witness
nounverbcommon in dialogue
- United States//ˈwɪt.nɪs//
- //ˈwɪt.nəs//
Attestation of a fact or event; testimony.
noun
- 1
Attestation of a fact or event; testimony.
She can bear witness, since she was there at the time.
May we, with the warrant of womanhood and the witness of a good conscience, pursue him with any further revenge?
We have as much witness from heaven as we need.
On another corner, stands an old style tenement building, whose dirty grey facade bears as much witness to the volume of exhaust fumes from millions of passing cars as it does to the age of the dwelling.
- 2
One who sees or has personal knowledge of something.
As a witness to the event, I can confirm that he really said that.
[…]thyself art witness— I am betrothed.
Upon my looking round, I was a witness to appearances which filled me with melancholy and regret.
Joolby saw that Mr. Bronsky had looked in by another door and been a witness of the last stage of the quarrel
- 3
Someone called to give evidence in a court.
The witness for the prosecution did not seem very credible.
From the evidence of witnesses and of the recorded passing times, including the time at which the circuit breakers were tripped when the wires were brought down, the train was travelling at a speed of not less than 70 m.p.h.
- 4
One who is called upon to witness an event or action, such as a wedding or the signing of a document.
The bridesmaid and best man at a wedding typically serve as the witnesses.
- 5
Something that serves as evidence; a sign or token.
Laban said to Jacob, […] This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness.
- 6
A particular version of a text (seen as providing testimony of archetype or other earlier version)
Yet there are extremely few, if any, cases of preserved autographs, and textual witnesses (manuscripts) rather distant in time from the creation of the texts are the norm.
- 7
An additional database server instance used in failover scenarios to decide whether the mirror should take over.
Automatic failover requires a witness, either a file share or a SQL Server witness (SQL Server Express may be used as a witness).
Etymology
From Middle English witnesse, from Old English ġewitnes, equivalent to wit + -ness. Cognate with Middle Dutch wetenisse (“witness, testimony”), Old High German gewiznessi (“testimony”), Icelandic vitni (“witness”).
verb
- 1
To furnish proof of, to show.
This certificate witnesses his presence on that day.
round he throws his baleful eyes / That witness'd huge affliction and dismay
- 2
To take as evidence.
Depression often goes undetected until it is too late . Witness the recent White House suicide.
- 3
To see or gain knowledge of through experience.
He witnessed the accident.
This is but a faint sketch of the incalculable calamities and horrors we must expect, should we be so unfortunate as ever to witness the triumph of modern infidelity
General Washington did not live to witness the restoration of peace.
In 1825, the first public railway carried passengers across the English countryside, setting in motion not just an engineering revolution, but an industrial one too. Imagine the awe and excitement of those first passengers as they boarded the train, unaware that they were witnessing the dawn of a new era.
- 4
To present personal religious testimony; to preach at (someone) or on behalf of.
Instead, Niebuhr's God was the God witnessed to in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, the Bible of the Christian world.
- 5
To see the execution of (a legal instrument), and subscribe it for the purpose of establishing its authenticity.
to witness a bond or a deed
Forms
- plural
- witnesses
- past tense
- witnessed
- past participle
- witnessed
- present participle
- witnessing
- third person singular
- witnesses