Forms: α. 4–6 wydder, widder, (5 widre, 6 wyddre, weder). β. 6 wyther, (6–7 whither, 7 weather), 6– wither. See also WITHERED. [app. var. of WEATHER v. ultimately differentiated for certain senses.]
1. intr. Of a plant: To become dry and shrivel up. Often in fig. context or in comparisons. Also with advs.
α. 13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 468. & wyddered was þe wodbynde bi þat þe wyȝe wakned.
c. 1400. 26 Pol. Poems, v. 5. Riȝt as hay, þey mon widre.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 378 b/1. They shal neuer fade ne wydder ne lose theyr sauour.
1508. Fisher, 7 Penit. Ps. cii. Wks. (1876), 146. Saynt Iames compareth the vanyte of this lyfe to the vapoure and sayth it shall perysshe and weder awaye as a floure in the hey season. Ibid. (1521), Serm. agst. Luther, ibid. 323. Trees whan they be wydred and theyr leues shaken from them.
1526. Tindale, Matt. xxi. 19. The fygge tree wyddered awaye.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), Bb vij b. The grenenes of youthe shall waste and wydder in age.
β. 1588. Shaks., L. L. L., II. i. 54. Such short liu’d wits do wither as they grow. Ibid. (1593), Rich. II., V. i. 8. See, or rather doe not see, My faire Rose wither.
1634. Milton, Comus, 744. Like a neglected rose It withers on the stalk with languish’t head.
1668. J. Owen, Indwelling-Sin, xiii. 214. He melts down the lusts of men, causeth them to wither at the root.
1763. Mills, Syst. Pract. Husb., IV. 32. Before their necks are withered off, the bulbs should be taken up.
1788. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xliii. IV. 331. The harvest and the vintage withered on the ground.
1807. Crabbe, Par. Reg., III. 948. Like flowers we wither, and like leaves we fall.
1816. Byron, Ch. Har., III. xxxii. The tree will wither long before it fall.
1842. Tennyson, Locksley Hall, 190. Now for me the woods may wither, now for me the roof-tree fall.
1888. Bryce, Amer. Commw., cxiv. III. 643. After a year or two of bloom, a town wilts and withers.
2. Of other animate things: To become dried up or shrivelled; to lose vigor from lack of animal moisture; to pine or fade away with age, disease, decay, etc.
α. c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 5301. Þe fre kyng Teutra Wex weike of his wound & widrit to dethe.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., iii. 63. Now I wax old,… As muk apon mold I widder away.
β. 1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Mark ix. 18. He fometh, and gnasheth with the teeth, and withereth.
1748. R. James, Diss. Fevers (1778), 157. When the eruptions begin to subside and wither.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, VI. xlix. All lips which I have kissed must surely wither, But Death’s.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, xv. Do a kindness to the sweet dear that is withering away.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., v. I. 652. Those more unfortunate men who were withering under the tropical sun.
1898. J. Hutchinson, in Archives Surg., IX. 309. Many of the nodules are distinctly withering.
3. fig. Of persons, or of inanimate and immaterial things: To lose vigor or freshness, to languish, decline, pine away, fade, fall into decay.
α. 1508. Fisher, 7 Penit. Ps. cii. Wks. (1876), 147. Vnderstandynge wyll and reason … be so vtterly wedred and dryed vp, that no maner of moysture of deuocyon is in them.
1523. [Coverdale], Old God & New (1534), B. Yu … doest not widder & dry vp wt ydelnes.
1559. Mirr. Mag., Edw. IV., v. As vanity to nought all is wyddred away.
β. 1535. Coverdale, Ecclus. x. 17. He hath caused them to wyther awaye, he hath brought them to naught.
1625. Sanderson, Serm., Ad Magistr., iii. (1632), 248. Men that … are now arrived at the haven of their businesse, to wither [later edd. weather] for their pasports.
a. 1647. Habington, Surv. Worcestershire (1895), I. 70. An honest gentellman witheringe in pouerty.
a. 1656. Hales, Gold. Rem. (1673), 123. An hope of excellent things … which … for want of cherishing fades and withers away.
1688. Addr. fr. Winchester, in Lond. Gaz., No. 2350/1. This Ancient City, which is now again weathering by their Absence, which began to Flourish … from being blessed with their Presence.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XIX. 246. With’ring at heart to see the weeping Fair.
1781. Cowper, Expost., 324. States thrive or wither, as moons wax and wane.
1812. Crabbe, Tales, xvi. 268. A hue like this the western sky displays, That glows awhile, and withers as we gaze.
1830. Galt, Lawrie T., III. ii. (1849), 87. My heart withered as I contemplated the scene.
1850. Maurice, Mor. & Met. Philos. (ed. 2). 155. When that sense [of national union] is weakened it withers.
1874. Stubbs, Const. Hist., I. i. 8. Christianity … withered under Frank patronage.
1901. Scotsman, 6 Nov., 9/4. It would be absurd to expect Consols … to stand … at a high level, when all other securities are withering in price.
† 4. a. intr. and pass. Of a crop: To be dried, to dry. Obs.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 25. Hey,… whan it is wel wyddred on the ouersyde and drye, than turne it. Ibid., § 31. Pees and beanes … wrythen togyder, and wyde benethe, that they maye the better wyddre.
1573–80. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 137. Corne being had downe … should wither as needeth, for burning in mow.
† b. trans. To air: = WEATHER v. 1 b. Obs.
1544. Phaër, Pestilence (1553), L vij. Nor weare any of their apparell, excepte they be well sunned, or wythered in the clean ayre.
a. 1613. Overbury, A Wife, etc. (1638), 180. He withers his clothes on a stage as a Sale-man inforc’t to does his sutes in Birchin-lane.
c. Tea-manuf. To dry (tea leaf) before roasting. Also absol. Also intr. of the leaf.
1753. F. Pigou, Of Tea, in A. Dalrymple, Oriental Repertory (1797), II. 288. [Bohea-tea] is gathered, then put in Sieves, or Baskets,… and those put in the air, till the leaves wither, or give. Ibid. Youngshaw … says, that the leaves of Souchon … are beat with flat sticks,… after they have been withered, by the Sun, or Air.
1870. E. Money, Tea, xxiv. (1878), 108. Why wither at all? I made Tea … of 1st, totally unwithered leaves; and, of leaves but little withered.
1892. J. M. Walsh, Tea (Philad.), 104. Two leaves only being picked at a time and ‘withered’ in the open air.
† d. intr. = WEATHER v. 2 b. Obs. rare.
Cf. G. verwittern.
1796. Kirwan, Elem. Min. (ed. 2), I. 224. [Wacken] withers by exposure to the atmosphere, and then becomes more grey.
[1834. L. Ritchie, Wand. by Seine, 97. The deserted pile withered away stone by stone beneath the breath of heaven.]
5. trans. To cause (a plant, flower, etc.) to dry up and shrivel. Also in fig. context.
1555. Eden, Decades, 292. I … sawe the braunches of frutefull trees wythyred by the coulde.
1596. Edward III., II. i. 390. The Sunne, that withers heye, doth nourish grasse.
1668. J. Owen, Indwelling-Sin, xv. 253. He makes their lives … unfruitful to others, in weakening their root, and withering their fruit through his poisoning temptations.
1765. Goldsm., Double Transform., 76. That dire disease, whose ruthless power Withers the beauty’s transient flower.
1831. G. P. R. James, Philip Aug., xxiv. On whose rosy cheek the touch of care had withered not a flower.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, xlvi. Where a factory planted among fields withered the space about it, like a burning mountain.
1885. Clodd, Myths & Dr., I. iii. 41. The fierce heat that withered the approaching harvest.
6. To cause (the body or the physical powers) to become wasted or decayed; to cause to shrink, become wrinkled, or lose freshness.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, 13. [They] haue not withred vp their handes in signing and subscribing to their requests.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., II. ii. 240. Age cannot wither her.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. ii. III. x. 149. They … attenuate our bodies, dry them, wither them.
1667. Milton, P. L., VI. 850. Every eye … shot forth pernicious fire Among th’ accurst, that witherd all thir strength.
1740. Dyer, Ruins Rome, 477. Enfeebling vice Withers each nerve.
1827. Scott, Highl. Widow, v. May the tongue that tells me of his death … be withered in thy mouth.
7. fig. To destroy the vitality or vigor of; to cause to decline, decay or waste; now somewhat rare exc. in hyperbolical use, to blight or paralyse with a look of scorn or the like. Also with † out.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., I. i. 7. Like to a Step-dame, or a Dowager, Long withering out a yong mans reuennew.
1608. Yorksh. Trag., iii. 11. Himselfe withered with debts.
1700. Dryden, Pal. & Arc., III. 303. Wild Amazement flung From out thy Chariot, withers ev’n the Strong.
1725. Pope, Odyss., VIII. 120. Like Mars terrific,… When clad in wrath he withers hosts of foes.
1816. J. Wilson, City of Plague, II. iii. Repent! before the red-eyed Wrath Wither you to ghosts.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., iii. Dr. Slammer … said nothing, but contented himself by withering the company with a look.
1854. J. S. C. Abbott, Napoleon (1855), I. xxx. 462. The historian … would have been withered by the frowns which would have darkened upon him from the saloons of Versailles [etc.].
1887. A. Jessopp, Arcady, 172. The world is getting quite too much for us—withering us, in fact.
