withers

From dialectal English wither (“against”) (compare wither-) +‎ -s; see with. So-named because it is the part of the horse that pushes against a load. Compare German Widerrist (“withers”), from wider (“against”) + Rist (“wrist”).^[1]

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwɪð.ɚz/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwɪð.əz/
• Hyphenation: with‧ers

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

withers pl (normally plural, singular wither)

1. The part of the back of a four-legged animal that is between the shoulder blades; in many species the highest point of the body and the standard place to measure the animal's height. [from 1580]

Even in the plural, this noun refers to one object. The synonymous singular, wither, is less common.

• nape

• scruff

• fistulous withers
• wither-wrung
• wring one's withers

• withers on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

withers

1. third-person singular simple present indicative of wither

• swither, whister, wishter, writhes