Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

3 ADV You use wherever in questions as an emphatic form of 'where', usually when you are surprised about something. [EMPHASIS ] □  Wherever did you get that idea? □  Wherever have you been?

where|with|al / ^h we ə ^r w I ðɔːl/ N‑SING [oft N to-inf] If you have the wherewithal for something, you have the means, especially the money, that you need for it. □  She didn't have the financial wherewithal to do it. [Also + for ]

whet / ^h we t/ (whets , whetting , whetted ) PHRASE If someone or something whets your appetite for a particular thing, they increase your desire to have it or know about it, especially by giving you an idea of what it is like. □ [+ for ] A really good catalogue can also whet customers' appetites for merchandise.

wheth|er ◆◆◆ / ^h we ðə ^r /

1 CONJ You use whether when you are talking about a choice or doubt between two or more alternatives. □  To this day, it's unclear whether he shot himself or was murdered. □  They now have two weeks to decide whether or not to buy. □  I don't know whether they've found anybody yet.

2 CONJ You use whether to say that something is true in any of the circumstances that you mention. □  The more muscle you have, the more fat you'll burn, whether you're working out or fast asleep. □  Babies, whether breast-fed or bottle-fed, should receive additional vitamin D.

whet|stone / ^h we tstoʊn/ (whetstones ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A whetstone is a stone which is used for sharpening knives or other tools that have a blade.

whew EXCLAM Whew is used in writing to represent a sound that you make when you breathe out quickly, for example because you are very hot, very relieved, or very surprised. [FEELINGS ] □  'Whew,' he said. 'It's hot.'

whey / ^h we I / N‑UNCOUNT Whey is the watery part of sour milk that is separated from the thick part called curds, for example when you are making cheese.

which ◆◆◆ / ^h w I tʃ/

1 PRON ; DET You use which in questions when there are two or more possible answers or alternatives. □  Which do they want me to do, declare war or surrender? □  Which are the ones you really like? □  'You go down that passageway over there.'—'Which one?' □  Which vitamin supplements are good value?

2 DET You use which to refer to a choice between two or more possible answers or alternatives. □  I wanted to know which school it was you went to. □  Scientists have long wondered which parts of the brain are involved in musical tasks. ● CONJ Which is also a conjunction. □  In her panic she couldn't remember which was Mr Grainger's cabin. □  There are so many diets on the market, how do you know which to choose?

3 PRON You use which at the beginning of a relative clause when specifying the thing that you are talking about or when giving more information about it. □  Soldiers opened fire on a car which failed to stop at an army checkpoint. □  He's based in Banja Luka, which is the largest city in northern Bosnia. □  Colic describes a whole variety of conditions in which a horse suffers abdominal pain.

4 PRON You use which to refer back to an idea or situation expressed in a previous sentence or sentences, especially when you want to give your opinion about it. □  Since we started in September we have raised fifty thousand pounds, which is pretty good going. ● DET Which is also a determiner. □  Some people are allergic to the gelatine in the capsule, in which case you can get drops.