whelm
[ welm, hwelm ]
/ wɛlm, ʰwɛlm /
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verb (used with object)
to submerge; engulf.
to overcome utterly; overwhelm: whelmed by misfortune.
verb (used without object)
to roll or surge over something, as in becoming submerged.
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Origin of whelm
1250–1300; Middle English whelme, apparently blend of dial. whelve (Old English gehwelfan to bend over) and helm2 (v.) (Old English helmian to cover)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use whelm in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for whelm
whelm
/ (wɛlm) /
verb (tr) archaic
to engulf entirely with or as if with water
another word for overwhelm
Word Origin for whelm
C13: whelmen to turn over, of uncertain origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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