withershins
var. of widdershins
withershins
adverb
Variant of widdershins
withershins
Adverb
(not comparable)
- Anti-clockwise, in the contrary direction, especially to the left or opposite to the direction of the sun.
Origin
From wither- +"Ž shins, sins, alteration of withersuns (“contrary to the sun's course", literally “against the sun's"), modelled after Middle Low German, weddersins, weddersinnes (“in the opposite direction"), from Middle High German widdersinnes (“in the opposite direction", literally “contrary to reason"), from wider (“opposite") + sinnes (genitive of sin (“course")). Compare also Old English wiþersÄ«enes (“backwards, withershins"), Icelandic viðer (“against"), Danish and Swedish veder. More at wither, sense.
