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w 1 or W (dŭbəl-y, -y)
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n. pl. w's or W's also ws or Ws
1. The 23rd letter of the modern English alphabet.
2. Any of the speech sounds represented by the letter w.
3. The 23rd in a series.
4. Something shaped like the letter W.
(click for a larger image)
Hollywood sign, Los Angeles, California
Originally reading "Hollywoodland," the Hollywood sign was erected in 1923 at the cost of $21,000 as an advertisement for a real estate development.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
W 1
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The symbol for tungsten.

[From German Wolfram; see WOLFRAM.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
W 2
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abbr.
1. watt
2. Wednesday
3. week
4.
a. west
b. western
5. Sports win
6. Sports winger

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
w 2
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abbr.
1. weight
2. width
3. Physics work

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
w.
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abbr.
1. wife
2. also w/ with

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.