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Wit

Definition: Wit

Wit

Noun

1. A message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter.

2. Mental ability; "he's got plenty of brains but no common sense".

3. (informal) a witty amusing person who makes jokes.

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "wit" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references)

 

Specialty Definition: Wit

DomainDefinition

Satire

WIT, n. The salt with which the American humorist spoils his intellectual cookery by leaving it out. Source: Devil's Dictionary.

Literature

Wit To wit, viz. that is to say. A translation of the French savoir. Wit is the Anglo-Saxon witan (to know). I divide my property into four parts, to wit, or savoir, or namely, or that is to say. Source: Brewer's Dictionary.

Slang in 1811

WIT. He has as much wit as three folks, two fools and a madman. Source: 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Specialty Definition: Humour

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Humour (humor in American English) is a form of entertainment and a form of human communication, intended to make people laugh and feel happy. The origins of the word are in the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks, the word meaning fluid.

Further references:

There are different types of humour which appeal to different sectors of humanity - for instance, slapstick is particularly popular with young children, while satire tends to be more popular with the older and better-educated. Humour is usually localized and does not easily transfer from one culture to another. This happens because humour is often context sensitive and someone not understanding the context will usually not understand the humour. Various techniques are used to deliver humour:

there are many more

It has been claimed that humour cannot be explained. However, attempts can be made, such as this one:

Perhaps the essence of humour is the presentation of something familar to a person, so they think they know the natural follow-on thought or conclusion, then providing a twist through presentation of the opposite of what was expected, or else the natural result of interpreting the original situation in a different, less common, way. For example:

A man speaks to his doctor after an operation. He says, "Doc, now that the surgery is done, will I be able to play the piano?" The doctor replies "Of course!" The man says "Good, because I couldn't before!"

Studies of humour:

There also exist linguistic and psycholinguistic studies or humour, irony, parody and pretense. Some prominent theoreticians of this field are:

Users of some psychoactive drugs tend to find humour in many more situations and events than one normally would.

One notable trait of Australians, inherited from the British, is the use of deadpan humor, in which the joker will make an outrageous or ridiculous statement without explicitly indicating they are joking. Americans visiting Australia have gained themselves a reputation for gullibility and a lack of a sense of humor by not recognising that tales of kangaroos hopping across the Sydney Harbour Bridge are examples of this propensity.

See also

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Waterford Institute of Technology

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), established in 1969 is situated on the western outskirts of Waterford City, Ireland.

It was originally set up as one of a network of Regional Technical Colleges to provide technical and higher technical education. This remit has expanded to the extend where these institutes and in particular WIT provide programmes at sub degree, Bachelors, Masters and PhD level.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Waterford Institute of Technology."

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Abbreviations & Acronyms: Wit

The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted.
EntrySourceExpressionField

WIT

EnglishWitch flounder(= fish)Food & Agriculture, Biology & Biotechnology

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Synonyms: Wit

Synonyms: brain (n), brainpower (n), card (n), humor (n), humour (n), learning ability (n), mental capacity (n), mentality (n), wag (n), witticism (n), wittiness (n). (additional references)

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Synonyms within Context: Wit

ContextSynonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).

Amusement

Fun, frolic, merriment, jollity; joviality, jovialness; heyday; laughter; jocosity, jocoseness; drollery, buffoonery, tomfoolery; mummery, pleasantry; wit; quip, quirk.

Deception

Circumvent, overreach; outreach, out wit, out maneuver; steal a march upon, give the go-by, to leave in the lurch

Humorist

Noun: humorist, wag, wit, reparteeist, epigrammatist, punster; bel esprit, life of the party; wit-snapper, wit-cracker, wit-worm; joker, jester, Joe Miller, drole de corps, gaillard, spark; bon diable; practical joker.

Ignoramus

Phrase: "a wit with dunces and a dunce with wits".

Intellect

Noun: intellect, mind, understanding, reason, thinking principle; rationality; cogitative faculties, cognitive faculties, discursive faculties, reasoning faculties, intellectual faculties; faculties, senses, consciousness, observation, percipience, intelligence, intellection, intuition, association of ideas, instinct, conception, judgment, wits, parts, capacity, intellectuality, genius; brains, cognitive powers, intellectual powers; wit; ability; (skill); wisdom; Vernunft, Verstand.

Intelligence Wisdom

Noun: intelligence, capacity, comprehension, understanding; cuteness, sabe , savvy ; intellect; nous, parts, sagacity, mother wit, wit, esprit, gumption, quick parts, grasp of intellect; acuteness; Adjective: acumen, subtlety, penetration, perspicacy, perspicacity; discernment, due sense of, good judgment; discrimination; cunning; refinement; (taste).

Interpretation

Adverb: in explanation; Noun: that is to say, id est, videlicet, to wit, namely, in other words.

Necessity

Phrase: it cannot be helped; there is no help for, there is no helping it; it will be, it must be, it needs to be, it must be so, it will have its way; the die is cast; jacta est alea; che sara sara; "it is written"; one's days are numbered, one's fate is sealed; Fata obstant; diis aliter visum; actum me invito factus, non est meus actus; aujord'hui roi demain rien; quisque suos patimur manes;"The moving finger writes and having writ moves on. Nor all your piety and wit can bring it back to cancel half a line, nor all your tears wash out a word of it.".

Skill

Knowledge of the world, world wisdom, savoir faire; tact; mother wit; (sagacity); discretion; (caution); finesse; craftiness; (cunning); management; (conduct); self-help.

Speciality

Namely, that is to say, for example, id est, exemplia gratia, e.g., i.e.,videlicet, viz.; to wit.

Wit

Noun: wit, humor, wittiness; sense of humor; attic wit, attic salt; atticism; salt, esprit, point, fancy, whim, drollery, pleasantry.

Jest, joke, jape, jibe; facetiae, levity, quips and cranks; capital joke; canorae nugae; standing jest, standing joke, private joke, conceit, quip, quirk, crank, quiddity, concetto, plaisanterie, brilliant idea; merry thought, bright thought, happy thought; sally; flash of wit, flash of merriment; scintillation; mot, mot pour rire; witticism, smart saying, bon-mot,jeu d'esprit,epigram; jest book; dry joke, quodlibet, cream of the jest.

Banter, badinage, retort, repartee, smartness, ready wit, quid-pro-quo; ridicule.

Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

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Crosswords: Wit

English words defined with "wit": Ambrose Bierce, Ambrose Gwinett Bierce, aptbarren of, beat, Bel-esprit, Bierce, buoyantchirpy, circumvent, clever, Common sense, Conceitless, Concettodazzle, destitute of, devoid of, Dorothy Parker, Dorothy Rothschild Parkerearthbound, empty of, EpigrammaticalfunIngeny, innocent ofMarianne Craig Moore, Marianne Moore, Moore, mother witOscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde, Oscar Wilde, Out of humor, outfox, outsmart, outwit, overreachParker, pedestrian, perky, play, pockmark, prosaic, prosyReady-wittedScilicet, Sharpshooting, Short-wited, sportThe five wits, To father on, To laugh at, To make the doors, To witUnwitViz, void ofWantwit, Weet, Wilde, Wist, Witcraft, Wite, Witen, Witling, Wit-starved, Witted, Wittified, Witworm, Wost, Wot, Wottest, Wotteth, Wuste, Wyten. (references)
Specialty definitions using "wit": Attic SaltBack-speer, barometric wave, Beaux Esprits, Birmingham Poet, BOGY, BOTTLE-HEADED, Brandy NanCHALKERS, CINDER GARBLER, City CollegeDEWITTED, DiaryEditor, ExcessFLYGENTLEMAN OF THREE OUTSHORSE LADDER, HushaiIll OmensKIT-CAT CLUBLogomachyMake the Door, Malakoff, MARINE OFFICERNinon de I'Enclos, Nosnot-BocaiO'DohertyPETER GUNNER, PITT'S PICTURE, PRINCES, PUNCHQuerno, QuinapalusRiquet with a Tuft, RosalineSaccharissa, Sam Weller, satire, scrap, SHAW, Sirloin of Beef, slang, S-Lang, Stinkomalee'VituperationWeller, What's What, Whetstone of Witte, Winged Rooks, Wisdom of Many and the Wit of One, Witham. (references)
Etymologies containing "wit": Ywis. (references)
Non-English Usage: "Wit" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses.

Afrikaan (blank, white), Dutch (aim, blank, goal, purpose, target, white).

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Modern Usage: Wit

DomainUsage

Screenplays

Wit in the face of adversity (Sleuth; writing credit: Anthony Shaffer)

If you spent as much time practicing your saber techniques as you did your wit, you'd rival Master Yoda as a swordsman (Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones; writing credit: George Lucas)

The wit and wisdom of Cher (Filthy Rich; writing credit: Barry E. Blitzer; Linda Bloodworth-Thomason)

Oh, another Manticore wit. (Dark Angel; writing credit: Ben Aaronovitch; Mark Ezra)

Well you lookin' at Dark Gable and Coolin' It Wit Da Breeze (The Hitter; writing credit: Ben Harris; Christopher Leitch)

Lyrics

Wit three women in the fo' with the gold D's (Ride Wit Me (Featuring City Spud); performing artist: Nelly)

Gotta get jiggy wit it (Gettin' Jiggy Wit It; performing artist: Will Smith)

Spend my life wit you (One In A Million; performing artist: Aaliyah)

How you gonna come up wit something like this, man (Uh Huh; performing artist: B2K)

'Cause I wanna get back wit you (Never Keeping Secrets; performing artist: Babyface; writing credit: Babyface)

Movie/TV Titles

Frans Masereel - Ik hou van zwart en wit (1969)

Wit and Wisdom (1950)

A Woman's Wit (1921)

Wit Wins (1920)

The Whistling Wit (1912)

Song Titles

Ride Wit Me (performing artist: Nelly)

Gettin' Jiggy Wit It (performing artist: Will Smith)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Commercial Usage: Wit

DomainTitle

Books

  • George W. Bushisms : The Slate Book of The Accidental Wit and Wisdom of our 43rd President (reference)

  • More George W. Bushisms: More of Slate's Accidental Wit and Wisdom of Our 43rd President (reference)

  • The Wit & Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: A Treasury of Quotations, Anecdotes, and Observations (reference)

  • Innocents Abroad or the New Pilgrims Progress: Being Some Account of the Steamship Quaker City's Pleasure Excursion to Europe and the Holy Land: wit (reference)

  • From Absurdity to Zen: The Wit and Wisdom of Roberta Kevelson (reference)

    (more book examples)

  

Theater & Movies

  

Music

  

High Tech

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Image Slideshow: Wit

Illustrations:
Wit

More pictures...

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Photo Album: Wit

ThumbnailDescription & CreditThumbnailDescription & Credit

Out came their sabers and they was at me howlin' wit glee. Credit: Library of Congress.

Did yah quor'le wit 'im? : Aw! coatin' po'try 'bout th' silly ol' ocean! : is that any ... Credit: Library of Congress.

Wit, humor, etc. Credit: Library of Congress.

Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. Workers of many racial groups contribute their skills to war production. This Negro worker is checking the size and shape of a propeller blade in a large Eastern airplane propeller factory. Reading the blade wit. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

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Familiar Quotations: Wit

AuthorQuotation

Aristotle

Wit is educated insolence.

Duc de La Rochefoucauld

Conceit causes more conversation than wit.

Euripides

The best prophet is common sense, our native wit.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Wit is the epitaph of an emotion.

Jean De La Bruyere

Mockery is often the result of a poverty of wit.

John Dryden

Her wit was more than man, her innocence a child.

John Selden

Wit and wisdom are born with a man.

Jonathan Swift

Don't set your wit against a child.

Thomas Fuller

The more wit the less courage.

William Penn

Less judgment than wit is more sail than ballast.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Historic Usage: Wit

AuthorDateQuotation

Magna Carta

1215

Let there be one measure of wine throughout our whole realm; and one measure of ale; and one measure of corn, to wit, "the London quarter"; and one width of cloth (whether dyed, or russet, or "halberget"), to wit, two ells within the selvedges; of weights also let it be as of measures. (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Use in Literature: Wit

TitleAuthorQuote

Emma

Austen, Jane

At her age she can have no experience, and with her little wit, is not very likely ever to have any that can avail her.

Sylvie and Bruno Concluded

Carroll, Lewis

The swindler is not accepted as a wit.

Les Miserables

Hugo, Victor

The flower should have fragrance, and woman should have wit.

Gulliver's Travels

Swift, Jonathan

The Queen giving great allowance for my defectiveness in speaking, was however surprised at so much wit and good sense in so diminutive an animal

Walden

Thoreau, Henry David

With a little more wit we might use these materials so as to become richer than the richest now are, and make our civilization a blessing

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Wit

SubjectTopicQuote

Business

The Department of Trade and Industry believes that South Africa has the human and technical potential to develop world-class manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulated pharmaceutical products, in partnership wit foreign companies. (references)

Economic History

Ukraine

As a result of a "lessons learned" review, Ukraine decided to continue wit this transparent, international approach to energy sector privatization. (references)

Lexicography

Devil's Dictionary

EXCESS, n. In morals, an indulgence that enforces by appropriate penalties the law of moderation. Hail, high Excess -- especially in wine, To thee in worship do I bend the knee Who preach abstemiousness unto me -- My skull thy pulpit, as my paunch thy shrine. Precept on precept, aye, and line on line, Could ne'er persuade so sweetly to agree With reason as thy touch, exact and free, Upon my forehead and along my spine. At thy command eschewing pleasure's cup, With the hot grape I warm no more my wit; When on thy stool of penitence I sit I'm quite converted, for I can't get up. Ungrateful he who afterward would falter To make new sacrifices at thine altar!

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Spoken Usage: Wit

SpeakerPhrase(s)

Kevin Kline

Mr. Bell, a word of warning, as the great wit Aristophanes once wrote, roughly translated, youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated and drunkenness sobered, but stupid lasts forever.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Usage Frequency: Wit

"Wit" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 99.17% of the time. "Wit" is used about 846 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)
Parts of SpeechPercentUsage per
100 Million Words
Rank in English
Noun (singular)99.17%8398,377
Unclassified Items0.59%5157,705
Noun (proper)0.24%2245,945
                    Total100.00%846N/A

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Derived & Related Names: Wit

The following table summarizes names derived from the word "wit".
 
NameGenderLanguageMeaning
JahdoN/ABiblical

His sharpness of wit

MehidaN/ABiblical

Sharpness of wit

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

 

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Expressions: Wit

Expressions using "wit": a flash of wit a flight of wit Attic wit be on a footing of equality wit down and out wit flu half wit mother wit natural wit nor all your piety and wit can bring it back to cancel half a line out wit pages sparkling with wit prostrate wit grief quick wit rapier wit swift wit take issue wit to wit Wit and Humor wit concrete pile. Additional references.

Hyphenated Usage

Beginning with "wit": Wit-cracker, wit-e-wee, Wit-snapper, Wit-starved, wit-wit-wit.

Ending with "wit": After-wit, dim-wit, half-wit, kik-wit, mother-wit, nit-wit, pee-wit, too-wit, weet-wit, wit-wit-wit.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Wit

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.
 
ExpressionFrequency
per Day
ExpressionFrequency
per Day

rock u wit

1,125

chu in luv wit

36

rock wit

562

brat cherish chu da edit featuring in love lyrics radio wit

36

ashanti lyrics rock u wit

274

chu in love lyrics wit

32

wit

240

awww baby rock u wit

31

ashanti lyrics rock wit

224

roc u wit

28

ashanti rock u wit

208

ashanti rock u video wit

27

chu in love wit

177

ashanti mp3 rock u wit

23

lyrics rock u wit

167

nelly ride wit me

22

ashanti rock wit

139

brat chu da in love wit

21

lyrics rock wit

119

chu im in love wit

21

ride wit me

119

chu rock wit

19

ashanti awww baby lyrics main rock u wit

89

chu i in love m wit

18

flip wit

72

lyrics nelly ride wit

18

ashanti by lyrics rock u wit

62

aww baby rock u wit

18

ashanti by lyrics rock wit

62

in love wit

17

mvp roll wit

52

ashanti by rock u wit

17

wit university

42

de wit

17

wit end

42

it record sick wit

17

lyrics ride wit

40

m.v.p roll wit

16

brat chu da in love lyrics wit

40

roc wit

16
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translation: Wit

Language Translations for "wit"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.

Albanian

  

zgjuarsi (ability, acuteness, aptness, artfulness, cleverness, finesse, ingeniousness, ingenuity, intelligence, mind, readiness, sagacity, shrewdness, smartness), njeri i mprehtë (percipient), mendje (brain, head, intellect, mentality, mind, reason, sense), mend (ballast, brain, brains, esprit, headpiece, imagination, intention, memory, mind, nous, reason, savvy), mençuri (discretion, intelligence, policy, wisdom). (various references)

   

Arabic 

  

‏فكاهي (comic, comical, funny, humorous), ‏فطنة (acuity, acumen, acuteness, astuteness, discernment, insight, intellect, keenness, perspicacity, sagacity, shrewdness), ‏سخرية (burlesque, derision, fling, gibe, humor, humour, irony, jeer, lampoon, laughter, mockery, persiflage, quip, ridicule, rub, sarcasm, scoff, scorn, shy, snap, sneer, spoof, taunt, tee-hee, tehee, twit), ‏عقل (brains, intellect, intelligence, layer, mentality, mind, pate, picket, psyche, reason, sense, skull, steady), ‏ذكاء (brain, brilliance, brilliancy, cleverness, cuteness, intellect, intelligence, mentality, mind, penetration, quickness, sagacity, savvy, shrewdness, smartness, understanding), ‏خفة دم, ‏المفكر (sophist, thinker), ‏الموهوب, ‏ظرف (aggravation, charm, circumstance, envelope, esprit, occurrence, particularity, receptacle, situation, wittiness), ‏دهاء (artfulness, craft, cunning, fineness, finesse, guile, malignity, maneuver, manoeuvre, ploy, resource, sagacity, sharpness, slyness). (various references)

   

Bulgarian 

  

ум (brain, head, headpiece, intellect, intelligence, mentality, mind, nous, pericranium), разум (discrimination, mind, nous, rationality, understanding), остроумен човек, остроумие (ingeniousness, ingenuity, repartee, salt, sparkle, witticism, wittiness), мислител (notionalist, speculator, thinker), зная (can, know, known, savvy, wist, wot, wottest), духовитост (brightness, esprit, wisecrack, witticism, wittiness), духовит човек (funnyman). (various references)

   

Chinese 

  

風趣 (humor, humorous, witty), 机智 (Quick-witted, wits, Witty). (various references)

   

Czech

  

vtipný èlovìk, vtip (gag, joke), dùvtip (perspicacity, quickness, sconce). (various references)

   

Danish

  

in situ pael med foringsroer (wit concrete pile). (various references)

   

Dutch

  

spriet (aerial, antenna, blade, stalk), boegspriet (bowsprit). (various references)

   

Esperanto

  

sprito. (various references)

   

Faeroese

  

stingunebbi. (various references)

   

Farsi 

  

مزاح (Humor, Prank), هوش (Brain, Esprit, Intellect, Intelligence, Sagacity, Sense, Understanding, Witting), لطافت طبع , قوه تعقل , اموختن (Indoctrinate, Learn, Teach, Tent), دانستن (Account, Adjudge, Aim, Ascribe, Cognize, Con, Have, Know, Learn), بذله گوءی (Jest, Jocose, Pleasantry, Witticism). (various references)

   

Finnish

  

älyniekka (high-brow, intellectual), äly (acumen, astuteness, brains, intelligence). (various references)

   

French

  

sens (wits), sarcasme (wisecrack), sagesse (wisdom), prudence (wisdom), intelligence (wisdom), homme d'esprit, grand esprit, esprit, astuce. (various references)

   

Frisian

  

geast (soul, spirit). (various references)

   

German

  

Witz (gag, jest, joke, quip, story, wisecrack, witticism), Verstand (brain, head, intellect, intelligence, judgment, meaning, mind, reason, sanities, sanity, savvied, sense, senses, understanded, understanding), Geist (esprit, ghost, intellect, mettle, mind, phantom, psyche, specter, spirit). (various references)

   

Greek 

  

πνεύμα (esprit, ghost, humor, humour, spirit). (various references)

   

Hebrew 

  

תלמי" חכם, שכל (brains, grey matter, insight, intellect, intelligence, mind, reason, savvy, sense, wisdom), ש י ות (cleverness, ingeniousness, ingenuity, perspicacity, salt, sarcasm, subtlety), ערמ" (craftiness, cunning, guile, machination, oodle, prudence, shrewdness, wile, wisdom), "ב " (apprehension, comprehension, insight, realization, savvy, understanding). (various references)

   

Hungarian

  

ész (brain, five wits, head, intellect, mind, nous, reason, savvy, senses). (various references)

   

Indonesian

  

pelucu (jokester, wag), orang bijak, kebijaksanaan (discretion, policy, prudence, wisdom). (various references)

   

Italian

  

spirito (alcohol, esprit, ghost, humor, humour, liveliness, mind, pep, spirit), persona arguta, intelligenza (brightness, cleverness, intelligence, knowingness, mentality, mind, smartness, understanding), giudizio (adjudgement, appreciation, conclusion, good sense, judgement, judgment, mind, opinion, savvied, sense, senses, sentence, sight, trial, understanded, verdict, view, wisdom, wits), buon senso (gumption), brio (liveliness, spirit, verve, vivacity), arguzia (sharpness, witticism, witty remark). (various references)

   

Japanese Kanji 

  

知恵 (advice, intelligence, sagacity, sense, wisdom). (various references)

   

Japanese Katakana 

  

きち (already known, base, correct, dangerous position, extraordinary wisdom, healthy, perception, peril, resources, tact, understanding, well-known, your place), ウイット , ウィット , と"ち, ちえ (advice, intellect, intelligence, sagacity, sense, wisdom). (various references)

   

Korean 

  

기지 (wits). (various references)

   

Manx

  

tappey (cool; sense of judgement, temper, temper of person), ta shen dy ghra (namely, videlicet, viz.). (various references)

   

Pig Latin

  

itway.(various references)

   

Portuguese

  

talento (ability, accomplishments, acquirements, aptitude, disposition, dower, endowment, genius, ingenuity, nullity, part, spirit, talent), sagacidade (acumen, adroitness, apprehensiveness, canniness, deepness, freehand, policy, sagacity, sapience, wisdom), perspicácia (acuity, acumen, acuteness, aptitude, astuteness, clairvoyance, discernment, insight, perspicacity, quickness, sagacity, vision), juízo (brain, discretion, judgement, judgment, opinion, savvy, sense, senses, wisdom), inteligência (adroitness, aptness, brains, cleverness, intellect, intelligence, mind, sagacity, sense, smartness, solidity, understanding, uptake), humor (esprit, frame, humor, humour, mood, phlegm), graça (absolution, beauty, charm, daintiness, fun, grace, gracefulness, jape, jest, jocosity, joke, lark, pardon, pleasantry, prettiness, quitch, salt, sauce, savor, savour, witticism), espírito (esprit, genie, ghost, go, jinnee, mind, nous, poltergeist, psyche, python, soul, spirit, sprite, tone), engenho (ingenuity, machine, mill, resourcefulness, spirit), destreza (ability, adroitness, aptitude, art, artfulness, cunning, dexterity, hand, knack, skill), compreensão (apprehension, candor, candour, comprehension, coverage, insight, intelligence, intension, knowledge, mind, openness, prehension, realization, sense, understanding, uptake, view), chiste (gag, jocosity, joke, salt), agudeza (acerbity, acrimony, acuity, acuteness, perspicacity, poignancy, sharpness). (various references)

   

Romanian

  

spirit (apparition, crack, essence, genius, ghost, intellect, mind, quirk, score, shade, shadow, soul, spectre, spirit, spirituousness, sprite, vision), raţiune (ground, intellect, intelligence, lucidity, mind, motive, ratio, rationality, reason, sense, understanding), poznaş (arch, elfish, funny, prankish, rogue, roguish, scapegrace, tricksy, tricky, wag, waggish, wanton), om de spirit, minte (brain, imagination, intellect, judgment, mind, nous, pate, reason, savvy, sense, spirit, thinking, wisdom, wits), inteligenţã (brain, brain-sauce, cleverness, comprehension, cuteness, ingenuity, intellect, intelligence, light, smartness, understanding), haz (frolic, fun, gracefulness, humor, humour, jocularity, salt, spicery, sport), glumã (chaff, farce, frolic, fun, gag, game, jape, jest, joke, lark, play, prank, sport, trick, wheeze, wisecrack, witticism), duh (genius, ghost, soul, spirit), agerime (alacrity, discernment, edge, perspicacity, quickness, sharpness, subtlety). (various references)

   

Russian 

  

ум (cuteness, grey matter, head, intellect, mentality, mind, minds, pericranium). (various references)

   

Scottish

  

eadhon (namely, to wit). (various references)

   

Serbo-Croatian

  

um (intellect, mind, nous), smisao za humor (sense of humor, sense of humour), razum (intellect, nous, reason, sapience). (various references)

   

Spanish

  

talento (abilities, ability, accomplishment, aptitude, disposition, endowment, gift, head, parts, talent, turn), sal (raciness, Sal, salt, sauce), saber (be conscious of, can, go around, hear, know, know how, knowledge, learn, learning, realize, savor, savour, taste, tell, to know, to know how, visit, wisdom), persona ingeniosa, juicio (good sense, judgement, judgment, mind, reason, reasonableness, sanity, senses, sensibleness, trial, wisdom), inteligencia (abilities, brains, brightness, comprehension, head, intelligence, knowledge, notion, realization, sense, understanding), ingenio (ability, apparatus, artfulness, cleverness, consciousness, contraption, device, engine, erudition, foundry, genius, ingenuity, inventiveness, mill, nimbleness, plant, saltiness, talented person, wisp), gracia (charm, cuteness, die, drollery, gain, grace, gracefulness, graciousness, humor, humour, loveliness), entendimiento (access, comprehension, discernment, grasp, intellect, judgement, judgment, mind, rapport, understanding), chistoso (comic, comical, facetious, funny, jesting, joker, jokey, wittily), agudeza (acridity, acuity, acumen, acuteness, asperity, insight, mot, quickness, severity, sharpness, wisp, witticism). (various references)

   

Swedish

  

vett (savvy, sense), kvickhuvud (wisecrack), kvickhet (conceit, esprit, joke, quip, Sally, salt, wisecrack, witticism). (various references)

   

Turkish

  

zeki kimse (brain, intellect), zekâ (acuity, acumen, acuteness, brain, brains, cleverness, cuteness, deepness, gray matter, grey matter, intelligence, mental, mentality, nous, penetration, quick wit, sagacity, sapience, senses, understanding), yâni, nükte (epigram, mot, Sally, salt, witticism), ince zekâ, ince espri (attic wit, swift wit), bilmek (be onto, be privy to, be up, be up to, be wise to, Ken, know, savvy, understand, wise up, wise up to), akıl (advice, bean, brain, chump, comprehension, consciousness, gray matter, grey matter, head, headpiece, intellect, intelligence, loaf, memory, mental, mind, nous, prudence, psyche, reason, sapience, senses, strength of mind, wisdom), öğrenmek (ascertain, come to know, elicit, get to know, get wise to, hear, imbibe, inform oneself of smth., learn, make acquainted with, make oneself acquainted with, master, school oneself to, study, wise up to). (various references)

   

Turkmen 

  

dilewar (witty). (various references)

   

Ukrainian

  

ум, розум (esprit, head, mentality, mind, notion, nous, reason), дотепність (ingenuity, nimbleness, repartee, smartness), дотепник (wag). (various references)

   

Vietnamese 

  

trí tuệ (intellect, light, mind), trí thông minh (grey matter, intelligence, uptake), trí sáng suốt, trí (ingeniousness), sự dí dỏm người hóm hỉnh, người dí dỏm. (various references)

   

Welsh

  

ysmaliwr (joker), ffraethineb (facetiousness), arabedd (facetiousness, humor). (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Ancestral Language Translations: Wit

LanguagePeriodTranslations
Latin500 BCE-Modern

festivitate, festivitatem, festivitates, festivitatis, genius, lepor lepos, leporem, sal, sal, salis, salboni, sale, salem, salis, salman, salmana, salmias, salusa. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Bible Trace: Wit

LanguageDateSourceRomans Chapter 8, Verse 23
Greek (transliterated)250 BCSeptuagintOu monon de alla kai autoi thn aparchn tou pneumatoV econteV kai hmeiV autoi en eautoiV stenazomen uioqesian apekdecomenoi thn apolutrwsin tou swmatoV hmwn
Latin405VulgateNon solum autem illa sed et nos ipsi primitias Spiritus habentes et ipsi intra nos gemimus adoptionem filiorum expectantes redemptionem corporis nostri
Old English990West SaxonNat ane þæt, ac we eacswa, þe habbað Gastes frumwæstmas, we grymetiað on innnan þonne we giernfullice anbidað þæs cildcyran, þære alysednesse urera lichamena.
Middle English1395WyclifAnd not oneli it, but also we vs silf, that han the first fruytis of the spirit, and we vs silf sorewen with ynne vs for the adopcioun of Goddis sonys, abidynge the ayenbiyng of oure bodi.
Renaissance English1526TyndaleNot they only but even we also which have the fyrst frutes of the sprite morne in oureselves and wayte for the (adopcio) and loke for the delivraunce of oure bodyes.
Jacobean English1611King JamesAnd not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Victorian English1833WebsterAnd not only they, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Basic English1964OgdenAnd not only so, but we who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we have sorrow in our minds, waiting for the time when we will take our place as sons, that is, the salvation of our bodies.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Matched Bible Translations: Wit

LanguageRomans Chapter 8, Verse 23
Cebuanoug dili lamang ang kabuhatan ra, kondili kita gayud usab nga mga nanagpakabaton sa unang mga bunga sa Espiritu nagaagulo sa sulod nato samtang nagapaabut kita nga mahinamon nga pagasagupon ingon nga mga anak, nga mao ang pagtubos sa atong mga lawas.
CroatianAli ne samo ono! I mi koji imamo prvine Duha, i mi u sebi uzdišemo išèekujuæi posinstvo, otkupljenje svoga tijela.
DanishDog ikke det alene, men også vi selv, som have Åndens Førstegrøde, også vi sukke ved os selv, idet vi forvente en Sønneudkårelse, vort Legemes Forløsning.
DutchEn niet alleen dit, maar ook wij zelven, die de eerstelingen des Geestes hebben, wij ook zelven, zeg ik, zuchten in onszelven, verwachtende de aanneming tot kinderen, namelijk de verlossing onzes lichaams.
Finnisheikä ainoastaan se, vaan myös me, joilla on Hengen esikoislahja, mekin huokaamme sisimmässämme, odottaen lapseksi-ottamista, meidän ruumiimme lunastusta.
FrenchEt ce n`est pas elle seulement; mais nous aussi, qui avons les prémices de l`Esprit, nous aussi nous soupirons en nous-mêmes, en attendant l`adoption, la rédemption de notre corps.
GermanNicht allein aber sie, sondern auch wir selbst, die wir haben des Geistes Erstlinge, sehnen uns auch bei uns selbst nach der Kindschaft und warten auf unsers Leibes Erlösung.
Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hariDan bukannya seluruh alam saja yang mengeluh; kita sendiri pun mengeluh di dalam batin kita. Kita sudah menerima Roh Allah sebagai pemberian Allah yang pertama, namun kita masih juga menunggu Allah membebaskan diri kita seluruhnya dan menjadikan kita anak-anak-Nya.
Indonesian-Terjemahan LamaDan bukannya itu sahaja, melainkan kita sendiri pun yang beroleh buah sulung Roh itu, bahkan, kita ini sendiri juga mengerang pada batinnya dengan menanti-nanti hal menjadi anak angkat, yaitu tebus tubuh kita.
Italianessa non è la sola, ma anche noi, che possediamo le primizie dello Spirito, gemiamo interiormente aspettando l'adozione a figli, la redenzione del nostro corpo.
LatvianUn nevien tâ, bet arî mçs paði, kam ir gara pirmtiesîbas. Arî mçs sevî nopûðamies, gaidîdami Dieva bçrnu tiesîbas mûsu miesas atpestîðanai.
MaoriEhara i te mea ko tera anake, engari ko tatou ano hoki kua whiwhi nei ki te hua matamua, ara ki te Wairua, ina, e aue ana hoki tatou i roto i a tatou, e tatari ana ki te whakatamarikitanga, ara ki te whakaoranga o o tatou tinana.
Norwegianja, ikke bare det, men også vi som dog har Åndens førstegrøde, også vi sukker med oss selv, idet vi stunder efter vårt barnekår, vårt legemes forløsning.
RumanianWi nu numai ea, dar wi noi, cari avem cele dintki roade ale Duhului, suspinqm kn noi, wi awteptqm knfierea, adicq rqscumpqrarea trupului nostru.
ShuarYus najanamuka Ashí Wáitiainiawai. Iisha Yusa Wakaní takakiatar ti Wáitiaji. Tura Yusa Wakaní takakkur Ashí Yus suramsattajnia nu nékaji achiktin. Tuma asar nekas Yusa Uchirí paant awajnastin tsawant Nákaji. Nuisha ii Ayashísha ankant awajnastatui.
SwahiliWala si hivyo viumbe peke yake, bali hata sisi tulio na huyo Roho, aliye wa kwanza wa zawadi za Mungu; sisi pia tunalalamika ndani yetu, tukitazamia kufanywa watoto wa Mungu, nazo nafsi zenu zikombolewe.
SwedishOch icke den allenast; också vi själva, som hava fått Anden såsom förstlingsgåva, också vi sucka inom oss och bida efter barnaskapet, vår kropps förlossning.
UmaPai' uma muntu' dunia' toi to ntodohaka. Kita' to napo'ana' Alata'ala wo'o ntodohaka hi rala nono-ta. Tatarima-mi Inoha' Tomoroli' hewa tanda pojanci-na Alata'ala hi kita'. Aga tapopea-pidi tempo-na Alata'ala mpo'ongko' -ta jadi' ana' -na, pai' mpobahaka woto-ta ngkai hawe'ea to dada'a.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Derivations & Misspellings: Wit

Derivations

Words beginning with "wit": witan, witch, witchcraft, witchcrafts, witched, witcheries, witchery, witches, witchgrass, witchgrasses, witchier, witchiest, witching, witchings, witchlike, witchweed, witchweeds, witchy, wite, wited, witenagemot, witenagemote, witenagemotes, witenagemots, wites, with, withal, withdraw, withdrawable, withdrawal, withdrawals, withdrawing, withdrawn, withdrawnness, withdrawnnesses, withdraws, withdrew, withe, withed, wither, withered, witherer, witherers, withering, witheringly, witherite, witherites, withers, withershins, withes, withheld. (additional references)

Words ending with "wit": dimwit, godwit, nitwit, outwit, peewit, pewit, twit, unwit. (additional references)

Words containing "wit": atwitter, bewitch, bewitched, bewitcheries, bewitchery, bewitches, bewitching, bewitchingly, bewitchment, bewitchments, dimwits, dimwitted, dowitcher, dowitchers, earwitness, earwitnesses, eyewitness, eyewitnesses, forthwith, godwits, herewith, howitzer, howitzers, microswitch, microswitches, nitwits, notwithstanding, outwits, outwitted, outwitting, overwithheld, overwithhold, overwithholding, overwithholds, peewits, pewits, switch, switchable, switchback, switchbacked, switchbacking, switchbacks, switchblade, switchblades, switchboard, switchboards, switched, switcher, switcheroo, switcheroos, switchers. (additional references)


Misspellings

"Wit" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: awit, ewit, iw, iwd, kwit, pwit, qit, qitt, wat, wata, wato, weat, weit, wett, wety, Wgic, wi, wia, wiat, wib, wic, wid, wiet, wif, wift, wiht, wij, wik, wim, wint, wio, wip, wipt, wiq, wir, wita, witn, wito, witu, wity, witz, wiu, wiv, wiw, wix, wixt, wiy, Wmi, wmt, wnt, woct, woit, wot, wott, wrt, wsi, wst, wtb, wut, Wwi, wxit, wyat, wyet, wyf, wyst. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Rhyming with "Wit"

# of Phoneme MatchesPronunciationWord(s) rhyming with "wit" (pronounced wi"t)
3w i" tacquit, quit, whit.
2-i" tadmit, befit, bit, brit, Britt, chit, commit, emit, fit, flit, grit, hit, it, kit, knit, lit, mitt, nit, omit, permit, pit, presplit, readmit, refit, remit, resubmit, sit, skit, slit, Smit, spit, split, submit, transmit, unfit, writ.

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

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Anagrams: Wit

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Words within the letters "i-t-w"

-1 letter: it, ti.

 Words containing the letters "i-t-w"
 

+1 letter: twig, twin, twit, wait, whit, wilt, wist, wite, with, wits, writ.

 

+2 letters: await, pewit, swift, swith, tawie, towie, twain, twice, twier, twigs, twill, twine, twins, twiny, twirl, twirp, twist, twits, twixt, unwit, waist, waits, whipt, whist, white, whits, whity, width, wifty, wight, wilts, wists, witan, witch, wited, wites, withe, withy, witty, wrist, write, writs.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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INDEX

1. Definition
2. Synonyms
3. Crosswords
4. Usage: Modern
5. Usage: Commercial
6. Images: Slideshow
7. Images: Photo Album
8. Quotations: Familiar
9. Quotations: Historic
10. Quotations: Fiction
11. Quotations: Non-fiction
12. Quotations: Spoken
13. Usage Frequency
14. Names: Derived from
15. Expressions
16. Expressions: Internet
17. Translations: Modern
18. Translations: Ancient
19. Bible Trace
20. Abbreviations
21. Acronyms
22. Derivations
23. Rhymes
24. Anagrams
25. Bibliography


  

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