Industrial and trades terminology · MLC-0113

Industrial and trades terms: W (201)

• WaferA thin slice of semiconductor material, typically silicon, used as the substrate for fabricating integrated...
• Wafer-scale integrationA technology for building a single, very large integrated circuit on an entire semiconductor wafer. This...
• WaffleA type of concrete slab construction characterized by a grid of ribs on its underside, creating a waffle-like...
• WagonA rail vehicle designed for carrying freight or goods, typically unpowered and pulled by a locomotive. These...
• WagonerA mine worker responsible for transporting tubs or wagons of coal or ore from the working face to a main...
• Wagon-litA sleeping car on a European passenger train, offering private compartments with beds for overnight travel...
• WagonloadA quantity of freight that fills a single railway wagon, typically transported as part of a larger train...
• WailerA boy employed at a colliery to pick out stones, pyrites, and other impurities left in the coal after it had...
• WaistThe central part of a ship's deck, located between the forecastle and the quarterdeck. This area often serves...
• WaistlineThe imaginary line that runs horizontally along the lower edge of a vehicle's side windows, separating the...
• Waiting timeThe duration a task or process remains idle in a queue before its execution begins or resumes. In industrial...
• WakeThe disturbance in the water left behind a moving vessel, characterized by a pattern of waves. This trail is...
• WalkThe undesirable lateral movement or deviation of a cutting tool, such as a drill bit, from its intended path...
• Walk policyA standard procedure in the hospitality industry for handling an overbooked situation where a guest with a...
• WallThe solid rock face or side of a mine working, such as a drift, stope, or tunnel. This geological feature...
• Wall plateA horizontal timber or steel member placed on top of a wall to provide a continuous bearing surface for the...
• WallboxA recessed enclosure installed within a wall, designed to house electrical switches, outlets, or other wiring...
• WaneThe presence of original rounded surface or bark on the edge or corner of a piece of sawn lumber, indicating...
• WanedDescribing a timber or board that retains some of the original rounded surface of the log from which it was...
• WaneyDescribing a board or timber that retains a portion of the original, rounded surface of the log, including...
• WantA localized barren section or discontinuity within a mineral vein or coal seam where the valuable material is...
• WAPA networking hardware device, known as a Wireless Access Point, that allows other Wi-Fi devices to connect to...
• Warm workingThe plastic deformation of a metal at temperatures above room temperature but below its recrystallization...
• Warning trackA strip of different footing, usually dirt or crushed stone, along the outfield fence of a baseball field, so...
• Warning triangleA reflective, collapsible device used to alert oncoming traffic to a stationary vehicle or hazard on the...
• WarpThe set of lengthwise yarns or threads in a woven fabric, which are held under tension on a loom during the...
• Warp beamA large cylindrical roller located at the back of a loom, onto which hundreds or thousands of parallel warp...
• WarrantA document of title issued by a warehouse operator as a receipt for goods stored in a bonded or public...
• WashThe process of separating desired minerals from gangue material using a liquid, typically water. This method...
• WashboardA pattern of closely spaced, transverse ripples that forms on the surface of unpaved or gravel roads, also...
• WashdirtAlluvial material, typically gravels and sands, that contains valuable placer minerals such as gold...
• WasherymanA worker at a mine's processing plant who operates the equipment used to clean and separate extracted ore or...
• WashoutA geological feature where a channel or lens of barren material, such as sand or clay, cuts through a coal...
• WashpitA designated area, typically a sunken bay or raised platform, equipped for cleaning agricultural machinery...
• WastegateA bypass valve in a turbocharged engine that regulates the amount of exhaust gas directed to the turbine...
• WastemanA miner responsible for maintaining and inspecting abandoned or disused sections of a mine, often referred to...
• WatchA period of duty on a vessel, during which a crew member or group of crew members is responsible for the safe...
• Watch in twoA watch system that splits a ship's crew into two alternating watches, each on duty for a spell and then off...
• Watch receiverA type of early earphone or transducer used in telephony and radio communication systems, named for its...
• WatchoutA hazardous situation that warns wildland firefighters to take care, as listed in the 18 Watch Out Situations...
• Water columnA standpipe or tower equipped with a spout, used for supplying water to the tender of a steam locomotive...
• Water injectionA technique used in internal combustion engines to spray a fine mist of water or a water-methanol mixture...
• Water leaderA worker in older collieries whose job was to clear water out of the horseways and other places underground...
• Water lineThe line where the water surface meets a ship's hull, shown on the outside of the hull as marks for the light...
• Water poppingThe process of applying a thin layer of water to a sanded hardwood floor or piece of wood before staining...
• Water repellentDescribing a fabric or finish that resists the penetration of water, causing it to bead up and roll off the...
• Water troughA long, shallow tank positioned between the rails of a railway track, allowing steam locomotives to replenish...
• Water twistA strong, hard-twisted cotton yarn first spun on the water frame, the roller-drafting machine patented by...
• Water wandA long, slender tool with a nozzle at one end, used to direct a stream of water for cleaning or irrigation...
• WaterageA fee or charge for the transportation of goods by water, or for the use of waterfront facilities like...
• WaterbomberAn aircraft specifically designed and equipped to drop large quantities of water or fire retardant on...
• Waterfall skirtA skirt whose fabric falls in cascading drapes. One form is a single piece that is longer on one side than...
• WaterleaveThe right, granted by a landowner or authority, to drain water from a mine through adjacent lands. This legal...
• Water-line modelA solid model of a vessel built from boards, each cut to the outline of one water line taken from the ship's...
• WaterstopA sealing element embedded in concrete joints to prevent the passage of water. These flexible strips are...
• WaterworkThe physical infrastructure and facilities required for the collection, purification, storage, and...
• Waterworks, see Waterwork
• Wavelet modulationA method of encoding information onto a carrier signal using wavelet functions instead of the sinusoidal...
• WavemeterAn electronic instrument that measures the wavelength or frequency of electromagnetic waves. It operates by...
• WaverA roller on a printing press, in full the waver roller, that carries ink to the inking table while moving...
• Wax pointThe temperature at which paraffin wax begins to separate from crude oil or petroleum products as the...
• WayAn obsolete seventeenth-century unit for counting Rhenish glass, equal to 60 bunches and also called a web...
• WayboardA thin layer or parting of clay or soft shale found between thicker beds of rock, especially separating a...
• Way-cleanerA worker employed in a colliery, in older practice, to clean the rails of the underground tramways, removing...
• WearThe gradual deterioration or removal of material from a surface due to friction, impact, or corrosion during...
• WeatherThe state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time, encompassing conditions such as wind...
• WebA continuous roll of paper, plastic, or other material fed into a printing press, as opposed to individual...
• WebbingTapes that conduct a web of paper through a printing machine, strong flexible bands running on pulleys to...
• WebphoneA software application or browser-based service that enables users to make and receive telephone calls over...
• WedgingThe act of inserting a wedge-shaped piece of material into a gap or opening to secure, tighten, or separate...
• WedgwoodA renowned English pottery manufacturer, established in 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood, known for its high-quality...
• WeedwhackerA handheld power tool used for cutting grass and weeds in areas inaccessible to lawnmowers, such as around...
• WeftThe yarns or threads that are interlaced horizontally through the warp yarns in a woven fabric, running...
• WeighTo lift an anchor clear of the seabed, bringing it aboard the vessel. This action signifies that the ship is...
• WeightThe force exerted on an object by gravity, or a mass used to apply such a force in a mechanical system. In...
• WeldlessDescribing a metal product, such as a pipe, tube, or chain, that is manufactured as a single, continuous...
• WellpointA small-diameter, perforated pipe with a screen, typically installed in the ground to lower the groundwater...
• Welsh plainA coarse woollen cloth woven in Wales, mainly in the middle and north of the country, between the 17th and...
• Western Union spliceA method of joining two electrical conductors by twisting them together tightly, creating a mechanically...
• WetRelating to an aircraft component or area designed to contain fuel, such as a wet wing or wet tank. This...
• Wet heaterA type of torpedo engine in which the combustion chamber receives a spray of water in addition to fuel and...
• Wet leaseAn agreement where one airline provides an aircraft, complete with crew, maintenance, and insurance, to...
• Wet sumpAn engine lubrication system where the oil supply is stored in a pan, known as the sump, located directly...
• WetdownThe process of applying water to a work area or material to suppress dust, cool surfaces, or prevent...
• WetlineA fire control line where water or fire retardant has been applied to extinguish flames and prevent their...
• WetlookA high-gloss finish applied to surfaces like floors, fabrics, or automotive paint that gives the appearance...
• Weyl fermionA massless, chiral quasiparticle that emerges as an excitation in certain crystalline materials known as Weyl...
• WFRThe wall-to-floor ratio, the area of a building's external walls divided by its gross floor area, used in...
• Whale safariA commercial tour where passengers are taken by boat to locations where whales are known to congregate, for...
• Whale tailA distinctive type of rear spoiler found on certain high-performance automobiles, characterized by its large...
• WharfingerThe owner, manager, or keeper of a wharf, responsible for its operation and the handling of goods and...
• WheelA circular device, typically with spokes or a solid disc, used to steer a vessel. It connects to the rudder...
• Wheel braceA type of socket wrench used to tighten and loosen the lug nuts that secure a vehicle's wheels. It features a...
• Wheel latheA specialized machine tool used for machining the treads and flanges of railway wheels or other large...
• Wheel shopA specialized maintenance facility where railway vehicle wheelsets are inspected, repaired, and manufactured...
• WheelbarrowA single-wheeled vehicle with handles at the rear and legs for support, designed for a single person to push...
• WheelmanA driver who operates a vehicle with skill and precision, often in challenging or high-pressure situations...
• WheelspinThe condition where a vehicle's driven wheels rotate at a higher angular velocity than the actual speed of...
• WhimA large winding machine, typically powered by animals such as horses or mules, used in early mining...
• WhimsyA decorative glass object, often intricate or unusual in design, created by glassblowers as a demonstration...
• WhipA single-part line rove through a single block, used for hoisting light loads. This simple tackle arrangement...
• Whip stitchA basic hand-sewing stitch used to join two pieces of fabric edge-to-edge or to finish a raw edge. The needle...
• WhipstitchA simple, overcast sewing stitch used to join two edges of material, such as leather, canvas, or heavy...
• WhirlpoolingA process in brewing where wort is rapidly circulated in a vessel after boiling to create a vortex, causing...
• WhiskerA single-crystal filament of metal or ceramic, typically very thin and strong, that grows from a surface...
• WhiskeringA gravure printing defect in which hairlike tendrils of ink reach out from printed areas into the blank...
• Whistle postA trackside marker indicating to a locomotive engineer that the train's whistle or horn must be sounded...
• White liquorThe active cooking chemical solution used in the Kraft pulping process to separate cellulose fibers from...
• WhitewashA thin, opaque coating made from lime and water, sometimes with added pigments, used to brighten and protect...
• Whole clothA quilting technique where the quilt top is made from a single large piece of fabric, rather than piecing...
• WickA method of applying herbicides or pesticides directly to target weeds or plants using an absorbent material...
• WicketA small door or gate, often set within a larger door or barrier, used for pedestrian access in mines or...
• WidebodiedDescribing an aircraft characterized by a fuselage that is sufficiently broad to incorporate two passenger...
• Wide-bodyAn airliner whose fuselage is wide enough for two passenger aisles, with seven to ten seats abreast in...
• WidebodyAn aircraft fuselage design featuring a cross-section large enough to accommodate two passenger aisles. This...
• Wide-cutDescribing a jet fuel made from a mixture of hydrocarbons spanning a broad range of boiling points, combining...
• WidespanA type of industrial shelving or racking system designed to store bulky, heavy, or irregularly shaped items...
• WideUltra SCSIA computer interface standard for connecting peripheral devices, offering increased data transfer rates and...
• WidgerA small, handheld horticultural tool designed for lifting delicate seedlings from a seed tray for...
• WidlarizeTo destroy a faulty electronic component or integrated circuit with a hammer, in the manner of the analog...
• Widow-makerA detached or broken tree limb, branch, or tree top that is lodged in another tree and poses a falling hazard...
• WigglerA precision tool used in machining to accurately locate the edge or center of a workpiece or fixture on a...
• WigwagAn older type of railway level crossing signal featuring a swinging or oscillating arm with a light, designed...
• WildRelating to an electrical power source, particularly an AC generator, whose output frequency and voltage are...
• WildcatA toothed wheel on an anchor windlass whose pockets grip the links of the anchor chain so the chain is hauled...
• WildernessAn area of land officially designated to be kept in its natural state, free from human development, roads...
• WiMAXA family of wireless communication standards providing high-speed internet access over a wide area. Worldwide...
• WimblewareA fan-coined name for the London Underground service between Wimbledon and Edgware Road, a pattern of...
• WinTo extract ore, coal, or other minerals from a deposit, and also to develop a deposit and prepare it for...
• WindThe natural movement of air relative to the Earth's surface, caused by differences in atmospheric pressure...
• Wind roadAn underground passage or roadway in a mine designated for the circulation of air. As a component of the...
• WindageA form of parasitic power loss in an internal combustion engine caused by the rotating crankshaft, connecting...
• WindboardA component within the cleaning system of a combine harvester, consisting of angled panels or deflectors...
• WindbreakA barrier of trees, shrubs, or artificial structures planted or constructed to reduce wind speed and protect...
• WinderA large mechanical hoist system used in mines to raise and lower conveyances, such as cages for personnel or...
• WindingThe coils of insulated wire arranged around a magnetic core in an electric motor, generator, or transformer...
• Window detectorAn electronic circuit that determines if an input voltage falls within a specific range, or 'window', defined...
• Window lockA security device installed on a window to prevent it from being opened from the outside or beyond a certain...
• WindowpaningA technique used in bread making to assess the gluten development of dough, where a small piece of dough is...
• Windscreen wiperA device used to clear rain, snow, and debris from a vehicle's windscreen to maintain visibility. It consists...
• Windshield phenomenonThe observation that fewer insects accumulate on the windshields of cars compared to previous decades...
• WindsnapThe breakage of a tree's trunk or stem due to high winds, rather than the tree being uprooted. This occurs...
• WindsplitA raised crease or ridge on a body panel, most often running lengthwise along the center of the hood or trunk...
• WindthrowThe uprooting of a tree by strong winds, where the entire tree, including its root system, is overturned...
• WindthrownDescribing a tree that has been uprooted or blown over by strong winds, with its root system exposed. This...
• WindwayAn underground passage or gallery in a mine that serves as part of the ventilation network, allowing air to...
• WingAn outboard section of a ship's hold or tank, located to the port or starboard side of the vessel's...
• Wing in ground effectAn aerodynamic phenomenon where the lift of an aircraft wing is significantly increased and drag is reduced...
• Wing wallA retaining wall extending sideways from the end of a bridge abutment, culvert, or similar structure to hold...
• WingletA small, upward-curving extension at the tip of an aircraft wing, designed to reduce drag by mitigating...
• WinnowTo separate grain from chaff and other lighter impurities by means of air current. This traditional...
• Winter sunA category of leisure travel and tourism focused on destinations that offer warm, sunny weather during the...
• Winter tireA specialized tire designed to provide enhanced traction and grip in cold weather conditions, including snow...
• Winter-hainedDescribing pasture or grassland that has been kept ungrazed through the winter, so that its grass is saved...
• WinzeA vertical or steeply inclined shaft sunk downwards from an existing level in a mine, typically connecting...
• WinzemanA miner specifically assigned to work in a winze, which is a vertical or steeply inclined shaft sunk...
• WipeTo join lead pipes or fittings by soldering, creating a smooth, watertight connection. This process involves...
• Wireless internetInternet access provided to computers and other devices without the use of physical cables. This connection...
• Wireless telegraphyThe transmission of telegraphic signals without the use of connecting wires, primarily through radio waves...
• WirewaterThe water that drains through the forming fabric, or wire, from the pulp slurry during the papermaking...
• Wiring harnessAn organized assembly of electrical wires, cables, and connectors that transmit power and signals throughout...
• Wiring loomAn organized assembly of electrical wires, cables, and connectors bundled together to transmit power and...
• WishboneA suspension component shaped like a 'V' or 'A', also known as a control arm, that connects the wheel hub to...
• With privilegeA notice, from the Latin cum privilegio, printed in a book to show that the work was legally published under...
• WOFA semiconductor handling format, usually read as wafer on frame, in which a wafer is mounted on adhesive...
• Wood burnerA steam locomotive designed or converted to use wood as its primary fuel source, rather than coal or oil...
• Wood leaderA worker in older mining practice whose job was to carry wooden props, the timber supports that hold up the...
• WoodblockA block of wood with an image or text carved in relief, used for printing by applying ink to the raised...
• WoofThe crosswise yarn in woven cloth, running at right angles to the warp and carried through the shed by a...
• WordA fixed-size group of bits handled as a single unit by a processor's instruction set or hardware. The word...
• Work envelopeThe three-dimensional space within which a robotic manipulator can move its end-effector. This volume is...
• Work hardeningThe phenomenon where a metal becomes stronger and harder as it is plastically deformed, such as by bending...
• Work outTo extract all economically viable ore or mineral from a specific section or deposit within a mine. This...
• Work trainA train consisting of specialized rolling stock used for railway maintenance, construction, or repair tasks...
• Work-hardenTo increase the strength and hardness of a metal through plastic deformation, such as by cold rolling...
• Working massThe material that a rocket or thruster ejects to produce thrust, also called reaction mass. In a chemical...
• WorkpieceThe piece of raw material or a partially finished part that is secured in a machine tool for a shaping...
• WorkspaceThe three-dimensional volume within which a robot or machine tool can operate and reach with its end...
• WormA type of gear drive consisting of a threaded shaft (the worm) that meshes with a toothed wheel (the worm...
• WORM driveA type of optical disk drive that allows data to be written to a disk only once, but read multiple times. The...
• WorstedA type of high-quality wool yarn or fabric made from long-staple wool fibers that have been combed to remove...
• WortThe sweet, malty liquid extracted from the mashing process in brewing, containing sugars, amino acids, and...
• WPThe abbreviation of the Western Pacific Railroad, an American railroad that ran from Oakland, California...
• WPIWhey protein isolate, a highly refined form of whey protein that undergoes processing to remove most of the...
• WPTWireless Power Transfer: The transmission of electrical energy from a power source to an electrical load...
• WrapA large vinyl graphic or film applied to the exterior of a vehicle, covering all or part of its painted...
• Wrecking ballA heavy steel ball, typically weighing several tons, suspended from a crane and swung to demolish buildings...
• WrestThe component of a moldboard plow that turns and inverts the furrow slice after it has been cut by the...
• WrigglerA precision tool used in machining to accurately locate the edge or center of a workpiece or fixture on a...
• WringThe torsional twisting of a drill string within a borehole, where the upper section rotates while the lower...
• Write onceDescribing a type of data storage media that allows information to be recorded a single time and prevents any...
• Write once, read manyA data storage principle where information is recorded onto a medium one time and can then be accessed and...
• WrongThe reverse or interior side of a fabric, garment, or component, which is not intended to be visible in the...
• Wrong sideThe back of a piece of fabric that is not intended to be seen in the final product, where the weave or print...
• Wrong-way concurrencyA situation where a highway or road is signed with two different route numbers that appear to travel in...
• WSAn abbreviation for workstation, a designated area within a manufacturing or assembly facility where a...
• WSIAn abbreviation for Wafer Scale Integration, a technology approach in microelectronics that involves building...
• WSPRWeak Signal Propagation Reporter: A digital communication protocol designed for very low-power radio...
• WSSAn acronym for Wavelength Selective Switch, a device that routes individual optical wavelengths from one or...
• WyeA triangular arrangement of railway tracks used to turn a locomotive or an entire train around, or to connect...
• WyibA knitting abbreviation for 'with yarn in back', an instruction to hold the working yarn behind the work...
• WytheA continuous vertical section of masonry, one unit in thickness, forming part of a wall. A single-wythe wall...

201 of 7,291 terms in Industrial and trades terminology (MLC-0113). Request the full dataset.