{v. phr.} To set sail; get going. •/After a week in Hawaii, we weighed anchor and sailed south toward Tahiti./

[weigh down] also [weight down] 1. To make heavy; cause to go down or bend with weight; overload. •/The evergreens are weighed down by the deep snow./ — Often used with "with" or "by". •/There are so many children in the back seat that they are weighing down the back of the car./ 2a. To overload with care or worry; make sad or low in spirits. — Usually used in the passive. •/The family is weighed down by sorrow./ •/The company is weighed down by debt./ 2b. To make heavy, hard, or slow; make dull or uninteresting. — Often in the passive used with "by" or "with". •/The book is weighted down with footnotes./ •/The TV program is weighed down by commercials./