Chapter Wiseacre to Wit-cracker of W by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Gr. Skr. vid to know, learn; cf. Skr. vid to find. . Cf. History, Idea, Idol, -oid, Twit, Veda, Vision, Wise, a. & n., Wot.] To know; to learn. "I wot and wist alway." Chaucer.

The present tense was inflected as follows; sing. 1st pers. wot; 2d pers. wost, or wot(t)est; 3d pers. wot, or wot(t)eth; pl. witen, or wite. The following variant forms also occur; pres. sing. 1st & 3d pers. wat, woot; pres. pl. wyten, or wyte, weete, wote, wot; imp. wuste (Southern dialect); p. pr. wotting. Later, other variant or corrupt forms are found, as, in Shakespeare, 3d pers. sing. pres. wots.

Brethren, we do you to wit [make you to know] of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia.

2 Cor. viii. 1.

Thou wost full little what thou meanest.

Chaucer.

We witen not what thing we prayen here.

Chaucer.

When that the sooth in wist.

Chaucer.

This verb is now used only in the infinitive, to wit, which is employed, especially in legal language, to call attention to a particular thing, or to a more particular specification of what has preceded, and is equivalent to namely, that is to say.

Wit
(Wit) n. [AS. witt, wit; akin to OFries. wit, G. witz, OHG. wizzi, Icel. vit, Dan. vid, Sw. vett. &radic133. See Wit, v.]

1. Mind; intellect; understanding; sense.

Who knew the wit of the Lord? or who was his counselor?

Wyclif

A prince most prudent, of an excellent
And unmatched wit and judgment.

Shak.

Will puts in practice what wit deviseth.

Sir J. Davies.

He wants not wit the dander to decline.

Dryden.

2. A mental faculty, or power of the mind; — used in this sense chiefly in the plural, and in certain phrases; as, to lose one's wits; at one's wits' end, and the like. "Men's wittes ben so dull." Chaucer.

I will stare him out of his wits.

Shak.

3. Felicitous association of objects not usually connected, so as to produce a pleasant surprise; also. the power of readily combining objects in such a manner.

The definition of wit is only this, that it is a propriety of thoughts and words; or, in other terms, thoughts and words elegantly adapted to the subject.

Dryden.

Wit which discovers partial likeness hidden in general diversity.

Coleridge.

Wit lying most in the assemblage of ideas, and putting those together with quickness and variety wherein can be found any resemblance or congruity, thereby to make up pleasant pictures in the fancy.

Locke.

4. A person of eminent sense or knowledge; a man of genius, fancy, or humor; one distinguished for bright or amusing sayings, for repartee, and the like.

In Athens, where books and wits were ever busier than in any other part of Greece, I find but only two sorts of writings which the magistrate cared to take notice of; those either blasphemous and atheistical,