effeminating
present participle of effeminate
Source: Wiktionary
Ef*fem"i*nate, a. Etym: [L. effeminatus, p. p. of effeminare to make a woman of; ex out + femina a woman. See Feminine, a.]
1. Having some characteristic of a woman, as delicacy, luxuriousness, etc.; soft or delicate to an unmanly degree; womanish; weak. The king, by his voluptuous life and mean marriage, became effeminate, and less sensible of honor. Bacon. An effeminate and unmanly foppery. Bp. Hurd.
2. Womanlike; womanly; tender; -- in a good sense. Gentle, kind, effeminate remorse. Shak.
Note: Effeminate and womanish are generally used in a reproachful sense; feminine and womanly, applied to women, are epithets of propriety or commendation.
Ef*fem"i*nate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Effeminated; p. pr. & vb. n. Effeminating.]
Definition: To make womanish; to make soft and delicate; to weaken. It will not corrupt or effeminate children's minds. Locke.
Ef*fem"i*nate, v. i.
Definition: To grow womanish or weak. In a slothful peace both courage will effeminate and manners corrupt. Pope.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
23 November 2024
(adjective) concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations; “theoretical science”
The first coffee-house in Mecca dates back to the 1510s. The beverage was in Turkey by the 1530s. It appeared in Europe circa 1515-1519 and was introduced to England by 1650. By 1675 the country had more than 3,000 coffee houses, and coffee had replaced beer as a breakfast drink.
