Was
Was (woz) , verb
[Anglo-Saxon was, 2d pers. ware, 3d pers. was, pl. waron, with the inf. wesan to be; akin to Dutch wezen, imp. was, Old High German wesan, imp. was, German wesen, n., a being, essence, war was, Icelandic vera to be, imp. var, Gothic wisan to be, to dwell, to remain, imp. was, Sanskrit vas to remain, to dwell. r148. Compare 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.