swither
/ˈswɪðə/ verb, noun
Forms swithers swithering swithered swether swidder
- verb (dialectal) To burn, scorch, singe.
- verb (dialectal) To burn slowly, melt (as a candle), sweal
- verb (dialectal, figurative) To smart, ache; tingle
- noun (dialectal) A great heat; a scorching, singeing
- noun (dialectal) Sweating.
- verb (Scotland, Northern England) To be indecisive or in a state of confusion; to dither.
- verb To move or swing about.
- noun (chiefly Scotland, Northern England) A state of indecision or confusion; a panicked state; a flap, fluster, or dither.
Synonyms
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”).
First attested in 1501; of unknown origin.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “swither”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details