Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

withersake

/ˈwɪðə(ɹ)ˌseɪk/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: with-er-sake
IPA: /ˈwɪðə(ɹ)ˌseɪk/

20

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An apostate or perfidious renegade.

Archaic

Example Sentences

""Go to with thy trade," replied Father Adrian, "I know thee not but for a lying withersake; a base pilfering waster and drawlatch; a cutting ribald moss trooper, and doer of ran and rapine; a common lecher and brawler; […]"

Etymology

From Middle English withersake, from Old English wiþersaca (“adversary, enemy; betrayer; apostate”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþrasakō, equivalent to wither- (“against”) + sake. Cognate with Middle High German widersache, Modern German Widersacher (“adversary, opponent, antagonist, foe”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: withersake, wiþersaca, *wiþrasakō

Usage

Archaic

Inflected Forms

withersakes (plural) wythersake (alternative)

Synonyms

transfuge turncoat backstabber betrayer cockatrice double-crosser quisling rat ratter recreant renegade serpent

Questions

How do you pronounce withersake?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈwɪðə(ɹ)ˌseɪk/.
What does withersake mean?: An apostate or perfidious renegade.
Where does withersake come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce withersake

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