The Collaborative Dictionary
Whelm \Whelm\, v. t. [imp.
& p. p.
Whelmed; p.
pr. & vb. n.
Whelming.] [OE. whelmen to turn
over, akin to OE. whelven, AS. whelfan, hwylfan, in ?whylfan,
?whelfan, to overwhelm, cover over; akin to OS. bihwelbian, D.
welven to arch, G. w["o]lben, OHG. welben, Icel. hvelfa to
overturn; cf. Gr. ? bosom, a hollow, a gulf.] [1913 Webster]
To cover with water or other fluid; to cover by
immersion in something that envelops on all sides; to overwhelm; to
ingulf. [1913 Webster] She is my prize, or ocean whelm them all!
--Shak. [1913 Webster] The whelming billow and the faithless oar.
--Gay. [1913 Webster]
Fig.: To cover completely, as if with water; to
immerse; to overcome; as, to whelm one in sorrows. "The whelming
weight of crime." --J. H. Newman. [1913 Webster]
To throw (something) over a thing so as to cover
it. [Obs.] --Mortimer. [1913 Webster]
Word Net
whelm v : overcome, as with emotions or perceptual
stimuli [syn:
overwhelm,
overpower,
sweep over,
overcome,
overtake]
Moby Thesaurus
baptize, be prodigal with,
blank,
bulldoze,
bury,
cascade,
cataract,
clobber,
cream, defeat utterly,
deluge,
dip,
douse,
drown,
duck,
dunk,
engulf,
float,
flood, flood the market, flow on,
immerge,
immerse,
inundate, knock over,
merge,
overbear,
overbrim,
overcome,
overdose,
overequip,
overflow,
overfurnish,
overlavish,
overpower,
overprovender,
overprovide,
overprovision,
overrun,
oversell,
overstock,
oversupply,
overwhelm,
paste, plunge in water, pour on,
pour out, pour over,
prostrate,
rain, run over,
schmear,
shellac, shut out,
sink,
skunk,
slop,
slosh,
sluice,
smear, snow under,
souse,
spill, spill out, spill over,
steamroller,
submerge,
submerse,
swamp,
sweep,
whitewash,
whomp,
whop