GENTLER
Adjective
gentler
comparative form of gentle
Anagrams
• Englert
Source: Wiktionary
GENTLE
Gen"tle, a. [Compar. Gentler; superl. Gentlest.] Etym: [OE. gentil,
F. gentil noble, pretty, graceful, fr. L. gentilis of the same clan
or race, fr. gens, gentis, tribe, clan, race, orig. that which
belongs together by birth, fr. the root of genere, gignere, to beget;
hence gentle, properly, of birth or family, that is, of good or noble
birth. See Gender, and cf. Genteel, Gentil, Gentile, Gentoo, Jaunty.]
1. Well-born; of a good family or respectable birth, though not
noble.
British society is divided into nobility, gentry, and yeomanry, and
families are either noble, gentle, or simple. Johnson's Cyc.
The studies wherein our noble and gentle youth ought to bestow their
time. Milton.
2. Quiet and refined in manners; not rough, harsh, or stern; mild;
meek; bland; amiable; tender; as, a gentle nature, temper, or
disposition; a gentle manner; a gentle address; a gentle voice.
3. A compellative of respect, consideration, or conciliation; as,
gentle reader. "Gentle sirs." "Gentle Jew." "Gentle servant." Shak.
4. Not wild, turbulent, or refractory; quiet and docile; tame;
peaceable; as, a gentle horse.
5. Soft; not violent or rough; not strong, loud, or disturbing; easy;
soothing; pacific; as, a gentle touch; a gentle gallop. "Gentle
music." Sir J. Davies.
O sleep! it is a gentle thing. Coleridge.
The gentle craft, the art or trade of shoemaking.
Syn.
– Mild; meek; placid; dovelike; quiet; peaceful; pacific; bland;
soft; tame; tractable; docile.
– Gentle, Tame, Mild, Meek. Gentle describes the natural
disposition; tame, that which is subdued by training; mild implies a
temper which is, by nature, not easily provoked; meek, a spirit which
has been schooled to mildness by discipline or suffering. The lamb is
gentle; the domestic fowl is tame; John, the Apostle, was mild; Moses
was meek.
Gen"tle, n.
1. One well born; a gentleman. [Obs.]
Gentles, methinks you frown. Shak.
2. A trained falcon. See Falcon-gentil.
3. (Zoöl.)
Definition: A dipterous larva used as fish bait.
Gent"le, v. t.
1. To make genteel; to raise from the vulgar; to ennoble. [Obs.]
Shak.
2. To make smooth, cozy, or agreeable. [R. or Poet.]
To gentle life's descent, We shut our eyes, and think it is a plain.
Young.
3. To make kind and docile, as a horse. [Colloq.]
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition