lithely
adjective, lith·er, lith·est.
bending readily; pliant; limber; supple; flexible: the lithe body of a ballerina.
Also, lithe·some.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English lith(e), Old English līthe; cognate with Old Saxon līthi, German lind mild, Latin lentus slow
before 900; Middle English lith(e), Old English līthe; cognate with Old Saxon līthi, German lind mild, Latin lentus slow
Related forms
lithe·ly, adverb
lithe·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To lithely
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World English Dictionary
lithe (laɪð) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| flexible or supple | |
| [Old English (in the sense: gentle; C15: supple); related to Old High German lindi soft, Latin lentus slow] | |
| 'lithely | |
| —adv | |
| 'litheness | |
| —n | |
00:10
Lithely
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
| lithe (laɪð) | |
| —adj | |
| flexible or supple | |
| [Old English (in the sense: gentle; C15: supple); related to Old High German lindi soft, Latin lentus slow] | |
| 'lithely | |
| —adv | |
| 'litheness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
lithe
O.E. liðe "soft, mild, gentle, meek," from P.Gmc. *linthijaz (cf. O.S. lithi, O.H.G. lindi, Ger. lind, O.N. linr, with characteristic loss of "n" before "th" in Eng.), from PIE base *lent- "flexible" (cf. L. lentus "flexible, pliant, slow"). In M.E., used of the weather. Current sense of "easily
flexible" is from c.1400.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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