What does withershins mean?
Withershins is an adverb meaning “backwards” or “in the opposite direction.” It is especially associated with Scottish and northern English usage, though writers have long employed it for comic, archaic, or deliberately emphatic effect. The expression can describe walking or travelling with the back or heels leading, and it can also mean doing a process in reverse order. In ordinary contemporary British and American English, “backwards” is much more common, so withershins tends to sound distinctive, regional, or literary rather than neutral. Its unusual sound is partly explained by its history: the word is generally understood as a compound of “withers,” the back, and “shins,” the lower legs, suggesting a reversal of the body's normal arrangement. The term is useful in writing that wants to evoke age, locality, or an eccentric turn backwards. It is also a reminder that standard vocabulary often preserves expressive regional words that can be both precise and memorable.
adverbWithershins means backwards or in the opposite direction. It is chiefly used in Scottish and northern English speech.
- In a backward direction, with the back or heels leading rather than the front.
- In reverse order or contrary to the usual course or procedure.
"He walked withershins down the narrow lane, carefully watching where each step would land."
"The rider urged his horse withershins toward the stable."
"When the engine failed, they had to complete the exercise withershins."
Withershins turns the body into a compass: “withers” points to the back, while “shins” point the other way.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of withershins
Withershins is a Scots and northern English word that appeared in the late sixteenth century. It is generally explained as a compound of withers, meaning the back, and shins, meaning the front of the lower legs, evoking movement with the heels or back leading. Related forms such as witherward and witherwise also occur in older and dialect usage for a backward direction.
How withershins is actually used
The word is now uncommon in ordinary contemporary British and American English. It may sound regional, old-fashioned, humorous, or deliberately emphatic, and it is often used where a more familiar adverb such as “backwards” would be less distinctive.
Easily confused with withershins
Withershins means backwards or in the opposite direction, whereas wither means to become dry or to decay.
Withershins is an adverb meaning backwards, while withers is a noun for the highest part of a horse's back or the back of a person.