Forms: 1 wǽʓ(e, wéʓ, 2 wæiȝe, 3 weie, 4 waye, weih, weȝe, 4–5 weigh(e, 5, 9 wee, 5–7, 9 dial. wey, 6 wye, 7–9 way, 9 dial. weigh. [OE. wǽʓ str. fem., wǽʓe wk. fem. (both meaning ‘balance’ and ‘weight’; see WEY), corresp. to OS. wâga (MLG. wâge, MDu. wâghe, Du. waag; see WAW sb.2), OHG. wâga (MHG. wâge, mod.G. wage), ON. vág, (Sw. våg, Da. vaag):—OTeut. *wǣʓō-, -ōn-, f. *wǣʓ- (:*weʓ-: *waʓ-): see WEIGH v.]
† 1. A weight. Obs. (For the word as the name of a particular denomination of weight, see WEY.)
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gram., xxxii. (Z.), 58. Pondus, byrðen oððe wæʓe [v.r. wæʓ].
c. 1200. Vices & Virtues, 11. Godd us forbett ðat we ne sculen habbe twifeald wæiȝe ne twifeald imett.
2. A balance, pair of scales. † a. sing. Obs.
a. 1050. Liber Scintill., xxiv. (1889), 97. Wordu soðlice snotera on wæʓe beoð aweʓene [Ecclus. xxi. 28 statera ponderabuntur].
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 60. Auh seint Austin deð þeos two boðe in one weie, wilnen, & habe wille uorte beon iwilned.
1340. Ayenb., 255. Þe wordes of þe wyse byeþ y-weʓe ine þe waye.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 947. Þou waltres al in a weih & wel y vnderstande whider þe belaunce bremliest bouwes al-gate.
1382. Wyclif, Prov. xi. 1. A treccherous weȝe [Vulg. statera] abominacioun is anent God.
a. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 221. Then come thylke brennet dekon, and layde a grete pot on þe wey þe whech anon weyit vp al togedyr.
b. plural (sometimes construed as sing.). Obs. exc. dial. † Also, the zodiacal constellation Libra.
c. 825. Vesp. Psalter, lxi. 10. Mendaces filii hominum in stateris, lease bearn monna in weʓum.
c. 1100. Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 148/16. Trutina, wæʓa.
1340. Hampole, Ps. lxi. 9. Leighers in weighes, that is, on the weighes of rightwisnes.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 74. Heruest bygynnes whenne þe sonne entrys þe first degree of þe tokenynge of weighes.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., V. iv. 693. Pap Siluestir gert þaim be layide In til a weyis.
1480–1. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 97. j par Weez lign. cum ponderibus.
1533. Extracts Aberd. Reg. (1844), I. 451. Ane pair of woll weyiss, ane pair of ballendis of brass.
1552. Lyndesay, Monarche, 2286. Sanct Mychaell, with his wyngis and weyis.
1573. Extracts Aberd. Reg. (1848), II. 10. A pair of weyis witht baikis, pryce xl. d.
1578. Richmond Wills (Surtees), 282. The kitchinge … A pair wyes and wyghts, ii s. vj d.
c. 1587. Montgomerie, Sonn., xviii. 11. Hald evin the Weyis.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., Burrow Lawes, c. 125 § 3. The heire … sall haue … ane flaill, the weyes [L. stateram], with the wechts, [etc.].
1808. Jamieson, Weyes, Weyis, a balance with scales for weighing. Ibid. (1825), Weyes, Wees.
c. Sc. (See quot.)
1886. J. Barrowman, Sc. Mining Terms, 72. Weighs, a weigh-bridge; a waggon-weighing machine.
3. A pole borne on the shoulders of two men, for carrying a water-vessel. ? Obs. Also wey and bodkins (dial.): see quot.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xiv. (Roxb.), 11/2. A Runge or Soe: which is a kind of vessell that Tanners, Glouers, and Beere-brewers use to carry Water in, being borne on a Way or pole betweene two men.
1844. W. Barnes, Poems Rural Life, Gloss. 369. Wey an’ bodkins, a set of spreaders for hitching two horses to the same part of a sull or harrow. The first, the Wey, is fastened at its middle to the plough or harrow by a cops … and the bodkins are connected by a crook on their middle to clipses on the two ends of the wey.
