supple

English

WOTD – 30 October 2007    

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Middle English souple, from Old French souple, soupple (“soft, lithe, yielding”), from Latin supplic-, supplex (“suppliant, submissive, kneeling”), of uncertain formation. Either from sub + plicō (“bend”) (compare complex), or from sub + plācō (“placate”). More at sub-, placate.

Pronunciation

• (RP, US) IPA: /ˈsʌpəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌpəl

Adjective

supple (comparative suppler, superlative supplest)

1. pliant, easy to bend
2. lithe and agile when moving and bending
3. flexible and compliant

Translations

pliant, easy to bend

• Finnish: taipuisa (fi), notkea (fi)

• Slovak: poddajný (sk)

lithe and agile when moving and bending

• Finnish: taipuisa (fi), notkea (fi)

• Irish: scaoilte (ga)
• Maori: moruki (mi)

flexible and compliant

• Finnish: taipuisa, myöntyvä

• Italian: duttile (it), malleabile (it)

Verb

supple (third-person singular simple present supples, present participle suppling, simple past and past participle suppled)

1. To make or become supple.
   • Dryden

     The stones […] suppled into softness as they fell.

Translations

to make or become supple

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Latin

Verb

supplē

1. second-person singular present active imperative of suppleō