wain

[weyn] /weɪn/
noun
1.
(initial capital letter) Astronomy. Charles's Wain.
See Big Dipper.
2.
a farm wagon or cart.
Origin
before 900; Middle English; Old English wægn, wǣn, cognate with Dutch wagen, German Wagen. See weigh1
Examples from the web for wain
  • Net net, my faith in the market economy is unfortunately beginning to wain, while that of government enterprises is improving.
  • On returning from their bath, the wain and the oxen were strewn with fresh spring flowers.
British Dictionary definitions for wain

wain

/weɪn/
noun
1.
(mainly poetic) a farm wagon or cart
Word Origin
Old English wægn; related to Old Frisian wein, Old Norse vagn

Wain

/weɪn/
noun
1.
John (Barrington). 1925–94, British novelist, poet, and critic. His novels include Hurry on Down (1953), Strike the Father Dead (1962), and Young Shoulders (1982)
Word Origin and History for wain
n.

Old English wægn "wheeled vehicle," from Proto-Germanic *wagnaz (see wagon). Largely fallen from use by c.1600, but kept alive by poets, who found it easier to rhyme on than wagon. As a name for the Big Dipper/Plough, it is from Old English (see Charles's Wain).