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Definition of philander - 3 dictionary results

phi⋅lan⋅der

  [fi-lan-der]
Use philander in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
(of a man) to make love with a woman one cannot or will not marry; carry on flirtations.
Origin:
1675–85; < Gk phílandros one who loves (of a woman, loving her husband); see philo-, andro-; later used in fiction as a proper name for a lover, and appar. mistaken as “a man who loves”

Related forms:
phi⋅lan⋅der⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
trifle, dally, womanize.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To philander
phi·lan·der   (fĭ-lān'dər)   
intr.v.   phi·lan·dered, phi·lan·der·ing, phi·lan·ders

  1. To carry on a sexual affair, especially an extramarital affair, with a woman one cannot or does not intend to marry. Used of a man.

  2. To engage in many love affairs, especially with a frivolous or casual attitude. Used of a man.


[From philander, lover, from Philander, former literary name for a lover, from Greek philandros, loving or fond of men : phil-, philo-, philo- + anēr, andr-, man; see ner-2 in Indo-European roots.]
phi·lan'der·er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

philander 
1737, from Philander, popular name for a lover in stories, drama, and poetry, from Gk. adj. philandros "with love for people," perhaps mistaken as meaning "a loving man," from phil- "loving" + andr-, stem of aner "man." Philanderer "male flirt" is from 1841.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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