Noah Webster
Whelm
WHELM, verb transitive
1. To cover with water or other fluid; to cover by immersion in something that envelops on all sides; as, to whelm a person or a company in the seas; to whelm a caravan in sand or dust.
2. To cover completely; to immerse deeply; to overburden; as, to whelm one in sorrows.
3. To throw over so as to cover. [Not used.]