Forms: 1 wǽʓ (wéʓ), wǽʓe, 4–8 weye, 5– wey (5 wegh), 5–7 way (6 waye, waie), 7 waigh(e, 7– weigh. [Identical in origin with WEIGH sb.1 Cf. WAY sb.2 and WAW sb.2]
1. A standard of dry-goods weight, varying greatly with different commodities. (See quots.)
a. Of cheese.
805–10. in Birch, Cartul. Sax., I. 459. Ʒif hit ðonne festen dæʓ sie, selle mon uuæʓe cæsa & fisces. Ibid. (c. 833), 577. An weʓ spices & ceses.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. V. 93. I wolde be gladder … Than þouȝe I had þis woke ywonne a weye of essex chese.
1542. Recorde, Gr. Arts, K v b. The very weights of it [sc. cheese] are cloues and weies, so that a cloue shoulde contayne 7 pounde: and a wey 32 cloues, that is 224 poundes.
1590. Payne, Brief Descr. Irel. (1841), 8. You may haue yeerely … fortie great wayes of cheese, of the milke gathered betwixt May and Michaelmas.
1596. Recorde’s Gr. Arts, 162. And so much [256 pound] weyeth the weigh of Suffolke cheese…. The Wey of Essex Cheese containeth 16 score, and 16 pound.
1638. L. Roberts, Merch. Map Comm., II. 239. The true weight of cheese and butter, called the Waighe. Ibid. The Waighe of Suffolk cheese being 256 li. and the waighe of Essex cheese 336 li. averdupois.
1725. Bradley’s Family Dict., s.v. Clove, In Suffolk they allow forty two of these Cloves or three hundred thirty six pounds to the Wey.
1846. J. Baxter’s Libr. Pract. Agric. (ed. 4), II. 429. A wey in Suffolk 32 cloves, or 256 lbs. A wey in Essex 42 cloves, or 336 lbs.
b. Of wool.
a. 975. Laws Edgar, III. § 8. Ga seo wæʓe [v.r. wæʓ] wulle to cxx. p[enninga].
[c. 1300. Fleta, II. xii. (1647), 73. Et duæ wayæ lanæ faciunt unum saccum.]
a. 1500. Arnolde’s Chron. (1811), 100. Of the sac wulle goyng out of London of iij. weys,… the Sheref owt to haue xi.d’.
1638. L. Roberts, Merch. Map Comm., II. 239. The sacke of wooll formerly so famoused by the staplers, did weigh 364 li. averdupois, two waighes of wooll make a sacke, and 12 sacks make a laste.
1665. W. Sheppard, Office Clerk of Market, 65. The Sarplar is the Case wherein the Wooll is, and the Waigh respecteth the quantity of the Wooll it self.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 261/1. A Wey [of Wool] contains six Tods and a half.
1844. Stephens, Bk. Farm, III. 888. Wool … is weighed out in double stones of 48 lb., each being called a weigh.
c. Of salt.
1443. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 83. In 2 Wegh et di. grossi salis empt., 50 s.
1451. Paston Lett., I. 228. That ye sold a wey salt but for xx s. that she might hafe had xl s for every wey.
1459. Maldon (Essex) Court Rolls, Bundle 34 No. 1. vi weyes de baysalt, prec. le wey xxvi s. viii d.
1533–4. Durham Househ. Bk. (Surtees), 255. 21/2 qu. [salis] vocata 1/2 wey.
1545. Rates Custome ho., c v b. Salte called baysalt the waye xiii.s. iiii.d.
a. 1585. in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1914), XXIX. 517. You must lade for every thousand fishe a weye of salte or rather more.
1611. in Picton, L’pool. Munic. Rec. (1883), I. 179. Ev’ry Way of Salt, conteyning by measure x barrells.
1615. E. S., Britain’s Buss, in Arber, Garner, III. 635. Likewise, the Buss cannot conveniently stow, at once, above ten Weys of salt.
1638. L. Roberts, Merch. Map Comm., II. 248. A tunne of Salt at Plimouth is greater than a weigh of London by 32 gallons.
1674. Jeake, Arith. (1696), 70. Salt is reckoned by the Hundred and Wey. In 1 Hundred of Salt 101/2 Weyes, in 1 Wey 40 Bushels.
1704. Lond. Gaz., No. 4060/5. About 50 Weigh of Salt, out of the La Senie.
1748. W. Brownrigg, Art of Making Salt, 214. The law now allows three bushels duty free, for every wey (or forty bushels) of British salt carried coast-wise.
d. Of coal, corn, etc., or in general use.
c. 1300[?]. in Rep. Comm. Weights & Meas. (1758), 19. xiv petræ faciunt unum pondus, quod Anglice dicitur weye.
a. 1400. Rel. Ant., I. 70. Sevene waxpund makiet onleve ponde one waye, twelf weyen on fothir.
1471. Churchw. Acc. Yatton (Somerset Rec. Soc.), 107. For ij wey cole, xs.
1542–3. Act 34 & 35 Hen. VIII., c. 9 § 5. The said common meater to haue for the measuring of euery way of corne .ii.d.
1560. MS. Acc. Bk. Butchers’ Co., Lond. The price of a Waie of tallowe was this yere Rated … at 30/.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Weigh,… in some parts of this land it signifies a quantity of Corn (most commonly of Barley or Malt) containing six quarters.
1660. F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 385. Out of the Mounts of Libani in Cuba, there was one [piece of gold] taken weighing 3310 weighs.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Wey, the greatest Measure for dry things, containing five Chaldron: Weys or Weighs, are also 165 Pounds, 180 Pounds, or 200 Pounds and a half for a Charge.
1725. Bradley’s Family Dict., s.v., Wey, A Weigh of Barley or Malt, is six Quarters or forty eight Bushels.
1813. Vancouver, Agric. Devon, 54. During which time five or six weys of culm were raised.
1823. J. Guy, Tutor’s Assist., 5. How many weys and bushels, in 72 lasts? Ans. 144 weys, 5760 bus.
1891. L. Clark, Dict. Metric Measures, 97. Wey, or Load (dry measure) = 40 bushels = 5 quarters.
attrib. 1603. G. Owen, Pembrokeshire (1892), 137. Neither ys the Cranoke or Wey measures vsed in selling thereof [corn].
† 2. ? A pound. (Vulg. libras centum.)
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 372. Nicodemus brouhte uorte smurien mid ure Louerd an hundred weien of mirre & of aloes.
