supple

See also: Supple

English

WOTD – 30 October 2007

Etymology

From Middle English souple, from Old French souple, soupple (“soft, lithe, yielding”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] 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

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /ˈsʌpəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌpəl

Adjective

supple (comparative suppler, superlative supplest)

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

   supple joints; supple fingers

3. compliant; yielding to the will of others

   a supple horse

   • (Can we date this quote by John Locke and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     If punishment […] makes not the will supple, it hardens the offender.

Translations

pliant, easy to bend

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 柔软 (zh) (róuruǎn)

• Finnish: taipuisa (fi), notkea (fi)
• French: souple (fr)
• German: geschmeidig (de)
• Maori: kōngehengehe, pīngawingawi
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: bøyelig (no)

• Occitan: sople, plegadís (oc)
• Romanian: suplu (ro)
• Slovak: poddajný
• Spanish: flexible (es)

lithe and agile when moving and bending

• Finnish: taipuisa (fi), notkea (fi)
• French: souple (fr)
• Irish: scaoilte
• Maori: moruki, raungawari
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: smidig (no)

• Occitan: sople

compliant

• Finnish: taipuisa (fi), myöntyvä (fi)
• French: souple (fr)
• Italian: duttile (it), malleabile (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: føyelig (no), bøyelig (no)

• Occitan: sople, domètge (oc)

Verb

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

1. (transitive, intransitive) To make or become supple.
   • (Can we date this quote by John Dryden and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

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

   • (Can we date this quote by Edmund Spenser and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     The flesh therewith she suppled and did steep.

2. (transitive) To make compliant, submissive, or obedient.
   • (Can we date this quote by John Locke and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     a mother persisting till she had bent her daughter's mind and suppled her will

   • (Can we date this quote by Barrow and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     They should supple our stiff willfulness.

Translations

to make or become supple

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: mykne

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Anagrams

• peplus

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Latin

Verb

(deprecated template usage) supplē

1. second-person singular present active imperative of suppleō