What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

What is the difference between wage and wages?

wage | wages |

As nouns the difference between wage and wages

is that wage is an amount of money paid to a worker for a specified quantity of work, usually expressed on an hourly basis while wages is plural of lang=en.

As verbs the difference between wage and wages

is that wage is to wager, bet while wages is third-person singular of wage.

wage

English

(wikipedia wage)

Etymology 1

From (etyl), from . Akin to (etyl) '''' "to pledge", (etyl) ''wadi''. Compare also the doublet ''gage . More at wed. Possible contributory etylomolgy from from the Old English wæge (meaning "weight," as wages at times have been goods or coin measured on a scale).

Noun

(en noun)
  • An amount of money paid to a worker for a specified quantity of work, usually expressed on an hourly basis.
    • Synonyms
    * earnings, pay, salary
    Derived terms
    * hourly wage * lost wages * wage moderation * wage scale

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) intermediate *''wadiare'' from *''wadium .

    Verb

    (wag)
  • To wager, bet.
  • *(William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • *:My life I never held but as a pawn / To wage against thy enemies.
  • :(Hakluyt)
  • To expose oneself to, as a risk; to incur, as a danger; to venture; to hazard.
  • *(William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • *:too weak to wage an instant trial with the king
  • *(William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • *:to wake and wage a danger profitless
  • To employ for wages; to hire.
  • *:
  • *:Thenne said Arthur I wille goo with yow / Nay said the kynges ye shalle not at this tyme / for ye haue moche to doo yet in these landes / therfore we wille departe / and with the grete goodes that we haue goten in these landes by youre yeftes we shalle wage good knyghtes & withstande the kynge Claudas malyce
  • *(Raphael Holinshed) (1529-1580)
  • *:abundance of treasure which he had in store, wherewith he might wage soldiers
  • (label) To conduct or carry out (a war or other contest).
  • *(John Dryden) (1631-1700)
  • *:[He pondered] which of all his sons was fit / To reign and wage immortal war with wit.
  • *(Isaac Taylor) (1787–1865)
  • *:The two are waging war, and the one triumphs by the destruction of the other.
  • (label) To adventure, or lay out, for hire or reward; to hire out.
  • *(Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)
  • *:Thoumust wage thy works for wealth.
  • To give security for the performance of.
  • :(Burrill)
    • Usage notes
    * "Wage" collocates strongly with "war", leading to expressions such as To wage peace'', or ''To wage football implying the inclusion of a large element of conflict in the action.
    Derived terms
    * (agent noun)

    wages

    English

    Noun

    (head)
  • (in the plural) one's total income for a time period

    • Verb

    (head)
  • (wage)

    • Anagrams

    *