wieldy
adjEtymology
From Middle English weeldy, weldy (“agile, vigorous; of a shield: easy or satisfying to wield”), from welden (“to govern, preside over, reign, rule; to command, control, dominate; to dwell, reside; to accomplish, bring about; to overcome, prevail; to handle (a tool, weapon, etc.), use”). By surface analysis, wield + y. Compare also Old English ġewielde (“controlling, dominant”), from Proto-West Germanic *waldī, from Proto-Germanic *waldiz (“manageable; powerful”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- (“to rule; powerful, strong”). Later uses of sense 2 (“capable of being easily wielded”) are likely a back-formation from unwieldy.
- inherited from weeldy
Definitions
Able to wield one's body well
Able to wield one's body well; active, dexterous.
- But the baron, who was neither ſo wieldy nor ſupple in his joints as his companions, flounced himſelf down with ſuch precipitation, that his feet ſuddenly tilting up, came in furious contact with the head of the marquis, […]
Capable of being easily wielded or managed
Capable of being easily wielded or managed; handy.
- In former ages, the quarter-staff was a formidable weapon— […] To this heavy staff succeeded the lighter single-stick, or cudgel, which was more wieldy, portable, and elegant.
The neighborhood
Derived
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for wieldy. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA