withy

American  

[with-ee, with-ee] / ˈwɪð i, ˈwɪθ i /

noun

withies plural

1. a willow.

2. a pliable branch or twig, especially a withe.

3. a band, loop, halter, or rope of slender twigs; widdy.

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adjective

withier, withiest

1. made of pliable branches or twigs, especially of withes.

2. flexible; pliable.

withy British  

/ ˈwɪðɪ /

noun

1. a variant spelling of withe withe

2. a willow tree, esp an osier

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adjective

1. (of people) tough and agile

2. rare resembling a withe in strength or flexibility

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• withies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of withy

before 1000; Middle English; Old English wīthig; akin to withe, Old Norse vīthir, Old High German wīda, Greek ītéa willow, Latin vītis vine

Example Sentences

The HCA estimates the number of professional withy pot-makers is now in single figures and those who remain use it as a sideline to their main income.

From BBC • Aug. 31, 2020

“Seismicity is a feature of mining in the region and deep-level mining layouts and support systems have been designed specifically to cope withy seismicity,” Neal Froneman said in a presentation to investors.

From Reuters • Jun. 7, 2018

A typical one is "The Currach Race"�a currach being the paper-thin, skin and withy rowboat in which Galway fishermen put out into the Atlantic.

From Time Magazine Archive

A wastle is a North country term for a twig or withy, possibly connected with A. S. wædl.

From Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales A Sequel to the Nursery Rhymes of England by Halliwell-Phillipps, J. O. (James Orchard)

In the lake there are several acres of withy bushes which when the water is low are on dry land, but in spring and early summer stand five or six feet deep.

From Wild Life in a Southern County by Jefferies, Richard