Was (?). [AS. waes, 2d pers. w&aemac;re, 3d pers. waes, pl. w&aemac;ron, with the inf. wesan to be; akin to D. wezen, imp. was, OHG. wesan, imp. was, G. wesen, n., a being, essence, war was, Icel. vera to be, imp. var, Goth. wisan to be, to dwell, to remain, imp. was, Skr. vas to remain, to dwell. &root;148. Cf. Vernacular, Wassail, Were, v.]
The first and third persons singular of the verb be, in the indicative mood, preterit (imperfect) tense; as, I was; he was.
© Webster 1913.