swither
/ˈswɪðə/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To be indecisive or in a state of confusion; to dither.
verb
To move or swing about.
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "Bradly came bristling to the lagoon the following afternoon, in a swither of alarm and expectation."
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”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *swithren, sviðra
Usage
Inflected Forms
swithers (present, singular)
swithering (participle, present)
swithered (participle, past)
swithered (past)
swether (alternative)
swidder (alternative)
swithers (plural)