hither and thither

3 definitions found

hither and thither - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Hither \Hith"er\, adv. [OE. hider, AS. hider; akin to Icel.
     h[=e][eth]ra, Dan. hid, Sw. hit, Goth. hidr[=e]; cf. L. citra
     on this side, or E. here, he. [root]183. Cf. He.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. To this place; -- used with verbs signifying motion, and
        implying motion toward the speaker; correlate of hence and
        thither; as, to come or bring hither.
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     2. To this point, source, conclusion, design, etc.; -- in a
        sense not physical.
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              Hither we refer whatsoever belongeth unto the
              highest perfection of man.            --Hooker.
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     Hither and thither, to and fro; backward and forward; in
        various directions. "Victory is like a traveller, and
        goeth hither and thither." --Knolles.
        [1913 Webster]

  Thither \Thith"er\, adv. [OE. thider, AS. [eth]ider; akin to E.
     that; cf. Icel. [thorn]a[eth]ra there, Goth.
     [thorn]a[thorn]r[=o] thence. See That, and The.]
     1. To that place; -- opposed to hither.
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              This city is near; . . . O, let me escape thither.
                                                    --Gen. xix.
                                                    20.
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              Where I am, thither ye can not come.  --John vii.
                                                    34.
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     2. To that point, end, or result; as, the argument tended
        thither.
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     Hither and thither, to this place and to that; one way and
        another.
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     Syn: There.
  
     Usage: Thither, There. Thither properly denotes motion
            toward a place; there denotes rest in a place; as, I
            am going thither, and shall meet you there. But
            thither has now become obsolete, except in poetry, or
            a style purposely conformed to the past, and there is
            now used in both senses; as, I shall go there
            to-morrow; we shall go there together.
            [1913 Webster]

hither and thither - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  hither and thither
      adv 1: from one place or situation to another; "we were driven
             from pillar to post" [syn: from pillar to post, hither  and thither
             ]