wherewith

Etymology

From where +‎ with.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /wɛːˈwɪð/ (in accents with the "wine-whine" merger)
• (US) IPA^(key): /ʍɛɚˈwɪð/ (in accents without the "wine-whine" merger)
• (US, also) IPA^(key): /ʍɛɚˈwɪθ/ (in accents without the "wine-whine" merger)
• (US) IPA^(key): /wɛɚˈwɪð/ (in accents with the "wine-whine" merger)
• (US, also) IPA^(key): /wɛɚˈwɪθ/ (in accents with the "wine-whine" merger)

Adverb

wherewith (not comparable)

1. (archaic) With which; with what.
   • 1611, Bible (King James Version):
     Matthew 5:13:

     Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?

   • 1611, Bible (King James Version):
     Zechariah 14:12:

     And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem.

   • 1885, Christina G[eorgina] Rossetti, “Love Came Down at Christmas [originally untitled]”, in Time Flies: A Reading Diary, London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, OCLC 2226947:

     […] Worship we the Godhead, / Love Incarnate, Love Divine, / Worship we our Jesus, / But wherewith for sacred sign? // Love shall be our token, / Love be yours and love be mine, / Love to God and all men, / Love for plea and gift and sign.

Noun

wherewith (usually uncountable, plural wherewiths)

1. (archaic) Something with which; the means by which.
   • 1603, John Florio, transl.; Michel de Montaigne, The Essayes, […], printed at London: […] Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:
     , II.12:

     Hath not he wherewith [transl. dequoy] to be beholding unto this his killing vivacitie?

See also

• (‘here-’ words) here; hereabout, hereabouts, hereafter, hereat, herebefore, hereby, herefore, herefrom, herein, hereinafter, hereinbefore, hereinto, hereof, hereon, hereto, heretofore, hereunder, hereunto, hereupon, herewith, herewithal
• (‘there-’ words) there; thereabout, thereabouts, thereafter, thereagain, thereagainst, thereamong, therearound, thereas, thereat, therebefore, therebeside, thereby, therefore, therefrom, therein, thereinafter, thereinbefore, thereinto, thereof, thereon, thereto, theretofore, thereunder, thereunto, thereupon, therewith, therewithal
• (‘where-’ words) where; whereabout, whereabouts, whereafter, whereagainst, whereamong, whereas, whereat, whereby, wherefore, wherefrom, wherein, whereinafter, whereinbefore, whereinto, whereof, whereon, whereto, wheretofore, whereunder, whereunto, whereupon, wherewith, wherewithal