Wage

Wage, wāj, v.t. to pledge: to engage in as if by pledge: to carry on, esp. of war: to venture: (prov.) to hire for pay: (Shak.) to pay wages to: (Spens.) to let out for pay.—v.i. (Shak.) to be equal in value, to contend, battle (with).—n. a gage or stake: that for which one labours: wages.—ns. Wage′-earn′er, one receiving pay for work done; Wage′-fund, Wā′ges-fund theory, the theory that there is at any given time in a country a determinate amount of capital available for the payment of labour, therefore the average wage depends on the proportion of this fund to the number of persons who have to share in it; Wā′ger, that which is waged or pledged: something staked on the issue of anything: a bet: that on which bets are laid: (law) an offer to make oath.—v.t. to hazard on the issue of anything.—v.i. to lay a wager.—n. Wā′gerer.—n.pl. Wā′ges (used as sing.), wage: that which is paid for services.—n. Wage′-work, work done for wages.—Wager of battle, trial by combat, an ancient usage which permitted the accused and accuser, in defect of sufficient direct evidence, to challenge each other to mortal combat, for issue of the dispute.—Living wage (see Living). [O. Fr. wager (Fr. gager), to pledge.]