the.com/wither
the slow surrender of things that forgot how to drink the light
means To dry up, shrink, or fade away as living things do when they lose their vitality, or to make someone feel small with a sharp look or remark.
from From Middle English 'wideren,' likely a variant of 'wederen,' meaning to expose to the weather — the same root that gives us 'weather' itself. The thought is plain and old: leave a plant out in sun and frost long enough and it shrivels, so to 'wither' was first to be worn down by the elements. From there it spread to anything that dries and droops — flowers, hopes, and finally the famous 'withering glance' that leaves its target feeling visibly shrunken.
- plant defense
- Some leaves wither on purpose to abandon infections
- old root
- From Middle English meaning to dry, shrivel, decay
- applause version
- A withering glance can shrink a room instantly
- reversible
- Wilted plants often rebound fully after watering
sudden oak death — disease caused by phytophthora ramorum that has withered millions of oak trees in california since 1995