wither

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwɪðɚ/; enPR: wĭthʹər
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwɪðə/
• Rhymes: -ɪðə(ɹ)
• Homophone: whither (some accents)

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”).

wither (comparative more wither, superlative most wither)

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

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

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

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

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”).

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?)

• Not to be confused with whither.

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.

• whiter, writhe