Wilt v.

[Of dial. origin (in early 19th c. largely U.S.), having a widespread variant welt (WELT v.³); perh. alteration of wilk, WELK v.]

  1.  intr. Of plants or their parts: To become limp or flaccid, through heat or drought.

1691.  Ray, N. C. Words (ed. 2), 80. To Wilt, for wither, spoken of green Herbs or Flowers, is a general word.

1779.  Projects, in Ann. Reg., 108/1. Let it remain exposed to the sun throughout the day, or until the leaves are entirely wilted, as it is termed in America. Ibid., 108/2. If the sun does not appear for several days,… they [sc. leaves of the tobacco-plant] must remain to wilt.

1790.  Grose, Prov. Gloss. (ed. 2), s.v., These flowers are all wilted.

1807.  W. Irving, Salmag., xvii. (1824), 315. A Cabbage leaf wilting before a hot fire.

1825.  [see b].

a. 1864.  Gesner, Coal, Petrol., etc. (1865), 36. [They] wilted down like leaves when the forest is on fire.

1887.  R. E. C. Stearns, in Amer. Naturalist, XXI. 506. The tissues of the flower begin to soften and wilt very soon after separation from the plant.

1897.  T. H. Warren, By Severn Sea, etc., 26–7.

  b.  transf. and gen. To become limp; to lose energy or vigor; to become dispirited or nerveless.

1787.  Abigail Adams, Lett. (1848), 333. Mrs. Cranch … is wilted just enough to last to perpetuity.

1825.  J. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, xvii. II. 109. Look o’ the major!… pale as death; and wiltin’ away, like a cabbage leaf, in the hot sun.

1857.  in Harper’s Mag., Dec. (1883), 165. My blooming bosom-ruffles wilted to the consistency and form of an after-dinner napkin.

1852.  Lowell, Biglow P., II. iii. 200, Poems 1890, II. 291. They … wilt right down ez debtors will thet stumble on a dun.

1890.  Henty, With Lee in Virg., xv. The man is as hard as a rock…. He wilted a little when you were telling your story, but [etc.].

1920.  Times Lit. Suppl., 22 Jan., 1/2. The old aristocracy seemed as if it was going to wilt before this new commonwealth of wits.

  2.  trans. To cause to become limp; to deprive of stiffness, energy, vigor or spirit.

1809.  T. Dwight, Theol. (1819), IV. 165. Despots … have wilted the human race into sloth and imbecility.

1854.  J. S. C. Abbott, Napoleon (1855), II. xix. 349. They had secured for his cause no monarchical friends, but had wilted the enthusiasm of the people.

1888.  Marg. Deland, John Ward, 233. The full blaze of sunshine … was wilting the dish of violets.

  Hence Wilted ppl. a.; Wilting vbl. sb. and ppl. a.

1809.  W. Irving, Knickerb., III. vii. (1812), I. 185. Fanciful festoons of wilted peaches and dried apples.

1830.  Examiner, 17 Jan., 35/1. It was a capital personification of a wilted, sinew-shrunk old hunks—a mummy tradesman.

1867.  Lowell, Lett. (1894), I. 378. Some flowers will not bear to be handled without wilting.

1883.  G. Allen, in Knowledge, 3 Aug., 65/1. It is a tall wilted-looking thing, this broomrape.

1884.  C. C. Buel, in Century Mag., Jan., 356/2. Wilting flowers are hardly appropriate to a steam-ship.