Wite

Wite
Wit Wit (w[i^]t), v. t. & i. [inf. (To) {Wit}; pres. sing. {Wot}; pl. {Wite}; imp. {Wist(e)}; p. p. {Wist}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wit(t)ing}. See the Note below.] [OE. witen, pres. ich wot, wat, I know (wot), imp. wiste, AS. witan, pres. w[=a]t, imp. wiste, wisse; akin to OFries. wita, OS. witan, D. weten, G. wissen, OHG. wizzan, Icel. vita, Sw. veta, Dan. vide, Goth. witan to observe, wait I know, Russ. vidiete to see, L. videre, Gr. ?, Skr. vid to know, learn; cf. Skr. vid to find. ????. Cf. {History}, {Idea}, {Idol}, {-oid}, {Twit}, {Veda}, {Vision}, {Wise}, a. & n., {Wot}.] To know; to learn. ``I wot and wist alway.'' --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

Note: The present tense was inflected as follows; sing. 1st pers. wot; 2d pers. wost, or wot(t)est; 3d pers. wot, or wot(t)eth; pl. witen, or wite. The following variant forms also occur; pres. sing. 1st & 3d pers. wat, woot; pres. pl. wyten, or wyte, weete, wote, wot; imp. wuste (Southern dialect); p. pr. wotting. Later, other variant or corrupt forms are found, as, in Shakespeare, 3d pers. sing. pres. wots. [1913 Webster]

Brethren, we do you to wit [make you to know] of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia. --2 Cor. viii. 1. [1913 Webster]

Thou wost full little what thou meanest. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

We witen not what thing we prayen here. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

When that the sooth in wist. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

Note: This verb is now used only in the infinitive, to wit, which is employed, especially in legal language, to call attention to a particular thing, or to a more particular specification of what has preceded, and is equivalent to namely, that is to say. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Wite — Wite, v. t. [AS. w[=i]tan; akin to D. wijten, G. verweisen, Icel. v[=i]ta to mulct, and E. wit; cf. AS. w[=i]tan to see, L. animadvertere to observe, to punish. ????. See {Wit}, v.] To reproach; to blame; to censure; also, to impute as blame.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wite — Wite, n. [AS. w[=i]te punishment. ????. See {Wite}, v.] Blame; reproach. [Obs. or Scot.] Chaucer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wite — [wīt] n., vt. wited, witing [ME witen < OE witan, to know: see WISE1] Scot. blame; censure …   English World dictionary

  • witeȝe — var. witie …   Useful english dictionary

  • wite — wite1 /wuyt/, n., v., wited, witing. n. 1. (in Anglo Saxon law) a. a fine imposed by a king or lord on a subject who committed a serious crime. b. a fee demanded for granting a special privilege. 2. Chiefly Scot. responsibility for a crime, fault …   Universalium

  • wíte — n ( es/ u) punishment, torture, plague, injury; penalty, fine; contribution, in money or food, to sustenance of king or his officers; woe, misery, distress; wyrcan tó wíte to contrive as a punishment …   Old to modern English dictionary

  • Wite-Out — [ waıt ,aut ] AMERICAN TRADEMARK a white liquid used for covering mistakes in writing, typing, etc …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Wite-Out — Also see: Whiteout, and 1951 invention: Liquid Paper .Wite Out is a trademark for a line of correction fluid, originally created for use with photocopies, and manufactured by the BIC Corporation.HistoryWite Out dates to 1966, when George… …   Wikipedia

  • wite — I. transitive verb (wited; witing) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English wītan; akin to Old High German wīzan to blame, Old English witan to know Date: before 12th century chiefly Scottish blame II. noun Date: 13th century …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • wite — verb /waɪt/ To blame; to regard as guilty. As help me God, I shal þee nevere smyte! / Þat I have doon, it is þyself to wyte …   Wiktionary

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