debonair

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Archived revision by Widsith (talk | contribs) as of 06:47, 23 October 2019.
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

(deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French debonaire, from the phrase de bon aire "of good stock, noble".

Pronunciation

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /dɛbəˈneə(ɹ)/
  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. enPR: děb-ə-nɛr', IPA(key): /dɛbəˈnɛɹ/

Adjective

debonair (comparative more debonair, superlative most debonair)

  1. (obsolete) Gracious, courteous.
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.vi:
      Let be that Ladie debonaire, / Thou recreant knight, and soone thy selfe prepaire / To battell [...].
  2. Suave, urbane and sophisticated.
  3. (especially of men) Charming, confident, and carefully dressed.

Translations

Noun

debonair

  1. (obsolete) Debonaire behaviour; graciousness.
    • 1748, Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, Letter 31:
      But yet, shall my vanity extend only to personals, such as the gracefulness of dress, my debonnaire, and my assurance—Self-taught, self-acquired, these!

Anagrams

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=debonair&oldid=57824436"