welter: Meaning and Definition of

wel•ter

Pronunciation: (wel'tur), [key]
— v.i.
  1. to roll, toss, or heave, as waves or the sea.
  2. to roll, writhe, or tumble about; wallow, as animals (often fol. by about): pigs weltering about happily in the mud.
  3. to lie bathed in or be drenched in something, esp. blood.
  4. to become deeply or extensively involved, associated, entangled, etc.: to welter in setbacks, confusion, and despair.
—n.
  1. a confused mass; a jumble or muddle: a welter of anxious faces.
  2. a state of commotion, turmoil, or upheaval: the welter that followed the surprise attack.
  3. a rolling, tossing, or tumbling about, as or as if by the sea, waves, or wind: They found the shore through the mighty welter.

wel•ter

Pronunciation: (wel'tur), [key]
— n.
  1. a welterweight boxer or wrestler.
—adj.
  1. (of a steeplechase or hurdle race) pertaining to, or noting a race in which the horses bear welterweights.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: