w
abbreviation
watt; watts.
w
1 Americanabbreviation
-
watt; watts.
-
withdrawn; withdrew.
-
withheld.
W
2
American
[duhb-uhl-yoo, -yoo, duhb-yuh]
/ ˈdʌb əlˌju, -jʊ, ˈdʌb jə /
Or
w
noun
-
W's,
plural
-
Ws,
plural
-
w's,
plural
-
ws
plural
-
the 23rd letter of the English alphabet, a semivowel.
-
any spoken sound represented by the letter W or w, as in way, bewitch, or row.
-
something having the shape of a W .
-
a written or printed representation of the letter W or w.
-
a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter W or w.
W
3
American
abbreviation
-
watt; watts.
-
west.
-
western.
-
white.
-
wide.
-
widowed.
-
width.
-
withdrawn; withdrew.
-
withheld.
W
4
American
w/
5
American
abbreviation
w.
6
American
abbreviation
-
warden.
-
warehouse.
-
water.
-
watt; watts.
-
week; weeks.
-
weight.
-
west.
-
western.
-
wide.
-
width.
-
wife.
-
with.
-
won.
-
Physics. work.
W.
7
American
abbreviation
-
Wales.
-
warden.
-
warehouse.
-
Washington.
-
watt; watts.
-
Wednesday.
-
weight.
-
Welsh.
-
west.
-
western.
-
width.
-
Physics. work.
w.
1
British
abbreviation
-
week
-
weight
-
width
-
wife
-
with
-
cricket
-
wide
-
wicket
-
W
2
British
symbol
-
watt
-
West
-
physics work
-
chem tungsten
-
women's (size)
W.
3
British
abbreviation
-
Wales
-
Welsh
w
4
British
/ ˈdʌbəlˌjuː /
noun
-
the 23rd letter and 18th consonant of the modern English alphabet
-
a speech sound represented by this letter, in English usually a bilabial semivowel, as in web
w
Scientific
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of W
W 3 def. 3 from German Wolfram wolfram
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Romano’s Macaroni Grill is offering Spaghetti & Meatballs w/ Pomodoro Sauce on its Feb. 14th menu.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2026
One commenter wrote: "can someone explain to me what is up w my search recs pls?"
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2025
“Never eaten here but it’s getting five stars from me because Kendrick is the GOAT! From California w/ Love,” wrote one Yelp reviewer.
From New York Times ● May 6, 2024
If you were trapped on the Golden Gate Bridge on 4/15/24, please contact @CHPMarin w/ a statement detailing what happened to you + contact info so you can be alleged as a victim.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2024
Everything they had was right w ith them in that camp.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
Three years later, the White House claimed that President George W Bush would spend Thanksgiving in Texas, only to arrive in Baghdad in a blacked-out Air Force One.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
As Europe pushes for more tech sovereignty, social network W believes it has the X-factor to win users away from other platforms: it's European.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Ex-NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg got a lapful of Knicks sparkplug Jose Alvarado, Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing got the biggest Jumbotron cheers of the night, and San Antonio got a critical W.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
Cooper told W that that her “really great dynamic” and communication with Kaplan helped change her views on tying the knot.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
Boy21 is in my homeroom even though homerooms are arranged alphabetically and all the other M and W names are not grouped together.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
Rounds out mix w/ CH & SL, both w/ good shape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
Romano’s Macaroni Grill is offering Spaghetti & Meatballs w/ Pomodoro Sauce on its Feb. 14th menu.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2026
One commenter wrote: "can someone explain to me what is up w my search recs pls?"
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2025
“Never eaten here but it’s getting five stars from me because Kendrick is the GOAT! From California w/ Love,” wrote one Yelp reviewer.
From New York Times ● May 6, 2024
The sea fisheries w ere defunct several years ago; the few fish they have now are from fish farms, and taste muddy.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
The same seller, also listed a "hand-signed Christmas Card from 2002 featuring photo of the King w. Princes William & Harry", whose current bid is for 160 pounds.
From Reuters ● Sep. 12, 2022
Chef Julia Child posing w. assorted rolling pins.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2022
Snowy Owl, after John James Audubon, hand-colored engraving by Robert Havell, sheet size 26" w. x 38.75" h.;
From Architectural Digest ● Feb. 9, 2015
Rose & Fitzgerald Cow Horn whiskey tumblers, 3" w. x 4" h.;
From Architectural Digest ● Dec. 1, 2014
“I know that! But I’ve seen it a hundred times. I wouldn’t spell Quest with a w. I know it’s a w.”
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
The project is co-directed by W. Scott McGraw, professor and chair of anthropology at Ohio State and senior author of the study.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
His name adorns Southern Methodist University’s football stadium, and he has been seen golfing with former President George W. Bush.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Critic W. David Marx, looking to sum up the curiously stagnant opening decades of the 21st century, cribbed a phrase from one of its enduring icons for the title of his book “Blank Space.”
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
On Friday, W. Mark Ward, a judge appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to review her case, gave the go-ahead for the execution, ruling that the state’s execution process would not violate Pike’s constitutional rights.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
Bill Clinton, meanwhile, would be running against George H. W. Bush for president.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Players, meanwhile, can’t help but see the W’s upward track and argue a substantial raise is due.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2025
There are two L’s in Collin and there are also two W’s — as in major championship victories at the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 British Open.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2025
Known for its rich antioxidants and healing benefits, it also plays a starring role in the W's eco-conscious bar offerings.
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2025
But this team is in win-now mode, and the W’s look primed to roll in.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2024
But later on, once he started working full-time and taking care of me, people started showing him respect, saying, "W's up, Ty," when he came home in the evening.
From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson
The dual backdrops — both featuring gold block Ws and assorted sponsorships — were identical in every way but one:
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 7, 2024
I can think of the acronym as the five Ws, if you will.
From The Verge ● Mar. 22, 2022
Making Vs into Ws, like vodka becoming wodka—that’s rarely the case.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2021
"These aren’t beautiful paintings that we’re creating here, but they’re ending up in Ws," Creighton coach Greg McDermott said.
From Fox News ● Jan. 2, 2021
The boys wore white sweaters with big purple Ws emblazoned on them.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Finally, ties were broken based on things like which word was the most fun to say or whether any of the word choices included especially cool letters like z’s or w’s.
From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2015
This time round, after Mat Latos tore knee cartilage before the season began, Simon moved into the rotation, racked up a dozen w's and has posted an ERA of 2.70.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 10, 2014
Patrick’s breathing had become even more labored and Dr. Nadas said, “Welton, we go see the president” — his Hungarian accent turning the w’s into v’s.
From New York Times ● Jul. 29, 2013
For future copy editors of academic histories of mass media, that's two syllables, hyphen optional, and three w's, not in a row.
From Time ● Feb. 18, 2010
"You know, just talk. Say w's up. Ask him how his life is going. What kind of things he likes to do. Stuff like that."
From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson
On stage ws a comic who looked like an inflated ex-middleweight fighter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2017
Manning ws in a men's prison for 7 yrs.
From Time ● Jan. 17, 2017
I still think its a stupid sport but this ws a good story.
From New York Times ● Mar. 27, 2016
Testimony from all three officials ws marked mostly by attempts to disavow responsibility for the crisis.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 15, 2016
She also notes that each member of her Coven 'has an Sprit to wait wpon ws, quhan ve pleas to call wpon him'.
From The Witch-cult in Western Europe A Study in Anthropology by Margaret Alice Murray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
