swither meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

swither

verb

/ˈswɪðə/

Etymology From Middle English *swithren, from Old Norse sviðra (“to burn, singe”). Related to Middle English swithen (“to burn, scorch, singe”), from Old Norse svíða (“to burn”).

Dialectal To burn, scorch, singe.

Dialectal To burn slowly, melt (as a candle), sweal

Dialectal, Figuratively To smart, ache; tingle

swither

noun

Etymology From Middle English *swithren, from Old Norse sviðra (“to burn, singe”). Related to Middle English swithen (“to burn, scorch, singe”), from Old Norse svíða (“to burn”).

Dialectal A great heat; a scorching, singeing

Dialectal Sweating.

swither

verb

Etymology First attested in 1501; of unknown origin.

Northern England, Scotland To be indecisive or in a state of confusion; to dither.

To move or swing about.

He was filling his pipe, staring at his picture, not her, and this tacit dismissal allowed her to sidle over to the bank higher up, and there swither her legs about in the water before coming out of it.1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 51:

swither

noun

Etymology First attested in 1501; of unknown origin.

Northern England, Scotland A state of indecision or confusion; a panicked state; a flap, fluster, or dither.

Bradly came bristling to the lagoon the following afternoon, in a swither of alarm and expectation.1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 49:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.