wage

/weɪdʒ/

/weɪdʒ/

Other forms: wages; waged; waging

If your job pays a good wage, it means that you earn a lot of money for the hard work you do. If you're not happy with your wage, you might have to wage war on your boss.

Wage is one of those words whose verb and noun forms have entirely different meanings. A worker's wage is how much money she makes. But when you wage something, you carry it out: for example, a warmonger is someone whose primary goal is to wage wars. The word is of Germanic origin, and it's related to both gage and wed, with their underlying meanings of "to pledge."

Definitions of wage

1. noun

   something that remunerates
   synonyms: earnings, pay, remuneration, salary

   types:

   combat pay

   extra pay for soldiers engaged in active combat

   double time

   a doubled wage (for working overtime)

   found

   food and lodging provided in addition to money

   half-pay

   reduced wage paid to someone who is not working full time

   living wage

   a wage sufficient for a worker and family to subsist comfortably

   merit pay

   extra pay awarded to an employee on the basis of merit (especially to school teachers)

   minimum wage

   the lowest wage that an employer is allowed to pay; determined by contract or by law

   pay envelope, pay packet

   wages enclosed in an envelope for distribution to the wage earner

   sick pay

   wages paid to an employee who is on sick leave

   strike pay

   money paid to strikers from union funds

   take-home pay

   what is left of your pay after deductions for taxes and dues and insurance etc

   type of:

   regular payment

   a payment made at regular times
2. verb

   carry on (wars, battles, or campaigns)
   “Napoleon and Hitler waged war against all of Europe”

   synonyms: engage

   types:

   offer, provide, put up

   mount or put up

   type of:

   contend, fight, struggle

   be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight