Witted

a. Forms: see WIT sb.; also 4 ywittede, wyttet, 7 erron. wittied, witti’d. [f. WIT sb. + -ED².]

  1.  Having wit or wits (of a specified quality or amount): with qualifying adv., as WELL-WITTED, etc. (obs.), or in parasynthetic comb. with an adj., as dull-, fine-, half-, gross-, light-, quick-, sharp-, slow-witted, etc.; also in nonce-formations after half-witted, as two-third-witted, whole-witted.

  † Also (in form witti’d, influenced by WITTY a.) in comb. wealth-witti’d (? whose wits consist in wealth).

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. X. 397. Wyse witted men and wel ylettred clerkes.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), III. 409. Þe scharpest witted men.

1393.  Langl., P. Pl., C. XII. 235. Ryght wel ywittede men and wel lettred clerkes.

1470–85.  Malory, Arthur, VII. xxvi. 253. He was merueillously wytted.

1528.  More, Dyaloge, III. Wks. 213/2. Diuers yonge scolars … properly witted, feately lerned. Ibid. (1532), Confut. Barnes, VIII. ibid. 749/2. Had he no learning at all, and wer witted but right meanely.

1610.  Healey, St. Aug. Citie of God, V. xxvi. Vives, 233. Claudian … was … elegantly wittied [1620 witted].

1624.  A. Holland, in J. Davies (Heref.), Scourge Paper-Persecutors, 3. Wealth witti’d Loobies.

1642.  J. Eaton, Honey-c. Free Justif., 44. Conceiving it after a carnall humane-witted fashion.

1835.  C. F. Hoffman, Winter in West, II. 25. A forward, two-third witted fellow.

1904.  A. C. Bradley, Shakesp. Trag., 313. Nor does he seem to show a knowledge of the world impossible to a quick-witted though not whole-witted lad who had lived at Court.

  † 2.  Possessed of understanding or intelligence.

1528.  More, Dyaloge, II. Wks. 201/1. Yet might a few witted men deuise and feine a thing of such a fashion that it would be beleued.

1606.  Marston, Fawne, V. I iv. Renowmed, witted, Dulcimel.