wither (/ˈwɪðər/)
verb · Intermediate · Nature & Environment
🔊 /ˈwɪðər/
Meaning
Meaning: dry up and shrink, as a plant
To become dry, weak, and shrunken, as a plant does when it lacks water. It can also describe something that fades or weakens.
Examples
🗣 The flowers began to wither without water.
Etymology
From Middle English ‘wideren’, a variant of ‘weather’ used of plants.
How & Where It’s Used
Used for dying plants and figuratively for fading hopes or strength.
Tags: plants, decay