wis
verb (used with or without object)
to know.
wis
1 American
[wis]
/ wɪs /
verb (used with or without object)
Archaic.
Wis.
2
American
Or
Wisc
abbreviation
Wis.
1
British
abbreviation
wis
2
British
/ wɪs /
verb
Etymology
Origin of wis
1500–10; by false analysis of iwis as I wis I know; see wit 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Tunes hiv been whirlin aroon in the air an in ma heid an hairt since I wis a bairn, an I wis composing tunes an songs even then,” she wrote in her book.
From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2022
In addition to that general warning, hundreds of articles also display this more specific disclaimer: “The ‘Scots’ that wis uised in this airticle wis written bi a body that’s mither tongue isna Scots.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2020
“I knew what was happening, but I did nothing. I just watched from the windae; my mind wis blank,” she told me.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2017
Seahawks-Packers controversial finish: On the last play of Monday Night Football, the Seattle Seahawks’ Golden Tate wis credited with hauling in a 24-yard, game-winning touchdown pass in a 14-12 win against the Packers.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 25, 2012
For every ken and wis and aye I had dropped from my vocabulary, I had picked up a dozen new and useful terms.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
To fully exorcise himself of Gein after completing the show, Hunnam traveled to Plainfield, Wis., to visit his grave site and say a final goodbye.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Weger, who grew up in Madison, Wis., studied cinema during graduate school at NYU and later moved to Los Angeles to work in Hollywood as a producer and stylist, is no minimalist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
The couple is planning a move to the suburbs of Green Bay, Wis., where they hope their son will be able to attend good schools and play with neighbors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
A team of Lego designers took a summer 2018 road trip through the American Midwest, visiting dozens of homes in and around Madison, Wis., and Minneapolis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
In The Prairie Farmer I notice the interesting note of "O." of Sheboygan Falls, Wis., on the apparent benefit resulting from sand and manure mulching of pear trees.
From Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56: No. 12, March 22, 1884 A Weekly Journal for the Farm, Orchard and Fireside by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
