n.
Pronunciation: ' wi- th ə rz
Function: noun plural
Etymology: probably from obsolete English wither- against, from Middle English, from Old English, from wither against; from the withers being the parts which resist the pull in drawing a load ― more at WITH
Date: 1580
1 : the ridge between the shoulder bones of a horse ― see HORSE illustration
2 : a part corresponding to the withers in a quadruped (as a dog) other than a horse