AskDefine | Define whither

The Collaborative Dictionary

Whither \Whith"er\, adv. [OE. whider. AS. hwider; akin to E. where, who; cf. Goth. hvadr[=e] whither. See Who, and cf. Hither, Thither.] [1913 Webster]
To what place; -- used interrogatively; as, whither goest thou? "Whider may I flee?" --Chaucer. [1913 Webster] Sir Valentine, whither away so fast? --Shak. [1913 Webster]
To what or which place; -- used relatively. [1913 Webster] That no man should know . . . whither that he went. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster] We came unto the land whither thou sentest us. --Num. xiii.
[1913 Webster]
To what point, degree, end, conclusion, or design; whereunto; whereto; -- used in a sense not physical. [1913 Webster] Nor have I . . . whither to appeal. --Milton. [1913 Webster] Any whither, to any place; anywhere. [Obs.] "Any whither, in hope of life eternal." --Jer. Taylor. No whither, to no place; nowhere. [Obs.] --2 Kings v.
[1913 Webster] Syn: Where. Usage: Whither, Where. Whither properly implies motion to place, and where rest in a place. Whither is now, however, to a great extent, obsolete, except in poetry, or in compositions of a grave and serious character and in language where precision is required. Where has taken its place, as in the question, "Where are you going?" [1913 Webster] [1913 Webster]

Word Net

whither adv : to what place; "whither go you?"

English

Etymology

Old English hwæder

Pronunciation

Adverb

whither
  1. archaic quaint To which place.
    Whither am I going?

Quotations

Usage notes

Synonyms

Translations

to which place

Related terms

Verb

  1. To wuther.
Where may refer to:
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