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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Wield \Wield\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Wielded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wielding}.] [OE. welden to govern, to have power over, to possess, AS. geweldan, gewyldan, from wealdan; akin to OS. waldan, OFries. walda, G. walten, OHG. waltan, Icel. valda, Sw. v[*a]lla to occasion, to cause, Dan. volde, Goth. waldan to govern, rule, L. valere to be strong. Cf. {Herald}, {Valiant}.]
1. To govern; to rule; to keep, or have in charge; also, to possess. [Obs.]
When a strong armed man keepeth his house, all things that he wieldeth ben in peace. --Wyclif (Luke xi. 21).
Wile [ne will] ye wield gold neither silver ne money in your girdles. --Wyclif (Matt. x. 9.)
2. To direct or regulate by influence or authority; to manage; to control; to sway.
The famous orators . . . whose resistless eloquence Wielded at will that fierce democraty. --Milton.
Her newborn power was wielded from the first by unprincipled and ambitions men. --De Quincey.
3. To use with full command or power, as a thing not too heavy for the holder; to manage; to handle; hence, to use or employ; as, to wield a sword; to wield the scepter.
Base Hungarian wight! wilt thou the spigot wield! --Shak.
Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed. --Milton.
Nothing but the influence of a civilized power could induce a savage to wield a spade. --S. S. Smith.
{To wield the scepter}, to govern with supreme command.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
wield
verb
1: of power or authority [syn: {exert}, {maintain}]
2: handle effectively; "The burglar wielded an axe" [syn: {handle}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
48 Moby Thesaurus words for "wield": brandish, come in contact, conduct, control, dispense, do with, employ, exercise, exert, feel, feel of, finger, flap, flaunt, flick, float, flourish, flutter, fly, handle, make use of, manage, maneuver, manipulate, operate, palm, palpate, paw, play, ply, poke at, practice, prod, put out, shake, swing, tap, throw, thumb, touch, twiddle, undulate, use, utilize, wag, wave, wigwag, work
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