Forms: 3–5 quelm, 4 welme, 4–7 whelme, 5–6 Sc. quhelm, 8–9 ’whelm, 5– whelm; 9 dial. whalm, whawm, welm. Also WHEMMEL. [? representing OE. *hwelman, parallel to *hwelfan WHELVE.]
† 1. intr. To overturn, capsize. Obs.
In second quot. perh. pass. of sense 4.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 24862. Þaa sori loked ai sua for-suonken, Quen þe scip suld quelm and drunken.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron., VII. (1811), 599. By the mysgydynge of the sterysman, he was set vpon the pylys of the brydge, and the barge whelmyd.
2. trans. To turn (a hollow vessel) upside down, or over or upon something so as to cover it; to turn with the concave side downwards. Now dial.
c. 1340. Nominale (Skeat), 360. Apres beyuer hanap endente, welme the cuppe.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 524/1. Whelmyn a vessel, suppino.
14[?]. Med. Receipts, in MS. Lincoln A. i. 17, lf. 285 (Halliw.). Tak a bryghte bacyne, and anoynte it with mylke reme, and whelme it over a prene.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, V. xii. 18. And, with that word, his helm Befoir thair feit all void down did he quhelm.
1530. Palsgr., 780/2. Whelme a platter upon it, to save it from flyes.
1590. Lucar, Lucarsolace, IV. i. 147. Whelme a new elme bole in the bottome of the said hole.
1604. N. F., Fruit. Secr., 18. Whelme downe the maunds, emptying them gently, into small baskets.
1618. Bolton, Florus (1636), 201. The barbarous whelmed their shields over their heads.
1643. Lightfoot, Glean. Ex. (1648), 47. On the top … lay a golden dish whelmed downe.
1657. S. Purchas, Pol. Flying-Ins., 178. A tub … which as soon as you have emptied, suddenly whelm it upside down.
1687. Settle, Refl. Dryden, 2. That the Earth is like a Trencher, and the Heavens a Dish whelmed over it.
1712. Phil. Trans., XXVIII. 254. It was found with the Mouth whelm’d downward.
1796. Troutbeck, Scilly Isl., 171. Their ovens are large iron pots which they whelm over things to be baked, upon heated iron plates.
1842. Florist’s Jrnl. (1846), III. 24. Pansies that were planted out in the autumn, should be protected by whelming a small pot over each plant.
1854. Miss Baker, Northampt. Gloss., s.v., Whelm that dish over them currants.
† b. gen. To turn downwards: in quots. with reference to Fortune’s wheel. Obs.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 1225. Quhan on-fortone quhelmys the quheil.
1532. Chaucer’s Wks., Troylus, I. 139. And thus Fortune a lofte And vnder efte gan hem to whelmen [MSS. whielen, weyle(n] bothe.
† c. To cover (a thing) by turning a vessel, etc., upside down over it. Obs.
a. 1400–50. Bk. Curtasye, 703, in Babees Bk. A qwyte cuppe of tre þer-by shalle be, Þer-with þo water assay schalle he; Quelmes hit agayn by-fore alle men.
1532. Tindale, Expos. Matt. v. (c. 1550), 24 b. As men lyghte no candle to whelme it vnder a bushell.
a. 1651. Gataker, Parker, in Fuller, Abel Rediv., 524. Those that are wont to wrap up their talent in a towell, and whelm their light under a bushell.
d. To throw (something) over violently or in a heap upon something else, esp. so as to cover or to crush or smother it.
1624. Donne, Serm., xix. (1640), 185. Hill upon hill whelmed upon it.
1637. Pocklington, Altare Christianum, 96. This Milstone of a consequence the Author has whelmed upon himselfe.
1686. Plot, Staffordsh., 166. Fig. 3. is to be whelmed upon Fig. 2. so that A. in Fig. 3. touch A. in Fig. 2.
1752. Young, Brothers, I. i. Not seals of adamant, not mountains whelm’d On guilty secrets, can exclude the day.
1888. Sheffield Gloss., s.v. Whawm, Whawm that cloth over that pancheon.
1894. Blackmore, Perlycross, vi. With … a broad hat whelmed down upon his hairless white face.
† e. To turn over (soil, etc.) so as to expose the under parts. Also absol. Obs.
1652. Blithe, Eng. Improver Impr., xxviii. 193. The phin made broad, descending or whelming to the right hand.
1759. Mills, trans. Duhamel’s Husb., I. ix. 49. In this plough, the place of the breast-board must be supplied by an iron plate, which … is … carried back, and gradually brought to whelm, as if it would fall upon the furrow.
1795. Vancouver, Agric. Essex, 180. To bury every weed by whelming the slice or furrow completely over.
† 3. intr. (poet.) To come or pass over something so as to cover it. Obs.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 683. Garcy hyt Otes on the helme, That upon hys hedd hyt can whelme.
1690. Dryden, Don Sebastian, I. i. The Waves whelm’d over him. Ibid. (1697), Æneis, IX. 725. The Tow’r that follow’d on the fallen Crew, Whelm’d o’re their Heads, and bury’d whom it slew.
1700. Blackmore, Job, 98. Dismal floods of grief whelm o’er thy head.
4. trans. a. To cover completely with water or other fluid so as to ruin or destroy; to submerge, drown; occas. to sink (a boat).
1555. Phaër, Æneid., I. (1558), A ij. Let out thy windes & all their ships do drown wt waters wylde, Disperse them all to sondrie shores or whelme them downe wt deepe.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., II. ii. 143. Giue fire: she is my prize, or Ocean whelme them all.
1697. Dryden, Æneis, VI. 455. He saw his Friends, who whelm’d beneath the Waves, Their Fun’ral Honours claim’d.
1725. Pope, Odyss., IV. 658. Whelm’d in the bottom of the monstrous deep.
1818. Scott, Battle of Sempach, xxxvi. He ’whelmed the boat, and as they strove, He stunn’d them with his oar.
1830. Lyell, Princ. Geol., I. 295. Marsh land … has at last been overflowed, and thousands of the inhabitants whelmed in the waves.
1889. Jessopp, Coming of Friars, ii. 105. Flocks, and herds, and corn and hay being whelmed in the deluge.
b. To bury under a load of earth, snow, or the like.
1555. W. Watreman, Fardle Facions, I. iii. 35. So whelmed in sande and grauell, that there is nothing but mere barreinesse.
1583. Melbancke, Philotimus, X iv. Whelmd be the World with fire and brimstone, that [etc.].
1601. Holland, Pliny, XXXII. vi. II. 437. To coole oisters forsooth, they must needs whelme and cover them all over with snow.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. xiii. § 60. 601. A couragious Esquier of Yorkeshire, whom the sodaine ruine of a Tower … whelmed and slew outright.
1668. Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., I. xiii. 32. The Pancreas doth lie out of the reach of Medicaments, being deeply whelmed among the Bowels.
1793. Aikin & Mrs. Barbauld, Even. at Home (1805), IV. 3. He … dug over the whole bed, and whelmed all the relics of his flowers deep under the soil.
1801. Farmer’s Mag., Jan., 52. A size of furrow-slice is raised sufficient to overlap or whelm up all the weeds.
1883. Miss Broughton, Belinda, II. viii. A day that wrecks ships by fleets;… that whelms trains in snowdrifts.
5. transf. To engulf or bear down like a flood, storm, avalanche, etc.; hence, to involve in destruction or ruin. a. in material sense.
1667. Milton, P. L., VI. 141. Who … with solitarie hand … at one blow Unaided could have finisht thee, and whelmd Thy Legions under darkness.
1740. Dyer, Ruins Rome, 529. The Goth and Vandal … Rush, as the Breach of waters, whelming all Their Domes.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, VI. vi. The files compact Whelmed me.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, Prol. 45. Some were whelm’d with missiles of the wall. Ibid. (1864), En. Ard., 668. Where either haven open’d on the deeps, Roll’d a sea-haze and whelm’d the world in gray.
1883. Fortn. Rev., Feb., 162. The wind that would whelm the wilderness.
b. in immaterial sense.
1553. Primer Edw. VI., Prayer for ryche menne. Lustes, whyche whelme men into perdicion and destruction.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. xliii. 2. The light of lyfe driueth away the mist vnder which wee were whelmed in heauinesse.
1598. R. Bernard, trans. Terence, Andria, V. iv. My minde is so whelmed with feare, hope, ioy.
1622. Mabbe, trans. Aleman’s Guzman d’Alf., II. 265. I lay buryed and whelmed-over head and eares in a well of miseries.
1791. Cowper, Iliad, II. 204. Sorrow whelm’d his soul.
1832. Campbell, Ode to Germans, ii. And the tyrants now that whelm Half the world shall quail and flee.
1860. J. P. Kennedy, Life W. Wirt, I. xx. 302. Many other ladies were also whelmed in this awful catastrophe.
1891. A. P. Peabody, King’s Chapel Serm., Acts xiv. 11, 138. Christ … whelmed with his forgiving love the penitent who wept at his feet.
Hence Whelmed ppl. a., Whelming vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1819. Keats, Otho, I. i. In my grave, Or side by side with *’whelmed mariners.
1842. Loudon, Suburban Hort., 145. A common saucer and whelmed pot.
1898. Meredith, Odes Fr. Hist., 75. These tortures to distract her [sc. France] underneath Her whelmed Aurora’s shade.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 524/1. *Whelmynge, suppinacio.
1670. Ray, Prov., 282 (Scott Prov.). If I can get his cairt at a whelming [1678, p. 379. at a wolter], I shall lend it a put.
1637. Milton, Lycidas, 157. Under the *whelming tide.
1652. Blithe, Eng. Improv. Impr., xxviii. 194. The Coumb or Wing so fixed … to the Share, with its true whelming, hollow, cross winding, compass, just answring the cast or turn of the Furrow.
1658. W. Burton, Itin. Antonin., 92. The all-whelming deluge of Time.
1725. Pope, Odyss., I. 210. Doom’d to welter in the whelming main.
1792. Wordsw., Descrip. Sketches, 207. By Him who saves Alike in whelming snows and roaring winds.
1799. Cowper, Castaway, 13. Not long beneath the whelming brine, Expert to swim, he lay.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., cxviii. If he may live for joys or sink in ’whelming pain.
1861. Beresf. Hope, Eng. Cathedr. 19th C., 166. At a crisis of growing darkness and whelming confusion.
1891. Atkinson, Last of Giant Killers, 145. His hideous muzzle had been hidden by a whelming mass shot down from the hill above.
