What does wexe mean?
Wexe is a chiefly Scottish verb meaning “wash.” It can be used reflexively, as in “wexed his hands,” to mean that someone washes themselves, and transitively to refer to washing or cleaning an object, as in “wexed the dishes.” The word belongs to the older vocabulary of northern British English and has the character of a regional, archaic, or literary survival rather than a common modern standard-English term. Its sound may initially resemble that of wax, but the meanings are unrelated: wax is associated with substances produced by bees, candles, polishes, and hair-removal preparations, while wexe simply denotes the action of washing. For readers encountering wexe in Scottish writing or older literature, the immediate point is that it is another form of “wash,” with no special implication beyond the ordinary act of cleaning. In contemporary British and American usage, “wash” is the normal and readily understood expression.
verbTo wash, especially to wash oneself.
- To wash oneself.
- To wash or clean something.
"She wexed her face before breakfast."
"Wexe your hands before you eat."
"The rain wexed the windows clean."
Wexe preserves the Old English sense of “wash” in a form that survives chiefly in Scottish usage.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wexe
Wexe comes from Old English wesan in the sense “to wash,” with the vowel development represented by the spelling. The word continued in Scots and northern English varieties, where it remained in use after “wash” became dominant in standard English. Its modern distribution is chiefly Scottish, and many speakers now regard it as archaic or literary.
Related word forms
How wexe is actually used
Chiefly Scottish and archaic or literary. In modern standard English, “wash” is normally used instead.
Easily confused with wexe
Wexe is a chiefly Scottish verb meaning to wash, whereas wax is an English noun or verb associated with candle material, polishing, or hair-removal preparations.