Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Definition of pliant - 4 dictionary results

pli⋅ant

[plahy-uhnt]
–adjective
1. bending readily; flexible; supple; adaptable: She manipulated the pliant clay.
2. easily influenced; yielding to others; compliant: He has a pliant nature.

Origin:
1300–50; ME < OF, prp. of plier to ply 2 ; see -ant


pli⋅an⋅cy, pli⋅ant⋅ness, noun
pli⋅ant⋅ly, adverb


1, 2. pliable, flexile. See flexible. 2. manageable, tractable, docile.
pli·ant   (plī'ənt)   
adj.  
  1. Easily bent or flexed; pliable. See Synonyms at malleable.
  2. Easily altered or modified to fit conditions; adaptable.
  3. Yielding readily to influence or domination; compliant.

[Middle English, from Old French, present participle of plier, to fold, bend, from Latin plicāre; see plek- in Indo-European roots.]
pli'an·cy, pli'ant·ness n., pli'ant·ly adv.

Pliant

Pli"ant\, a. [F. pliant, p. pr. of plier to bend. See Ply, v.]

1. Capable of plying or bending; readily yielding to force or pressure without breaking; flexible; pliable; lithe; limber; plastic; as, a pliant thread; pliant wax. Also used figuratively: Easily influenced for good or evil; tractable; as, a pliant heart.

The will was then ductile and pliant to right reason. --South.

2. Favorable to pliancy. [R.] "A pliant hour." --Shak. -- Pli"ant*ly, adv. -- Pli"ant*ness, n.
Language Translation for : pliant
Spanish: plegable,
German: zusammenklappbar,
Japanese: 折りたたみ式の

pliant 
c.1300, from O.Fr. pliant "bending" (13c.), prp. of plier "to bend" (see ply (n.)). Fig. sense of "easily influenced" is from c.1400. Pliable is first recorded 1483, from O.Fr. pliable "flexible," from plier.
Search another word or see pliant on Thesaurus | Reference