3. To lose vigor or power; to languish; to pass away. "Names that must not wither." Byron.
States thrive or wither as moons wax and wane.
Cowper. Wither
(With"er), v. t.
1. To cause to fade, and become dry.
The sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth.
James i. 11. 2. To cause to shrink, wrinkle, or decay, for want of animal moisture. "Age can not wither her." Shak.
Shot forth pernicious fire
Among the accursed, that withered all their strength.
Milton. 3. To cause to languish, perish, or pass away; to blight; as, a reputation withered by calumny.
The passions and the cares that wither life.
Bryant. Witherband
(With"er*band`) n. [Withers + band.] (Far.) A piece of iron in a saddle near a horse's
withers, to strengthen the bow.
Withered
(With"ered) a. Faded; dried up; shriveled; wilted; wasted; wasted away. — With"ered*ness, n.
Bp. Hall.
Withering
(With"er*ing) a. Tending to wither; causing to shrink or fade. — With"er*ing*ly, adv.
Witherite
(With"er*ite) n. [So called after Dr. W. Withering.] (Min.) Barium carbonate occurring in
white or gray six-sided twin crystals, and also in columnar or granular masses.
Witherling
(With"er*ling) n. [Wither + - ling.] A withered person; one who is decrepit. [Obs.] Chapman.
Withernam
(With"er*nam) n. [AS. wiðernam; wiðer against + nam a seizure, fr. niman to take.] (Law)
A second or reciprocal distress of other goods in lieu of goods which were taken by a first distress and
have been eloigned; a taking by way of reprisal; — chiefly used in the expression capias in withernam,
which is the name of a writ used in connection with the action of replevin (sometimes called a writ of
reprisal), which issues to a defendant in replevin when he has obtained judgment for a return of the
chattels replevied, and fails to obtain them on the writ of return. Blackstone.
Withe-rod
(Withe"-rod`) n. (Bot.) A North American shrub (Viburnum nudum) whose tough osierlike
shoots are sometimes used for binding sheaves.
Withers
(With"ers) n. pl. [Properly, the parts which resist the pull or strain in drawing a load; fr. OE.
wither resistance, AS. wiðre, fr. wiðer against; akin to G. widerrist withers. See With, prep.] The ridge
between the shoulder bones of a horse, at the base of the neck. See Illust. of Horse.
Let the galled jade wince; our withers are unwrung.
Shak. Wither-wrung
(With"er-wrung`) a. Injured or hurt in the withers, as a horse.
Withhold
(With*hold") v. t. [imp. Withheld ; p. p. Withheld, Obs. or Archaic Withholden ; p. pr. &
vb. n. Withholding.] [With again, against, back + hold.]
1. To hold back; to restrain; to keep from action.
Withhold, O sovereign prince, your hasty hand
From knitting league with him.
Spenser.
