Obs. Forms: α. 1–3 wac (1 waac, infl. wake), 4 north. wak, 4–5 wake; β. 2–3 woc, (3 wooc, infl. woke), 3–5 wok, 5 woke; 1 comp. waccre, superl. 1 waccust, 4 wakkest. [Com. Teut. (wanting in Goth. and Fris.): OE. wác, corresp. to OS., MLG. wêk, MDu. weec (Du. week), OHG. weih (MHG., G. weich) yielding, soft, ON. veikr, vøyk-r (Sw. vek, Da. veg soft, Norw. veik) weak:—OTeut. *waikwo-, f. *waikw-: *wīkw- to yield, give way: see WIKE v. Cf. WEAK a., a. ON. veikr.
The word died out in the 15th c., being superseded by WEAK; if it had survived, its form in mod.Eng. would have been *wook (wuk), the vowel being modified in quality by the initial (w) and shortened by the final (k).]
= WEAK a. in various senses. a. Pliant, flexible (only OE.). b. Lacking in strength, vigor, endurance or courage; inferior physically or morally. c. Lowly in status or degree; insignificant.
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xlii. 306. Sua sua wac hreod & idel, ðe ælc hwiða windes mæʓ awecggan.
a. 1000. Wanderer, 67. Ne sceal no to hatheort ne to hrædwyrde ne to wac wiʓa ne to wanhydiʓ.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., I. 2. Ic Ælfric munuc and mæssepreost, swa þeah waccre þonne swilcum hadum ʓebyriʓe.
c. 1050. Suppl. Ælfric’s Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 191/19. Lentus, waac.
1050–73. Charter, in Thorpe, Charters (1865), 430. ii forealdode rædingbec swiðe wake, and .i. wac mæssereaf.
c. 1200. Ormin, 18328. Icc amm i me sellfenn wac & full off unntrummnesse.
c. 1205. Lay., 23593. Ah fehten ich wulle … wið Arðure kinge, whaðer unkere swa beoð þere wakere sone he bið he laðere.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 12. Do wel & dem ðe suluen euer woc. Ibid., 52. Ofte a ful hawur smið smeoðið a ful woc knif.
c. 1230. Hali Meid. (1922), 9. Drehen se moni wa, for swa wac huire as te world forȝelt eauer at ten ende.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1197. Ȝhe wurd wið child, on elde wac.
a. 1275. Prov. Ælfred, 581, in O. E. Misc., 135. Min hew falewidþ, and min wlite is wan, and min herte woc.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 354. I am be wakkest, I wot, and of wyt feblest.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xvi. (Magdalene), 389. For þu art wak & gret with barne.
c. 1425. Engl. Conq. Ireland, 146. The englysshe weren both argh & woke to assayllen and to fyght, þe Iresshe stronge & bold to wythstonde.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 196. Then callyd þe norys to þe modyr, and bade hur … helpe hur forto folde þe chyldys cloþis; for scho was to woke, and myght not welde hom.
1457. Harding, Chron., i. in Engl. Hist. Rev. (1912), Oct., 743. With incurable mayme that maketh me wake.
d. Woke fish [cf. G. weichfisch], dried cod, stockfish.
1386. in R. R. Sharpe, Cal. Letter-bk. H Lond. (1907), 299. Stokfisshe (called) hallwoxefisshe [sic].
