Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Wage?

\Wage\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Waged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Waging}.] [OE. wagen, OF. wagier, gagier, to pledge, promise, F. gager to wager, lay, bet, fr. LL. wadium a pledge; of Teutonic origin; cf. Goth. wadi a pledge, gawadj[=o]n to pledge, akin to E. wed, G. wette a wager. See {Wed}, and cf. {Gage}.] 1. To pledge; to hazard on the event of a contest; to stake; to bet, to lay; to wager; as, to wage a dollar. --Hakluyt. My life I never but as a pawn To wage against thy enemies. --Shak. 2. To expose one's self to, as a risk; to incur, as a danger; to venture; to hazard. ``Too weak to wage an instant trial with the king.'' --Shak. To wake and wage a danger profitless. --Shak. 3. To engage in, as a contest, as if by previous gage or pledge; to carry on, as a war. [He pondered] which of all his sons was fit To reign and wage immortal war with wit. --Dryden. The two are waging war, and the one triumphs by the destruction of the other. --I. Taylor. 4. To adventure, or lay out, for hire or reward; to hire out. [Obs.] ``Thou . . . must wage thy works for wealth.'' --Spenser. 5. To put upon wages; to hire; to employ; to pay wages to. [Obs.] Abundance of treasure which he had in store, wherewith he might wage soldiers. --Holinshed. I would have them waged for their labor. --Latimer. 6. (O. Eng. Law) To give security for the performance of. --Burrill. {To wage battle} (O. Eng. Law), to give gage, or security, for joining in the duellum, or combat. See {Wager of battel}, under {Wager}, n. --Burrill. {To wage one's law} (Law), to give security to make one's law. See {Wager of law}, under {Wager}, n.
\Wage\, v. i. To bind one's self; to engage. [Obs.]
\Wage\, n. [OF. wage, gage, guarantee, engagement. See {Wage}, v. t. ] 1. That which is staked or ventured; that for which one incurs risk or danger; prize; gage. [Obs.] ``That warlike wage.'' --Spenser. 2. That for which one labors; meed; reward; stipulated payment for service performed; hire; pay; compensation; -- at present generally used in the plural. See {Wages}. ``My day's wage.'' --Sir W. Scott. ``At least I earned my wage.'' --Thackeray. ``Pay them a wage in advance.'' --J. Morley. ``The wages of virtue.'' --Tennyson. By Tom Thumb, a fairy page, He sent it, and doth him engage, By promise of a mighty wage, It secretly to carry. --Drayton. Our praises are our wages. --Shak. Existing legislation on the subject of wages. --Encyc. Brit. Note: Wage is used adjectively and as the first part of compounds which are usually self-explaining; as, wage worker, or wage-worker; wage-earner, etc. {Board wages}. See under 1st {Board}. Syn: Hire; reward; stipend; salary; allowance; pay; compensation; remuneration; fruit.