wage

[weyj]

See more synonyms for wage on Thesaurus.com

noun

Often wages. money that is paid or received for work or services, as by the hour, day, or week.Compare living wage, minimum wage.
Usually wages. Economics. the share of the products of industry received by labor for its work (as distinct from the share going to capital).
Usually wages. (used with a singular or plural verb) recompense or return: The wages of sin is death.

Obsolete. a pledge or security.

verb (used with object), waged, wag·ing.

to carry on (a battle, war, conflict, argument, etc.): to wage war against a nation.
Chiefly British Dialect. to hire.
Obsolete.
1. to stake or wager.
2. to pledge.

verb (used without object), waged, wag·ing.

Obsolete. to contend; struggle.

Origin of wage

1275–1325; (noun) Middle English: pledge, security < Anglo-French; Old French guage gage¹ < Vulgar Latin *wadium < Germanic (see wed); (v.) Middle English wagen to pledge < Anglo-French wagier; Old French guagier < Vulgar Latin *wadiāre, derivative of *wadium

Related formswage·less, adjectivewage·less·ness, nounun·der·wage, noun

Can be confusedsalary wages

Synonyms for wage

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. earnings, emolument, compensation, remuneration. See pay¹. 5. undertake, prosecute.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for waged

do, prosecute, pursue, make, practice, undertake, conduct, fulfill

Examples from the Web for waged

Contemporary Examples of waged

For three decades, ‘Puck’ waged war on all things holy—politicians, social mores, and the news.
The Magazine That Made—and Unmade—Politicians
Anthony Haden-Guest
November 2, 2014
Indeed, the Emiratis waged a secret bombing campaign in Libya, flying out of air bases in Egypt.
Obama’s Arab Backers May Draw the U.S. Deep Into the Mideast Quagmire
Jamie Dettmer
September 25, 2014
Israelis have also waged a psy-war on Hamas, albeit more informal and spontaneous.
Israel, Hamas, WhatsApp and Hacked Phones in the Gaza Psy-War
Itay Hod
July 26, 2014
In late 2008 and 2009, Israel waged a three-week invasion of Gaza, in which 13 Israelis and more than 1,400 Gazans died.
Israel Needs Better War Technology
Lloyd Green
July 7, 2014
On the street is, in fact, is where Linton waged his most public act of war on Uber.
Inside Uber’s Political War Machine
Olivia Nuzzi
June 30, 2014

Historical Examples of waged

And the battles which wreck ministers are waged round his name.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
He waged war against astrology, alchemy, witchcraft, and like impostures.
Self-Help
Samuel Smiles
The battle of Kara-Urgan, furthermore, was waged in a continual snowstorm.
The Story of the Great War, Volume III (of VIII)
Various
He knew what wars had been waged, what epidemics were raging, what Governments had risen and fallen.
The Christian
Hall Caine
Be assured of one thing,—the Battle of Life is waged by all.
Davenport Dunn, Volume 1 (of 2)
Charles James Lever

British Dictionary definitions for waged

wage

noun

1. (often plural)payment in return for work or services, esp that made to workmen on a daily, hourly, weekly, or piece-work basisCompare salary
2. (as modifier)wage freeze
(plural) economics the portion of the national income accruing to labour as earned income, as contrasted with the unearned income accruing to capital in the form of rent, interest, and dividends
(often plural) recompense, return, or yield
an obsolete word for pledge

verb (tr)

to engage in
obsolete to pledge or wager
archaic another word for hire (def. 1), hire (def. 2)

Derived Formswageless, adjectivewagelessness, noun

Word Origin for wage

C14: from Old Northern French wagier to pledge, from wage, of Germanic origin; compare Old English weddian to pledge, wed

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for waged

wage

early 14c., "to pledge, deposit as a pledge," from Old North French wagier (Old French gagier), from wage (see wage (n.)). Meaning "to carry on" (of war, etc.) is attested from mid-15c., probably from earlier sense of "to offer as a gage of battle" (early 15c.). Related: Waged; waging.

wage

c.1300, "a payment for services rendered," also in Middle English "a pledge of security" (mid-14c.), from Old North French wage (Old French guage) "pledge," from Frankish *wadja- (cf. Old English wedd, Gothic wadi "pledge"); see wed. Modern French cognate gages (plural) means "wages of a domestic," one of a plethora of French words for different classes, e.g. traitement (university professor), paye, salaire (workman), solde (soldier), récompense, prix. The Old English word was lean, related to loan and representing the usual Germanic form (cf. Gothic laun, Dutch loon, German lohn).