Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
WIT
I. verb (wist; witting; present first & third singular wot)
Etymology: Middle English witen (1st & 3d singular present wot, past wiste), from Old English witan (1st & 3d singular present wāt, past wisse, wiste); akin to Old High German wizzan to know, Latin vidēre to see, Greek eidenai to know, idein to see Date: before 12th century know , to come to know ; learn ,
II. noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German wizzi knowledge, Old English witan to know Date: before 12th century
1. mind , memory , reasoning power ; intelligence ,
2. sense 2a, b. mental soundness ; sanity , mental capability and resourcefulness ; ingenuity ,
3. astuteness of perception or judgment ; acumen , the ability to relate seemingly disparate things so as to illuminate or amuse, c. a talent for banter or persiflage, a witty utterance or exchange, clever or apt humor,
4. a person of superior intellect ; thinker, an imaginatively perceptive and articulate individual especially skilled in banter or persiflage, Synonyms: see: wit