Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A tough supple twig, especially of willow, used for binding things together; a withy.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In the West Indies, a liana; the stem of any vine used as a rope, and hence the vine itself.
  • To bind with withes or twigs.
  • noun A tough flexible twig, especially of willow, used for binding things together; a willow-or osier-twig.
  • noun An elastic handle for a cold-chisel, fuller, or the like, which deadens the shock to the workman's hand.
  • noun An iron fitted to the end of a boom or mast, and having a ring through which another boom or mast is rigged or secured; a boom-iron.
  • noun A wall dividing two flues in a stack of chimneys.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To bind or fasten with withes.
  • noun A flexible, slender twig or branch used as a band; a willow or osier twig; a withy.
  • noun A band consisting of a twig twisted.
  • noun (Naut.) An iron attachment on one end of a mast or boom, with a ring, through which another mast or boom is rigged out and secured; a wythe.
  • noun (Arch.) A partition between flues in a chimney.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A flexible, slender twig or shoot, especially when used as a band or for binding; a withy.
  • verb To bind with withes.
  • verb To beat with withes.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun band or rope made of twisted twigs or stems
  • noun strong flexible twig

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old English withthe; see wei- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old English wiþþe

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Examples

  • Surrounding the tree and his own, body by means of a _withe_, or band of twisted twigs, on which he leans his back, and jerking up his withe before him, he foots it up with wonderful speed and certainty, and comes down again in the same manner, bringing his gourd full of liquor on his arm.

    A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 08 Robert Kerr 1784

  • The Wise Woman was at home; from afar the King saw her sitting outside the Hovel mending her broom with a withe from the Bush.

    Martin Pippin in the Apple Orchard 1922

  • The Wise Woman was at home; from afar the King saw her sitting outside the hovel mending her broom with a withe from the bush.

    Martin Pippin in the Apple Orchard 1921

  • But I bake them regularly for everyone else, and the concensus is that it’s best plain withe some cherries scattered on top.

    Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Pan and a Giveaway! | Baking Bites 2009

  • Additionally, the word "withe" can be substituted for the

    Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day 2009

  • Dennis, is their any reason you couldn't do everything you want just as well and better withe the Jupiter series launchers Direct proposes.

    Shuttle-C - NASA Watch 2009

  • Also, a question: when you are cutting out a stack of dresses, do you have trouble withe the fabric or pattern shifting?

    Paintings With Multi-Generations of Women 2009

  • True, the death of soldiers might stop, but we could soon replace this in far higher numbers withe death on the streets of the UK.

    Archive 2009-04-01 Norfolk Blogger 2009

  • I put a Nice Leupold scope on it withe the Sako built Optilock Extra Low rings and bases and it is the best setup I could imagine.

    Best Bolt Action deer Rifles 2009

  • I put a Nice Leupold scope on it withe the Sako built Optilock Extra Low rings and bases and it is the best setup I could imagine.

    Best Bolt Action deer Rifles 2009

Comments

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  • I knew a guy who'd write this instead of "with the."

    August 2, 2011

  • I am a guy who writes this instead of "with the". I expect there are a lot of us.

    (Very strange visuals connected with this word, by the way. What's up with all those romantic gazes and poses?)

    August 2, 2011

  • Rolig, I adore you.

    The strangest part about the visuals is that nowhere do I see anything that looks like "An elastic handle for a cold-chisel, fuller, or the like, which deadens the shock to the workman's hand."

    August 2, 2011

  • Maybe they are all "willowy" young women?

    August 2, 2011

  • Hm... maybe. But how do you explain the duck?

    August 2, 2011

  • Daffy Duck might say 'twithe her' (twigger)???

    August 3, 2011

  • A wythe (same word) is a section of masonry defined in this fashion. It is a horizontally contiguous piece of masonry work, such as a section of wall, irregardless of its vertical height.

    November 15, 2011