Wick

See also: wick and -wick

English

Etymology 1

From Old Norse vík (“bay, inlet”), from Proto-Germanic *wīkō.

Proper noun

Wick

1. A town in north-eastern Caithness, Highland council area, Scotland (OS grid ref ND3650).
2. The Wick River, a river in Caithness, Highland council area, that flows through the town into Wick Bay on the North Sea.

Etymology 2

From Old English wīc (“dairy farm”).

Proper noun

Wick (countable and uncountable, plural Wicks)

1. A number of places in England:
   1. A hamlet in Luppitt parish, East Devon district, Devon (OS grid ref ST1703).
   2. An eastern suburb of Bournemouth in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Dorset (OS grid ref SZ1951).
   3. A village in Wick and Abson parish, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire (OS grid ref ST7072).
   4. A hamlet in Brent Knoll parish, Somerset, previously in Sedgemoor district (OS grid ref ST3253)
   5. A hamlet in Curry Rivel parish, Somerset, previously in South Somerset district (OS grid ref ST4026).
   6. A hamlet in Stogursey parish, Somerset, previously in Somerset West and Taunton district (OS grid ref ST2144).
   7. A northern suburb of Littlehampton, Arun district, West Sussex (OS grid ref TQ0203).
   8. A village in Downton parish, south Wiltshire (OS grid ref SU1621).
   9. A village and civil parish in Wychavon district, Worcestershire (OS grid ref SO9645).
2. A village and community in Vale of Glamorgan county borough, Wales (OS grid ref SS9272).
3. An unincorporated community in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States.
4. An unincorporated community in Tyler County, West Virginia, United States.
5. (countable) A surname from Old English.

Derived terms

• Shawswick
• Wick and Abson
• Wick St Lawrence

Anagrams

• Cwik, KWIC

Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vik/

Etymology 1

From northern Middle High German wieke, which may be an unshifted relict variant of wieche, from Old High German wiohha (*wioka), or alternatively a merger of the former with related Middle High German wicke. Both pertain to Luxembourgish wéckelen (“to wind”). Middle High German wieche is cognate with obsolete German Wieche, Dutch wiek, Danish væge, Old English wēoce. Middle High German wicke is cognate with Old English wecca, whence English wick.

Alternative forms

• Wéik, Wéck (dialectal)

Noun

Wick f (plural Wicken)

1. wick
2. fuse, cord
3. drift, bank
4. (slang) joint (cannabis cigarette)

Derived terms

• Schnéiwick (“snowdrift”)

Etymology 2

From Middle High German wicke, from Old High German wicka, a borrowing from Latin vicia. The Luxembourgish -i- (instead of regular -é- or -a-) must be due to influence by either etymology 1 or the German cognate Wicke. Also cognate with Dutch wikke, English vetch.

Alternative forms

• Wéck (dialectal)

Noun

Wick f (plural Wicken)

1. vetch