wed
pronunciation
How to pronounce wed in British English:
UK [wed]
How to pronounce wed in American English:
US [wɛd]
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- Verb:
- take in marriage
- perform a marriage ceremony
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- Adjective:
- having been taken in marriage
Word Origin
- wed (v.)
- Old English weddian "to pledge oneself, covenant to do something, vow; betroth, marry," also "unite (two other people) in a marriage, conduct the marriage ceremony," from Proto-Germanic *wadi- (cognates: Old Norse veðja, Danish vedde "to bet, wager," Old Frisian weddia "to promise," Gothic ga-wadjon "to betroth"), from PIE root *wadh- (1) "to pledge, to redeem a pledge" (cognates: Latin vas, genitive vadis "bail, security," Lithuanian vaduoti "to redeem a pledge"). The sense has remained closer to "pledge" in other Germanic languages (such as German Wette "a bet, wager"); development to "marry" is unique to English. "Originally 'make a woman one's wife by giving a pledge or earnest money', then used of either party" [Buck]. Passively, of two people, "to be joined as husband and wife," from c. 1200. Related: Wedded; wedding.
Example
- 1. Over the next five months , some 18000 gay couples wed .
- 2. In fact , muhammad wed aisha when she was 6 .
- 3. This action became necessary in order to prevent me from trying to run away to hal , whom henry would one day decide I should not wed .
- 4. Those that wed wealthy husbands were married at a younger age but to relatively older men , meaning family sizes were bigger but with an increased risk of widowhood .
- 5. Many couples from abroad wed there .