adj
Meaning 1
knowing, certain, sure, wis.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dialectal, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
witter
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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UK: /ˈwɪtə(ɹ)/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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General-American: /ˈwɪtɚ/
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General-American: [ˈwɪɾɚ]
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rhymes with -ɪtə(ɹ)
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CMU ARPABET: W IH1 T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
name
Meaning 2
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To speak at length on a trivial subject.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, intransitive
Examples
- She got home and started wittering about some religious cult she’d just heard about.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
to make sure, inform, or declare.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dialectal, intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English witter, witer, of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse vitr (“wise, knowing”), from Proto-Germanic *witraz (“knowing”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to know”). Cognate with Icelandic vitur (“wise”). More at wit, wis.
From Middle English Witere, Wytere, Whittere, Whytere (surname), from Middle English whitere (“a bleacher, caulker, whitewasher”), equivalent to white + -er.
From Middle English witteren, witeren, of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse vitra (“to make wise, make sure”), from Proto-Germanic *witrōną (“to make wise”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to know”). Cognate with Icelandic vitra (“to make wise, make certain”), Icelandic vitur (“wise”). More at wit, wis.
Across languages
Translations
3 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Czech: tlachat — to speak at length on a trivial subject
- Czech: žvanit — to speak at length on a trivial subject
- Māori: tarawhete — to speak at length on a trivial subject