wit

wit
I. verb (wist; witting; present first & third singular wot) Etymology: Middle English witen (1st & 3d singular present wot, past wiste), from Old English witan (1st & 3d singular present wāt, past wisse, wiste); akin to Old High German wizzan to know, Latin vidēre to see, Greek eidenai to know, idein to see Date: before 12th century 1. archaic know 2. archaic to come to know ; learn II. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German wizzi knowledge, Old English witan to know Date: before 12th century 1. a. mind, memory b. reasoning power ; intelligence 2. a. sense 2a — usually used in plural <
alone and warming his five wits, the white owl in the belfry sits — Alfred Tennyson
>
b. (1) mental soundness ; sanity — usually used in plural (2) mental capability and resourcefulness ; ingenuity 3. a. astuteness of perception or judgment ; acumen b. the ability to relate seemingly disparate things so as to illuminate or amuse c. (1) a talent for banter or persiflage (2) a witty utterance or exchange d. clever or apt humor 4. a. a person of superior intellect ; thinker b. an imaginatively perceptive and articulate individual especially skilled in banter or persiflage Synonyms: wit, humor, irony, sarcasm, satire, repartee mean a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement. wit suggests the power to evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity and swift perception especially of the incongruous <
a playful wit
>
. humor implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these usually without bitterness <
a sense of humor
>
. irony applies to a manner of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is seemingly expressed <
the irony of the title
>
. sarcasm applies to expression frequently in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound <
given to heartless sarcasm
>
. satire applies to writing that exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions either by direct criticism or more often through irony, parody, or caricature <
a satire on the Congress
>
. repartee implies the power of answering quickly, pointedly, or wittily <
a dinner guest noted for repartee
>
.

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Wit — Wit, n. [AS. witt, wit; akin to OFries. wit, G. witz, OHG. wizz[=i], Icel. vit, Dan. vid, Sw. vett. [root]133. See {Wit}, v.] [1913 Webster] 1. Mind; intellect; understanding; sense. [1913 Webster] Who knew the wit of the Lord? or who was his… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wit — is a form of intellectual humour. A wit (person) is someone skilled in making witty remarks. Forms of wit include: the quip and the repartee. Forms of wit As in the wit of Parker s set, the Algonquin Round Table, witty remarks may be… …   Wikipedia

  • wit — [wıt] n ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(amusing)¦ 2¦(amusing person)¦ 3 wits 4 frighten/scare/terrify somebody out of their wits 5 gather/collect/recover etc your wits 6 pit your wits against somebody 7 be at your wits end 8 have the wit to do something 9 not be… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • wit — n 1 intelligence, brain, *mind, intellect, soul, psyche Analogous words: *reason, understanding, intuition: comprehension, apprehension (see under APPREHEND): sagaciousness or sagacity, perspicaciousness or perspicacity (see corresponding… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • wit — [ wıt ] noun * 1. ) singular or uncount the ability to use words in a clever way to make people laugh: He is a man of great wit, sensitivity, and passion. a dry/biting/acerbic/caustic wit (=the tendency to say clever and slightly cruel things):… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • WIT — steht für: Wit, ein Fluss in Bulgarien Wit ist der Name folgender Personen: Antoni Wit (* 1944), polnischer Dirigent Piet de Wit (Radsportler) (* 1946), niederländischer Radrennfahrer Piet de Wit (Unternehmer) (1869–1947), niederländischer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • wit — wit1 [wit] n. [ME < OE, akin to Ger witz: for IE base see WISE1] 1. Obs. the mind 2. [pl.] a) powers of thinking and reasoning; intellectual and perceptive powers b) mental faculties with respect to their state of balance, esp. in their normal …   English World dictionary

  • Wit — (w[i^]t), v. t. & i. [inf. (To) {Wit}; pres. sing. {Wot}; pl. {Wite}; imp. {Wist(e)}; p. p. {Wist}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wit(t)ing}. See the Note below.] [OE. witen, pres. ich wot, wat, I know (wot), imp. wiste, AS. witan, pres. w[=a]t, imp. wiste,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wit — (w[i^]t), v. t. & i. [inf. (To) {Wit}; pres. sing. {Wot}; pl. {Wite}; imp. {Wist(e)}; p. p. {Wist}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wit(t)ing}. See the Note below.] [OE. witen, pres. ich wot, wat, I know (wot), imp. wiste, AS. witan, pres. w[=a]t, imp. wiste,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • WIT — is:* The ticker symbol for Wipro Technologies, India.* The timezone Waktu Indonesia Timur, covering eastern IndonesiaPerformance groups abbreviated WIT:* Washington Improv Theater of Washington, DC, USA. * Wellington Improvisation Troupe in… …   Wikipedia

  • Wit — (logiciel) wit est un logiciel libre écrit en Python fournissant une interface Web pour le système de gestion de versions git. Voir aussi gitweb écrit en Perl git php écrit en PHP Liens externes Wit au travail (sources du noyau Linux) Ce document …   Wikipédia en Français

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