WORTH, a. Termination, signifies a farm or court; as in Wordsworth.

WORTH, v.i. This verb is now used only in the phrases, wo worth the day, wo worth the man, &c., in which the verb is in the imperative mode, and the noun in the dative; wo be to the day.

WORTH, n. [G., L. The primary sense is strength.]

1. Equal in value to. Silver is scarce worth the labor of digging and refining. In one country, a day's labor is worth a dollar; in another, the same labor is not worth fifty cents. It is worth while to consider a subject well be fore we come to a decision. If your arguments produce no conviction, they are worth nothing to me. – Beattie.
2. Deserving of; in a good or bad sense, but chiefly in a good sense. The castle is worth defending. To reign is worth ambition, though in hell. – Milton. This is life indeed, life worth preserving. – Addison.
3. Equal in possessions to; having estate to the value of. Most men are estimated by their neighbors to be worth more than they are. A man worth a hundred thousand dollars in the United States, is called rich; but not so in London or Paris. Worthiest of blood, an expression in law, denoting the preference of sons to daughters in the descent of estates.

A termination, signifies a farm or court; as in Wordsworth.

1. Value; that quality of a thing which renders it useful, or which will produce an equivalent good in some other thing. The worth of a day's labor may be estimated in money, or in wheat. The worth of labor is settled between the hirer and the hired. The worth of commodities is usually the price they will bring in market; but price is not always worth.
2. Value of mental qualities; excellence; virtue; usefulness; as, a man or magistrate of great worth. As none but she, who in that court did dwell / Could know such worth, or worth describe so well. – Walter. All worth consists in doing good, and in the disposition by which it is done. – Dwight.
3. Importance; valuable qualities; applied to things; as these things have since lost their worth.

This verb is now used only in the phrases, woe worth the day, woe worth the man, &c., in which the verb is in the imperative mode, and the noun in the dative; woe be to the day.

1. To be; to become; to betide; -- now used only in the phrases, woe worth the day, woe worth the man, etc., in which the verb is in the imperative, and the nouns day, man, etc., are in the dative. Woe be to the day, woe be to the man, etc., are equivalent phrases.
   
   

   I counsel . . . to let the cat worthe. Piers Plowman.

   He worth upon [got upon] his steed gray. Chaucer.

2. Valuable; of worthy; estimable; also, worth while.
   
   
   [Obs.]

   It was not worth to make it wise. Chaucer.

3. That quality of a thing which renders it valuable or useful; sum of valuable qualities which render anything useful and sought; value; hence, often, value as expressed in a standard, as money; equivalent in exchange; price.
   
   

   What 's worth in anything
   But so much money as 't will bring? Hudibras.

4. Equal in value to; furnishing an equivalent for; proper to be exchanged for.
   
   

   A ring he hath of mine worth forty ducats. Shak.

   All our doings without charity are nothing worth. Bk. of Com. Prayer.

   If your arguments produce no conviction, they are worth nothing to me. Beattie.

5. Value in respect of moral or personal qualities; excellence; virtue; eminence; desert; merit; usefulness; as, a man or magistrate of great worth.
   
   

   To be of worth, and worthy estimation. Shak.

   As none but she, who in that court did dwell,
   Could know such worth, or worth describe so well. Waller.

   To think how modest worth neglected lies. Shenstone.

   Syn. -- Desert; merit; excellence; price; rate.

6. Deserving of; -- in a good or bad sense, but chiefly in a good sense.
   
   

   To reign is worth ambition, though in hell. Milton.

   This is life indeed, life worth preserving. Addison.

7. Having possessions equal to; having wealth or estate to the value of.
   
   

   At Geneva are merchants reckoned worth twenty hundred crowns. Addison.

   Worth while, or Worth the while. See under While, n.