wither

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwɪðɚ/; enPR: wĭthʹər
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwɪðə/
• Rhymes: -ɪðə(ɹ)
• Homophone: whither (in accents with the wine-whine merger)

• Audio (UK)

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Etymology 1

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

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.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Matthew 12:10:

     There was a man which had his hand withered.

   • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     This is man, old, wrinkled, faded, withered.

   • 1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; , London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC:

     now warm in love, now with'ring in the grave

3. (intransitive, figurative) To lose vigour or power; to languish; to pass away.
   • 1812–1818, Lord Byron, “Canto XLVII”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. , London: John Murray,, (please specify the stanza number):

     names that must not wither

   • 1782, William Cowper, Expostulation:

     States thrive or wither as moons wax and wane.

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

• Not to be confused with whither.

Derived terms

• wither away
• wither on the vine

Translations

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

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

Etymology 3

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

Adverb

wither (comparative more wither, superlative most wither)

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

Etymology 4

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

Verb

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

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

Anagrams

• whiter, writhe