withsake

English

Etymology

From Middle English withsaken, from Old English wiþsacan (“to forsake, abandon, renounce, refuse, deny, oppose, drive against”); equivalent to with- +‎ sake. Compare Middle High German widersachen.

Verb

withsake (third-person singular simple present withsakes, present participle withsaking, simple past withsook, past participle withsaken)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To forsake; abandon; renounce; deny; refuse.
   • 1852, Alfred (King of England), The whole works of King Alfred the Great:

     Well! the king then openly declared to the priest and to them all, that he would firmly "withsake" and renounce idolatry, and receive the faith of Christ.

   • 1852, August Neander, The First epistle of John: practically explained:

     [...] as Christ did not withsake, a love not proceeding from God and referring all to him, which the Apostle here forbids.

   • 1987, Douglas Moffat, The Soul's address to the body: the Worcester fragments:

     [...] there appears a reference to the body "withsaking" the devil (G47), a clear indication that there was a time in the life of the body when it was not so thorough a sinner.

Anagrams

• tea whisk, tea-whisk, teawhisk