▪ I. † walt, n. Sc. Obs. rare—1.
? Beaten clay.
| 1488 Rec. Burgh Lanark (1893) 2 Item, to Jok Inglis for makyn of walt and claying of the flur, iij days, ijs. iijd. |
▪ II. † walt, a. Naut. Obs.
Also 6–7 walte.
[OE. *wealt, found only in unwealt steady; related to walt v.]
Of a ship: Unsteady, crank.
| 1539 Adm. Ct. Exam. 4, 7 Dec., The said boate was very walte & very evyll made. 1627 Capt. J. Smith Sea Gram. xi. 53 We say a Ship is walt when shee is not stiffe, and hath not Ballast enough in her to keepe her stiffe. 1656 Bradford Plymouth Plant. ii. (1856) 291 For covetousnes sake [they] did so over lade her,..as she was walte, and could not bear sayle. 1694 Motteux Rabelais iv. lxiii, That our humane Vessels might not heeld, or be walt, but well trimm'd and stiff. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780), Walt, an obsolete or spurious term signifying crank. |
▪ III. walt, v. Obs. exc. dial.
(wɒlt)
Also 3–5 walte, 6–8 wolt, 9 dial. waut. Contracted pa. tense and pple. 4–5 walt.
[early ME. walten = OHG. walzan, MHG. walzen (strong) to roll, revolve (intr. and trans.); the OTeut. root *walt- appears to be an extension of *wal- (*wel-) to roll: see wallow v. Cf. welt v.]
1. trans. (with obj. clause). To revolve in the mind, consider. [So OHG. walzan.]
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 29 Witte wel hwat þu hauest walte hwat þe tide. |
2. To throw, cast, toss out, over, up, etc.; to fling to the ground; to overturn, upset.
Cf. root-walt v. (1532– ).
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 1734 [Tekel] To teche þe of techal, þat terme þus menes, Þy wale rengne is walt in weȝtes to heng, & is funde ful fewe of hit fayth dedes. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1336 Þay..grayþely departed Þe wesaunt fro þe wynt-hole, & walt out þe guttez. c 1400 Destr. Troy 4633 The storme..walt vp the wilde se vppon wan hilles. Ibid. 5888 [Thai] woundit hom wikkedly, walt hom to ground. c 1400 Sege Jerus. 351 Or y to þe walles schal wende & walten alle ouere. 1513 Douglas æneis i. vii. 13 Ane part haistis to beild the wallis wicht, And sum to..wolt wp stanes to the werk on hie. 1674 Ray N.C. Words 51 To Walt,..to overthrow. 1703 Thoresby Let. to Ray, To Welt, or Wolt, overturn Cart or Wain. 1875 Lancs. Gloss., Waut, to upset; to turn completely over. 1883 Almondbury Gloss. Walt, to turn over... ‘Nay, lad; it ud walt ma table ovver’. |
3. intr. To be thrown down, fall over, be upset or overturned; to totter; to lean to one side.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 909 As þe welkyn shold walt, a wonder⁓full noyse Skremyt vp to the skrow. c 1400 Sege Jerus. 69 Ouer wilde wawes he wende, as alle walte scholde. ? a 1500 Chester Pl., Ador. Sheph. 268 Ware lest thou walt here by the wall. 1674 Ray N.C. Words 51 To Walt, to totter, or lean one way. 1875 Lancs. Gloss., Waut,..to fall on one side. 1883 Almondbury Gloss., Walt, to totter, or fall over. |
b. With open: To be opened; to gape wide.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 501 Þen went þay to þe wykket, hit walt vpon sone. c 1400 Melayne 1145 So depe wondes þat day þay dalt, þat many on wyde opyn walt, þat wikkidly wondede was. |
c. fig. To fall, into (anger, madness).
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 1956 Nestor anone noyet þere with, And walt at his wordes into wode yre. Ibid. 8685 Sum walt into wodenes, & of wit past. |
4. To gush out, pour, flow.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 364 Waltes out vch walle-heued, in full wode stremez. Ibid. 1037 Þer waltez of þat water in waxlokes grete, Þe spumande aspaltoun þat spyserez sellen. |
▪ IV. walt(e
obs. forms of welt.