wizened, a.
(ˈwɪz(ə)nd)
Forms: 6 wysnit, -yt, 8 wissen'd, 8–9 wizen'd, 9 wiz(z)ened, wizzen'd, wizend, wizzent, wuzzent.
[orig. Sc. and north.: f. wizen v. + -ed1.]
1. Of plants, foliage, wood, etc.: Dried up, withered, shrivelled.
| 1513 Douglas æneis vii. Prol. 124 In heych wysnit treis, The soir gled quhislis loud. 1721 Ramsay Prosp. Plenty 93 The antient Nations..Maun study closs..Aff a' the wissen'd Leaves of Spite to shake. 1721 ― Ode to Mr. F― 7 The Nags and Nowt hate wissen'd Strae. 1826 G. Beattie John O' Arnha (ed. 5) 58 Their wizzent timbers stour'd like sneishin! 1853 Hawthorne Tanglewood T., Pomegranate Seeds 196 He set down the golden salver, with the wizened pomegranate upon it. 1880 Howells Undiscov. Country ix, The farmer had ceased to coax his wizened crops from the sterile soil. 1882 Garden 18 Mar. 183/3 There is some excuse for eating wizened Muscats. |
2. Of persons or animals, their features, etc: Shrunken and dried up, thin and shrivelled.
† Also of the throat, parched.
| 1513 Douglas æneis ix. ii. 70 [The wild wolf's] wysnyt throt, havand of blude sic thrist, Gendris of lang fast sic ane appetyte. 1728 Ramsay Last Sp. Miser iv, The wissen'd beardless wights Wha herd the wives of eastern knights. 1785 Burns 1st Epist. Davie xi, I'll light now, and dight now, His [sc. Pegasus's] sweaty, wizen'd hide. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xviii, Wadna I set my ten talents in your wuzzent face for that very word? 1866 G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. xxx. (1878) 518 A little wizened creature, with more wrinkles than hairs. 1871 L. Stephen Playgr. Eur. (1894) x. 253 His..wizened face had a strong resemblance to the features of good-humoured goblins. 1903 Meredith Lett. (1912) II. 559 Your visit will give you a wizened old hen instead of the plump pullet you look for. |
| Comb. 1890 W. A. Wallace Only a Sister? xxxi, I'll have a reckoning with the wizened-faced old rogue. |
b. transf.| 1862 Mrs. Browning Ragged Schools London 28 In God's liberal blue air Peter's dome itself looks wizened. 1895 Meredith Amazing Marr. I. xix. 209 Below the top bars of a wizened grate was a chilly fire. 1905 Sir F. Treves Other Side Lant. (1906) ii. xix. 123 A wizened old city hidden among the hills. |
Hence
ˈwizenedness.
| 1887 Kipling Plain Tales, Bisara of Pooree (1924) 263 It was his wizenedness and worthlessness that made him fall..in love with Miss Hollis. |