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Mind; intellect; understanding; sense. Who knew the wit of the Lord or who was his counselor Wyclif (Rom. xi. 34). A prince most prudent, of an excellent And unmatched wit and judgment. Shak. Will puts in practice what wit deviseth. Sir J. Davies. He wants not wit the dander to decline. Dryden.

One who breaks jests; a joker. [Obs.] Shak.

One who affects repartee; a wit-cracker. [Obs.] Shak.

Barren of wit; destitute of genius. Examiner.

Lit., wise men; specif. (A.-S. Hist.),

black art, or magic; one regarded as possessing supernatural or magical power by compact with an evil spirit, esp. with the Devil; a sorcerer or sorceress; -- now applied chiefly or only to women, but formerly used of men as well. There was a man in that city whose name was Simon, a witch. Wyclif (Acts viii. 9). He ca…

See Wych-elm.

The wych-elm.

The witch-hazel.

The practices or art of witches; sorcery; enchantments; intercourse with evil spirits.

Sorcery; enchantment; witchcraft. Great Comus, Deep skilled in all his mother's witcheries. Milton. A woman infamous . . . for witcheries. Sir W. Scott.

That witches or enchants; suited to enchantment or witchcraft; bewitching. "The very witching time of night." Shak. -- Witch"ing*ly, adv.

The sand martin, or bank swallow. [Prov. Eng.]

Art or skill of the mind; contrivance; invention; wit. [Obs.] Camden.

to censure; also, to impute as blame. [Obs. or Scot.] Spenser. Though that I be jealous, wite me not. Chaucer. There if that I misspeak or say, Wite it the ale of Southwark, I you pray. Chaucer.

Blameless. [Obs.] Spenser.

pl. pres. of Wit. Chaucer.

A meeting of wise men; the national council, or legislature, of England in the days of the Anglo-Saxons, before the Norman Conquest.

The ladyfish (a).

Wise; sensible. [R.] Chapman.