weld

¹ American  

[weld] / wɛld /

verb (used with object)

1. to unite or fuse (as pieces of metal) by hammering, compressing, or the like, especially after rendering soft or pasty by heat, and sometimes with the addition of fusible material like or unlike the pieces to be united.

2. to bring into complete union, harmony, agreement, etc.

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verb (used without object)

1. to undergo welding; be capable of being welded.

   a metal that welds easily.

noun

1. a welded junction or joint.

2. the act of welding or the state of being welded.

weld ² American  

[weld] / wɛld /

noun

1. a mignonette, Reseda luteola, of southern Europe, yielding a yellow dye.

2. the dye.

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Weld ³ American  

[weld] / wɛld /

noun

1. Theodore Dwight, 1803–95, U.S. abolitionist leader.

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weld ¹ British  

/ wɛld /

verb

1. (tr) to unite (pieces of metal or plastic) together, as by softening with heat and hammering or by fusion

2. to bring or admit of being brought into close association or union

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noun

1. a joint formed by welding

weld ² British  

/ wəʊld, wɛld /

noun

1. a yellow dye obtained from the plant dyer's rocket

2. another name for dyer's rocket

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Weld ³ British  

/ wɛld /

noun

1. Sir Frederick Aloysius. 1823–91, New Zealand statesman, born in England: prime minister of New Zealand (1864–65)

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Other Word Forms

• unweldable adjective
• unwelded adjective
• weldability noun
• weldable adjective
• welder noun
• weldless adjective
• weldor noun

Etymology

Origin of weld¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; variant of well ² in the obsolete sense “to boil, rise,” influenced by past participle welled

Origin of weld²

1325–75; Middle English welde; cognate with Middle Low German walde, Middle Dutch woude

Explanation

To weld is to use intense heat to merge two pieces of metal together. This word refers to other kinds of joining as well. If two companies merge, they’ve been welded. Have you ever seen someone with a large metal mask and a blowtorch, doing something to pieces of metal? That person — called a welder — was welding, which joins pieces of metal together through heat. Welding is a type of merging, joining, or connecting. The concept also applies to situations that don’t involve metal or flames. You could say a married couple has been welded. This is word for putting things together.

Example Sentences

You cannot weld a reactor vessel with one.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

The crack may have resulted from "a poor weld or a weld that deteriorated due to train traffic or weather", daily newspaper El Mundo said, citing unidentified technicians with access to the inquiry.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

She learned how to weld and began making her own sculptures from similar material - and was surprised by the response to her work.

From BBC • Sep. 23, 2025

Powers says she wants to keep the sculptures in place, potentially creating a walking tour to Venice’s Mosaic Tile House, co-owned by her friend Gonzalo Duran, who taught her how to weld.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 15, 2024

I asked, displeased at working with any kind of weld.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Related Words

• fuse
• solder