What does withies mean?
Withies is the plural form of the rare word withy and means withered, shrivelled, or dried-up things. It can refer collectively to vegetation that has lost its moisture and vitality, as in a description of a hedge reduced to brittle withies, or more generally to any collection of such remnants. The word belongs chiefly to British and Scottish usage and is uncommon in contemporary standard English, although it has a recognisable place in literary, regional, and archaic writing. Its sound is unusual because the plural ending in -ies is added to a word ending in -y, producing /ˈwɪðiz/ rather than the /aɪz/ pronunciation that the spelling might initially suggest. Withies is therefore useful mainly for reading older prose or dialect writing; modern speakers would normally use withered things, shrivelled things, or dried-up remains instead. Its interest lies partly in this combination of an old-fashioned plural form with a vividly physical meaning.
plural nounThe plural of withy: things that are withered, shrivelled, or dried up.
- Things that are withered, shrivelled, or dried up.
"The gardener discarded the last of the withies after the long, dry summer."
"She tied the dry withies into a small bundle for kindling."
"The old hedge was reduced to a tangle of brittle withies."
Withies is the standard plural of withy and is normally used collectively for withered or dried-up things.
"The wind tore the last of the withies from the dead hedge."
Withies belongs to a snugly British corner of the language: it names the small, dried remnants that have been left behind.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of withies
Withies ultimately comes from the same English root as wither: a word related to Old English wīthe, “a flexible twig,” and later used for plants that become dry and shrivelled. The form withy developed in Middle or early modern English with the meaning “withered” or “shrivelled,” and withies is simply its regular plural. The derivative wither belongs to the same long-established English family of words describing drying and loss of vitality.
Related word forms
How withies is actually used
This is an uncommon and chiefly British or Scottish form. It is now encountered mainly in literary, dialectal, or deliberately archaic language rather than everyday standard English.
Easily confused with withies
Withies refers to withered or shrivelled things, whereas wities usually denotes people regarded as foolish or unimportant.
Withies is the plural of withy, while withe is a flexible branch or twig, especially one used for weaving or binding.