well

/ˈwel/

Middle English welle, wille "spring of water, pool formed by a spring, pit sunk into the earth to reach water," going back to Old English wælle (Anglian), wiell, wielle (West Saxon, later wille, wylle), going back to a Germanic base *waln(j)- (also *walj-?) with varying stem formations (whence also Old Frisian walla "spring, source," Middle Dutch wal, walle "a seething, boiling heat, spring or river of seething water") and with e-grade ablaut Old High German wella "wave, tide," Old Icelandic vella "boiling, bubbling mass," all nominal derivatives from the base of Germanic *walla- "to well up, seethe, bubble"

noun

  1. an issue of water from the earth : a pool fed by a spring

  2. source, origin

  3. a pit or hole sunk into the earth to reach a supply of water

verb

  1. to rise to the surface and usually flow forth

  2. to rise like a flood of liquid

  3. to emit in a copious free flow

tears welled from her eyes

adverb

  1. in a good or proper manner : justly, rightly

  2. satisfactorily with respect to conduct or action

  3. in a kindly or friendly manner

did well in math