weigh1

[wey] /weɪ/
verb (used with object)
1.
to determine or ascertain the force that gravitation exerts upon (a person or thing) by use of a balance, scale, or other mechanical device:
to weigh oneself; to weigh potatoes; to weigh gases.
2.
to hold up or balance, as in the hand, in order to estimate the weight.
3.
to measure, separate, or apportion (a certain quantity of something) according to weight (usually followed by out):
to weigh out five pounds of sugar.
4.
to make heavy; increase the weight or bulk of; weight:
We weighed the drapes to make them hang properly.
5.
to evaluate in the mind; consider carefully in order to reach an opinion, decision, or choice:
to weigh the facts; to weigh a proposal.
6.
Archaic. to raise, lift, or hoist (something).
7.
Obsolete. to think important; esteem.
verb (used without object)
8.
to have weight or a specified amount of weight:
to weigh less; to weigh a ton.
9.
to have importance, moment, or consequence:
Your recommendation weighs heavily in his favor.
10.
to bear down as a weight or burden (usually followed by on or upon):
Responsibility weighed upon her.
11.
to consider carefully or judicially:
to weigh well before deciding.
12.
(of a ship) to raise the anchor and get under way:
The ship weighed early and escaped in the fog.
Verb phrases
13.
weigh down,
  1. to cause to become bowed under a weight:
    snow and ice weighing down the trees.
  2. to lower the spirits of; burden; depress:
    This predicament weighs me down.
14.
weigh in,
  1. (of a boxer or wrestler) to be weighed by a medical examiner on the day of a bout.
  2. to be of the weight determined by such a weighing:
    He weighed in at 170 pounds.
  3. (of a jockey) to be weighed with the saddle and weights after a race.
  4. Informal. to offer an opinion, advice, support, etc., especially in a forceful or authoritative way:
    The chairman weighed in with an idea for the fundraiser.
15.
weigh out, Horse Racing.
  1. to be weighed with the saddle and weights before a race.
  2. to be of the weight determined by such a weighing.
Idioms
16.
weigh anchor, Nautical. to heave up a ship's anchor in preparation for getting under way.
17.
weigh one's words. word (def 29).
Origin
before 900; Middle English weghen, Old English wegan to carry, weigh; cognate with Dutch wegen, German wägen, Old Norse vega; akin to Latin vehere
Related forms
weighable, adjective
weigher, noun
unweighable, adjective
unweighing, adjective
well-weighed, adjective
Synonyms
5. ponder, contemplate. See study1 .

weigh2

[wey] /weɪ/
Idioms
1.
under weigh, Nautical. in motion; under way.
Origin
1775-85; spelling variant of way1 by association with weigh anchor
Examples from the web for weigh
  • To measure sublimation, one has to regularly weigh samples of ice in situ.
  • It is an open and ugly secret that many colleges still weigh such factors in faculty hiring decisions.
  • For now, you can weigh in through our online poll here.
  • Their tongues alone can weigh as much as an elephant.
  • Learn how to put aside unjustified fears and hopes and how to weigh your real risk of illness--or likelihood of recovery.
  • Most matter is almost entirely empty space, but not this stuff: a teaspoonful would weigh several tons.
  • Its globe-shaped fruit, which ripen to golden brown in early fall, can weigh more than a pound.
  • We'll have to wait for the full release to fully weigh in.
  • Cutting back fiscal support will weigh on a recovery that has started quite slowly.
  • Adult females weigh as much as five pounds and hurtle through the air on wings more than five feet across.
British Dictionary definitions for weigh

weigh1

/weɪ/
verb
1.
(transitive) to measure the weight of
2.
(intransitive) to have weight or be heavy: she weighs more than her sister
3.
(transitive) often foll by out. to apportion according to weight
4.
(transitive) to consider carefully: to weigh the facts of a case
5.
(intransitive) to be influential: his words weighed little with the jury
6.
(intransitive) often foll by on. to be oppressive or burdensome (to)
7.
(obsolete) to regard or esteem
8.
weigh anchor, to raise a vessel's anchor or (of a vessel) to have its anchor raised preparatory to departure
See also weigh down, weigh in, weigh up
Derived Forms
weighable, adjective
weigher, noun
Word Origin
Old English wegan; related to Old Frisian wega, Old Norse vega, Gothic gawigan, German wiegen

weigh2

/weɪ/
noun
1.
under weigh, a variant spelling of under way
Word Origin
C18: variation due to the influence of phrases such as to weigh anchor
Word Origin and History for weigh
v.

Old English wegan "find the weight of, have weight, lift, carry," from Proto-Germanic *weganan (cf. Old Saxon wegan, Old Frisian wega, Dutch wegen "to weigh," Old Norse vega, Old High German wegan "to move, carry, weigh," German wiegen "to weigh"), from PIE *wegh- "to move" (cf. Sanskrit vahati "carries, conveys," vahitram "vessel, ship;" Avestan vazaiti "he leads, draws;" Greek okhos "carriage;" Latin vehere "to carry, convey;" Old Church Slavonic vesti "to carry, convey;" Lithuanian vezu "to carry, convey;" Old Irish fecht "campaign, journey").

The original sense was of motion, which led to that of lifting, then to that of "measure the weight of." The older sense of "lift, carry" survives in the nautical phrase weigh anchor. Figurative sense of "to consider, ponder" (in reference to words, etc.) is recorded from mid-14c.