In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
WITHERING
annihilative, annihilating, devastating, withering
(adjective) wreaking or capable of wreaking complete destruction; “possessing annihilative power”; “a devastating hurricane”; “the guns opened a withering fire”
annihilating, devastating, withering
(adjective) making light of; “afire with annihilating invective”; “a devastating portrait of human folly”; “to compliments inflated I’ve a withering reply”- W.S.Gilbert
atrophy, withering
(noun) any weakening or degeneration (especially through lack of use)
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
withering (comparative more withering, superlative most withering)
Tending to destroy, devastate, overwhelm or cause complete destruction.
Diminishing rapidly.
Tending to make someone feel small; scornful in a mortifying way.
Verb
withering
present participle of wither
Noun
withering (plural witherings)
The process by which something withers.
Anagrams
• wrightine
Source: Wiktionary
With"er*ing, a.
Definition: Tending to wither; causing to shrink or fade.
– With"er*ing*ly, adv.
WITHER
With"er, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Withered; p. pr. & vb. n. Withering.] Etym: [OE. wideren; probably the same word as wederen to weather (see Weather, v. & n.); or cf. G. verwittern to decay, to be weather- beaten, Lith. vysti to wither.]
1. To fade; to lose freshness; to become sapless; to become sapless; to dry or shrivel up. Shall he hot pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither Ezek. xvii. 9.
2. To lose or want animal moisture; to waste; to pin This is man, old, wrinkled, faded, withered. Shak. There was a man which had his hand withered. Matt. xii. 10. Now warm in love, now with'ring in the grave. Dryden.
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.
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.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
18 November 2024
AWRY
(adjective) not functioning properly; “something is amiss”; “has gone completely haywire”; “something is wrong with the engine”
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