Forms: 1 wiðiʓ, 3 wiði, 4 wiþie, wiþge, (w(h)itheye, wytie, weþie), 4, 6–7 (9 Sc.) withie, 5–6 wythy, 5–7 withye, wythie, 6 wythye, 6–7 withee (5 withi, wethei, -ie, pl. wetheis, wethiss, 5–6 wethy, whythy, 6 wethye, pl. wythiese), 7, 9 withey, 6– withy. [OE. wíþiʓ (= L. vītex, vītic- Agnus Castus), for the connections of which see WITHE. Cf. WIDDY.]
1. A willow of any species: sometimes spec. the osier willow, Salix viminalis.
961. in Birch, Cartul. Sax., III. 289. On þone haran wiðiʓ.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 86. He is ase þe wiði þet sprutteð ut þe betere þet me hine ofte croppeð.
1325. in Kennett, Parochial Antiq. (1695), 395. Tres acræ apud le Whitheyes. Ibid., 400. A quo quidem prato dimidia roda jacet atte Witheyes juxta pratum Prioris.
c. 1325. Gloss. W. de Bibbesw., in Wright, Voc., 163. Sauz [glossed wytie (wilwe)].
1382. Wyclif, Lev. xxiii. 40. Ȝe shulen take to ȝow … withies of the rennynge water.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XIII. xi. (Bodl. MS.). In som partie of his brymme he haþ plente of wiþges and of segge as it is seide.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 24. The rakes … be moste comynly made of hasel and withe [ed. 1534 withee].
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, III. lxii. 403. [Polypody] growing vppon olde wythiese.
c. 1640. J. Smyth, Lives Berkeleys (1883), I. 123. To be a bendinge withy, not a stubborne Oke.
1661. Boyle, Style Script., 180. Withees, whilst they are sound grow Unregarded Trees; but when they once are Rotten, Shine in the Night.
1791. W. Gilpin, Forest Scenery, I. 64. The withy, or salix fragilis, is the most inconsiderable of it’s tribe.
1866. Blackmore, Cradock Nowell, l. The witheys were gloved with silver and gold.
1889. Conan Doyle, Micah Clarke, xxix. The moaning of the breeze among the withies.
b. With qualification, applied to various species of willow; also to other plants, as the laserwort, Laserpitium Siler: see quots.
Hoop withy: see HOOP sb.1 13 b. † Rose withy = WILLOW-HERB 2.
14[?]. Metr. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 629/9. Wythy, ciler.
1523–34. Fitzherb., Husb., § 130. Whyte wethy … wyll not grow in marsshe ground.
1585. Higins, Junius’ Nomencl., 153/1. Siler,… spert withie, ozier withie, or small withie.
1612. R. Ch., Olde Thrift newly revived, 49. The Withie, of which are said to be 4 kinds, that is, the white withy, blacke Withie, and red withie, osier Withie.
1650. [W. Howe], Phytol. Brit., 27. Chamænerion sive Epilobium … Rosebay willow-herb, Rose withy, or Willow-flower.
1733. W. Ellis, Chiltern & Vale Farm., 191. This Withy often arrives to a large Stature, especially the red Sort.
1860. Warter, Sea-board, II. 35. The yellow withy which lived on the moisture in the hollow.
1866. Treas. Bot., 1235/2. Withy, Laserpitium Siler:…—, Hoop, Rivina octandra.
2. A flexible branch of a willow, esp. as used for tying or binding, as a halter (cf. WIDDY 2), etc.; any similar flexible branch or twig; a leash, hoop, or the like made of a withy.
a. 1400. Sir Perc., 444. Therto his mere he bande With the withy.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VII. ix. 2874. Withe rapis and wetheis about þar hals.
c. 1460. Sir R. Ros, La Belle Dame, 186. With grene wythies ybounden.
1564. Bullein, Dial. agst. Pest. (1573), 6. I had better be hangad in a withie or in a cowtaile, then be a rowfooted Scot.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1348/2. Which tempest … rent up manie great trees,… or woond them like withies.
1658. N. Riding Rec., VI. 34. He is a rogue and deserves a withy.
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Indies, II. xlv. 149. A Rattan Withy to lift them by.
1787. W. Hutton, Courts of Requests, 324. The ties of honour … are as easily broken through, as Sampson’s withies.
1790. Grose, Prov. Gloss. (ed. 2), Withy, a round hoop of osier.
1805. Southey, Madoc, I. v. Canes and withies formed the walls and roof.
1818. Scott, Br. Lamm., vii. In order to save himself from the withie.
1865. W. G. Palgrave, Arabia, II. 219. Palm-huts unroofed, despite of their strong lacings and withies.
1893. Conan Doyle, Refugees, xxxiv. They were lashed to low posts with willow withies.
b. coll. sing. Withies as a material.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Brooke Farm, viii. 95. The harness was made of withy.
1915. Q. Rev., July, 4. Pots of withy or of stout netting on a frame are used for crabs, lobsters, crayfish, prawns and whelks.
† 3. = WIDDY 3. Obs.
1438. Exch. Rolls Scot., V. 58. Pro fabrica septem wethyis erri. Ibid. (1456), VI. 278. Ibid. (1484), IX. 239.
4. attrib. and Comb., as withy band, basket, bed, blossom, bough, cutting, holt, labyrinth, leaf, pollard, pot, prison, rope, shoot, tree, twig, wood, etc.; withy-bound adj.; † withy-cole, ? charcoal made of willow wood; † withy-cragged [CRAGGED a.2], see quots.; withy-fly, an artificial fly used in angling; † withy-herb, purple loosestrife: = WILLOW-HERB 1.
a. 1688. Stradling, Serm. (1692), 176. Those Shackles … which could no more hold him, than the *withy bands could Sampson.
1820. Shelley, Hymn Merc., lxix. He … bound Stiff withy bands the infant’s wrists around.
1891. T. Hardy, Tess, xlix. She … packed up as many of her belongings as would go into a *withy basket.
956. in Birch, Cartul. Sax., III. 96. On ðæt *wiðiʓ bed.
1420. Chertsey Cartulary, 41 b (P.R.O.). Duas acras terre et dimidiam super le Whythybed.
1583. in Wadley, Notes Wills Bristol (1886), 237. The withie Bedd or twigs bedd.
1844. J. T. Hewlett, Parsons & W., xxxix. And now, sir, do you push on to that corner of this withy-bed.
1898. J. A. Gibbs, Cotswold Village, 106. When November frosts begin to attract snipes to the withybeds.
1707. Mortimer, Husb., 203. As soon as the Willow or *Withy Blossoms appear.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., III. 412. An arm gret *withi bough.
1862. W. Barnes, Hwomely Rhymes, II. 85. Grey-leav’d withy-boughs.
1898. A. Austin, Lamia’s Winter Quarters, 8. The *withy-bound flask of ruby wine.
1657. Reeve, God’s Plea, 254. Fumigations of Storax,… Nemphar, Dragagant, *Withy-cole.
1607. Markham, Cavel., III. ii. 14. His necke straight … and … of one peece with his bodie, and not (as my countrey-men say) *withie craggd, which is loose and plyant.
1766. Complete Farmer, s.v. Stable 7 B 1/1. The continual lifting up of the head to feed out of the rack … makes him, as they express it, withy-cragged.
1813. Vancouver, Agric. Devon, 137. Two rows of *withy or sallow cuttings.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, II. 298. Alder-fly, *withy-fly, or bastard-caddis.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, I. li. 75. Red Lysimachus, or *wythie herbe.
1856. Mrs. Tennyson, in Mem. Ld. Tennyson (1897), I. 412. Went to our *withy holt.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., I. lv. When a fisher-swain … hath spi’d A big grown Pike … He sets a *withy Labyrinth beside.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 995. *Wethy leves, grene otes boyled in fere fulle soft.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, I. li. 72. The leaues be … like willow, or wythie leaues.
1863. Kingsley, Water-Bab., iii. The great *withy pollard which hangs over the backwater.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 9 Feb. 1665. *Withy-potts or nests for the wild fowle to lay their eggs in.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., III. ii. Thirsil from *withy prison … Lets out his flock.
1815. Simond, Tour Gt. Brit., II. 240. The *withy rope lasts good two years.
a. 1722. Lisle, Husb. (1757), 375. I gathered *withy-shoots over which the cart-wheel had run.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. cxliv. (Bodl. MS.). Þerfor it [is] nouȝt seker to slepe vnder þe *weþie tree.
1664. Evelyn, Sylva, xxix. 82. A … Withy-tree … which is increased to a most stupendious bulk.
1820. Shelley, Hymn Merc., xiii. He … bound them in a lump with *withy twigs.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 24. Than maye he … tothe the rakes with drye *wethy wode.
