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⇱ welter - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

welter

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈwɛltər/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈwɛltɚ/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(wel′tər)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
wel•ter1 /ˈwɛltɚ/USA pronunciation  n. [countable]
  1. a confused mass;
    jumble.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
wel•ter1  (wel′tər),USA pronunciation v.i. 
  1. to roll, toss, or heave, as waves or the sea.
  2. to roll, writhe, or tumble about;
    wallow, as animals (often fol. by about):pigs weltering about happily in the mud.
  3. to lie bathed in or be drenched in something, esp. blood.
  4. to become deeply or extensively involved, associated, entangled, etc.:to welter in setbacks, confusion, and despair.

n. 
  1. a confused mass;
    a jumble or muddle:a welter of anxious faces.
  2. a state of commotion, turmoil, or upheaval:the welter that followed the surprise attack.
  3. a rolling, tossing, or tumbling about, as or as if by the sea, waves, or wind:They found the shore through the mighty welter.
  • 1250–1300; Middle English, frequentative (see -er6) of welten to roll, Old English weltan; cognate with Middle Dutch welteren, Low German weltern to roll
    6. confusion, tumult.
wel•ter2  (wel′tər),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Informal Terms, Sporta welterweight boxer or wrestler.

adj. 
  1. Sport(of a steeplechase or hurdle race) pertaining to, or noting a race in which the horses bear welterweights.
  • welt + -er1 1785–95

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
welter /ˈwɛltə/ vb (intransitive)
  1. to roll about, writhe, or wallow
  2. (esp of the sea) to surge, heave, or toss
  3. to lie drenched in a liquid, esp blood
 n
  1. a confused mass; jumble
Etymology: 13th Century: from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch weltern; related to Old High German walzan, welzen to roll
'welter' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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