wither

See also: wither- and wiþer-

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle English, from Old English wiþer (“again, against”, adverb in compounds), from Proto-Germanic *wiþrą (“against, toward”), from Proto-Indo-European *wī-tero- (“further apart”), *wī- (“separate, alone”).

Adverb

wither (comparative more wither, superlative most wither)

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

Etymology 2

From Middle English witheren, from Old English wiþerian (“to resist, oppose, struggle against”), from Proto-Germanic *wiþrōną (“to go against, resist”).

Verb

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

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

Etymology 3

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.
    • Bible, Matthew xii. 10
      There was a man which had his hand withered.
    • Shakespeare
      This is man, old, wrinkled, faded, withered.
    • Dryden
      now warm in love, now with'ring in the grave
  3. (intransitive, figuratively) To lose vigour or power; to languish; to pass away.
    • Byron
      names that must not wither
    • Cowper
      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?)
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