to weigh down

2 definitions found

to weigh down - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Weigh \Weigh\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weighed; p. pr. & vb. n.
     Weighing.] [OE. weien, weyen, weghen, AS. wegan to bear,
     move; akin to D. wegen to weigh, G. w[aum]gen, wiegen, to
     weigh, bewegen to move, OHG. wegan, Icel. vega to move,
     carry, lift, weigh, Sw. v[aum]ga to weigh, Dan. veie, Goth.
     gawigan to shake, L. vehere to carry, Skr. vah. ????. See
     Way, and cf. Wey.]
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     1. To bear up; to raise; to lift into the air; to swing up;
        as, to weigh anchor. "Weigh the vessel up." --Cowper.
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     2. To examine by the balance; to ascertain the weight of,
        that is, the force with which a thing tends to the center
        of the earth; to determine the heaviness, or quantity of
        matter of; as, to weigh sugar; to weigh gold.
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              Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found
              wanting.                              --Dan. v. 27.
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     3. To be equivalent to in weight; to counterbalance; to have
        the heaviness of. "A body weighing divers ounces."
        --Boyle.
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     4. To pay, allot, take, or give by weight.
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              They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
                                                    --Zech. xi.
                                                    12.
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     5. To examine or test as if by the balance; to ponder in the
        mind; to consider or examine for the purpose of forming an
        opinion or coming to a conclusion; to estimate
        deliberately and maturely; to balance.
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              A young man not weighed in state affairs. --Bacon.
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              Had no better weighed
              The strength he was to cope with, or his own.
                                                    --Milton.
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              Regard not who it is which speaketh, but weigh only
              what is spoken.                       --Hooker.
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              In nice balance, truth with gold she weighs. --Pope.
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              Without sufficiently weighing his expressions. --Sir
                                                    W. Scott.
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     6. To consider as worthy of notice; to regard. [Obs. or
        Archaic] "I weigh not you." --Shak.
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              All that she so dear did weigh.       --Spenser.
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     To weigh down.
        (a) To overbalance.
        (b) To oppress with weight; to overburden; to depress. "To
            weigh thy spirits down." --Milton.
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  Weigh \Weigh\, v. i.
     1. To have weight; to be heavy. "They only weigh the
        heavier." --Cowper.
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     2. To be considered as important; to have weight in the
        intellectual balance.
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              Your vows to her and me . . . will even weigh.
                                                    --Shak.
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              This objection ought to weigh with those whose
              reading is designed for much talk and little
              knowledge.                            --Locke.
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     3. To bear heavily; to press hard.
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              Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff
              Which weighs upon the heart.          --Shak.
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     4. To judge; to estimate. [R.]
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              Could not weigh of worthiness aright. --Spenser.
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     To weigh down, to sink by its own weight.
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