were
[wә:]
be去



Were \Were\, v. t. & i.
To wear. See 3d {Wear}. [Obs.] --Chaucer.


Were \Were\, n.
A weir. See {Weir}. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Sir P. Sidney.


Were \Were\, v. t. [AS. werian.]
To guard; to protect. [Obs.] --Chaucer.


Were \Were\ (w[~e]r; 277). [AS. w[=ae]re (thou) wast, w[=ae]ron
(we, you, they) were, w[=ae]re imp. subj. See {Was}.]
The imperfect indicative plural, and imperfect subjunctive
singular and plural, of the verb be. See {Be}.


Were \Were\ (w[=e]r), n. [AS. wer; akin to OS. & OHG. wer, Goth.
wa['i]r, L. vir, Skr. v[=i]ra. Cf. {Weregild}, and
{Werewolf}.]
1. A man. [Obs.]

2. A fine for slaying a man; the money value set upon a man's
life; weregild. [Obs.]

Every man was valued at a certain sum, which was
called his were. --Bosworth.