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puerile

 - 3 dictionary results

pu⋅er⋅ile

  [pyoo-er-il, -uh-rahyl, pyoor-il, -ahyl]
Use puerile in a Sentence
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to a child or to childhood.
2. childishly foolish; immature or trivial: a puerile piece of writing.
Origin:
1650–60; < L puerīlis boyish, equiv. to puer boy + -īlis -ile

Related forms:
pu⋅er⋅ile⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. youthful, juvenile. 2. juvenile, silly.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To puerile
pu·er·ile   (pyōō'ər-əl, pyŏŏr'əl, -īl')   
adj.  

  1. Belonging to childhood; juvenile.

  2. Immature; childish. See Synonyms at young.


[Latin puerīlis, from puer, child, boy; see pau-1 in Indo-European roots.]
pu'er·ile·ly adv., pu'er·il'i·ty (-ĭl'ĭ-tē), pu'er·ile·ness (-əl-nĭs, -īl-) 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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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: pu·er·ile
Pronunciation: 'pyu(-&)r-&l, -"Il
Function: adjective
1 : marked by or suggesting childishness andimmaturity
2 : being respiration that is like that of a child in being louder than normal <puerile breathing>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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