Whith"er (?), adv. [OE. whider. AS. hwider; akin to E. where, who; cf. Goth. hvadr�xc7; whither. See Who, and cf. Hither, Thither.]

1.

To what place; -- used interrogatively; as, whither goest thou?

"Whider may I flee?"

Chaucer.

Sir Valentine, whither away so fast? Shak.

2.

To what or which place; -- used relatively.

That no man should know . . . whither that he went. Chaucer.

We came unto the land whither thou sentest us. Num. xiii. 27.

3.

To what point, degree, end, conclusion, or design; whereunto; whereto; -- used in a sense not physical.

Nor have I . . . whither to appeal. Milton.

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. 25.

Syn. -- Where. -- 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?"

 

© Webster 1913.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.