Whither

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Whither \Whith"er\, adv. [OE. whider. AS. hwider; akin to E.
     where, who; cf. Goth. hvadr[=e] whither. See {Who}, and cf.
     {Hither}, {Thither}.]
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     1. To what place; -- used interrogatively; as, whither goest
        thou? "Whider may I flee?" --Chaucer.


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              Sir Valentine, whither away so fast?  --Shak.
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     2. To what or which place; -- used relatively.
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              That no man should know . . . whither that he went.
                                                    --Chaucer.
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              We came unto the land whither thou sentest us.
                                                    --Num. xiii.
                                                    27.
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     3. To what point, degree, end, conclusion, or design;
        whereunto; whereto; -- used in a sense not physical.
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              Nor have I . . . whither to appeal.   --Milton.
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     {Any whither}, to any place; anywhere. [Obs.] "Any whither,
        in hope of life eternal." --Jer. Taylor.
  
     {No whither}, to no place; nowhere. [Obs.] --2 Kings v. 25.
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     Syn: Where.
  
     Usage: {Whither}, {Where}. Whither properly implies motion to
            place, and where rest in a place. Whither is now,
            however, to a great extent, obsolete, except in
            poetry, or in compositions of a grave and serious
            character and in language where precision is required.
            Where has taken its place, as in the question, "Where
            are you going?"
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  whither
       adv : to what place; "whither go you?"