wel·ter
(wĕl′tər)n.1. A confused mass; a jumble: a welter of papers and magazines.
2. Confusion; turmoil.
intr.v. wel·tered,
wel·ter·ing,
wel·ters 1. To wallow, roll, or toss about, as in mud or high seas.
2. To lie soaked in a liquid.
3. To roll and surge, as the sea.
[From Middle English
welteren,
to toss about, as in high seas, from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch,
to roll; see
wel- in
Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
welter
(ˈwɛltə) vb (
intr)
1. to roll about, writhe, or wallow
2. (esp of the sea) to surge, heave, or toss
3. to lie drenched in a liquid, esp blood
n4. a rolling motion, as of the sea
5. a confused mass; jumble
[C13: from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch weltern; related to Old High German walzan, welzen to roll]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
wel•ter
(ˈwɛl tər)
v.i. 1. to roll, toss, or heave, as waves or the sea.
2. to roll, writhe, or tumble about; wallow (often fol. by about): pigs weltering about in the mud.
3. to lie bathed in or be drenched in something, esp. blood.
4. to become deeply or extensively involved, associated, entangled, etc.: to welter in confusion.
n. 5. a confused mass; a jumble or muddle.
6. a state of commotion, turmoil, or upheaval; tumult.
7. a rolling, tossing, or tumbling about, as or as if by the sea, waves, or wind.
[1250–1300; Middle English, frequentative (see
-er6) of
welten to roll, Old English
weltan; c. Middle Low German, Middle Dutch
welteren, Middle High German
welzern to frequent]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.