Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun plural The high part of the back of a horse or other quadruped, located between the shoulder blades.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The highest part of the back of a horse, between the shoulderblades and behind the root of the neck, where the mane ceases to grow: as, a horse 15 hands high at the withers.
- noun The barbs or flukes of a harpoon; the witters: so called by British whalemen.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun plural The ridge between the shoulder bones of a horse, at the base of the neck. See
Illust. ofhorse .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun veterinary medicine The part of the
back of adraft animal orhorse that is thehighest , between theshoulder blades . - verb Third-person singular simple present indicative form of
wither .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the highest part of the back at the base of the neck of various animals especially draft animals
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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When Carmel itself "withers," how utter the desolation!
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(God) blows upon them. "blow -- The image is from the hot east wind (simoon) that" withers "vegetation. whirlwind ... stubble -- (Ps 83: 13), where," like a wheel, "refers to the rotatory action of the whirlwind on the stubble.
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Many of the so-called ESI plans cannot really be called insurance, since they now pass along so much of the costs of care to enrollees even as the extent of coverage withers away.
John Geyman: Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance: Time to Pronounce it Dead John Geyman 2011
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This is the most fascinating aspect of his recall, because it will tell us whether managerial skill withers like an unused muscle.
Reign of King Kenny II as Liverpool go back for their future | Paul Hayward 2011
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And it would be a vote for the fattest, laziest, richest, and least productive Wall Street businesses who profit most when American crumbles and its middle class withers.
Richard (RJ) Eskow: The New GOP: Anti-Kids, Anti-Jobs, Anti-Business... And Anti-Republican RJ 2011
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Many of the so-called ESI plans cannot really be called insurance, since they now pass along so much of the costs of care to enrollees even as the extent of coverage withers away.
John Geyman: Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance: Time to Pronounce it Dead John Geyman 2011
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The scope and cost of government grows, and liberty withers, when the family breaks down.
Values Inequality W. Bradford Wilcox 2012
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On Tuesday night the show-ring judge Paolo Dondina agreed, making Hickory the first of her kind - and perhaps the tallest canine ever nearly 30 inches at the withers - to win Westminster in 135 years of competition.
Hickory, Westminster Kennel Club's 'best in show' dog, is from Va. hunt country Dan Zak 2011
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To avoid defamation in the eyes of neighbors, work colleagues, relatives and the society at large, stamped harassers may well choose to stay at home until the effect of the ink withers away.
Global Voices in English » Egypt: April 18 Declared Anti-Harassment Day 2009
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Many of the so-called ESI plans cannot really be called insurance, since they now pass along so much of the costs of care to enrollees even as the extent of coverage withers away.
John Geyman: Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance: Time to Pronounce it Dead John Geyman 2011
chained_bear commented on the word withers
"Our withers are unwrung." (usage note on unwrung)
March 7, 2008
yarb commented on the word withers
He gawped at rhe nag's pricked ears, large eye, dished profile, withers, mane, poll, forelock, muzzle, chin, cheek, shoulder, chest, forearm, knee, cannon, pastern, chestnut, brisket, elbow, belly, stifle, gaskin, coronet, wall of hoof, heel, fetlock, hock, thigh, buttock, dock, croup, loins, back.
- Peter Reading, C, 1984
July 4, 2008
jaime_d commented on the word withers
From "Au Tombeau de Charles Fourier" by Guy Davenport
January 19, 2010