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Swither

//ˈswɪðə// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A great heat; a scorching, singeing countable, dialectal, uncountable
  2. 2
    A state of indecision or confusion; a panicked state; a flap, fluster, or dither. Northern-England, Scotland

    "Bradly came bristling to the lagoon the following afternoon, in a swither of alarm and expectation."

  3. 3
    agitation resulting from active worry wordnet
  4. 4
    Sweating. countable, dialectal, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To burn, scorch, singe. dialectal
  2. 2
    To be indecisive or in a state of confusion; to dither. Northern-England, Scotland
  3. 3
    To burn slowly, melt (as a candle), sweal dialectal
  4. 4
    To move or swing about.

    "He was filling his pipe, staring at his picture, not her, and this tacit dismissal allowed her to sidle over to the bank higher up, and there swither her legs about in the water before coming out of it."

  5. 5
    To smart, ache; tingle dialectal, figuratively

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English *swithren, from Old Norse sviðra (“to burn, singe”). Related to Middle English swithen (“to burn, scorch, singe”), from Old Norse svíða (“to burn”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English *swithren, from Old Norse sviðra (“to burn, singe”). Related to Middle English swithen (“to burn, scorch, singe”), from Old Norse svíða (“to burn”).

Etymology 3

First attested in 1501; of unknown origin.

Etymology 4

First attested in 1501; of unknown origin.

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