*wards*

{ } adv. Toward the air; upward. [ R. ] Keats. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. [ Back, adv. + -ward. ] 1. With the back in advance or foremost; as, to ride backward. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Toward the back; toward the rear; as, to throw the arms backward. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. On the back, or with the back downward. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou wilt fall backward. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Toward, or in, past time or events; ago. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some reigns backward. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. By way of reflection; reflexively. Sir J. Davies. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. From a better to a worse state, as from honor to shame, from religion to sin. [ 1913 Webster ]

The work went backward. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. In a contrary or reverse manner, way, or direction; contrarily; as, to read backwards. [ 1913 Webster ]

We might have . . . beat them backward home. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Cowardice. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. [ AS. ad&unr_;nweard. See Down, adv., and -ward. ] 1. From a higher place to a lower; in a descending course; as, to tend, move, roll, look, or take root, downward or downwards. “Looking downwards.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their heads they downward bent. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. From a higher to a lower condition; toward misery, humility, disgrace, or ruin. [ 1913 Webster ]

And downward fell into a groveling swine. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. From a remote time; from an ancestor or predecessor; from one to another in a descending line. [ 1913 Webster ]

A ring the county wears,
That downward hath descended in his house,
From son to son, some four or five descents. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. Toward the earth; -- opposed to heavenward or skyward. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. Toward the east; in the direction of east from some point or place; as, New Haven lies eastward from New York. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , adv. [ AS. forweard, foreweard; for, fore + -weardes; akin to G. vorwärts. The s is properly a genitive ending. See For, Fore, and -ward, -wards. ] Toward a part or place before or in front; onward; in advance; progressively; -- opposed to backward. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Same as Forward. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } prep. [ AS. framweard about to depart. Cf. Froward ] A way from; -- the contrary of toward. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Towards or fromwards the zenith. Cheyne. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. [ AS. hāmweard. ] Toward home; in the direction of one's house, town, or country. [ 1913 Webster ]

Homeward bound, bound for home; going homeward; as, the homeward bound fleet. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. [ AS. inweard. The ending -s is prop. a genitive ending. See Inward, a., -wards. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Toward the inside; toward the center or interior; as, to bend a thing inward. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Into, or toward, the mind or thoughts; inwardly; as, to turn the attention inward. [ 1913 Webster ]

So much the rather, thou Celestial Light,
Shine inward. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. See Inward. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , adv. Toward the north, or toward a point nearer to the north than to the east or west point. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ See -wards. ] Onward. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. See Outward, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. [ AS. ūteweard. See Out, and -ward, -wards. ] From the interior part; in a direction from the interior toward the exterior; out; to the outside; beyond; off; away; as, a ship bound outward. [ 1913 Webster ]

The wrong side may be turned outward. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Light falling on them is not reflected outwards. Sir I. Newton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Outward bound, bound in an outward direction or to foreign parts; -- said especially of vessels, and opposed to homeward bound. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Toward a pole of the earth. “The regions further polewards.” Whewell. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. Toward the south, or toward a point nearer the south than the east or west point; as, to go southward. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office of a steward. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } prep.[ AS. &unr_; impending, imminent, future, toward, &unr_; towards. See To, and -ward, wards. ] 1. In the direction of; to. [ 1913 Webster ]

He set his face toward the wilderness. Num. xxiv. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

The waves make towards the pebbled shore. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. With direction to, in a moral sense; with respect or reference to; regarding; concerning. [ 1913 Webster ]

His eye shall be evil toward his brother. Deut. xxviii. 54. [ 1913 Webster ]

Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men. Acts xxiv. 16. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Tending to; in the direction of; in behalf of. [ 1913 Webster ]

This was the first alarm England received towards any trouble. Clarendom. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Near; about; approaching to. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am toward nine years older since I left you. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. Near; at hand; in state of preparation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Do you hear sught, sir, of a battle toward ? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

We have a trifling foolish banquet Towards. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. & adv. See Toward. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. Toward a town. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. [ AS. upweardes. See Up-, and -wards. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. In a direction from lower to higher; toward a higher place; in a course toward the source or origin; -- opposed to downward; as, to tend or roll upward. I. Watts. [ 1913 Webster ]

Looking inward, we are stricken dumb; looking upward, we speak and prevail. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In the upper parts; above. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dagon his name, sea monster, upward man,
And down ward fish. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Yet more; indefinitely more; above; over. [ 1913 Webster ]

From twenty years old and upward. Num. i. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

Upward of, or
Upwards of, more than; above. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have been your wife in this obedience
Upward of twenty years. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ . [ AS. -weard, -weardes; akin to OS. & OFries. -ward. OHG. -wert, G. -wärts, Icel. -verðr, Goth. -vaírþs, L. vertere to turn, versus toward, and E. worth to become. √143. See Worth. v. i., and cf. Verse. Adverbs ending in -wards (AS. -weardes) and some other adverbs, such as besides, betimes, since (OE. sithens). etc., were originally genitive forms used adverbially. ] Suffixes denoting course or direction to; motion or tendency toward; as in backward, or backwards; toward, or towards, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

See -ward. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The office of a ward or keeper; care and protection of a ward; guardianship; right of guardianship. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wardship is incident to tenure in socage. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of begin under a guardian; pupilage. [ 1913 Webster ]

It was the wisest act . . . in my wardship. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Wardsmen A man who keeps ward; a guard. [ R. ] Sydney Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]