[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

wage \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=on to pledge, akin to e. wed, g. wette a wager. see
   wed, and cf. gage.
   1913 webster
   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.
      1913 webster

            my life i never but as a pawn
            to wage against thy enemies.          --shak.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

            to wake and wage a danger profitless. --shak.
      1913 webster

   3. to engage in, as a contest, as if by previous gage or
      pledge; to carry on, as a war.
      1913 webster

            he pondered which of all his sons was fit
            to reign and wage immortal war with wit. --dryden.
      1913 webster

            the two are waging war, and the one triumphs by the
            destruction of the other.             --i. taylor.
      1913 webster

   4. to adventure, or lay out, for hire or reward; to hire out.
      obs. "thou . . . must wage thy works for wealth."
      --spenser.
      1913 webster

   5. to put upon wages; to hire; to employ; to pay wages to.
      obs.
      1913 webster

            abundance of treasure which he had in store,
            wherewith he might wage soldiers.     --holinshed.
      1913 webster

            i would have them waged for their labor. --latimer.
      1913 webster

   6. o. eng. law to give security for the performance of.
      --burrill.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster
see also:
waged waging wed gage to wage battle wager of battel 
wager to wage one's law wager of law 

Waging >> W Words
Waging, definition of term: Waging
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