Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

5 PHRASE If a country goes to war , it starts fighting a war. □  Do you think this crisis can be settled without going to war?

6 PHRASE If two people, countries, or organizations have a war of words , they criticize each other because they strongly disagree about something. [JOURNALISM ] □ [+ with ] Animal rights activists have been engaged in a bitter war of words with zoos. [Also + between ]

7to lose the battle but win the war → see battle

war|ble /wɔː ^r b ^ə l/ (warbles , warbling , warbled )

1 VERB When a bird warbles , it sings pleasantly. □ [V ] The bird continued to warble. □ [V n] A flock of birds was already warbling a cheerful morning chorus.

2 VERB If someone warbles , they sing in a high-pitched, rather unsteady voice. □ [V ] She warbled as she worked. □ [V n] …singers warbling 'Over the Rainbow'.

war|bler /wɔː ^r blə ^r / (warblers ) N‑COUNT Warblers are a family of small birds that have a pleasant song.

wa r chest (war chests ) N‑COUNT A war chest is a fund to finance a project such as a political campaign. □  Governor Caperton has the largest campaign war chest.

ward /wɔː ^r d/ (wards , warding , warded )

1 N‑COUNT A ward is a room in a hospital which has beds for many people, often people who need similar treatment. □  A toddler was admitted to the emergency ward with a wound in his chest.

2 N‑COUNT A ward is a district which forms part of a political constituency or local council. □ [+ of ] …the marginal wards of Reading Kentwood and Tilehurst West.

3 N‑COUNT A ward or a ward of court is a child who is the responsibility of a person called a guardian, or of a court of law, because their parents are dead or because they are believed to be in need of protection. □ [+ of ] Alex was made a ward of court.

▸  ward off PHRASAL VERB To ward off a danger or illness means to prevent it from affecting you or harming you. □ [V P n] She may have put up a fight to try to ward off her assailant. □ [V P n] Mass burials are now under way in an effort to ward off an outbreak of cholera. [Also V n P ]

war|den /wɔː ^r d ^ə n/ (wardens )

1 N‑COUNT A warden is a person who is responsible for a particular place or thing, and for making sure that the laws or regulations that relate to it are obeyed. □ [+ at ] He was a warden at the local parish church. □  Game wardens were appointed to enforce hunting laws in New Hampshire.

2 → see also traffic warden

3 N‑COUNT The warden of a prison is the person in charge of it. [AM ] □  A new warden took over the prison. in BRIT, use governor

war|der /wɔː ^r də ^r / (warders ) N‑COUNT A warder is someone who works in a prison supervising the prisoners. [BRIT ] in AM, use guard

ward|robe /wɔː ^r droʊb/ (wardrobes )

1 N‑COUNT A wardrobe is a tall cupboard or cabinet in which you can hang your clothes.

2 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's wardrobe is the total collection of clothes that they have. □  Her wardrobe consists primarily of huge cashmere sweaters and tiny Italian sandals.

3 N‑UNCOUNT [oft the N ] The wardrobe in a theatre company is the actors' and actresses' costumes. □  In the wardrobe department were rows of costumes.

-ware /-weə ^r / COMB -ware combines with nouns to refer to objects that are made of a particular material or that are used for a particular purpose in the home. □  …boxes of cheap glassware.

ware|house /weə ^r haʊs/ (warehouses ) N‑COUNT A warehouse is a large building where raw materials or manufactured goods are stored until they are exported to other countries or distributed to shops to be sold.

wa re|house club (warehouse clubs ) N‑COUNT A warehouse club is a large shop which sells goods at reduced prices to people who pay each year to become members of the organization that runs the shop.