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

were \were\, v. t.  i.
   to wear. see 3d wear. obs. --chaucer.
   1913 webster
see also:
wear 

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

were \were\, n.
   a weir. see weir. obs. --chaucer. sir p. sidney.
   1913 webster
see also:
weir 

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

were \were\, v. t. as. werian.
   to guard; to protect. obs. --chaucer.
   1913 webster

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

were \were\ w~er; 277. as. w=aere thou wast, w=aeron
   we, you, they were, w=aere imp. subj. see was.
   the imperfect indicative plural, and imperfect subjunctive
   singular and plural, of the verb be. see be.
   1913 webster
see also:
was be 

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

were \were\ w=er, n. as. wer; akin to os.  ohg. wer, goth.
   wa'ir, l. vir, skr. vimacra. cf. weregild, and
   werewolf.
   1913 webster
   1. a man. obs.
      1913 webster

   2. a fine for slaying a man; the money value set upon a man's
      life; weregild. obs.
      1913 webster

            every man was valued at a certain sum, which was
            called his were.                      --bosworth.
      1913 webster
see also:
weregild werewolf 

[6] : WordNet (r) 2.0

were
     see be
see also:
be 

[7] : Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

were. the name of a fine among the saxons imposed upon a murderer. 
     2. the life of every man, not excepting that of the king himself, was 
estimated at a certain price, which was called the were, or vestimatio 
capitis. the amount varied according to the dignity of the person murdered. 
the price of wounds was also varied according to the nature of the wound, or 
the member injured. 

Were >> W Words
Were, definition of term: Were
were_pag1.html

As It Were >> A Words
As It Were, definition of term: As It Were
as+it+were_pag1.html