wither

wither · verb¹

1. Old English · inherited fromwederian“to expose to weather, exhibit a change of weather”
2. Middle English · derived fromwederen“to expose to weather”
3. Middle English · inherited fromwidren
4. English todaywither

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”). Cognates From Proto-Germanic: Dutch verwederen, Dutch verweren (“to erode by weather”), German verwittern, wittern (“to be ruined by weather; to erode”), Swedish vittra (“wither”). More at weather.

wither · noun²

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

wither · adverb³

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*wiþr“against, toward”
2. Old English · inherited fromwiþer“again, against”
3. Middle English · inherited fromwither
4. English todaywither

From Middle English wither, from Old English wiþer (“again, against”, adverb in compounds), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþr (“against, toward”). Cognates From Proto-Germanic: Low German wedder (“against”), Dutch weer (“again, back”), German wider (“against, contrary to”), German wieder (“again”), Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌰 (wiþra), Old Norse viðr. More at with.

wither · verb⁴

1. Old English · inherited fromwiþerian“to resist, oppose, struggle against”
2. Middle English · inherited fromwitheren
3. English todaywither

From Middle English witheren, from Old English wiþerian (“to resist, oppose, struggle against”). Cognates From Proto-Germanic: Middle Dutch wideren, Old High German widarōn.