Gentle



GRE Barron 考研

解释

GRE 红宝书

• adj. 温和的, 慈祥的
• ［英］ adj. 温和的, 慈祥的 ( mild; kind; careful)
• ［类］ 反义词: truculent ( 凶残的)
• ［例］ a gentle person

Webster Collegiate

I. adjective (gentler; gentlest)

• Etymology: Middle English gentil, from Anglo-French, from Latin gentilis of a gens, of one's family, from gent-, gens gens, nation; akin to Latin gignere to beget — more at kin
• Date: 13th century
• 1.
  • a. belonging to a family of high social station
  • b. archaic chivalrous
  • c. honorable, distinguished; specifically of or relating to a gentleman
  • d. kind, amiable — used especially in address as a complimentary epithet<gentle reader>
  • e. suited to a person of high social station
• 2.
  • a. tractable, docile
  • b. free from harshness, sternness, or violence
• 3. soft, delicate
• 4. moderate
• ? gently adverb

II. noun

• Date: 14th century
• a person of gentle birth or status

III. verb (gentled; gentling)

• Date: 14th century
• transitive verb
  • 1. to raise from the commonalty ; ennoble
  • 2.
    • a. to make gentler
    • b. to make (an animal) tame and docile
    • c. mollify, placate
    • d. to stroke soothingly ; pet
• intransitive verb
  • to become gentle <the wind gentled>

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