English Explanatory Dictionary

niddering

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Synonym of nithing (“a coward, a dastard; a wretch”).
adj
  1. Synonym of nithing (“cowardly, dastardly; notoriously evil or wicked; infamous”).

Pronunciation

/ˈnɪdəɹɪŋ/ /ˈnɪdɹɪŋ/

Word forms

niddering nidderings nidering more niddering most niddering

Etymology

A variant of nithing, resulting from the letter eth (ð) in Early Middle English niðing in the writings of the English historian William of Malmesbury (c. 1095 – c.  1143) being mistaken for a d followed by a mark of suspension representing a letter that had been omitted as an abbreviation. This led to niðing being wrongly spelled as nidering in early printed versions of his works. The word was later popularized by the Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832).

Synonyms

nithing ill-famed nidering disreputable infamous nefarious niddering notorious
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