wis

¹

[wis]

verb (used with or without object)

Archaic.

1. to know.

Wis.

²

Or Wisc

abbreviation

1. Wisconsin.

Wis.

¹

abbreviation

1. Wisconsin

wis

²

/ wɪs /

verb

1. archaic,  to know or suppose (something)

Word History and Origins

Origin of wis¹

1500–10; by false analysis of iwis as I wis I know; wit ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of wis¹

C17: a form derived from _iwis , mistakenly interpreted as I wis I know, as if from Old English witan to know

Example Sentences

Mike was born in Baraboo, Wis., long-time home of the Ringling Bros. of circus fame, amidst the depths of the Great Depression, and grew up there during World War II. The family moved to Waukesha after the war, Mike graduating from Catholic Memorial High School there, then earning a journalism degree at Marquette University in Milwaukee.

From Los Angeles Times

Calls for reprisal from members of Congress like Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R‑Wis., have ranged from investigations under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and deplatforming and prosecuting “those responsible,” to more extreme suggestions of crackdowns on the left.

From Salon

Over dinner in Koreatown the night before their performance, Ani Ash, from Texas, and her friend Choua Yang, a 45-year-old tech trainer from Green Bay, Wis., talked about their devotion to the group.

From Los Angeles Times

Hunter Biden disparagingly referred to the actor as “a brand” and told Harrison, “Do you think in Middle America, that voter in Green Bay, Wis., gives a s— what George Clooney thinks about who she should vote for?”

From Los Angeles Times

It owns nearly two dozen stations, including in Northern California near Redding, as well as Honolulu; Flint, Mich.; Madison, Wis.; and Tupelo, Miss.

From Los Angeles Times