witherweight

noun

witherweight

noun

/ˈwɪðə(ɹ)ˌweɪt/

Etymology From wither- (“counter-”) + weight. Compare Middle English witherweȝen (“to counter-weight, counter-balance”).

1

Scotland, UK, Archaic, Dialectal A counterbalancing weight; counterweight.

  • It is good to have a speciall care that gifts come not in the ballance with grace; for that is too gross a wither-weight. Lay by the painted case when you weigh the jewell; […]c1665, Sel. Biog. I 265.
  • He puts it ay so upon their hand that he gives them it with a wother weight; […]1672, M. Bruce Rattling Dry Bones 12.
1 more example
  • So, upon the whole, you judge that the balance preponderates on our side just now ?" " I should think sae, Sire, when sic a clod as this castle of Roxburgh is thrown into the bucket. It is nae witherweight this for the end of a weigh-bauk.1822, James Hogg, The three perils of man; or, War, women, and witchcraft - Page 317:

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