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Webster 1913 Edition

Wither

With′er

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Withered
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Withering
.]
[OE.
wideren
; probably the same word as
wederen
to weather (see
Weather
,
Verb.
&
Noun.
); or cf. G.
verwittern
to decay, to be weather-beaten, Lith.
vysti
to wither.]
1.
To fade; to lose freshness; to become sapless; to become sapless; to dry or shrivel up.
Shall he hot pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it
wither
?
Ezek. xvii. 9.
2.
To lose or want animal moisture; to waste; to pin[GREEK] away, as animal bodies.
This is man, old, wrinkled, faded,
withered
.
Shakespeare
There was a man which had his hand
withered
.
Matt. xii. 10.
Now warm in love, now
with’ring
in the grave.
Dryden.
3.
To lose vigor or power; to languish; to pass away.
“Names that must not wither.”
Byron.
States thrive or
wither
as moons wax and wane.
Cowper.

With′er

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To cause to fade, and become dry.
The sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it
withereth
the grass, and the flower thereof falleth.
James i. 11.
2.
To cause to shrink, wrinkle, or decay, for want of animal moisture.
“Age can not
wither
her.”
Shak.
Shot forth pernicious fire
Among the accursed, that
withered
all their strength.
Milton.
3.
To cause to languish, perish, or pass away; to blight;
as, a reputation
withered
by calumny
.
The passions and the cares that
wither
life.
Bryant.

Webster 1828 Edition

Wither

WITHER

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To fade; to lose its native freshness; to become sapless; to dry.
It shall wither in all the leaves of her spring. Ezekiel 17.
2.
To waste; to pine away; as animal bodies; as a withered hand. Matthew 12.
3.
To lose or want animal moisture.
Now warm in love, now withring in the grave.

WITHER

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To cause to fade and become dry; as, the sun withereth the grass. James 1.
2.
To cause to shrink, wrinkle and decay, for want of animal moisture.
Age cannot wither her.

Definition 2024

wither

wither

See also: wither- and wiþer-

English

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?)

Usage notes
Translations

Anagrams

Etymology

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”).

Pronunciation

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