svelte  (svělt)  adj. svelt·er, svelt·est Slender or graceful in figure or outline; slim. [French, from Italian svelto, from past participle of svellere, to stretch out, from Vulgar Latin *exvellere, from Latin ēvellere : ē, ex-, ex- + vellere, to pull.] svelte'ly adv., svelte'ness n. |