welter

verb

wel·ter | \ˈwel-tər

weltered; weltering\ ˈwel-t(ə-)riŋ

Definition of welter

(Entry 1 of 3)

intransitive verb

1a : writhe, toss also : wallow

b : to rise and fall or toss about in or with waves

2 : to become deeply sunk, soaked, or involved

3 : to be in turmoil

welter

noun (1)

Definition of welter (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : a state of wild disorder : turmoil

2 : a chaotic mass or jumble a bewildering welter of data

welter

noun (2)

Definition of welter (Entry 3 of 3)

: welterweight

The History of Welter

Verb

Welter can be used both as a noun (meaning "turmoil" or "chaos") and a verb. The verb is the older of the two; it has been part of English since at least the 1300s, while the earliest uses of the noun date from the late 1590s. Both noun and verb have roots related to Dutch and Germanic terms meaning "to roll," and both have found a place in historical English literature. The verb helps demonstrate extreme despair in the early Arthurian legend Morte Arthure ("He welterys, he wristeles, he wrynges hys handes!"), and in 1837 Thomas Carlyle used the noun in The French Revolution ("I leave the whole business in a frightful welter: … not one of them understands anything of government").