Emily Dickinson Lexicon

WITH-HOLD-ING, ppr.

Holding back; restraining; retaining; not granting.

WITH-HOLD'MENT, n.

Act of withholding.

WITH-IN', adv.

1. In the inner part; inwardly; internally. The wound festers within. – Carew.
2. In the mind. Ills from within thy reason must prevent. – Dryden.

WITH-IN', prep. [Sax. withinnan.]

1. In the inner part; as, the space within the walls of a house; a man contented and happy within himself. – Tillotson.
2. In the limits or compass of; not beyond; used of place and time. The object is within my sight; within the knowledge of the present generation; within a month or a year.
3. Not reaching to any thing external. Were every action concluded within itself. – Locke.
4. In the compass of; not longer ago than. Within these five hours Hastings liv'd / Untainted. – Shak.
5. Not latter than; as, within five days from this time, it will be fair weather.
6. In the reach of. Both he and she are still within my pow'r. – Dryden.
7. Not exceeding. Keep your expenses within your income.
8. In the heart or confidence of. [Inelegant.] – South.
9. In the house; in any inclosure.

WITH-IN-SIDE, adv. [within and side.]

In the inner parts. [Bad.] – Sharp.

WITH-OUT', adv.

1. Not on the inside; not within. These were from without the growing miseries. – Milton.
2. Out of doors.
3. Externally; not in the mind. Without were lightings, within were fears. 2 Cor. vii.

WITH-OUT', prep. [Sax. withutan; with and out.]

1. Not with; as, without success.
2. In a state of destitution or absence from. There is no living with thee nor without thee. – Tatler.
3. In a state of not having, or of destitution. How many live all their life without virtue, and without peace of conscience.
4. Beyond; not within. Eternity, before the world and after, is without our reach. – Burnet.
5. Supposing the negation or omission of. Without the separation of the two monarchies, the most advantageous terms from the French must end in our destruction. – Addison.
6. Independent of; not by the use of. Men like to live without labor. Wise men will do it without a law. – Bacon.
7. On the outside of; as, without the gate; without doors.
8. With exemption from. That event can not happen without great damage to our interests.
9. Unless; except. Without, when it precedes a sentence or member of a sentence, has been called a conjunction. This is a mistake. "You will not enjoy health, without you use much exercise." In this sentence, without is a preposition still, but followed by a member of a sentence, instead of a single noun. It has no property of a connective or conjunction, and does not fall within the definition. You will not enjoy health, this fact following being removed, or not taking place; you use exercise. This use of without, is nearly superseded by unless and except, among good writers and speakers; but is common in popular discourse or parlance.

WITH-OUT'EN, prep. [or adv. for Withoutan, the Saxon word, is obsolete.]

– Spenser.

WITH-STAND', v.t. [with and stand. See Stand.]

To oppose; to resist, either with physical or moral force; as, to withstand the attack of troops; to withstand eloquence or arguments. When Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face. Gal. ii.

WITH-STAND'ER, n.

One that opposes; an opponent a resisting power. – Ralegh.

WITH-ST'AND'ING, ppr.

Opposing; making resistance.

WITH-STOOD, pp.

Opposed; resisted.

WITH-VINE, or WITH-WINE, n.

A local name for the couch-grass. – Cyc.

WITH'WIND, n.

A plant. [L. convolvulus.]

WITH'Y, a.

Made of withs; like a with; flexible and tough.

WITH'Y, n. [Sax. withig.]

A large species of willow. – Cyc.

WIT'LESS, a. [wit and less.]

1. Destitute of wit or understanding; inconsiderate; wanting thought; as, a witless swain; witless youth. – Philips.
2. Indiscreet; not under the guidance of judgment; as, witless bravery. – Shak.

WIT'LESS-LY, adv.

Without the exercise of judgment.

WIT'LESS-NESS, n.

Want of judgment. – Sandys.

WIT'LING, n. [dim. from wit.]

A person who has little wit or understanding; a pretender to wit or smartness. A beau and witling perished in the throng. – Pope.

WIT'NESS, n. [Sax. witnesse, from witan, to know.]

1. Testimony; attestation of a fact or event. If I hear witness of myself, my witness is not true. – John v.
2. That which furnishes evidence or proof. Laban said, this heap is a witness between me and thee this day. – Gen. xxxi.
3. A person who knows or sees any thing; one personally present; as, he was witness; he was an eye-witness. – 1 Pet. v. Upon my looking round, I was witness to appearances which filled me with melancholy and regret. – Rob. Hall, 2, 349.
4. One who sees the execution of an instrument, and subscribes it for the purpose of confirming its authenticity by his testimony.
5. One who gives testimony; as, the witnesses in court agreed in all essential facts. With a witness, effectually; to a great degree; with great force, so as to leave some mark as a testimony behind. He struck with a witness. [Not elegant.]

WIT'NESS, v.i.

1. To bear testimony. The men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth. 1 Kings xxi.
2. To give evidence. The shew of their countenance doth witness against them. Isa. iii.

WITNESS, v.t.

1. To see or know by personal presence. I witnessed the ceremonies in New York, with which the ratification of the constitution was celebrated in 1788. – N. W. Every one has witnessed the effects of the voltaic fluid. – Good. Lect. x. Gen. Washington did not live to witness the restoration of peace. – Marshall. This is but a faint sketch of the incalculable calamities and horrors we must expect, should we ever witness the triumphs of modern infidelity. – Rob. Hall. We have witnessed all the varieties molded to such a perfect accommodation. – Bridg. Treatise. Angels that make thy church their care / Shall witness my devotion there. – Watts, Ps. 138. We have lived to witness that surprising paradox. – Hannah More.
2. To attest; to give testimony to; to testify to something. Behold, how many things they witness against thee. Mark xv.
3. To see the execution of an instrument, and subscribe it for the purpose of establishing its authenticity; as, to witness a bond or a deed. In the imperative mode, see, in evidence or proof; as, witness the habeas corpus, the independence of judges, &c. – Ames, 429.

WIT'NESS-ED, pp.

Seen in person; testified; subscribed by persons present; as, a deed witnessed by two persons.

WIT'NESS-ING, ppr.

Seeing in person; bearing testimony; giving evidence.