different between slither vs swither

English

Etymology

From Middle English slitheren, alteration of slideren (“to slither, creep”), from Old English slidrian (“to slip, slide, slither”), from Proto-West Germanic *slidr?n (“to slide, slither”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleyd?- (“to slip”), equivalent to slide +? -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with Dutch slidderen (“to slip, wriggle, slither”), German schlittern (“to slither, skid”). More at slide.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?sl?ð.?(?)/
• Rhymes: -?ð?(r)

Verb

slither (third-person singular simple present slithers, present participle slithering, simple past and past participle slithered)

1. (intransitive) To move about smoothly and from side to side.
2. (intransitive) To slide
   • 2003, J. Flash, An American Savage

     I bent down and with both hands I scooped up as much of this pissshit as I could. The green and brown clump felt like Jello as it dripped down all over my clothes. It was slithering through inbetween my fingers.

Derived terms

• aslither
• slitherlink
• Slytherin

Related terms

Translations

Adjective

slither

1. (archaic) slithery; slippery

Noun

slither (uncountable)

1. A limestone rubble.
2. (nonstandard, see usage notes) A sliver.

Usage notes

The use of slither to mean sliver, which is prevalent especially in Britain (where th-fronting is becoming more and more prevalent), is considered by many to be an error, though at least one major dictionary merely labels it "informal" [1].

See also

• sliver

Anagrams

• Hirtles, Hitlers, Shitler, relisht

English

Etymology

First attested in 1501; of unknown origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sw?ð?/

Verb

swither (third-person singular simple present swithers, present participle swithering, simple past and past participle swithered)

1. (Scotland, Northern England) To be indecisive or in a state of confusion; to dither.

Noun

swither (plural swithers)

1. (Scotland, Northern England) A state of indecision or confusion.

Anagrams

• Withers, whister, wishter, withers, writhes

Scots

Etymology

First attested in 1501; of unknown origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sw?ð?r/

Verb

swither (third-person singular present swithers, present participle switherin, past swithert, past participle swithert)

1. to be indecisive, to dither, to hesitate.
2. to doubt, to be doubtful, to fear.
3. to fail, to falter, to waver.

Noun

swither (plural swithers)

1. doubt, hesitation.
2. a state of wavering.
3. a fright.