withers

American  

[with-erz] / ˈwɪð ərz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. the highest part of the back at the base of the neck of a horse, cow, sheep, etc.

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idioms

1. wring one's withers, to cause one anxiety or trouble.

   The long involved lawsuit is wringing his withers.

withers British  

/ ˈwɪðəz /

plural noun

1. the highest part of the back of a horse, behind the neck between the shoulders

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Etymology

Origin of withers

First recorded in 1535–45; origin uncertain

Explanation

Horse breeders and riders measure horses at the withers, or the shoulder blades, since it's a stable point that doesn't move, unlike the horse's head and neck. Horsey folks will know this word as denoting the high point on a horse's back, where the shoulder bones meet, and you can use it for that part of a dog's body as well. It's an old word in English, and it maintains a dignified silence about its true origins — and why, like scissors and pants, it's a plural denoting a single thing.

Example Sentences

As Andy blooms, Nate withers and their other friends are no better.

From Salon • Aug. 17, 2025

As fine arts funding withers across sectors and Hollywood budgets shrink while studios retreat from local productions, workers are still recovering from lengthy strikes and the incipient threat of artificial intelligence.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2025

Their results show that the grass withers due to a lack of water inside the fairy circle.

From Science Daily • Mar. 19, 2024

In the process of transmuting the mid-rib of the leaf, the plant undergoes a proliferation of new vascular tissue — and avoids rotting while the rest of the leaf withers away.

From New York Times • Feb. 25, 2024

Dodger whinnied and danced around nervously under Akira, and she put a hand on his withers to calm him.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz