Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

2 VERB If a weapon or something sharp wounds you, it damages your body. □ [V n] A bomb exploded in a hotel, killing six people and wounding another five. □ [V -ed] The two wounded men were taken to a nearby hospital. ● N‑PLURAL The wounded are people who are wounded. □  Hospitals said they could not cope with the wounded.

3 N‑COUNT A wound is a lasting bad effect on someone's mind or feelings caused by a very upsetting experience. [LITERARY ] □  She has been so deeply hurt it may take forever for the wounds to heal.

4 VERB If you are wounded by what someone says or does, your feelings are deeply hurt. □ [be V -ed] He was deeply wounded by the treachery of close aides.

5to rub salt into the wound → see salt

wound up /waʊ nd ʌ p/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If someone is wound up , they are very tense and nervous or angry.

wove /woʊ v/ Wove is the past tense of weave .

wo|ven /woʊ v ^ə n/ Woven is a past participle of weave .

wow /waʊ / (wows , wowing , wowed )

1 EXCLAM You can say ' wow ' when you are very impressed, surprised, or pleased. [INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □  I thought, 'Wow, what a good idea'.

2 VERB You say that someone wows people when they give an impressive performance and fill people with enthusiasm and admiration. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] Ben Tankard wowed the crowd with his jazz.

WPC /dʌ b ^ə ljuː piː siː / (WPCs ) N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE In Britain, a WPC is a female police officer of the lowest rank. WPC is an abbreviation for 'woman police constable'.

wraith /re I θ/ (wraiths ) N‑COUNT A wraith is a ghost. [LITERARY ] □  That child flits about like a wraith.

wran|gle /ræ ŋg ^ə l/ (wrangles , wrangling , wrangled ) VERB If you say that someone is wrangling with someone over a question or issue, you mean that they have been arguing angrily for quite a long time about it. □ [V + over ] The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. □ [V + with/over ] A group of MPs is still wrangling with the government over the timing of elections. [Also V ]

wran|gler /ræ ŋglə ^r / (wranglers ) N‑COUNT A wrangler is a cowboy who works with cattle and horses. [AM ]

wrap ◆◇◇ /ræ p/ (wraps , wrapping , wrapped )

1 VERB When you wrap something, you fold paper or cloth tightly round it to cover it completely, for example in order to protect it or so that you can give it to someone as a present. □ [V n] Harry had carefully bought and wrapped presents for Mark to give them. □ [V n + in ] Mexican Indians used to wrap tough meat in leaves from the papaya tree. ● PHRASAL VERB Wrap up means the same as wrap . □ [V P n] Diana is taking the opportunity to wrap up the family presents. [Also V n P ]

2 N‑UNCOUNT Wrap is the material that something is wrapped in. □ [+ around ] I tucked some plastic wrap around the sandwiches to keep them from getting stale. □  …gift wrap.

3 VERB When you wrap something such as a piece of paper or cloth round another thing, you put it around it. □ [V n + around/over ] She wrapped a handkerchief around her bleeding palm.

4 VERB If someone wraps their arms, fingers, or legs around something, they put them firmly around it. □ [V n + around ] He wrapped his arms around her.

5 → see also wrapping

6 PHRASE If you keep something under wraps , you keep it secret, often until you are ready to announce it at some time in the future. □  The bids were submitted in May and were meant to have been kept under wraps until October.

▸  wrap up

1 PHRASAL VERB If you wrap up , you put warm clothes on. □ [V P adv/adj/prep] Markus has wrapped up warmly in a woolly hat. [Also V P ]