Wiktionary

withers

See also: Withers

English

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Etymology

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From dialectal English wither (“against”) (compare wither-) +‎ -s; see with. So-named because it is the part of the horse that pushes against a load. Compare German Widerrist (“withers”), from wider (“against”) + Rist (“wrist”).[1]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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withers pl (normally plural, singular wither)

  1. The part of the back of a four-legged animal that is between the shoulder blades; in many species the highest point of the body and the standard place to measure the animal's height. [from 1580]

Usage notes

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Even in the plural, this noun refers to one object. The synonymous singular, wither, is less common.

Hyponyms

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Coordinate terms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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Verb

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withers

  1. third-person singular simple present indicative of wither

References

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  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “withers”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

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