WILDERNESS

wilderness

(noun) a bewildering profusion; “the duties of citizenship are lost sight of in the wilderness of interests of individuals and groups”; “a wilderness of masts in the harbor”

wilderness, wild

(noun) a wild and uninhabited area left in its natural condition; “it was a wilderness preserved for the hawks and mountaineers”

Wilderness

(noun) a wooded region in northeastern Virginia near Spotsylvania where bloody but inconclusive battles were fought in the American Civil War

wilderness

(noun) (politics) a state of disfavor; “he led the Democratic party back from the wilderness”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

wilderness (countable and uncountable, plural wildernesses)

(countable, uncountable) An unsettled and uncultivated tract of land in its natural state; a barren land; a wild or waste.

(countable, uncountable) A place that is uncared for, and therefore devoted to disorder or wildness.

(uncountable) Wild or unrefined state; wildness.

(countable) A bewildering flock or throng.

(countable) A situation that is bewildering, or that which makes one feel awkward.

Source: Wiktionary


Wil"der*ness, n. Etym: [OE. wildernesse, wilderne,probably from AS. wildor a wild beast; cf. D. wildernis wilderness. See Wilder, v. t.]

1. A tract of land, or a region, uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings, whether a forest or a wide, barren plain; a wild; a waste; a desert; a pathless waste of any kind. The wat'ry wilderness yields no supply. Waller.

2. A disorderly or neglected place. Cowper.

3. Quality or state of being wild; wildness. [Obs.] These paths and bowers doubt not but our joint hands. Will keep from wilderness with ease. Milton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

20 April 2025

SALAD

(noun) food mixtures either arranged on a plate or tossed and served with a moist dressing; usually consisting of or including greens


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

coffee icon