wield
- to exercise (power, authority, influence, etc.), as in ruling or dominating.
- to use (a weapon, instrument, etc.) effectively; handle or employ actively.
- Archaic. to guide or direct.
- Archaic. to govern; manage.
Origin of wield
Synonyms for wield
Examples from the Web for wielder
Historical Examples of wielder
Thor was the wielder of the mighty hammer, made for him by the dwarfs.
Richard Wagner His Life and His DramasW. J. Henderson
Here again the woman is the wielder of the power, and not the man.
IconoclastsJames Huneker
Finally those on the edge of the multitude discovered the wielder of the ax.
West Wind DriftGeorge Barr McCutcheon
But the wrist of its wielder was grasped with a grip as of iron.
The White Hand and the BlackBertram Mitford
He had seen what execution its wielder could do, wherefore he pulled up sharp.
Harley Greenoak's ChargeBertram Mitford
wield
- to handle or use (a weapon, tool, etc)
- to exert or maintain (power or authority)
- obsolete to rule
Word Origin for wield
Word Origin and History for wielder
wield
Old English weldan (Mercian), wieldan, wealdan (West Saxon) "to govern, possess, have control over" (class VII strong verb; past tense weold, past participle gewealden), merged with weak verb wyldan, both from Proto-Germanic *wal-t- (cf. Old Saxon and Gothic waldan, Old Frisian walda "to govern, rule," Old Norse valda "to rule, wield, to cause," Old High German waltan, German walten "to rule, govern").
The Germanic words probably are from PIE *waldh- (cf. Old Church Slavonic vlado "to rule," vlasti "power;" Lithuanian veldu "to rule, possess"), from root *wal- "to be strong, to rule" (see valiant).