GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English
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Wage (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Waging (?).] [OE. wagen, OF. wagier, gagier, to pledge, promise, F. gager to wager, lay, bet, fr. LL. wadium a pledge; of Teutonic origin; cf. Goth. wadi a pledge, gawadjōn to pledge, akin to E. wed, G. wette a wager. See Wed, and cf. Gage.]
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1. To pledge; to hazard on the event of a contest; to stake; to bet, to lay; to wager; as, “to wage a dollar”. Hakluyt.
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My life I never but as a pawn
To wage against thy enemies. Shak.
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2. To expose one's self to, as a risk; to incur, as a danger; to venture; to hazard. “Too weak to wage an instant trial with the king.” Shak.
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To wake and wage a danger profitless. Shak.
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3. To engage in, as a contest, as if by previous gage or pledge; to carry on, as a war.
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[He pondered] which of all his sons was fit
To reign and wage immortal war with wit. Dryden.
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The two are waging war, and the one triumphs by the destruction of the other. I. Taylor.
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4. To adventure, or lay out, for hire or reward; to hire out. [Obs.] “Thou . . . must wage thy works for wealth.” Spenser.
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5. To put upon wages; to hire; to employ; to pay wages to. [Obs.]
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Abundance of treasure which he had in store, wherewith he might wage soldiers. Holinshed.
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I would have them waged for their labor. Latimer.
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6. (O. Eng. Law) To give security for the performance of. Burrill.
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To wage battle (O. Eng. Law), to give gage, or security, for joining in the duellum, or combat. See Wager of battel, under Wager, n. Burrill. -- To wage one's law (Law), to give security to make one's law. See Wager of law, under Wager, n.
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