See also: wither- and wiþer-

English edit

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle English widren, wydderen (to dry up, shrivel), related to or perhaps an alteration of Middle English wederen (to expose to weather), from Old English wederian (to expose to weather, exhibit a change of weather).

Verb edit

wither (third-person singular simple present withers, present participle withering, simple past and past participle withered)

  1. (intransitive) To shrivel, droop or dry up, especially from lack of water.
  2. (transitive) To cause to shrivel or dry up.
  3. (intransitive, figurative) To lose vigour or power; to languish; to pass away.
  4. (intransitive) To become helpless due to emotion.
  5. (transitive) To make helpless due to emotion.
    (Can we add an example for this sense?)
Usage notes edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit

Etymology 2 edit

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun edit

wither (plural withers)

  1. singular of withers (part of the back of a four-legged animal that is between the shoulder blades)
    • 2007, Sara Douglass, Enchanter, Macmillan, →ISBN:
      Timozel had slid his feet quickly from the stirrups and swung his leg over the horse's wither as it slumped to the ground, standing himself in one graceful movement.
    • 2008, Kate Luxmoore, Introduction to Equestrian Sports, →ISBN, page 140:
      If a saddle tips too far forward it may rest on the horse's wither and cause pain. There should always be a gap of roughly 5 cm between the horse's wither and the pommel when you are sitting on the saddle.
Derived terms edit

Etymology 3 edit

From Middle English wither, from Old English wiþer (again, against, adverb in compounds), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþr (against, toward).

Adverb edit

wither (comparative more wither, superlative most wither)

  1. (obsolete or chiefly in compounds) Against, in opposition to.

Etymology 4 edit

From Middle English witheren, from Old English wiþerian (to resist, oppose, struggle against).

Verb edit

wither (third-person singular simple present withers, present participle withering, simple past and past participle withered)

  1. (obsolete) To go against, resist; oppose.

Anagrams edit