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wit¹

(wĭt)

a. The natural ability to perceive and understand; intelligence.

b. often wits Practical intelligence; shrewdness or resourcefulness: living by one's wits.

c. wits Sound mental faculties; sanity: scared out of my wits.

d. Archaic A person of exceptional intelligence.

a. The ability to express oneself intelligently in a playful or humorous manner, often in overturning audience expectations: a writer with a scintillating wit.

b. A person noted for this ability, especially in conversation: “My mother, the family wit and teaser, knew better than to joke about the disaster” (Donald Hall).

c. Intelligent playfulness or humor in expression, as in speech, writing, or art: novels known for their wit and inventiveness.

Idioms:

at (one's) wits' end

At the limit of one's mental resources; utterly at a loss.

have (or keep)(one's) wits about (one)

To remain alert or calm, especially in a crisis.

[Middle English, from Old English; see weid- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

wit²

(wĭt)

v. wist (wĭst), wit·ting (wĭtĭng), first and third person singular present tense wot (wŏt)
Archaic

v.tr.

To be or become aware of; learn.

v.intr.

To know.

Idiom:

to wit

That is to say; namely.

[Middle English, from Old English witan; see weid- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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