Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lithen

/ˈlaɪðən/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: lithen
IPA: /ˈlaɪðən/

9

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To make lithe, soften; to ease, mitigate

Archaic

verb

To thicken a broth or gravy with a thickening agent (e.g. flour, oatmeal, etc.)

Example Sentences

"“Nay, daughter, when thou art as old as Notte it will be time enough to reckon years!” returned the dark-skinned sybil, lithening the stiff folds of a viper in a blue oil, which cast out a noisome perfume as she stirred it."
""[…] I only know that for well-nigh all the stricken he hath lithened the fever, and that he hath recalled to life many an one whom the chirurgeon had given over to the chaplain.""

Etymology

From Middle English *lithnien, equivalent to lithe + -en.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *lithnien

Usage

Archaic

Inflected Forms

lithens (present, singular) lithening (participle, present) lithened (participle, past) lithened (past)

Questions

How do you pronounce lithen?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈlaɪðən/.
What does lithen mean?: To make lithe, soften; to ease, mitigate
Where does lithen come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce lithen

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “lithen”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈlaɪðən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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