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withdrawn; withdrew.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withdrawn; withdrew.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
-
Wales
-
Welsh
w
2
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
3
British
symbol
-
watt
-
West
-
physics work
-
chem tungsten
-
women's (size)
w.
4
British
abbreviation
-
week
-
weight
-
width
-
wife
-
with
-
cricket
-
wide
-
wicket
-
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
We have good confidence in Thur/Thur night w a front passage, but low confidence Fri-Sun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2025
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
When the I ion had first begun singing, king ago when it w as still quite dark, he had realized that the noise w is a song.
From "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis
ABS challenges produce an infinitesimal W or L, a momentary shot of euphoria or thin slice of humble pie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
By sending three individual photons into the device with carefully selected polarization states, the researchers showed that the system could distinguish among different types of three-photon W states.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026
Stalter dodged questions about what inspired the look, telling reporters that she and her stylist just threw it together and that her co-star Paul W Downs airbrushed her himself.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Appeared in the August 11, 2026, print edition as 'WNBA Asks: What Is a W?'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
In the early fall, I was working V-gallery, on the flats, just downstairs from W, when above me I heard a commotion.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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
Early this morning, HSI Los Angeles w/ @EROLosAngeles & partners from the El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force conducted an enforcement operation in an underground nightclub.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 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
“Your father w as a brilliant man. Not another word of disrespect from you.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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
Rose & Fitzgerald Cow Horn whiskey tumblers, 3" w. x 4" h.;
From Architectural Digest ● Dec. 1, 2014
Hay gold-plated Phi scissors, 9" l.; $40. nest.co.uk, 011-44-1225-461-409 Paola C. Tulip carafe by Aldo Cibic, 8" w. x 5" d. x 9.5" 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
Franklin D. Roosevelt's Democrats gained nine House seats in 1934, while Bill Clinton's party picked up four in 1998 and George W. Bush's Republicans gained eight in 2002.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
George W. Bush spent as much time as possible at the West Texas ranch he bought just before assuming the presidency.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
President George W. Bush later that month vowed to pursue fixes like fortifying cockpit doors and “technology to enable controllers to take over distressed aircraft and land it by remote control.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
"There is a major unmet need in osteoarthritis," says the study's principal investigator and Charles W. Ohse Professor of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, Chuan-Ju Liu, PhD.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Luther Rice joined them, as did two draftsmen and the city of Chicago’s former bridge engineer, W. C. Hughes.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Goldin believes that TV deal should have been worth more for the WNBA, especially given the W’s increase in recent years in attendance and viewership.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026
Over a few talk sessions, I chronicled Dr. W's transgression, assuming Dr. Thakkar would take my side.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2024
But this team is in win-now mode, and the W’s look primed to roll in.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2024
In another post, he said, “Today was a great day I took none but W’s all day.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2023
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
"We had an opportunity to win today. … That’s something we want to do. That’s the next goal in the next few games is to hopefully get both of those Ws."
From Fox News ● Oct. 2, 2021
Making Vs into Ws, like vodka becoming wodka—that’s rarely the case.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2021
And the first was to start with the six Ws of crime solving—What, When, Why, Who, How, and Where.
From "Hopping Mad (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #4)" by Franklin W. Dixon
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
Testimony from all three officials ws marked mostly by attempts to disavow responsibility for the crisis.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 15, 2016
However, Halgren had lived about three blocks from Lowe’s apartment at the time she ws killed, according to Bellevue police.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 26, 2014
Shapen was my death erst than my shert: My death was decreed before my shirt ws shaped — that is, before any clothes were made for me, before my birth.
From The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by D. Laing Purves
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