withe

noun

ˈwith How to pronounce withe (audio) ˈwit͟h How to pronounce withe (audio) ˈwīt͟h How to pronounce withe (audio)
: a slender flexible branch or twig
especially : one used as a band or line

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English withthe; akin to Old English wīthig withy

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of withe was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing withe

Rhymes for withe

See All Rhymes for withe

Browse Nearby Words

with due regard to
withe
with each passing hour
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Withe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/withe. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

withe

noun
ˈwith How to pronounce withe (audio) ˈwit͟h How to pronounce withe (audio)
ˈwīt͟h
: a slender flexible branch or twig
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All