of a good or benevolent nature or disposition, as a person: a kind and loving person.
2.
having, showing, or proceeding from benevolence: kind words.
3.
indulgent, considerate, or helpful; humane (often fol. by to): to be kind to animals.
4.
mild; gentle; clement: kind weather.
5.
BritishDialect. loving; affectionate.
[Origin: bef. 900; ME kind(e) natural, well-disposed, OE gecynde natural, genial1. See kind2]
—Synonyms 1. mild, benign, benignant, gentle, tender, compassionate. Kind,gracious,kindhearted,kindly imply a sympathetic attitude toward others, and a willingness to do good or give pleasure. Kind implies a deep-seated characteristic shown either habitually or on occasion by considerate behavior: a kind father. Gracious often refers to kindness from a superior or older person to a subordinate, an inferior, a child, etc.: a gracious monarch. Kindhearted implies an emotionally sympathetic nature, sometimes easily imposed upon: a kindhearted old woman. Kindly, a mild word, refers usually to general disposition, appearance, manner, etc.: a kindly face.
a class or group of individual objects, people, animals, etc., of the same nature or character, or classified together because they have traits in common; category: Our dog is the same kind as theirs.
2.
nature or character as determining likeness or difference between things: These differ in degree rather than in kind.
3.
a person or thing as being of a particular character or class: He is a strange kind of hero.
4.
a more or less adequate or inadequate example of something; sort: The vines formed a kind of roof.
5.
Archaic.
a.
the nature, or natural disposition or character.
b.
manner; form.
6.
Obsolete. gender; sex.
—Idioms
7.
in kind,
a.
in something of the same kind or in the same way as that received or borne: They will be repaid in kind for their rudeness.
b.
in goods, commodities, or services rather than money: In colonial times, payment was often made in kind.
8.
kind of, Informal. to some extent; somewhat; rather: The room was kind of dark.
9.
of a kind, of the same class, nature, character, etc.: They are two of a kind.
[Origin: bef. 900; ME kinde, OE gecynd nature, race, origin; c. ON kyndi, OHG kikunt, L géns (gen. gentis); see kin]
—Usage note The phrase these (or those) kind of, followed by a plural noun (these kind of flowers; those kind of shoes) is frequently condemned as ungrammatical because it is said to combine a plural demonstrative (these; those) with a singular noun, kind. Historically, kind is an unchanged or unmarked plural noun like deer, folk, sheep, and swine, and the construction these kind of is an old one, occurring in the writings of Shakespeare, Swift, Jane Austen, and, in modern times, Jimmy Carter and Winston Churchill. Kind has also developed the plural kinds, evidently because of the feeling that the old pattern was incorrect. These kind of nevertheless persists in use, esp. in less formal speech and writing. In edited, more formal prose, this kind of and these kinds of are more common. Sort of has been influenced by the use of kind as an unchanged plural: these sort of books. This construction too is often considered incorrect and appears mainly in less formal speech and writing. Kind (or sort) of as an adverbial modifier meaning “somewhat” occurs in informal speech and writing: Sales have been kind (or sort) of slow these last few weeks.
Showing sympathy or understanding; charitable: a kind word.
Humane; considerate: kind to animals.
Forbearing; tolerant: Our neighbor was very kind about the window we broke.
Generous; liberal: kind words of praise.
Agreeable; beneficial: a dry climate kind to asthmatics.
[Middle English, natural, kind, from Old English gecynde, natural; see genə- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: These adjectives mean having or showing a tender, considerate, and helping nature. Kind and kindly are the least specific: thanked her for her kind letter; a kindly gentleman. Kindhearted especially suggests an innately kind disposition: a kindhearted teacher. Benign implies gentleness and mildness: benign intentions; a benign sovereign. Benevolent suggests charitableness and a desire to promote the welfare or happiness of others: a benevolent contributor.
"class, sort, variety," from O.E. gecynd "kind, nature, race," related to cynn "family" (see kin), from P.Gmc. *gakundiz (see kind (adj.)). Ælfric's rendition of "the Book of Genesis" into O.E. came out gecyndboc. The prefix disappeared 1150-1250. No exact cognates beyond Eng., but it corresponds to adj. endings such as Goth -kunds, O.H.G. -kund. Also as a suffix (mankind, etc.). Other earlier, now obs., senses in Eng. included "character, quality derived from birth" and "manner or way natural or proper to anyone." Use in phrase a kind of (1591) led to colloquial extension as adv. (1804) in phrases such as kind of stupid ("a kind of stupid (person)").
"friendly," from O.E. gecynde "natural, native, innate," originally "with the feeling of relatives for each other," from P.Gmc. *gakundiz, from *kunjan (see kin), with collective prefix *ga- and abstract suffix *-iz. Sense development from "with natural feelings," to "well-disposed" (c.1300), "benign, compassionate" (1297). Kindly (adj.) is O.E. gecyndelic.Kind-hearted is from 1535; kindness is from c.1290.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior; "kind to sick patients"; "a kind master"; "kind words showing understanding and sympathy"; "thanked her for her kind letter" [ant: unkind]
2.
agreeable, conducive to comfort; "a dry climate kind to asthmatics"; "the genial sunshine";"hot summer pavements are anything but kind to the feet"
3.
tolerant and forgiving under provocation; "our neighbor was very kind about the window our son broke"
noun
1.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality; "sculpture is a form of art"; "what kinds of desserts are there?"
Gav"el*kind`\, n. [OE. gavelkynde, gavelkende. See Gavel tribute, and Kind, n.] (O. Eng. Law) A tenure by which land descended from the father to all his sons in equal portions, and the land of a brother, dying without issue, descended equally to his brothers. It still prevails in the county of Kent. --Cowell.
Kin\, n. [OE. kin, cun, AS. cynn kin, kind, race, people; akin to cennan to beget, D. kunne sex, OS. & OHG. kunni kin, race, Icel. kyn, Goth. kuni, G. & D. kind a child, L. genus kind, race, L. gignere to beget, Gr. ? to be born, Skr. jan to beget. ?. Cf. Kind, King, Gender kind, Nation.]1. Relationship, consanguinity, or affinity; connection by birth or marriage; kindred; near connection or alliance, as of those having common descent. 2. Relatives; persons of the same family or race. The father, mother, and the kinbeside. --Dryden. You are of kin, and so a friend to their persons. --Bacon.
Kind\, a. [Compar. Kinder; superl. Kindest.] [AS. cynde, gecynde, natural, innate, prop. an old p. p. from the root of E. kin. See Kin kindred.]1. Characteristic of the species; belonging to one's nature; natural; native. [Obs.] --Chaucer. It becometh sweeter than it should be, and loseth the kind taste. --Holland. 2. Having feelings befitting our common nature; congenial; sympathetic; as, a kind man; a kind heart. Yet was he kind, or if severe in aught, The love he bore to learning was his fault. --Goldsmith. 3. Showing tenderness or goodness; disposed to do good and confer happiness; averse to hurting or paining; benevolent; benignant; gracious. He is kind unto the unthankful and to evil. --Luke vi 35. O cruel Death, to those you take more kind Than to the wretched mortals left behind. --Waller. A fellow feeling makes one wondrous kind. --Garrick. 4. Proceeding from, or characterized by, goodness, gentleness, or benevolence; as, a kind act. "Manners so kind, yet stately." --Tennyson. 5. Gentle; tractable; easily governed; as, a horse kind in harness. Syn: Benevolent; benign; beneficent; bounteous; gracious; propitious; generous; forbearing; indulgent; tender; humane; compassionate; good; lenient; clement; mild; gentle; bland; obliging; friendly; amicable. See Obliging.
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