"whelm" meaning in English

See whelm in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ʍɛlm/ [General-American, Received-Pronunciation], /wɛlm/ [General-American, Received-Pronunciation] Audio: En-us-whelm.ogg Forms: whelms [plural]
enPR: whĕlm [General-American, Received-Pronunciation], wĕlm [General-American, Received-Pronunciation] Rhymes: -ɛlm Etymology: From Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down”), perhaps from Old English *hwealmnian, a variant of *hwealfnian, from hwealf (“arched, concave, vaulted; an arched or vaulted ceiling”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwalb, from Proto-Germanic *hwalbą (“arch, vault”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve”). The English word is cognate with German Walm (“a vaulted roof”), Icelandic hvolf (“vaulted ceiling”), Dutch welven (“to arch”), German wölben (“to bend, curve; to arch”), Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn”), Old Saxon bihwelvian (“to cover; to hide”), Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf”). The noun is derived from the verb. Etymology templates: {{root|en|ine-pro|*kʷelp-}}, {{inh|en|enm|whelmen|t=to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down}} Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down”), {{inh|en|ang|*hwealmnian}} Old English *hwealmnian, {{der|en|gmw-pro|*hwalb}} Proto-West Germanic *hwalb, {{der|en|gem-pro|*hwalbą|t=arch, vault}} Proto-Germanic *hwalbą (“arch, vault”), {{der|en|ine-pro|*kʷelp-|t=to curve}} Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve”), {{cog|de|Walm|t=a vaulted roof}} German Walm (“a vaulted roof”), {{cog|is|hvolf|t=vaulted ceiling}} Icelandic hvolf (“vaulted ceiling”), {{cog|nl|welven|t=to arch}} Dutch welven (“to arch”), {{cog|de|wölben|t=to bend, curve; to arch}} German wölben (“to bend, curve; to arch”), {{cog|is|hvelfa|t=to overturn}} Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn”), {{cog|osx|bihwelvian|t=to cover; to hide}} Old Saxon bihwelvian (“to cover; to hide”), {{cog|grc|κόλπος|t=bosom, hollow, gulf}} Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} whelm (plural whelms)
  1. (poetic, also figuratively) A surge of water. Tags: also, figuratively, poetic Translations ((poetic, also figuratively) surge of water): נַחְשׁוֹל (nakhshol) [masculine] (Hebrew), ár (Hungarian), áradat (Hungarian), hullám (Hungarian), árhullám (Hungarian), özön (Hungarian)
    Sense id: en-whelm-en-noun-8o7ZAhYU Disambiguation of '(poetic, also figuratively) surge of water': 94 6
  2. A wooden drainpipe, a hollowed out tree trunk, turned with the cavity downwards to form an arched watercourse.
    Sense id: en-whelm-en-noun-g8D01rXJ Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Haitian Creole translations, Terms with Hebrew translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Polish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 12 35 19 8 21 5 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 12 37 16 12 14 9 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 11 46 13 9 15 7 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 8 56 12 8 11 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 8 42 16 9 14 12 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 11 38 18 12 14 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Haitian Creole translations: 9 40 16 8 15 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Hebrew translations: 8 40 20 8 13 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 14 34 12 6 25 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 9 43 17 9 14 7 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 12 33 24 11 16 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 10 36 19 10 13 11

Verb

IPA: /ʍɛlm/ [General-American, Received-Pronunciation], /wɛlm/ [General-American, Received-Pronunciation] Audio: En-us-whelm.ogg Forms: whelms [present, singular, third-person], whelming [participle, present], whelmed [participle, past], whelmed [past]
enPR: whĕlm [General-American, Received-Pronunciation], wĕlm [General-American, Received-Pronunciation] Rhymes: -ɛlm Etymology: From Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down”), perhaps from Old English *hwealmnian, a variant of *hwealfnian, from hwealf (“arched, concave, vaulted; an arched or vaulted ceiling”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwalb, from Proto-Germanic *hwalbą (“arch, vault”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve”). The English word is cognate with German Walm (“a vaulted roof”), Icelandic hvolf (“vaulted ceiling”), Dutch welven (“to arch”), German wölben (“to bend, curve; to arch”), Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn”), Old Saxon bihwelvian (“to cover; to hide”), Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf”). The noun is derived from the verb. Etymology templates: {{root|en|ine-pro|*kʷelp-}}, {{inh|en|enm|whelmen|t=to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down}} Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down”), {{inh|en|ang|*hwealmnian}} Old English *hwealmnian, {{der|en|gmw-pro|*hwalb}} Proto-West Germanic *hwalb, {{der|en|gem-pro|*hwalbą|t=arch, vault}} Proto-Germanic *hwalbą (“arch, vault”), {{der|en|ine-pro|*kʷelp-|t=to curve}} Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve”), {{cog|de|Walm|t=a vaulted roof}} German Walm (“a vaulted roof”), {{cog|is|hvolf|t=vaulted ceiling}} Icelandic hvolf (“vaulted ceiling”), {{cog|nl|welven|t=to arch}} Dutch welven (“to arch”), {{cog|de|wölben|t=to bend, curve; to arch}} German wölben (“to bend, curve; to arch”), {{cog|is|hvelfa|t=to overturn}} Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn”), {{cog|osx|bihwelvian|t=to cover; to hide}} Old Saxon bihwelvian (“to cover; to hide”), {{cog|grc|κόλπος|t=bosom, hollow, gulf}} Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf”) Head templates: {{en-verb}} whelm (third-person singular simple present whelms, present participle whelming, simple past and past participle whelmed)
  1. (transitive, archaic) To bury, to cover; to engulf, to submerge. Tags: archaic, transitive Synonyms: overwhelm, whemmel [Britain, Scotland, dialectal] Translations (to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge): заливам (zalivam) (Bulgarian), поглъщам (poglǎštam) (Bulgarian), 壓倒 (Chinese Mandarin), 压倒 (yādǎo) (Chinese Mandarin), 淹沒 (Chinese Mandarin), 淹没 (yānmò) (Chinese Mandarin), submerger (French), sitèlman chaj (Haitian Creole), elnyel (Hungarian), eláraszt (Hungarian), elborít (Hungarian), elönt (Hungarian), ingolfare (Italian), impantanarsi (Italian), immergersi (Italian), infognarsi (Italian), sopraffare (Italian), seppellire (Italian), otoczyć (Polish)
    Sense id: en-whelm-en-verb-xQRRsu~i Disambiguation of 'to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge': 82 7 7 5
  2. (transitive, obsolete) To throw (something) over a thing so as to cover it. Tags: obsolete, transitive Synonyms: whemmel [Britain, Scotland, dialectal]
    Sense id: en-whelm-en-verb-JahQfIMo
  3. (transitive, obsolete) To ruin or destroy. Tags: obsolete, transitive
    Sense id: en-whelm-en-verb-PSfUMA5y
  4. (intransitive, archaic) To overcome with emotion; to overwhelm. Tags: archaic, intransitive Translations (to overcome with emotion): submerger (French), elborít (Hungarian), elönt (Hungarian), essere sopraffatto (Italian), ogarnąć (Polish)
    Sense id: en-whelm-en-verb-9JebSELO Disambiguation of 'to overcome with emotion': 3 2 2 93
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: overwhelm, underwhelm, unwhelm, whelming [noun], whemmel, whemmle, whammel, whummel, whummle

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "overwhelm"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "underwhelm"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "unwhelm"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "tags": [
        "noun"
      ],
      "word": "whelming"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "whemmel"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "whemmle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "whammel"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "whummel"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "whummle"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*kʷelp-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "whelmen",
        "t": "to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "*hwealmnian"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English *hwealmnian",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*hwalb"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *hwalb",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hwalbą",
        "t": "arch, vault"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hwalbą (“arch, vault”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*kʷelp-",
        "t": "to curve"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Walm",
        "t": "a vaulted roof"
      },
      "expansion": "German Walm (“a vaulted roof”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "hvolf",
        "t": "vaulted ceiling"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic hvolf (“vaulted ceiling”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "welven",
        "t": "to arch"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch welven (“to arch”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "wölben",
        "t": "to bend, curve; to arch"
      },
      "expansion": "German wölben (“to bend, curve; to arch”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "hvelfa",
        "t": "to overturn"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "osx",
        "2": "bihwelvian",
        "t": "to cover; to hide"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Saxon bihwelvian (“to cover; to hide”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "κόλπος",
        "t": "bosom, hollow, gulf"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down”), perhaps from Old English *hwealmnian, a variant of *hwealfnian, from hwealf (“arched, concave, vaulted; an arched or vaulted ceiling”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwalb, from Proto-Germanic *hwalbą (“arch, vault”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve”). The English word is cognate with German Walm (“a vaulted roof”), Icelandic hvolf (“vaulted ceiling”), Dutch welven (“to arch”), German wölben (“to bend, curve; to arch”), Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn”), Old Saxon bihwelvian (“to cover; to hide”), Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf”).\nThe noun is derived from the verb.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "whelms",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "whelming",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "whelmed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "whelmed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "whelm (third-person singular simple present whelms, present participle whelming, simple past and past participle whelmed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "unwhelm"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 46, column 1:",
          "text": "Giue fire: ſhe is my prize, or Ocean whelme them all.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "[1716], [John] Gay, “Book II. Of Walking the Streets by Day.”, in Trivia: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London, London: […] Bernard Lintott, […], →OCLC, page 46:",
          "text": "Still let me walk; for oft' the ſudden Gale / Ruffles the Tide, and ſhifts the dang'rous Sail, / Then ſhall the Paſſenger, too late, deplore / The whelming Billow, and the faithleſs Oar; [...]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1786, Robert Burns, “To a Mountain-daisy, On Turning One Down, with the Plough, in April—1786”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, volume I, Kilmarnock, Scotland: […] John Wilson, →OCLC; reprinted Kilmarnock, Scotland: […] James M‘Kie, 1867, →OCLC, page 172:",
          "text": "Such is the fate of ſimple Bard, / On Life's rough ocean luckleſs ſtarr'd! / Unſkilful he to note the card / Of prudent Lore, / Till billows rage, and gales blow hard, / And whelm him o'er!",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1803, Erasmus Darwin, “Canto I. Production of Life.”, in The Temple of Nature; or, The Origin of Society: A Poem, with Philosophical Notes, London: Printed for J[oseph] Johnson, […], by T[homas] Bensley, […], →OCLC, section II, page 11, lines 113–116:",
          "text": "Deep-whelm'd beneath, in vast sepulchral caves, / Oblivion dwells amid unlabell'd graves; / The storied tomb, the laurell'd bust o'erturns, / And shakes their ashes from the mould'ring urns.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 37, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 185:",
          "text": "The envious billows sidelong swell to whelm my track; let them; but first I pass.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To bury, to cover; to engulf, to submerge."
      ],
      "id": "en-whelm-en-verb-xQRRsu~i",
      "links": [
        [
          "bury",
          "bury"
        ],
        [
          "cover",
          "cover#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "engulf",
          "engulf"
        ],
        [
          "submerge",
          "submerge"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, archaic) To bury, to cover; to engulf, to submerge."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "overwhelm"
        },
        {
          "tags": [
            "Britain",
            "Scotland",
            "dialectal"
          ],
          "word": "whemmel"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "zalivam",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "заливам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "poglǎštam",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "поглъщам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "壓倒"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "yādǎo",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "压倒"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "淹沒"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "yānmò",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "淹没"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "submerger"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "ht",
          "lang": "Haitian Creole",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "sitèlman chaj"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "elnyel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "eláraszt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "elborít"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "elönt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "ingolfare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "impantanarsi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "immergersi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "infognarsi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "sopraffare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "seppellire"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 7 7 5",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
          "word": "otoczyć"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1708, J[ohn] Mortimer, “Of Kites, Hawks, &c.”, in The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], 2nd corrected edition, London: Printed by J. H. for H. Mortlock […], and J. Robinson […], →OCLC, book VII, pages 252–253:",
          "text": "Gnats and Flies are very troubleſome in Houſes [...] Balls made of Horſe-dung and laid in a Room will do the ſame [attract gnats and flies] if they are new made; by which means you may whelm ſome things over them and keep them there.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To throw (something) over a thing so as to cover it."
      ],
      "id": "en-whelm-en-verb-JahQfIMo",
      "links": [
        [
          "throw",
          "throw#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "thing",
          "thing"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, obsolete) To throw (something) over a thing so as to cover it."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "Britain",
            "Scotland",
            "dialectal"
          ],
          "word": "whemmel"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1877, Henry M[artyn] Field, “Naples.—Pompeii and Pæstum.”, in From the Lakes of Killarney to the Golden Horn, 4th edition, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, Armstrong, and Company, →OCLC, page 281:",
          "text": "Here, where a Cæsar stood two thousand years ago, the traveller from another continent (though not from New Zealand) stands to-day, to muse—at Pæstum, as at Pompeii—on the fate which overtakes all human things, and at last whelms man and his works in one undistinguishable ruin.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], The Gods of Pegāna, London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews, […], →OCLC, page 68:",
          "text": "In the twentieth night of the nine hundredth moon, as night came up the valley, I performed the mystic rites of each of the gods in the temple as is my wont, lest any of the gods should grow angry in the night and whelm us while we slept.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To ruin or destroy."
      ],
      "id": "en-whelm-en-verb-PSfUMA5y",
      "links": [
        [
          "ruin",
          "ruin#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "destroy",
          "destroy"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, obsolete) To ruin or destroy."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1839, [John Henry Newman], [Frederick Parry Hodges, compiler], “Hymn 71”, in A Selection of Psalms and Hymns as Chaunted and Sung in the Parish Church of Lyme Regis, Dorset, Lyme [Regis], Dorset: Printed, published, and sold only by Daniel Dunster, […], →OCLC, page 175:",
          "text": "Hear Thou our plaint, when light is gone / And lawlessness and strife prevail. / Hear, lest the whelming weight of crime / Wreck us with life in view; / Lest thoughts and schemes of sense and time / Earn us a sinner's due.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To overcome with emotion; to overwhelm."
      ],
      "id": "en-whelm-en-verb-9JebSELO",
      "links": [
        [
          "overcome",
          "overcome"
        ],
        [
          "emotion",
          "emotion"
        ],
        [
          "overwhelm",
          "overwhelm"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, archaic) To overcome with emotion; to overwhelm."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 2 93",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to overcome with emotion",
          "word": "submerger"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 2 93",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to overcome with emotion",
          "word": "elborít"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 2 93",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to overcome with emotion",
          "word": "elönt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 2 93",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to overcome with emotion",
          "word": "essere sopraffatto"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 2 93",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to overcome with emotion",
          "word": "ogarnąć"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "whĕlm",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "enpr": "wĕlm",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ʍɛlm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/wɛlm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-whelm.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a1/En-us-whelm.ogg/En-us-whelm.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/En-us-whelm.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlm"
    }
  ],
  "word": "whelm"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*kʷelp-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "whelmen",
        "t": "to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "*hwealmnian"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English *hwealmnian",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*hwalb"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *hwalb",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hwalbą",
        "t": "arch, vault"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hwalbą (“arch, vault”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*kʷelp-",
        "t": "to curve"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Walm",
        "t": "a vaulted roof"
      },
      "expansion": "German Walm (“a vaulted roof”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "hvolf",
        "t": "vaulted ceiling"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic hvolf (“vaulted ceiling”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "welven",
        "t": "to arch"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch welven (“to arch”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "wölben",
        "t": "to bend, curve; to arch"
      },
      "expansion": "German wölben (“to bend, curve; to arch”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "hvelfa",
        "t": "to overturn"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "osx",
        "2": "bihwelvian",
        "t": "to cover; to hide"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Saxon bihwelvian (“to cover; to hide”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "κόλπος",
        "t": "bosom, hollow, gulf"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down”), perhaps from Old English *hwealmnian, a variant of *hwealfnian, from hwealf (“arched, concave, vaulted; an arched or vaulted ceiling”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwalb, from Proto-Germanic *hwalbą (“arch, vault”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve”). The English word is cognate with German Walm (“a vaulted roof”), Icelandic hvolf (“vaulted ceiling”), Dutch welven (“to arch”), German wölben (“to bend, curve; to arch”), Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn”), Old Saxon bihwelvian (“to cover; to hide”), Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf”).\nThe noun is derived from the verb.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "whelms",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "whelm (plural whelms)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "the whelm of the tide",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, Clark Coolidge, chapter XIII, in Mine: The One that Enters the Stories, Great Barrington, Mass.: The Figures, →ISBN, page 75:",
          "text": "I wonder about things and the people between us. The currents, the feedback, and the whelms. The sharp cracks between trees, and the tolling between the knees.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2006, Seamus Heaney, District and Circle, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, page 19:",
          "text": "[...] I stood waiting, glad of a first tremor / Then caught up in the now-or-never whelm / Of one and all the full length of the train.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Richard Secklin, “Introduction”, in Marijuana for Parkinson’s Disease: Cannabis Research & the Miracle Plant for Parkinson’s, [United States]: Nettfit Publishing, →ISBN:",
          "text": "As our country developed, the clash of new immigrating cultures were all positioning themselves throughout the United States and their political leaders were individually striving for their own egotistical whelm of power [...]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A surge of water."
      ],
      "id": "en-whelm-en-noun-8o7ZAhYU",
      "links": [
        [
          "surge",
          "surge#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "water",
          "water#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(poetic, also figuratively) A surge of water."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "also",
        "figuratively",
        "poetic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "roman": "nakhshol",
          "sense": "(poetic, also figuratively) surge of water",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "נַחְשׁוֹל"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "(poetic, also figuratively) surge of water",
          "word": "ár"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "(poetic, also figuratively) surge of water",
          "word": "áradat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "(poetic, also figuratively) surge of water",
          "word": "hullám"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "(poetic, also figuratively) surge of water",
          "word": "árhullám"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "(poetic, also figuratively) surge of water",
          "word": "özön"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "12 35 19 8 21 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 37 16 12 14 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 46 13 9 15 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 56 12 8 11 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 42 16 9 14 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 38 18 12 14 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 40 16 8 15 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Haitian Creole translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 40 20 8 13 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hebrew translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 34 12 6 25 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 43 17 9 14 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 33 24 11 16 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 36 19 10 13 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2023, Christopher Hadley, The Road, William Collins Books, →ISBN:",
          "text": "A whelm was a wooden drainpipe, a hollowed-out tree trunk, \"whelmed down\" or turned with the concavity downwards to form an arched watercourse.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A wooden drainpipe, a hollowed out tree trunk, turned with the cavity downwards to form an arched watercourse."
      ],
      "id": "en-whelm-en-noun-g8D01rXJ",
      "links": [
        [
          "drainpipe",
          "drainpipe"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "whĕlm",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "enpr": "wĕlm",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ʍɛlm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/wɛlm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-whelm.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a1/En-us-whelm.ogg/En-us-whelm.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/En-us-whelm.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlm"
    }
  ],
  "word": "whelm"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old English",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷelp-",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Old English",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlm",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlm/1 syllable",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Haitian Creole translations",
    "Terms with Hebrew translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "overwhelm"
    },
    {
      "word": "underwhelm"
    },
    {
      "word": "unwhelm"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "noun"
      ],
      "word": "whelming"
    },
    {
      "word": "whemmel"
    },
    {
      "word": "whemmle"
    },
    {
      "word": "whammel"
    },
    {
      "word": "whummel"
    },
    {
      "word": "whummle"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*kʷelp-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "whelmen",
        "t": "to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "*hwealmnian"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English *hwealmnian",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*hwalb"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *hwalb",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hwalbą",
        "t": "arch, vault"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hwalbą (“arch, vault”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*kʷelp-",
        "t": "to curve"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Walm",
        "t": "a vaulted roof"
      },
      "expansion": "German Walm (“a vaulted roof”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "hvolf",
        "t": "vaulted ceiling"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic hvolf (“vaulted ceiling”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "welven",
        "t": "to arch"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch welven (“to arch”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "wölben",
        "t": "to bend, curve; to arch"
      },
      "expansion": "German wölben (“to bend, curve; to arch”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "hvelfa",
        "t": "to overturn"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "osx",
        "2": "bihwelvian",
        "t": "to cover; to hide"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Saxon bihwelvian (“to cover; to hide”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "κόλπος",
        "t": "bosom, hollow, gulf"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down”), perhaps from Old English *hwealmnian, a variant of *hwealfnian, from hwealf (“arched, concave, vaulted; an arched or vaulted ceiling”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwalb, from Proto-Germanic *hwalbą (“arch, vault”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve”). The English word is cognate with German Walm (“a vaulted roof”), Icelandic hvolf (“vaulted ceiling”), Dutch welven (“to arch”), German wölben (“to bend, curve; to arch”), Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn”), Old Saxon bihwelvian (“to cover; to hide”), Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf”).\nThe noun is derived from the verb.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "whelms",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "whelming",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "whelmed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "whelmed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "whelm (third-person singular simple present whelms, present participle whelming, simple past and past participle whelmed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "unwhelm"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 46, column 1:",
          "text": "Giue fire: ſhe is my prize, or Ocean whelme them all.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "[1716], [John] Gay, “Book II. Of Walking the Streets by Day.”, in Trivia: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London, London: […] Bernard Lintott, […], →OCLC, page 46:",
          "text": "Still let me walk; for oft' the ſudden Gale / Ruffles the Tide, and ſhifts the dang'rous Sail, / Then ſhall the Paſſenger, too late, deplore / The whelming Billow, and the faithleſs Oar; [...]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1786, Robert Burns, “To a Mountain-daisy, On Turning One Down, with the Plough, in April—1786”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, volume I, Kilmarnock, Scotland: […] John Wilson, →OCLC; reprinted Kilmarnock, Scotland: […] James M‘Kie, 1867, →OCLC, page 172:",
          "text": "Such is the fate of ſimple Bard, / On Life's rough ocean luckleſs ſtarr'd! / Unſkilful he to note the card / Of prudent Lore, / Till billows rage, and gales blow hard, / And whelm him o'er!",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1803, Erasmus Darwin, “Canto I. Production of Life.”, in The Temple of Nature; or, The Origin of Society: A Poem, with Philosophical Notes, London: Printed for J[oseph] Johnson, […], by T[homas] Bensley, […], →OCLC, section II, page 11, lines 113–116:",
          "text": "Deep-whelm'd beneath, in vast sepulchral caves, / Oblivion dwells amid unlabell'd graves; / The storied tomb, the laurell'd bust o'erturns, / And shakes their ashes from the mould'ring urns.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 37, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 185:",
          "text": "The envious billows sidelong swell to whelm my track; let them; but first I pass.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To bury, to cover; to engulf, to submerge."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "bury",
          "bury"
        ],
        [
          "cover",
          "cover#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "engulf",
          "engulf"
        ],
        [
          "submerge",
          "submerge"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, archaic) To bury, to cover; to engulf, to submerge."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "overwhelm"
        },
        {
          "tags": [
            "Britain",
            "Scotland",
            "dialectal"
          ],
          "word": "whemmel"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with obsolete senses",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1708, J[ohn] Mortimer, “Of Kites, Hawks, &c.”, in The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], 2nd corrected edition, London: Printed by J. H. for H. Mortlock […], and J. Robinson […], →OCLC, book VII, pages 252–253:",
          "text": "Gnats and Flies are very troubleſome in Houſes [...] Balls made of Horſe-dung and laid in a Room will do the ſame [attract gnats and flies] if they are new made; by which means you may whelm ſome things over them and keep them there.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To throw (something) over a thing so as to cover it."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "throw",
          "throw#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "thing",
          "thing"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, obsolete) To throw (something) over a thing so as to cover it."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "Britain",
            "Scotland",
            "dialectal"
          ],
          "word": "whemmel"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with obsolete senses",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1877, Henry M[artyn] Field, “Naples.—Pompeii and Pæstum.”, in From the Lakes of Killarney to the Golden Horn, 4th edition, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, Armstrong, and Company, →OCLC, page 281:",
          "text": "Here, where a Cæsar stood two thousand years ago, the traveller from another continent (though not from New Zealand) stands to-day, to muse—at Pæstum, as at Pompeii—on the fate which overtakes all human things, and at last whelms man and his works in one undistinguishable ruin.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], The Gods of Pegāna, London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews, […], →OCLC, page 68:",
          "text": "In the twentieth night of the nine hundredth moon, as night came up the valley, I performed the mystic rites of each of the gods in the temple as is my wont, lest any of the gods should grow angry in the night and whelm us while we slept.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To ruin or destroy."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ruin",
          "ruin#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "destroy",
          "destroy"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, obsolete) To ruin or destroy."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with archaic senses",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1839, [John Henry Newman], [Frederick Parry Hodges, compiler], “Hymn 71”, in A Selection of Psalms and Hymns as Chaunted and Sung in the Parish Church of Lyme Regis, Dorset, Lyme [Regis], Dorset: Printed, published, and sold only by Daniel Dunster, […], →OCLC, page 175:",
          "text": "Hear Thou our plaint, when light is gone / And lawlessness and strife prevail. / Hear, lest the whelming weight of crime / Wreck us with life in view; / Lest thoughts and schemes of sense and time / Earn us a sinner's due.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To overcome with emotion; to overwhelm."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "overcome",
          "overcome"
        ],
        [
          "emotion",
          "emotion"
        ],
        [
          "overwhelm",
          "overwhelm"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, archaic) To overcome with emotion; to overwhelm."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "whĕlm",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "enpr": "wĕlm",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ʍɛlm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/wɛlm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-whelm.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a1/En-us-whelm.ogg/En-us-whelm.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/En-us-whelm.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlm"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "zalivam",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "заливам"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "poglǎštam",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "поглъщам"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "壓倒"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "yādǎo",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "压倒"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "淹沒"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "yānmò",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "淹没"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "submerger"
    },
    {
      "code": "ht",
      "lang": "Haitian Creole",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "sitèlman chaj"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "elnyel"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "eláraszt"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "elborít"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "elönt"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "ingolfare"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "impantanarsi"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "immergersi"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "infognarsi"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "sopraffare"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "seppellire"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to bury, cover; to engulf, submerge",
      "word": "otoczyć"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to overcome with emotion",
      "word": "submerger"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to overcome with emotion",
      "word": "elborít"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to overcome with emotion",
      "word": "elönt"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to overcome with emotion",
      "word": "essere sopraffatto"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to overcome with emotion",
      "word": "ogarnąć"
    }
  ],
  "word": "whelm"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old English",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷelp-",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Old English",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlm",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlm/1 syllable",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Haitian Creole translations",
    "Terms with Hebrew translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*kʷelp-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "whelmen",
        "t": "to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "*hwealmnian"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English *hwealmnian",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*hwalb"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *hwalb",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hwalbą",
        "t": "arch, vault"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hwalbą (“arch, vault”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*kʷelp-",
        "t": "to curve"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Walm",
        "t": "a vaulted roof"
      },
      "expansion": "German Walm (“a vaulted roof”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "hvolf",
        "t": "vaulted ceiling"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic hvolf (“vaulted ceiling”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "welven",
        "t": "to arch"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch welven (“to arch”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "wölben",
        "t": "to bend, curve; to arch"
      },
      "expansion": "German wölben (“to bend, curve; to arch”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "hvelfa",
        "t": "to overturn"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "osx",
        "2": "bihwelvian",
        "t": "to cover; to hide"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Saxon bihwelvian (“to cover; to hide”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "κόλπος",
        "t": "bosom, hollow, gulf"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down”), perhaps from Old English *hwealmnian, a variant of *hwealfnian, from hwealf (“arched, concave, vaulted; an arched or vaulted ceiling”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwalb, from Proto-Germanic *hwalbą (“arch, vault”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve”). The English word is cognate with German Walm (“a vaulted roof”), Icelandic hvolf (“vaulted ceiling”), Dutch welven (“to arch”), German wölben (“to bend, curve; to arch”), Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn”), Old Saxon bihwelvian (“to cover; to hide”), Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf”).\nThe noun is derived from the verb.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "whelms",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "whelm (plural whelms)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English poetic terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "the whelm of the tide",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, Clark Coolidge, chapter XIII, in Mine: The One that Enters the Stories, Great Barrington, Mass.: The Figures, →ISBN, page 75:",
          "text": "I wonder about things and the people between us. The currents, the feedback, and the whelms. The sharp cracks between trees, and the tolling between the knees.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2006, Seamus Heaney, District and Circle, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, page 19:",
          "text": "[...] I stood waiting, glad of a first tremor / Then caught up in the now-or-never whelm / Of one and all the full length of the train.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Richard Secklin, “Introduction”, in Marijuana for Parkinson’s Disease: Cannabis Research & the Miracle Plant for Parkinson’s, [United States]: Nettfit Publishing, →ISBN:",
          "text": "As our country developed, the clash of new immigrating cultures were all positioning themselves throughout the United States and their political leaders were individually striving for their own egotistical whelm of power [...]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A surge of water."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "surge",
          "surge#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "water",
          "water#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(poetic, also figuratively) A surge of water."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "also",
        "figuratively",
        "poetic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2023, Christopher Hadley, The Road, William Collins Books, →ISBN:",
          "text": "A whelm was a wooden drainpipe, a hollowed-out tree trunk, \"whelmed down\" or turned with the concavity downwards to form an arched watercourse.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A wooden drainpipe, a hollowed out tree trunk, turned with the cavity downwards to form an arched watercourse."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "drainpipe",
          "drainpipe"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "whĕlm",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "enpr": "wĕlm",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ʍɛlm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/wɛlm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-whelm.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a1/En-us-whelm.ogg/En-us-whelm.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/En-us-whelm.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlm"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "roman": "nakhshol",
      "sense": "(poetic, also figuratively) surge of water",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "נַחְשׁוֹל"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "(poetic, also figuratively) surge of water",
      "word": "ár"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "(poetic, also figuratively) surge of water",
      "word": "áradat"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "(poetic, also figuratively) surge of water",
      "word": "hullám"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "(poetic, also figuratively) surge of water",
      "word": "árhullám"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "(poetic, also figuratively) surge of water",
      "word": "özön"
    }
  ],
  "word": "whelm"
}

Download raw JSONL data for whelm meaning in English (19.9kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.