Wose

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic term for a moisture or liquid that slowly seeps or oozes out of something
2. Old-fashioned word for damp matter or sap that trickles slowly from a surface or source
3. A rare, obsolete noun describing a slow discharge of wet fluid seeping out from within

Etymology: In Middle English, "wose" was an informal shortening of "wodewose," a figure from medieval art and folklore: a hairy, club-wielding wild man of the woods who often appeared on heraldry, carvings, and pageant costumes. The fuller form combines "wood" with an element related to the Old English "wasa," meaning a wild or savage person, and the shorter form was likely used as a casual name for the same creature. The shortened form is uncommon and mostly appears in older texts, so the exact range of its use is uncertain. Its surviving trace is mainly in the longer compound, which lasted in English long after the short form faded.