witherとは意味・読み方・使い方

語源 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 古期英語 wederian (“to expose to weather, exhibit a change of weather”).

動詞

wither (三人称単数 現在形 withers, 現在分詞 withering, 過去形および過去分詞形 withered)

1. (intransitive) To shrivel, droop or dry up, especially from lack of water.
2. (transitive) To cause to shrivel or dry up.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Matthew 12:10:

     There was a man which had his hand withered.

     c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene v]:

     This is man, old, wrinkled, faded, withered.

   • 1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 228732415:

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

3. (intransitive, figuratively) To lose vigour or power; to languish; to pass away.
   • 1812–1818, Lord Byron, “Canto XLVII”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. , London: John Murray,, (please specify the stanza number):

     names that must not wither

   • 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?)

使用する際の注意点

• Not to be confused with whither.

派生語

• wither away

語源 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

名詞

wither (複数形 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.

語源 3

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

副詞

wither (comparative more wither, superlative most wither)

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

語源 4

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

語源

From Middle English wither-, from 古期英語 wiþer- (“again, against”), from Proto-Germanic *wiþrą (“against, toward”), from Proto-Indo-European *wī-tero- (“further apart”), *wī- (“separate, alone”). Cognate with Low German wedder (“against”), Dutch weer (“again, back”), German wider (“against, contrary to”), wieder (“again”). More at with.

接頭辞

wither-

1. (now chiefly Britain dialectal, Scotland) 接頭辞 meaning: "against", "in opposition to"; "in return"; "counter-"; "contrary (to)"; "in the opposite direction (of または to)"; "backwards".

派生語

• witherband
• witherblench
• withercraft
• witherlaw
• witherling
• withernam
• withersake
• withershins
• witherward
• witherweight
• witherwin
• witherwrung

アナグラム

• whiter, writhe