Meaning & use
withe
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Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
A thin, tough, flexible twig, usually from willow, used to tie things together or to weave baskets and fences.
Grammar: Often appears in the plural when several twigs are used: bundles of withes.
Patterns
- bind something with a withe
- a withe of willow
The basket maker soaked the withes so they would bend without breaking.
He tied the bundle of firewood with a willow withe.
Long withes were woven between the posts to make a simple fence.
nouncountablespecialist
The thin wall of brick or stone that divides two flues inside a chimney.
Grammar: A building term, also spelled wythe in some places.
Patterns
- the withe between flues
The mason repaired a cracked withe inside the chimney.
A solid withe stops smoke from passing from one flue to another.
The inspector checked the withe for gaps.
Word forms
| plural | withes |
|---|
Common combinations
- willow withe
- The craftsman bent a willow withe into a hoop.
- bundle of withes
- She carried a bundle of withes to the workshop.
- tie with a withe
- The hay was tied with a withe.
- woven withes
- The pen was made of woven withes.
- chimney withe
- A chimney withe separates one flue from another.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: withe or with?
withe vs with
With is a common preposition meaning together or using, whereas withe is a rare noun for a flexible twig.
Practice
Basket makers soak the ___ in water to make the willow flexible enough to weave.
Choose one answer.
A withe is a flexible willow twig used for weaving. With is a preposition, so it cannot be the object being soaked.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “withe”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.