Wag, vb. 1) to stir, to move; a) intr.: “tremble and start at --ing of a straw,” R3 III, 5, 7. “the empress never --s but in her company there is a Moor,” Tit. V, 2, 87.
b) trans.: “no discerner durst w. his tongue in censure,” H8 I, 1, 33. “think with --ing of your tongue to move me,” V, 3, 127. “let me see the proudest . . . but w. his finger at thee,” V, 3, 127 “what have I done, that thou darest w. thy tongue in noise so rude against me?” Hml. III, 4, 39.
2) to move up and down, or from side to side; a) intr.: “his beard . . . --ed up and down,” Lucr. 1406. “'tis merry in hall when beards w. all,” H4B V, 3, 37 (when there are only men present). “when you speak best unto the purpose, it is not worth the --ing of your beards,” Cor. II, 1, 96. “until my eyelids will no longer w.” Hml. V, 1, 290.
b) trans.: “forbid the mountain pines to w. their high tops,” Merch. IV, 1, 76. “zephyrs blowing below the violet, not --ing his sweet head,” Cymb. IV, 2, 173.
3) to go one's way: “let them w.; trot, trot,” Wiv. I, 3, 7. “here, boys, here, here! shall we w.?” II, 1, 238. “I will provoke him to't, or let him w.” II, 3, 74. let us w. then, 101 (all the mad host's speeches). “thus may we see, quoth he, how the world --s,” As II, 7, 23. As for Ado V, 1, 16, see the preceding article.*
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
This text was converted to electronic form by professional data entry and has been proofread to a high level of accuracy.
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