different between swither vs wither

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.

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?w?ð?/; enPR: w?th??r
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?w?ð?/
• Rhymes: -?ð?(?)
• Homophone: whither (some accents)

Etymology 1

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.

   • There was a man which had his hand withered.

   • now warm in love, now with'ring in the grave

3. (intransitive, figuratively) To lose vigour or power; to languish; to pass away.
   • 1782, William Cowper, Expostulation

     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

• Not to be confused with whither.

Derived terms

• wither away

Translations

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

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.

Etymology 3

From Middle English wither, from Old English wiþer (“again, against”, adverb in compounds), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþr (“against, toward”).

Adverb

wither (comparative more wither, superlative most wither)

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

Etymology 4

From Middle English witheren, from Old English wiþerian (“to resist, oppose, struggle against”).

Verb

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

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

Anagrams

• whiter, writhe