anile

English

WOTD – 25 February 2011

Etymology 1

From Latin anīlis, from anus (“old woman”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈæn.aɪl/
• (US) enPR: ă-n' īl, IPA^(key): /ˈæ.naɪl/ or enPR: ā' -nīl, IPA^(key): /ˈeɪ.naɪl/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Adjective

anile (comparative more anile, superlative most anile)

1. Characteristic of a crone or a feeble old woman.
   • 1844, Sydney Smith, The Works of Sydney Smith, “Wittman’s Travels” (Edinburgh Review, 1803), pages 248–249

     Dr. Wittman, too, was passing over the same ground trodden by Bonaparte in his Syrian expedition, and had an ample opportunity of inquiring its probable object, and the probably success which (but for the heroic defence of Acre), might have attended it ; he was on the theatre of Bonaparte’s imputed crimes, as well as his notorious defeat ; and might have brought us back, not anile conjecture, but sound evidence of events which must determine his character, who may determine our fate.

   • 1880, Robert Alfred Vaughan, Hours with the mystics : a contribution to the history of religious opinion, page 347:

     Romanticism, so sanguine and so venturous in its revolutionary youth, grew anile in its premature decrepitude ; mumbled its credos ; cursed its heretics — and died.

   • 1950, Mervyn Peake, chapter 8, in Gormenghast, London: Eyre & Spottiswoode:

     Steerpike derived as much pleasure in watching these anile and pitiful creatures, dressed in their purple finery, as they crawled beneath the carpet as he got from anything.

Derived terms

• anileness
• anililagnia

 

Translations

characteristic of a crone or a feeble old woman

• Finnish: ämmämäinen (fi)
• German: altweibisch, senil (de)
• Latin: anīlis
• Russian: стару́шечий (ru) (starúšečij)
• Spanish: anil (es)

References

• “anile”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Etymology 2

Noun

anile (uncountable)

1. Archaic form of anil (“indigo”).

Anagrams

• A-line, Aline, Elain, Elian, Elina, Nelia, alien, aline, elain, laine, liane, linea

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /aˈniː.le/, [äˈniːɫ̪ɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /aˈni.le/, [äˈniːle]

Adjective

anīle

1. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular of anīlis