\Wage\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Waged}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Waging}.] [OE. wagen, OF. wagier, gagier, to pledge,
promise, F. gager to wager, lay, bet, fr. LL. wadium a
pledge; of Teutonic origin; cf. Goth. wadi a pledge,
gawadj[=o]n to pledge, akin to E. wed, G. wette a wager. See
{Wed}, and cf. {Gage}.]
1. To pledge; to hazard on the event of a contest; to stake;
   to bet, to lay; to wager; as, to wage a dollar. --Hakluyt.
         My life I never but as a pawn To wage against thy
         enemies.                              --Shak.
2. To expose one's self to, as a risk; to incur, as a danger;
   to venture; to hazard. ``Too weak to wage an instant trial
   with the king.'' --Shak.
         To wake and wage a danger profitless. --Shak.
3. To engage in, as a contest, as if by previous gage or
   pledge; to carry on, as a war.
         [He pondered] which of all his sons was fit To reign
         and wage immortal war with wit.       --Dryden.
         The two are waging war, and the one triumphs by the
         destruction of the other.             --I. Taylor.
4. To adventure, or lay out, for hire or reward; to hire out.
   [Obs.] ``Thou . . . must wage thy works for wealth.''
   --Spenser.
5. To put upon wages; to hire; to employ; to pay wages to.
   [Obs.]
         Abundance of treasure which he had in store,
         wherewith he might wage soldiers.     --Holinshed.
         I would have them waged for their labor. --Latimer.
6. (O. Eng. Law) To give security for the performance of.
   --Burrill.
{To wage battle} (O. Eng. Law), to give gage, or security,
   for joining in the duellum, or combat. See {Wager of
   battel}, under {Wager}, n. --Burrill.
{To wage one's law} (Law), to give security to make one's
   law. See {Wager of law}, under {Wager}, n.

\Wage\, v. i.
To bind one's self; to engage. [Obs.]

\Wage\, n. [OF. wage, gage, guarantee, engagement. See
{Wage}, v. t. ]
1. That which is staked or ventured; that for which one
   incurs risk or danger; prize; gage. [Obs.] ``That warlike
   wage.'' --Spenser.
2. That for which one labors; meed; reward; stipulated
   payment for service performed; hire; pay; compensation; --
   at present generally used in the plural. See {Wages}. ``My
   day's wage.'' --Sir W. Scott. ``At least I earned my
   wage.'' --Thackeray. ``Pay them a wage in advance.'' --J.
   Morley. ``The wages of virtue.'' --Tennyson.
         By Tom Thumb, a fairy page, He sent it, and doth him
         engage, By promise of a mighty wage, It secretly to
         carry.                                --Drayton.
         Our praises are our wages.            --Shak.
         Existing legislation on the subject of wages.
                                               --Encyc. Brit.
Note: Wage is used adjectively and as the first part of
      compounds which are usually self-explaining; as, wage
      worker, or wage-worker; wage-earner, etc.
{Board wages}. See under 1st {Board}.
Syn: Hire; reward; stipend; salary; allowance; pay;
     compensation; remuneration; fruit.