Osier: dry, withered and pathetic (8)
I believe the answer is:
derisory
'pathetic' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'osier dry withered' is the wordplay.
'withered' indicates anagramming the letters.
'osier'+'dry'='osierdry'
'osierdry' is an anagram of 'DERISORY'.
'and' is the link.
(Other definitions for derisory that I've seen before include "Showing scorn or ridicule" , "pathetically small" , "ridiculously little" , "Insultingly small" , "Deserving of scorn, not to be taken seriously" .)