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Glite Dictionary
widdershins

widdershins

1 9.9
In a direction that goes the opposite way around something, often counterclockwise
  • adverb
  • /ˈwɪdərˌʃɪnz/
  • Archaic
: en sentido contrario
  • The dancers moved widdershins around the bonfire as part of the old ritual.

Examples

  • Superstitious people believed that walking widdershins around a church would bring bad luck.

  • The children ran widdershins around the playground, laughing at their own rebellion.

  • The dancers moved widdershins around the fire.

  • He turned widdershins to avoid the oncoming traffic.

  • The dancers moved widdershins around the bonfire as part of the old ritual.

  • Superstitious people believed that walking widdershins around a church would bring bad luck.

  • The children ran widdershins around the playground, laughing at their own rebellion.

Antonyms

clockwise
27 2.3

Moving in the same direction as the hands of a clock

Surface Forms

widdershins positive

Etymology

Widdershins comes from old German words widder and sinn, which mean 'against' and 'way'. A helpful image is moving 'against the sun', so widdershins now means to go counterclockwise or in the opposite direction.