gentleadj.n.adv.

Brit.

/ˈdʒɛntl/, U.S.

/ˈdʒɛn(t)əl/

Forms: Middle English gentill, Middle English gentille, Middle English gentyle, Middle English gentylle, Middle English gyntyl, Middle English iantaile, Middle English iantyl, Middle English ientill, Middle English ientyle, Middle English jantil, Middle English jantyl, Middle English jentel, Middle English jentyll, Middle English–1500s gentel, Middle English–1500s gentyl, Middle English–1500s jantyll, Middle English–1500s jentill, Middle English–1500s jentylle, Middle English–1500s (1900s– in sense B. 2) gentil, Middle English–1600s gentile, Middle English–1600s gentyll, Middle English– gentle, 1500s gentl, 1500s ientil, 1500s ientyll, 1500s jentle, 1500s yentyll; Scottish pre-1700 gentell, pre-1700 gentil, pre-1700 gentile, pre-1700 gentill, pre-1700 gentyll, pre-1700 jentill, pre-1700 pre-1700– gentle.

Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymon: French gentil.

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman gentill, Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French gentil, Middle French (rare) jentil (French gentil , now chiefly in the sense ‘elegant’) (adjective) well-born, having a high social rank (c1050), noble by virtue of character or exploits (c1050), (of people or their body parts) attractive, beautiful, shapely, (of things or food) excellent, fine, (of people, in formulae of courtesy) noble (all late 12th cent.), (of a falcon) peregrine (c1200), friendly, amicable, (of fragrance) delicate, subtle, (of language or actions) kind, courteous (all early 13th cent.), (of animals) tame, domesticated, also of excellent breed or stock (all early 14th cent.), (masculine noun) nobleman (late 12th cent.), peregrine falcon (13th cent.), (feminine noun) noblewoman (late 12th cent.) < classical Latin gentīlis (adjective) belonging to a Roman gens, of or belonging to the same tribe or race, national, native, of or concerning foreign peoples, in post-classical Latin also noble, of good birth, (noun) member of the same gens, native or inhabitant of the same country (see gentile adj.). The sense ‘noble, of good birth’ developed out of the classical Latin sense ‘belonging to a Roman gens’. Compare gentile adj., gentile n., and also later genteel adj., a reborrowing < French gentil.Compare Old Occitan gentil , gentiel , Catalan gentil (14th cent. as adjective, also as noun), Spanish gentil (13th cent. as adjective, also as noun), Portuguese gentio (13th cent. as adjective, also as noun), Italian gentile (end of the 12th cent. as adjective, also as noun), and also German gentil (late 15th cent. as gentile ; rare before the 19th cent.). Specific senses. With sense A. 10 compare gentlefolk n. 2, gentle-people n. 2. With use as adverb compare earlier gently adv.

A. adj.

a. Of a person: well-born, belonging to a family of high social position; having a high social rank; esp. belonging to the class of the gentry. In heraldic use: of a rank entitled to wear or display heraldic arms (cf. gentleman n. 1a). Now only in gentle and simple (cf. simple adj. 3a).Originally (esp. in Britain) gentle was used synonymously with noble, but was later distinguished from it, either as designating a person of a high social rank below the nobility, or as a wider term designating a person of high social rank, without specific reference to that rank.Now generally considered old-fashioned and chiefly used with historical reference.See also gentleman n., gentlefolk n., gentlewoman n., etc.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > gentry > [adjective]

gentle?c1225

gentc1300

gentlemanlya1450

gentlemanlike1565

genteel1628

genty1660

gentee1664

gentlemany1728

niblike1834

nibsome1839

upstairs1942

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 129 Noble men & gentile ne beoreð nane packes.

a1250 Wohunge ure Lauerd in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 273 Ah noble men and gentile and of heh burðe ofte winnen luue lihtliche cheape.

a1350 in R. H. Robbins Hist. Poems 14th & 15th Cent. (1959) 11 Myn eorles ant my barouns gentil ant fre.

c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness (1920) l. 1180 Þe gentylest of Judee in Jerusalem biseged.

1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende f. cxlviij/2 Hyt apperteyneth not that one so gentyl a man as I am be seruant to hym.

a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 226 Quhone servit is all vther man, Gentill and sempill of everie clan.

1581 G. Pettie tr. S. Guazzo Ciuile Conuersat. (1586) ii. f. 90^v Gentle of base are those who, extracted from low parentage, raise themselves to Gentrie by their vertue.

a1640 J. Fletcher & P. Massinger Loves Pilgrimage ii. i, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. Aaaaaaaa4^v/1 I am as gentle as your self, as free born.

a1684 J. Evelyn Diary anno 1683 (1955) IV. 306 I dined at one Mr. Houblons a rich & gentile french Merchant.

1788 R. Burns in J. Johnson Scots Musical Museum II. 121 Nae gentle dames, tho' ne'er sae fair, Shall ever be my muse's care; Their titles a' are empty show.

1860 W. M. Thackeray Four Georges iii, in Cornhill Mag. Sept. 273 All sorts of people, gentle and simple, about whom countless stories are told.

1959 J. Oliver Lion & Rose (U.S. ed.) i. iv. 77 The balance of power wavered, with the Queen on one side, the Kirk on the other, and the people, gentle and simple, turning some this way and some that.

1992 D. R. Hainsworth Stewards, Lords & People 123 At any place..where a landlord's neighbours, both gentle and simple, were likely to be gathered together.

b. Of birth, blood, family, etc.: noble, illustrious, honourable; distinguished by good lineage or a high social position.Now generally considered old-fashioned and chiefly used with historical reference.Earliest in gentle blood n. 1. Gentle blood is sometimes used with a more literal sense of blood: cf. quot. 2003.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > gentry > [adjective] > of birth

gentlec1300

kindc1300

gently-born1871

c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 114 Heȝe men..ther were menion, For reverence of the heȝe cunne and the gentyl blod..Of wham heo com.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 89 Hy ne lokeþ naȝt huer-of ham comþ þe zoþe noblesse, and þe gentil kenrede.

a1450 York Plays (1885) 447 For he is come of gentyll kynde.

1611 J. Speed Hist. Great Brit. ix. xx. 747/1 All of Noble or gentle birth, whose superficiall boldnesse in books in these frothy dayes, is become most scandalous and iniurious to the honour, and vse of learning.

a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) Surrey 87 Who no doubt was..Of Gentile Extraction, because her Parents bestowed on her so liberal and costly Education.

1742 C. Wesley Elegy on Death R. Jones 11 Of Gentle Birth; and Bred so well—They here sleep out their Time,—and wake in Hell.

a1832 W. Scott Mem. Early Years in J. G. Lockhart Mem. Life Sir W. Scott (1837) I. i. 6 His birth being admitted as gentle, gave him access to the best society in the county.

1861 J. Tulloch Eng. Puritanism I. i. 57 On his father's side Cromwell was of a gentle and old family.

1930 E. Gowen True Exposé Racketeers 81 Those sections of the South where the old traditions of gentle birth and culture still assert their ancient authority.

2003 Times (Nexis) 17 Apr. (Features section) 39 Somehow I felt that there was gentle blood in his veins.

c. Of occupations, pursuits, etc.: suitable for a person of good birth or high social rank. Also used ironically or humorously. Cf. the gentle art, the gentle craft.Now generally considered old-fashioned and chiefly used with historical reference.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > work > [adjective] > other types of work

gentlea1425

rurala1500

jobbing1705

universal1706

non-paying1843

sweated1883

unfair1886

direct1922

entry-level1949

sidebar1952

front end1976

intrapreneurial1978

a1425 Dialogue Reason & Adversity (Cambr.) (1968) 25 (MED) Plato was taken of þefes, sold & so mad þral..for he was a philosophore, he was betere þan his biȝere, A gentil professioun þat made þe seruaunt more þenne his lord.

a1525 Bk. Chess l. 44 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1923) I. 82 Schawin sall be..Vnder quhat king yis gentill sport began.

1658 W. Sanderson Graphice 28 If it be the generall Rule..that Children be taught some gentle Manu-facture [etc.].

1725 Coll. Old Ballads III. 261 Whilk is a gentle Trade indeed, To carry the Gaberlunzie—o.

1799 A. Mather Let. Feb. in T. P. Bunting Life J. Bunting (1859) I. vii. 102 A profession [sc. the medical] that will be gentle bread at some not very distant period.

1843 Morning Post 12 July 6/3 He is..a genuine admirer of what is so absurdly called the gentle pursuit of angling.

1894 S. R. Crockett Raiders 54 All the seven big sons..were said to be deeper in the Gentle Traffic [sc. smuggling], as it was called, than any others in the locality.

2009 W. M. Keith in W. F. Eadie 21st Cent. Comm. I. i. iii. 22/2 In the 18th and early 19th centuries, college was mostly an exercise in self-improvement: its job preparation was limited to qualifying students for the ‘gentle professions’ of the clergyman, the lawyer, and the politician, acceptable jobs for ‘gentlemen’.

†2.

a. Of an animal: of excellent breed or stock; of a superior nature, spirit, or disposition. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > domestic animal > [adjective] > of livestock > kept for breeding > well-bred

gentle?a1300

true-bred1607

well-bred1607

racy1676

bred1710

high-bred1731

full-blood1764

full-blooded1784

thoroughbred1788

pure blood1818

toppy1893

straight-bred1898

straight1972

the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > [adjective] > kept for breeding > of good breed

gentle?a1300

generous1594

well-bred1607

whole-bred1667

well-strained1710

standardbred1874

?a1300 Thrush & Nightingale (Digby) l. 61 in C. Brown Eng. Lyrics 13th Cent. (1932) 103 Gentil fowel, seist þou hit me?

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 75 Hy uoryeteþ alle oþre guodes, ase deþ þe gentyl hond huanne ha zyþ his praye touore his eȝen.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xviii. xxxix. 1187 Olde men meneþ þat in gentil hors and noble me takeþ hiede of foure þynges: of schappe and of fayrnesse, of wilfulnesse and of colour.

c1475 Brome Abraham & Isaac in N. Davis Non-Cycle Plays & Fragm. (1970) 54 I haue browt here full smerte Thys jentyll scheppe.

a1500 (?a1400) Sir Torrent of Portyngale (1887) l. 2033 [2133] The kyng of Nazareth huntid there Among the hertes, that gentill were.

1523 J. Skelton Goodly Garlande of Laurell 1436 A ientyll hownde shulde neuer play the kur.

1557 Earl of Surrey et al. Songes & Sonettes sig. Cc.iiii A Lion saw I late..Upon the gentle beast to gaze it pleased me.

1646 G. Lauder Horse or New-yeares-gift to Phillip Balfour sig. A4 The gentle Horse should not be spurr'd too sore; Nor must thou wrong his patience any more.

b. Of things: noble, excellent, fine. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > excellence > [adjective]

faireOE

bremea1000

goodlyOE

goodfulc1275

noblec1300

pricec1300

specialc1325

gentlec1330

fine?c1335

singulara1340

thrivena1350

thriven and throa1350

gaya1375

properc1380

before-passinga1382

daintiful1393

principala1398

gradelya1400

burlyc1400

daintyc1400

thrivingc1400

voundec1400

virtuousc1425

hathelc1440

curiousc1475

singlerc1500

beautiful1502

rare?a1534

gallant1539

eximious1547

jolly1548

egregious?c1550

jellyc1560

goodlike1562

brawc1565

of worth1576

brave?1577

surprising1580

finger-licking1584

admirablea1586

excellinga1586

ambrosial1598

sublimated1603

excellent1604

valiant1604

fabulous1609

pure1609

starryc1610

topgallant1613

lovely1614

soaringa1616

twanging1616

preclarent1623

primea1637

prestantious1638

splendid1644

sterling1647

licking1648

spankinga1666

rattling1690

tearing1693

famous1695

capital1713

yrare1737

pure and —1742

daisy1757

immense1762

elegant1764

super-extra1774

trimming1778

grand1781

gallows1789

budgeree1793

crack1793

dandy1794

first rate1799

smick-smack1802

severe1805

neat1806

swell1810

stamming1814

divine1818

great1818

slap-up1823

slapping1825

high-grade1826

supernacular1828

heavenly1831

jam-up1832

slick1833

rip-roaring1834

boss1836

lummy1838

flash1840

slap1840

tall1840

high-graded1841

awful1843

way up1843

exalting1844

hot1845

ripsnorting1846

clipping1848

stupendous1848

stunning1849

raving1850

shrewd1851

jammy1853

slashing1854

rip-staving1856

ripping1858

screaming1859

up to dick1863

nifty1865

premier cru1866

slap-bang1866

clinking1868

marvellous1868

rorty1868

terrific1871

spiffing1872

all wool and a yard wide1882

gorgeous1883

nailing1883

stellar1883

gaudy1884

fizzing1885

réussi1885

ding-dong1887

jim-dandy1888

extra-special1889

yum-yum1890

out of sight1891

outasight1893

smooth1893

corking1895

large1895

super1895

hot dog1896

to die for1898

yummy1899

deevy1900

peachy1900

hi1901

v.g.1901

v.h.c.1901

divvy1903

doozy1903

game ball1905

goodo1905

bosker1906

crackerjack1910

smashinga1911

jake1914

keen1914

posh1914

bobby-dazzling1915

juicy1916

pie on1916

jakeloo1919

snodger1919

whizz-bang1920

wicked1920

four-star1921

wow1921

Rolls-Royce1922

whizz-bang1922

wizard1922

barry1923

nummy1923

ripe1923

shrieking1926

crazy1927

righteous1930

marvy1932

cool1933

plenty1933

brahmaa1935

smoking1934

solid1935

mellow1936

groovy1937

tough1937

bottler1938

fantastic1938

readyc1938

ridge1938

super-duper1938

extraordinaire1940

rumpty1940

sharp1940

dodger1941

grouse1941

perfecto1941

pipperoo1945

real gone1946

bosting1947

supersonic1947

whizzo1948

neato1951

peachy-keen1951

ridgey-dite1953

ridgy-didge1953

top1953

whizzing1953

badass1955

wild1955

belting1956

magic1956

bitching1957

swinging1958

ridiculous1959

a treat1959

fab1961

bad-assed1962

uptight1962

diggish1963

cracker1964

marv1964

radical1964

bakgat1965

unreal1965

pearly1966

together1968

safe1970

bad1971

brilliant1971

fabby1971

schmick1972

butt-kicking1973

ripper1973

Tiffany1973

bodacious1976

rad1976

kif1978

awesome1979

death1979

killer1979

fly1980

shiok1980

stonking1980

brill1981

dope1981

to die1982

mint1982

epic1983

kicking1983

fabbo1984

mega1985

ill1986

posho1989

pukka1991

lovely jubbly1992

awesomesauce2001

nang2002

bess2006

amazeballs2009

boasty2009

daebak2009

beaut2013

c1330 (?c1300) Reinbrun (Auch.) in J. Zupitza Guy of Warwick (1891) 657 On þat place was a paleis on: Swich ne seȝ he neuer non... Postes and laces þat þer were Of iaspe gentil þat was dere.

c1400 (?c1380) Pearl l. 1015 Þe twelfþe, þe gentyleste in vch a plyt, Þe amatyst purpre.

?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 137 Þere groweth full gode wyn þat men clepen Bigon þat is full myghty & gentyll in drynkynge.

a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Cock & Jasp l. 79 in Poems (1981) 6 Sa meruelland vpon the stane, quod he, O gentill Iasp, O riche and nobill thing.

1518 H. Watson tr. Hystorye Olyuer of Castylle xxx. sig. G.iij The hatte of blacke, vpon the whiche was a ryght gentyll and ryche ouche of stones ryght curyously wrought.

1556 tr. J. de Flores Histoire de Aurelio & Isabelle sig. O2 For the whiche [sc. women] all gentill inuentions and all goodes comes in to the worlde.

1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta Nat. & Morall Hist. Indies iv. xxxvii. 311 Neither do they make so many gentill devises as they were wont.

a. Of a person: having a character or manner appropriate to, or traditionally associated with, a person of good birth or high social position; noble, refined, gracious, courteous, polite.Since the late 19th cent., generally considered old-fashioned. In later use also used ironically or in a self-consciously archaic way.Frequently in gentle knight, where there is some overlap with sense A. 1a, esp. in early use. In later use often with allusion to Chaucer's use (quot. c1405).

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > [adjective] > well-mannered > well-bred

gentlec1325

kindc1330

inqueredc1440

well-born?c1450

well-bred1585

well nutrimenteda1592

well-reared1597

high-bred1604

jaunty1664

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 11719 Sir henri is sone þat so gentil kniȝt was.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. vi. xviii. 318 Lordis schal be noble and gentil of herte, of fleische, and of þouȝt.

?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) ii. l. 4669 Gentille of norture & noble of lynage.

c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 72 He was a verray perfit gentil knyght.

1467 in S. Tymms Wills & Inventories Bury St. Edmunds (1850) 18 They [sc. tenants] haue be to me ryght gentil and good at alle tymes.

a1500 (a1450) Generides (Trin. Cambr.) l. 3 Ther was a nobyll kyng, Ientill, curteys, full trew in worde.

1529 T. More Dialogue Heresyes i, in Wks. 170/2 Sithe I am so gentle to graunt you so many thinges, I trust ye wyl grant me this one.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. i. sig. A3 A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine.

1733 T. Newcomb Woman of Taste 19 Your looks with graces you inspire, To melt some gentle lord with age's fire.

1814 R. Southey Roderick iii With such short interchange of benison As each to other gentle travellers give.

1871 R. Browning Balaustion 147 The son of Zeus, He was the gentle guest to entertain!

1932 P. Mégroz tr. F. Chaliapin Man & Mask ii. xix. 295 In spite of all my entreaties that my gentle guests should stay and drink the wine with me instead of carrying it off, these virtuous citizens refused to yield to temptation.

1987 Washington Post (Nexis) 11 Jan. (Book World section) x11 It turns out that Montague is not only an artist but a perfect gentle knight at heart and it is inevitable that he will triumph over all vicissitudes.

2011 Wexford People (Nexis) 7 Sept. Those present enjoyed a drink of water from the pure crystal fountain with glasses provide [sic] by our gentle hosts the members of the Doyle family, Glenour.

†b. Of a person's character, appearance, behaviour, language, etc.: noble, refined, gracious, courteous, polite; befitting, or traditionally associated with, a person of good birth or high social position. Obsolete.Sometimes approaching senses A. 6a, A. 6b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > courtesy > [adjective] > of conduct

gentlec1325

genteel1656

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 4192 Þi faire body so gentil vor swolwe he wole to niȝt.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 2665 (MED) This scole is of a gentil lore.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xv. cv. 786 The men þerof ben..grete werriours, gentil in cloþinge, sober in spekynge, mylde in hert.

c1430 (c1386) G. Chaucer Legend Good Women (Cambr. Gg.4.27) (1879) l. 1090 And manye a gentil word sche spak hym to.

c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) viii. 20 It neuer commyth of a yentyll courage of any knyght to assayle any person without armure.

1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. CCCiii Than if we be touched w^t a sharpe worde we shall yelde a benigne & gentyll answere.

1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. i. f. 37 They which geue gentill and open eares to the word of God.

1598 B. Yong tr. J. de Montemayor Diana 122 She gaue him infinite thankes..for the gentle entertainment she had in his Castle.

1646 F. Hawkins tr. Youths Behaviour (ed. 4) 18 And be thou assured, that gentle affability towards thy inferiours, will fix to thy name the Epithite of courteous.

1653 H. Cogan tr. F. M. Pinto Voy. & Adventures iv. 9 This man with very gentle words gave an end to the sedition..which shews of what power courtesie is.

1703 J. Gordon Char. Generous Prince ii. 123 Their ordering Paulus Æmyliuss, against his own Gentle and Courteous Nature, to break in upon the Kingdowm of Epirus.

1797 S. J. Pratt Family Secrets II. xxx. 397 One would imagine these bowering hawthorns and these o'er-arching shades..had been the scene of some gentle assignation in days of chivalry.

1842 Pennsylvania Inquirer & National Gaz. 6 Aug. So these, from Dido's troop of wretched thralls, Came speeding to us through the air unblest; Of such avail my gentle speech I found.

c. Used in addressing or referring to someone in a courteous or respectful manner, or as a complimentary epithet.Now chiefly in self-consciously archaic use, as in gentle reader.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > courtesy > courteous forms of address or title > [adjective]

goodeOE

liefc897

sweeta1225

beauc1300

gentlec1330

comelya1375

faira1375

reverentc1410

reverend1422

virtuous?1473

singular1485

lucky1568

respectable1749

c1330 Seven Sages (Auch.) (1933) l. 141 (MED) Gentil emperour, I þe loue wiȝ fin amour.

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Cook's Tale (Hengwrt) (1870) l. 4353 Now tel on, gentil Roger, by thy name.

c1460 (?c1400) Tale of Beryn Prol. l. 56 ‘Graunt mercy, gentil Sir!’ quod she, ‘þat yee been vnaservid’.

a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 39 Keip this in secreit, gentill brudir.

1542 H. Brinkelow Lamentacion sig. Av^v Judge thou Jentell reader.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) i. ii. 14 What think'st thou of the gentle Protheus.

1723 J. Barker Patch-work Screen for Ladies 15 Come, gentle Muse! assist me now, A double Wreath plait for my Brow, Of Poetry and Physick too.

1765 T. Gray Shakespeare in Corr. Gray & W. Mason (1853) 339 1 A moment's patience, gentle Mistres Anne.

1800 E. Johnson's Brit. Gaz. & Sunday Monitor 27 July Stay, gentle Sir, one moment stay, An helpless Orphan Maid attend.

1844 T. C. Haliburton Attaché 2nd Ser. II. 285 Gentle reader, having taken my leave of Mr. Slick, it is now fit I should take my leave of you.

1937 Economist 13 Feb. 342/1 His trip to the Riviera was in reality a political, not a health, vacation: and the gentle Lord Halifax would first receive the redoubtable Herr von Ribbentrop.

2002 New Straits Times (Malaysia) (Nexis) 18 Dec. 10 Gentle Reader, perpend (but finish your breakfast first).

†4. An epithet given to a person of distinction. Obsolete.Chiefly in alliterative use.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > majesty, glory, or grandeur > [adjective]

higheOE

drightlikeOE

highlyOE

drightfula1225

prouda1275

principalc1385

solemna1387

gentlec1390

high and mighty1400

imperial?c1400

royalc1405

kinglyc1425

sublimatec1425

lordfulc1429

lordlyc1440

assumpt1447

raiseda1450

haught1470

kinglikec1485

lordlike1488

triumphant1494

greatlya1500

princely?a1510

supereminent1531

princelike1532

lofta1547

lofty1548

regal1561

supernal1562

haughty1563

excelse1569

queen-like?1571

majestical1578

erecteda1586

augustious1591

ennobled1592

imperious1592

enthronized1593

august1594

high-born1598

sublimed1602

jovial1604

majestic1606

enthroned1609

starred1615

exalted1623

majestuous1633

reared1638

sublimary1655

majestative1656

kingrik1663

superb1663

grand1673

celse1708

stilted1744

canonized1790

queenly1791

apotheosized1794

princified1857

c1390 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Vernon) (1867) A. i. l. 159 Iames þe gentel bond [B text c1400 Laud 581 iugged] hit in his Book.

a1450 York Plays (1885) 272 As ye are gentill juger and justice of Jewes.

1567 R. Sempill in J. Cranstoun Satirical Poems Reformation (1891) I. 32 In deidis he soulde haue bene lyke Deiphoebus..or gentill Julius.

c1600 A. Montgomerie Poems (2000) I. 111 If gentle blude ingendrit be by baggis Then culd I ges vho wer a gentle Jhone.

†a. Of fruit, a tree, etc.: cultivated, domesticated (as opposed to wild). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > wild and cultivated plants > [adjective] > cultivated or planted

gentle?1440

plantedc1450

husbandly1550

tame1551

manured1562

domestical1578

sative1599

mild1601

cultivated1634

hortala1704

sativous1786

farmed1897

the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > cultivation of plants or crops > [adjective] > cultivated

gentle?1440

husbandly1550

tame1551

manured1562

domestical1578

sative1599

cherished1744

sativous1786

tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) iii. l. 711 A gentil tre, Not wilde at all, withoute asperite.

c1475 (?a1410) J. Lydgate Churl & Bird (Harl.) in Select. Minor Poems (1840) 192 The vintere tretethe of his holsom wynes, Of gentille frute bostethe the gardener.

1548 W. Turner Names of Herbes sig. A.iiij Wormwod pontike..in englishe maye be also called wormwod gentle.

1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball v. lxiiij. 629 Erysimon hath long leaues deepely rent, & iagged vpon both sides, not muche vnlyke the leaues of of Rockat gentle or Romayne Rockat, or wilde Mustarde.

1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. 429 The berries..much like..to the grains or fruit of the gentle garden Corneil tree.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) iv. iv. 93 We marry A gentler Sien, to the wildest Stocke.

1699 J. Evelyn Acetaria 12 English Mercury, or..All-good, the gentle Turiones, and Tops may be eaten as Sparagus, or sodden in Pottage.

1871 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues II. 431 Tending the gentle shoots, and preventing the wild ones from growing.

b. Of an animal or an animal's disposition: tame, quiet, docile, easily managed.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > domestic animal > [adjective]

tamec888

mildOE

meekc1175

privy1340

unwilda1400

familiar1483

gentle?1531

domestical1562

inward1575

inwards1575

housal1611

domestic1620

cicurated1646

domesticated1802

the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > animal keeping practices general > [adjective] > tamed or trained

tamec888

mildOE

meekc1175

unwilda1400

chastisedc1440

reclaimed1440

made1474

familiar1483

gentle?1531

domestical1562

inward1575

inwards1575

housal1611

domestic1620

cicurated1646

domiciliated1782

domesticated1802

broken1805

hand-tamed1932

?1531 tr. Plutarch Howe One may take Profite of Enmyes f. 3 The husbande man can not take from euery tree the wylde nature: nor the hunter can not make euery wylde beaste gentil and tame.

1562 G. Legh Accedens of Armory 178 A Barnacle..This is y^e Chiefest Instrument y^t the Smyth hath, to make the vntamed Horse gentile.

1623 W. Shakespeare & J. Fletcher Henry VIII v. iii. 56 Those that tame wild Horses, Pace 'em not in their hands to make 'em gentle .

1745 D. De Coetlogon Universal Hist. Arts & Sci. II. 175/1 Those internal Qualities [of a Horse] are, his being of a gentle Disposition to his Keeper, tractable and docile, free from those ill Qualities of biting, striking, restiffness [etc.].

1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth II. 330 They are gentle and harmless enough while young; but as they grow up, they acquire their natural ferocity.

1811 G. Shaw Gen. Zool. VIII. 382 The Keel-Bill is a bird of a tame and gentle nature.

1821 Cobbett's Weekly Polit. Reg. 2 June 577 I wish to God you..could hear him calling his oxen by their names, and could see the gentle animals so obedient to his call.

1931 E. Ferber Amer. Beauty xiv. 278 In their stalls, row on row, stood the gentle ruminant creatures, symbol of all that is pastoral.

2002 Western Daily Press (Nexis) 4 Sept. (Columnist section) 9 Massive animals [sc. carthorses] of eight feet high or more, dressed in their show gear with brasses and ribbons, gentle, slow and strong.

a. Of a person, or a person's character, manner, etc.: mild in disposition or behaviour; kind, tender; amiable, good-natured. Also with to, towards, †unto.See also the gentle sex, the gentler sex.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > kindness > gentleness or mildness > [adjective]

stillc825

tamec888

nesheOE

mildeOE

softOE

lithea1000

daftc1000

methefulOE

sefteOE

meekc1175

benign1377

pleasablea1382

mytha1400

tendera1400

unfelona1400

mansuetea1425

meeta1425

gentlec1450

moy1487

placablea1522

facile1539

effeminate1594

silver1596

mildya1603

unmalicious1605

uncruel1611

maliceless1614

tender-hefteda1616

unpersecutive1664

baby-milda1845

rose water1855

turtlish1855

unvindictive1857

soft-boiled1859

tenderful1901

soft-lining1967

c1450 (c1425) Brut (Cambr. Kk.1.12) 346 (MED) He kept þat office but iiij wokis, because he was so tendir and gentill vn-to þe cetezens of London, wherfore þe King deposyd hym.

1513 G. Douglas in tr. Virgil Æneid i. Prol. 99 A lord sa gentle and kynd,..Quhilk..Bukis to recollect, to reid and se, Hes greit delite als euir hed Ptolome.

1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. xiij I doubt not but king Charles is of a milde and gentle disposition.

1658 A. Jackson Annot. Prov. xiv. 805 in Annot. Old Test. Doctrinall Bks. The righteous..do compassionate their brethren when they sin, and are favourable and gentle towards them, seeking to hide and excuse them as far as lawfully they may.

1726 E. Fenton in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey V. xx. 388 A long cessation of discourse ensu'd, By gentler Agelaus thus renew'd.

1765 J. Wesley Let. 9 Mar. (1931) IV. 291 Nothing can hurt you, if you are calm, mild, and gentle to all men, especially to the froward.

1812 J. Wilson Isle of Palms ii. 307 But to yon gentle Maiden turn, Who never for herself doth mourn.

1870 J. E. T. Rogers Hist. Gleanings 2nd Ser. 42 Princes are seldom gentle when crossed.

1875 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) III. 226 You have grown gentle towards me and have left off scolding.

1942 J. Grenfell Let. 29 Mar. in Darling Ma (1989) 343 He's very..sweet and gentle and sensitive but not a beau in any way.

1944 W. E. Harney Taboo (ed. 4) 92 He had a gentle nature, ever out to please.

2009 Atlantic Monthly Sept. 17/1 Jed is also a kind and gentle soul.

b. Of (esp. potentially negative) language, actions, etc.: mild, measured; genial, good-humoured.

ΚΠ

?1529 R. Hyrde tr. J. L. Vives Instr. Christen Woman ii. vi. sig. e.ij^v Let her therfore get this out of her husbandes mynde by gentyll meanes, and content hym agayne.

1542 Glasse for Housholders sig. gvi^v Wemen may be kept good with gentyll entreatye, they maye not knowe that they be suspecte, but euer muste be counsayled with louyng maner.

1612 J. Brinsley Ludus Lit. xxvii. 277 Which of vs is there who is a father, who would not haue our owne children rather trained vp by all louing meanes of gentle incouragement, praise and faire dealing, then with buffeting and blowes?

1636 tr. J. Desmarets de Saint-Sorlin Ariana i. vii. 124 Had it not beene for the extreme passion of Melintus.., the gentle humour of Palamede and Eurylas had bin able to have dispell'd his sadnesse.

1658 S. Rutherford Surv. of Surv. Church-discipline i. vii. 26 Master Hooker..passeth in silence the arguments of the way of the Churches of New England, except a gentle hint he hath at the first, but he omitteth the nerves therof.

1796 ‘M. Fitz John’ Joan! I. iv. 51 ‘My dear Madam,’ replied Lambert, with all the gentle hypocrisy of irony, ‘you entirely mistake me.’

1896 J. C. Harris Sister Jane 32 Taking this as a gentle hint, I went out.

1951 Illustr. London News 24 Feb. 306/3 A book which is entirely composed of affectionate portraits—the affection shot through with wit and gentle irony.

1998 Viz June 40/3 Which member of the..pop group..was the last one to flounce off stage in response to gentle ribbing?

2017 Birmingham Evening Mail (Nexis) 16 Sept. 40 The club would like to take this opportunity to send out a gentle reminder about the rules and procedures we have in place for the safety and wellbeing of all supporters.

a. Moderate in operation, intensity, effect, rate, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > lack of violence, severity, or intensity > [adjective] > not harsh or gentle

meekc1230

nesha1250

tender1340

softa1398

sober1455

gentle1508

silken1601

milken1648

rose water1837

paddy1962

1508 Bk. Keruynge (de Worde) sig. A.iii Loke your stalkes of synamon be well coloured & swete canell is not soo gentyll in operacyon synamon is hote and drye.

a1547 Earl of Surrey tr. Virgil Fourth Bk. Aeneas (1554) sig. B.i Gentle flame the Maryes doth deuowere: Whyles in the brest the sylent wounde keepes lyfe.

1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §399 The Sunne, which is a Gentler Heat [sc. than Fire].

1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. i. 14 I found abundance of all things..at so easie and gentle a rate, that [etc.].

1688 G. Miege Great French Dict. ii. sig. Bb3/2 A gentle fit of an Ague, accês de Fiévre moderé.

1758 A. Reid tr. P. J. Macquer Elements Theory & Pract. Chym. I. 138 Liquors..evaporated by a gentle heat..are called Extracts.

1841 C. Dickens Barnaby Rudge ii. 244 Ride forward at a gentler pace; and good night.

1898 Rolfe (Iowa) Reveille 6 Jan. Each pound of figs must be added, and the gentle simmering continued until you have a soft, well-blended, thick preserve.

1999 Cosmopolitan (U.K. ed.) Feb. 128/2 Gentle exfoliation once a week is good because dead skin cells on the skin's surface prevent moisturiser from being absorbed properly.

2006 Mother & Baby Aug. 33/1 Doing some regular, gentle exercise will strengthen your muscles for labour.

b. Of a touch or other physical gesture: not forceful; using little or light pressure; soft, tender.

ΚΠ

1565 B. Googe tr. ‘M. Palingenius’ Zodiake of Life (new ed.) xi. sig. RR.ij They swiftly passe about..And easly thus with gentle touch their neyghbours next are kyst, Wherfore there motion they do make all silently and whyst.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) ii. vii. 29 Giuing a gentle kisse to euery sedge He ouer-taketh in his pilgrimage.

1674 C. Cotton Compl. Gamester (1680) 95 As good Cards come into their hand..they give them a gentle touch with their nail.

1760 L. Sterne Life Tristram Shandy I. xii. 68 Yorick replied, with a look up, and a gentle squeeze of Eugenius's hand.

1889 Harper's Mag. July 196/1 While the service is going on we feel from time to time a gentle tap on the shoulder.

1987 S. Sandler Alternative Health: Osteopathy (1992) v. 63 The osteopath uses gentle pressure along the arm to encourage separation of the two halves of the shoulder joint.

2005 Sugar May 70/2 A gentle touch of the arm can make someone feel like you truly care.

c. Of a slope, curve, etc.: very gradual; not steep or sharp.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > land > landscape > high land > slope > [adjective] > gentle

gentle1595

softa1626

1595 M. Drayton Endimion & Phœbe sig. B2^v Aboue this Groue a gentle faire ascent, Which by degrees of Milk-white Marble went.

1661 J. Evelyn Fumifugium i. 5 The City of London is built upon a sweet and most agreeable Eminency of Ground, at the North-side of a goodly and well-condition'd River, towards which it hath an Aspect by a gentle and easie declivity.

1697 W. Dampier New Voy. around World vii. 187 On the North side it declines with a gentle descent to the Sea.

1717 G. Berkeley Jrnls. Trav. Italy 31 May in Wks. (1955) VII. 290 Nothing more than gentle hills or risings.

1777 R. Watson Hist. Reign Philip II II. xxii. 299 He pitched his camp in a spacious plain, which is terminated by two hills of a gentle ascent.

1851 W. H. Dixon W. Penn xi. 381 The house itself stood on a gentle eminence.

1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. xviii. 124 A gentle snow-slope brought us to the base of a precipice.

1938 E. Goudge Towers in Mist (1998) i. 25 A gracious street with leisurely slope and gentle curves.

1956 Ski-ing (‘Know the Game’ Ser.) 13/2 These [nursery slopes] should be of average steepness at the top, have a gentle gradient in the middle and a long flat run out so that the ski will come to a stop naturally if the skier is unable to control them.

2000 Lewiston (Idaho) Morning Tribune (Nexis) 1 June (Outdoors section) 1 d The gentle dark green slopes of Osier Ridge and Wapito Peak.

a. Of a controlling or regulating influence, a punishment, etc.: not strict or harsh; of moderate severity; mild, clement.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > lack of strictness > [adjective]

largeda1382

softc1405

largea1450

laxc1450

remissa1500

milda1530

gentle1533

slender1577

relax1609

unconstraining1644

unoppressive1648

inoppressive1661

unaustere1741

undespotic1821

light-touch1949

1533 tr. P. Valeriano Pro Sacerdotum Barbis f. 30^*^v Without doute he wol metigate his displeasure, and begyn to turne these bitter and cruell chastisinges into a more easye and more gentyl punyshment.

1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes ii. f. 232 As soone as he heard that the same partie was alone remaining aliue of the sprynge of Brasidas, he bidde y^e same come to hym, and after a moderate or gentle correpcion leat hym goo at his libertee.

1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xxxix. 1038 Like an headstrong and frampold horse, that will not be ruled with a gentle snaffle.

1660 Bp. J. Taylor Ductor Dubitantium II. iii. v. 365 A Master governs by fear, & a Father by love, & both by their authority: but the gentle way is the Fathers method.

1696 N. Tate & N. Brady New Version Psalms of David lxxii. 4 Shall rule with gentle Sway.

1702 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion I. ii. 116 The Papists..being upon the matter absolv'd from the Severest parts of the Law, and dispensed with for the Gentlest.

1752 D. Hume Ess. & Treat. (1777) I. 21 In every respect, a gentle government is preferable.

1828 W. Scott Fair Maid of Perth i, in Chron. Canongate 2nd Ser. II. 21 If gentler methods will succeed better with these Earish knaves, do not blame Douglas for speaking his mind.

1878 O. W. Holmes John Lothrop Motley: Mem. xxi. 164 This gentle form of violence is well understood in the diplomatic service.

1919 S. Anderson Winesburg, Ohio 13 He was one of those rare, little-understood men who rule by a power so gentle that it passes as a lovable weakness.

2007 GP Mag. (Nexis) 16 Mar. 2 This programme..is designed to help parents..be consistent in using gentle punishment for bad behaviour.

b. Of a medicine (esp. a laxative): not violent or powerful in action; lacking unpleasant effects or side effects. Cf. mild adj. 7a.In figurative context in quot. 1534.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > [adjective] > relating to powers or effects of drugs > mild

lithec1400

gentle1534

benign1638

mild1652

unirritant1822

bland1835

soft1959

1534 W. Marshall tr. Erasmus Playne & Godly Expos. Commune Crede v. f. 121^v Whiche preste also shold remedye and heale the woundes with farre more mylde and gentle medicines.

1576 A. Fleming tr. Hippocrates in Panoplie Epist. 289 I would therfore, that a stronger remedie be prepared: for this emplaster is too gentle.

1621 R. Burton Anat. Melancholy ii. iv. ii. ii. 453 These are very gentle purgers, alypus, dragon root, centaury, ditany.

1721 W. Gibson Farriers Dispensatory iii. v. 137 It is so gentle a Lenitive, that three Times the Quantity they usually give will hardly move any Horse.

1835 J. Forbes et al. Cycl. Pract. Med. IV. 587/2 By mild and frequently repeated doses of gentle aperients.

1907 A. M. Ashdown Compl. Syst. Nursing xxii. 594 Rest in bed is usually prescribed, also gentle laxatives.

2017 Daily Mail (National ed.) (Nexis) 26 Dec. (Features section) 41 Try the oldfashioned but gentle remedy Califig Syrup of Fig.

c. Of a sound, music, etc.: soft, low, quiet, subdued; not loud or harsh.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > pleasantness of sound > [adjective] > gentle or not harsh

smalleOE

softc1230

gentle1548

softly1576

melting1585

mellow1650

dulcified1684

tender1709

silken1785

smooth1836

velvety1896

1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. I. John v. f. xli An excellente Prophete,..whose gentle and pleasant voyce not fearyng men with threatenyng, but alluryng theim to saluacion, it shoulde behoue them to heare.

1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xxiv. 269 Her voyce was euer soft, Gentle and low, an excellent thing in women.

1661 J. Fell Life Hammond 27 A gentle Whisper seem'd to interrupt those other louder noises, saying, Be still, and ye shall receive no harm.

1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 80. ⁋5 I heard a very gentle Knock at my Door.

1742 W. Collins Persian Eclogues ii. 12 The gentle Voice of Peace.

1782 W. Cowper Conversation in Poems 257 In gentle sounds it seems as it complained Of the rude injuries it late sustained.

1812 J. Wilson Isle of Palms ii. 407 And gives to the storm as gentle notes As e'er through sunshine stole.

1861 J. Edmond Children's Church at Home iii. 49 A gentle tap at the library door.

1911 Daily Mail 19 Mar. 6/4 Nothing but a gentle hum tells you that there is an engine at all in the bonnet.

1980 Washington Post (Nexis) 16 Jan. d3 A smile crept across the singer's face and he started to sing a very gentle melody.

2018 Cairns Post (Austral.) (Nexis) 9 Apr. (Lifestyle section) 22 Both islands offer accommodation for those who want to fall asleep to the gentle sounds of the waves lapping the shore.

d. Of the weather, wind, climate, etc.: not stormy, violent, or severe; mild. Cf. gentle breeze n., gentle gale n.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > fine weather > [adjective] > mild (of weather or climate)

mildOE

softc1225

greenc1425

gentle1550

genial1647

clement1652

balmy1709

maumy1728

1550 R. Sherry tr. Erasmus Declam. Chyldren in Treat. Schemes & Tropes sig. I.vi For we se that trees also in that parte where the sea doth sauour, or the northen winde blow, to shrynke in their braunches and boughes: and where the wether is more gentle, there to spreade them farther oute.

1563 W. Fulke Goodle Gallerye Causes Meteors iii. f. 18^v Kynde of wynde, whiche is but a softe gentle and coole mouing of the ayre, and commeth from no certaine place.

1585 J. B. tr. P. Viret School of Beastes: Good Housholder sig. D6^v And the great riuers..giue a sweete and gentle temperatenes and most pleasaunt to the fishes.

1600 J. Pory tr. J. Leo Africanus Geogr. Hist. Afr. i. 35 Those seas are..most pleasant..to saile upon, with faire and gentle weather.

1634 T. Herbert Relation Some Yeares Trauaile 2 We had verie raging Seas and tempests, but at night a gentle calme ensued.

1726 J. Swift Gulliver II. iv. xi. 169 The Wind though very gentle was against me, blowing North-West.

1770 G. White Let. 12 Apr. in Nat. Hist. Selborne (1789) 128 Warreners observe..that their rabbits are never in such good case as in a gentle frost.

1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam ix. 12 Sleep, gentle heavens, before the prow; Sleep, gentle winds, as he sleeps now.

1905 C. H. M. Gaskell Spring in Shropshire Abbey iv. 131 A soft sweet day. A gentle rain had fallen all through the night, and the sense of spring was everywhere.

1969 D. F. Costello Prairie World (1975) viii. 146 A warm night in early April, when gentle rains have moistened the hard-packed ground.

2018 Daily Tel. (Austral.) (Nexis) 12 Jan. (Fishing section) 61 The weather report was near perfect: flat seas and gentle winds.

e. Of water, waves, etc.: flowing smoothly; not rough or turbulent.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > water > flow or flowing > [adjective] > slowly or gently

gentle1555

unspeedy1615

sullen1622

subrepent1650

lapsinga1771

1555 R. Eden tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde iii. xi. f. 160 Unto this goulfe, the course of the water was gentyl enough and moderate.

1594 W. Shakespeare Lucrece sig. H3^v Deepe woes rowle forward like a gentle flood.

1638 T. Herbert Some Yeares Trav. (rev. ed.) 219 It is watered by Tigris..somewhat broader than the Thames, but not so navigable nor gentle.

1692 J. Dryden Eleonora 16 As swelling Seas to gentle Rivers glide, To seek repose, and empty out the Tyde.

1739 C. Labelye Short Acct. Piers Westm. Bridge 63 The Stream..would be gentler..than the Stream of the River Seine.

1791 W. Jessop Rep. River Witham 5 Being penned up by Locks, its velocity would be greatly decreased, and it would almost become a gentle River.

1863 G. Grove in W. Smith Dict. Bible III. 1311/2 It [sc. Siloah] is not now..anything but a very soft and gentle stream.

1890 A. Conan Doyle White Company II. xv. 42 Some way out from the town a line of..small craft were rolling lazily on the gentle swell.

1998 Guardian 24 Jan. (Weekend Suppl.) 50/4 The only sounds are the lapping of gentle waves over sandbars inside the reef.

2009 Cornishman (Nexis) 30 Apr. 1 Gentle streams were turned into raging floods, cascading down from high ground.

f. Of sleep, rest, etc.: untroubled, undisturbed.

ΚΠ

1567 G. Turberville tr. Ovid Heroycall Epist. f. 73 No gentle sleepe Doth daine to lodge in lamentable breast.

1677 C. Davenant Circe v. vi. 51 Happy Ignorance upon thy careless breast Methinks we take the gentlest rest.

1756 C. Charke Hist. Henry Dumont & Miss Charlotte Evelyn ix. 107 He..order'd some wine to be mull'd, which threw him into a gentle repose till about ten o'clock.

1825 W. Scott Talisman viii, in Tales Crusaders III. 203 The invalid..resisting no longer the soporiferous operation of the elixir, sunk down in a gentle sleep.

1878 All Year Round 28 Dec. 28/2 Comforted by these reflections, Mrs Tempest sank into a gentle slumber.

2019 Sunday Times (Nexis) 13 Jan. (Travel section) 10 Later, you can return to your sleeper carriage and let the train lull you to a gentle sleep before you wake in Venice the next day.

g. Originally and esp. of a commercial product: not harsh in action or impact; unlikely to cause damage or irritation to someone or something. Also with on, to.

ΚΠ

1892 Youth's Compan. 4 Feb. 65/3 (advt.) To wash it often and clean, without doing any sort of violence to it, requires a most gentle soap.

1910 Morning Bull. (Rockhampton, Queensland) 3 June 9/1 (advt.) The Kelly Boots... They're soft and gentle to the skin.

1995 Hair Apr. 42/3 Fine hair needs frequent washing and light conditioning with gentle products.

2005 Health Plus Jan. 59/4 Swimming is a great workout because the resistance of water works all the muscles in the body but it's gentle on the joints.

9. Not rough, coarse, or irritating to the feel or touch; soft; yielding to pressure, pliant, supple.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > constitution of matter > softness > [adjective]

lithec888

merroweOE

neshOE

tender?c1225

softa1250

unharda1300

supplec1325

melchc1350

unsad1398

slobbery?a1425

lushc1440

mulch?1440

gentle1555

mellow1577

softly1589

tenerous1598

siddow1601

maumy1728

frush1848

1555 W. Waterman tr. J. Boemus Fardle of Facions ii. ii. sig. H.ii^v Their garmentes..are verye softe and gentle clothe.

1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball iii. xciii. 448 These small pottes [of henbane] do growe and are inclosed in a rounde skinne, but the same is gentle and pricketh not.

1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 304 Another charge of a horsse-keeper is to keepe his horsses lippes soft, tender, and gentle, so as he may more sencibly feele his bit.

1698 W. Derham in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 20 4 Enclose the Mercury with gentle Leather tied very fast round the Tube.

1757 Philos. Trans. 1756 (Royal Soc.) 49 847 The English soft or gentle Thistle.

1882 Eclectic Mag. Mar. 316/2 A soft, firm hand, warm and gentle to the touch.

1965 Sunday Mail (Brisbane) 24 Oct. 24 California Miss has used bonded crepe to give the soft, gentle fabric a more substantial weight.

2016 Irish Daily Mail (Nexis) 29 Nov. (First ed.) The gentle fabric keeps the wearer warm in chilly weather.

10. Chiefly Irish English. Of a place or thing: enchanted or visited by fairies; associated with fairies.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > enchantment or casting spells > [adjective] > enchanted > by fairies

elf-takena1500

pixie-led1659

gentle1823

1823 S. McSkimin Hist. Carrickfergus (ed. 2) iv. 258 The large hawthorns growing singly..are deemed sacred to fairies, and are hence called gentle thorns.

1877 Cornhill Mag. Feb. 174 Woe betide the foolhardy person who ventures to raise an axe against one of these ‘gentle bushes’, as they are called.

1893 W. B. Yeats Celtic Twilight 94 In some more than commonly ‘gentle’ place.

1940 Ulster Jrnl. Archæol. 3 42 Mrs. Cartin's father held Cloghnagalla to be a ‘gentle spot’, to be avoided, especially at Halloweve.

1994 Folklore 105 3/1 Local views about our wood being somehow a fairy one: not in the sense of winged tinsel fairies, but as a ‘gentle place’ with some kind of special continuity with the past.

B. n.

a. In singular with plural agreement. People of good birth or high social position collectively. In later use only in collocation with simple (cf. simple n. 1a). Now rare and chiefly used in historical contexts.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social class > nobility > [noun] > noble person or man > collectively

nobleyea1393

gentlec1400

lordly1508

nobility1581

generous1610

high-born1686

hochgeboren1905

c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness (1920) l. 1216 (MED) Þer watz þe kyng kaȝt..And alle hise gentyle forjusted on Jerico playnes.

c1475 (a1400) Awntyrs Arthure (Taylor) in J. Robson Three Early Eng. Metrical Romances (1842) 19 So jolyly thes gentille justede one were! Schaftis thay shindr, in sheldes so schene.

a1525 Bk. Sevyne Sagis l. 536 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 17 Ffor gentill and sempill als he slewe.

1766 C. Anstey New Bath Guide vii. 43 Of all the gay Places the World can afford, By Gentle and Simple for Pastime ador'd.

1840 R. H. Barham Hand of Glory in Ingoldsby Legends 1st Ser. 46 Gentle and Simple, Squire and Groom, Each one had sought his separate room.

1892 Jrnl. Cork Hist. & Archaeol. Soc. 1 54/1 His wife..was the daughter of a local Protestant clergyman, whose kindly disposition had endeared him to gentle and simple alike.

1931 J. Buchan Blanket of Dark (1933) iii. 65 There is the devil's own uproar over the King's extortions among the gentle, and the simple complain that they are sore oppressed.

2006 M. Ball Duchess of Aquitaine vii. 100 God strikes gentle and simple alike.

†b. In singular. A person of good birth or high social position. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social class > nobility > [noun] > noble person or man

earleOE

wyeOE

freeOE

nobleman?c1225

athelc1275

noblec1325

douzepersc1330

freelya1350

hathela1350

gentlec1400

nobleness1490

gentle blood1575

comes1583

altezza1595

birth1596

nobility1841

c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 542 (MED) Mony ioylez for þat ientyle [sc. Gawain] iapez þer maden.

a1439 J. Lydgate Fall of Princes (Bodl. 263) iv. l. 2693 (MED) Of cherl & gentil make this dyuisioun..The stok thei cam fro, therto thei wil resorte.

c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2011) 128 Eson..Hade a son..And Iason, þat gentill aioynet was to name.

1575 N. Breton Smale Handfull of Fragrant Flowers sig. A.v Constancie, a worthie budde..Which euery Gentle certeinlie delightes to chuse of.

1604 S. Rowlands Looke to It 16 You that are sonne to him that held the Plow, Transform'd by Gold, into a Gentle now.

1827 B. Disraeli Vivian Grey III. v. iii. 68 There is a gentle's voice under a dark cloak.

1884 D. Grant Lays & Legends of North 84 Weel, he didna tell me that, But he's buskit like a gentle, An' his shawlt is sleek an' fat.

c. In plural. People of good birth or high social position; gentlemen or gentlewomen. Now rare and only in collocation with simples (cf. simple n. 1b). Since the late 19th cent., generally considered old-fashioned, and chiefly used in historical contexts, or in humorous or self-consciously archaic use.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > gentry > [noun] > gentlefolk

gentlesc1405

gentlefolka1556

genteels1652

gentle-people1755

carriage company1812

carriage1819

gentilities1833

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Pardoner's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) Prol. l. 37 And right anon thise gentils gonne to crye Nay lat hym telle vs of no ribawdye.

c1410 tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1879) VII. 87 Kyng Egelrede, by þe counseille of his gentilles [?a1475 anon. tr. of his gentillemen; L. procerum], paied to þe Danes a tribute.

1442 in J. L. Vivian & H. H. Drake Visitation County of Cornwall (1874) 275 To all Nobles & Gentles these p^rsent letters hereinge or seinge.

a1513 R. Fabyan New Cronycles Eng. & Fraunce (1516) I. ccxxx. f. clii But the Gentyllys and commonnis herynge of this mooste shamefull murder assembled them togyder.

1598 R. Barret Theorike & Pract. Mod. Warres v. 141 Men of qualitie & Gentles of good birth.

1652 R. Brome Joviall Crew v. sig. N4^v To Knight, to Squire, and to the Gentiles here, We wish our Play may with content appear.

1723 Coll. Old Ballads 179 The Nobles and the Gentles both, That were in present Place, Rejoyced at this sweet Record.

1788 F. Burney Diary 16 Aug. (1842) IV. 241 All Cheltenham was drawn out into the High-street, the gentles on one side and the commons on the other.

1816 W. Scott Old Mortality vi, in Tales of my Landlord 1st Ser. IV. 119 What made them send for a puir bodie like me, sae mony braw lords and gentles!

1882 I. Mayo Mrs. Raven's Temptation III. 8 The simples are not bound to pick up what the gentles throw away.

1957 Irish Times 13 May 5/3 Gentles and simples alike know their place.

†d. In plural. Used in addressing a group of people in a courteous or respectful manner. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > courtesy > courteous forms of address or title > [noun] > for people generally

gooda1413

gentles1591

1591 Troublesome Raigne Iohn ii. To Rdr. sig. A2 Gentles, we left King Iohn repleate with blisse.

a1592 R. Greene Frier Bacon (1594) sig. F3^v Now courteous gentls, if the Keepers girle, Hath pleased the liking fancie of you both [etc.].

1638 A. Cowley Loves Riddle v. sig. E6^v It's no matter for that,..farewell gentles.

1701 Discription Cockernonie (single sheet) Then Gentles all one question to spear at you I may, Who knows the Mistres by the Maid upon the mercat day?

1791 ‘P. Pindar’ Rights of Kings 5 Gentles! behold a poor plain-spoken man.

1821 W. Scott Kenilworth I. ii. 36 Come, gentles, let not the cup stand—here's to long spurs, short boots, full bonnets, and empty skulls!

a1866 J. Keble Misc. Poems (1869) April's gone, the king of showers; May is come, the queen of flowers; Give me something, gentles dear, For a blessing on the year.

2. Angling. A larva of a blowfly (family Calliphoridae), esp. the bluebottle, Calliphora vomitoria, used as bait. Cf. sense A. 9.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > fishing-tackle > means of attracting fish > [noun] > bait > worms and grubs

angletwitcheOE

wormc1320

codwormc1450

redwormc1450

gentle1577

touchangle1581

bob1589

Jack1601

dug1608

codbait1620

caddis-worm1627

caddis1653

cockspur1653

lob-worm1653

marsh worm1653

gilt tail1656

cadew1668

cad1674

ash-grub1676

clap-bait1681

whitebait1681

earth-bob1696

jag-tail1736

buzz1760

treachet1787

angleworm1788

cow-turd-bob1798

palmer bob1814

slob1814

angledog1832

caddis-bait1833

sedge-worm1839

snake feeder1861

hellgrammite1866

easworm1872

cow-dung bob1880

snake doctora1883

the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Diptera or flies > [noun] > suborder Cyclorrhapha > family Calliphoridae > member of > larva of

mad1573

gentle1577

the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Diptera or flies > [noun] > suborder Cyclorrhapha > family Calliphoridae > calliphora or musca vomitoria (blue-bottle) > larva of

maggot?a1475

gentle1577

1577 Arte of Angling sig. C.vii^v He will also in winter bite at a good gentill, or a ball of bread.

1594 H. Plat Jewell House 12 White and glib worms, which the anglers call Gentils.

1606 S. Gardiner Bk. Angling 95 The case-worme, the dewe-worme, the gentile.

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory ii. 193/1 The Cloudy, or Blackish Fly..proceed from Maggots, or Gentills, that breed of Putrified Flesh.

1736 Compl. Family-piece ii. ii. 261 Gentles are a very good Bait.

1851 D. Jerrold St. Giles & St. James (new ed.) xxiv, in Writings I. 251 As alive and wriggling as an angler's box of gentles.

1894 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Sept. 426/2 A gentle is placed on the hook.

a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) I. xiii. 322 Callophora vomitoria, whose maggots, developing in flesh, are called ‘gentles’ by anglers.

2003 Country Life 19 June 118/1 The humble worm is not so ubiquitous these days: coarse anglers often prefer cheap, clean ‘gentles’ (maggots) or the new synthetic baits.

†3. Originally: a female peregrine, Falco peregrinus. In later use: any of several falcons or hawks that have been tamed or trained for use in falconry. Cf. falcon-gentle n., gentle falcon n. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > birds > order Falconiformes (falcons, etc.) > family Accipitridae (hawks, etc.) > [noun] > genus Accipiter > accipiter gentilis (goshawk) > female

gentle falcona1393

slight falcon1591

gentle1638

the world > animals > birds > order Falconiformes (falcons, etc.) > family Accipitridae (hawks, etc.) > [noun] > genus Accipiter > accipiter gentilis (goshawk) > young

gentle falcona1393

slight falcon1591

gentle1638

1638 T. Nabbes Covent Garden i. i. 2 I thinke mewes for hawkes, or ayrings for gentles. Other hawkes are not here in any request.

1776 T. Pennant Brit. Zool. (ed. 4, octavo) I. ii. 173 The gentil, and the goshawk are found in Scotland.

1856 ‘Stonehenge’ Man. Brit. Rural Sports i. iv. 218/2 The further names of eyas, gentil, passage, and haggard are also applied to them according to the age at which they are taken.

C. adv.

In a gentle manner. regional and nonstandard in later use.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > lack of violence, severity, or intensity > [adverb] > without harshness or gently

lightlyeOE

neshlyeOE

fairOE

neshc1175

softlyc1225

softa1325

hoolya1340

tenderlyc1385

soft and fair(ly)c1391

weakly1398

delicately?a1425

prettilyc1500

gently1533

gentle1548

breathingly1662

blandly1827

sparingly1863

piano1873

gauzily1903

creamily1948

the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > kindness > gentleness or mildness > [adverb]

lithelyc897

softeOE

mildOE

methelyOE

mildlyOE

mansuetelyc1429

gently1525

gentle1548

tenderfully1640

laxly1785

placably1797

unfrowardly1869

1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VII f. xvii^v In parte he asswaged their malice and mitigated their rage. In so much that he was more gentler entreated then he was before.

1589 T. Lupton Dreame of Deuill & Diues (new ed.) sig. C.ii I woulde speake gentle and mildly.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Julius Caesar (1623) i. ii. 231 Hee put it by thrice, euerie time gentler then other.

1671 J. Milton Samson Agonistes 788 Men may censure thine The gentler, if severely thou exact not More strength from me, then in thy self was found.

1788 Yorks. Garland v. 20 Soft Zephirs blow gentle.

1844 E. B. Barrett Drama of Exile in Poems I. 24 He [sc. God] Did roll His thunder gentler at the close.

1911 F. H. Burnett Secret Garden x. 121 A' body 'as to move gentle an' speak low when wild things is about.

1958 V. Lincoln Dangerous Innocence ii. iii. 75 ‘No, Tibby’, I say, speaking gentle and careful as I can.

2002 Mag. Fantasy & Sci. Fiction Apr. 22 That floppy garden hat of hers had fallen over her face when he snatched her up, so he pushed it back for her real gentle.

Phrases

P1. In similative phrases suggesting gentleness of disposition or character, as in (as) gentle as a lamb, etc.

ΚΠ

1562 J. Shute tr. in Two Comm. Turcks ii. f. 41^v Oute of battayle he was as gentle as a lambe.

1611 T. Middleton & T. Dekker Roaring Girle sig. F2^v Their fathers being for the most part as gentle as milch kine.

1698 J. Hopkins Triumphs of Peace 13 Nassaw, both fierce and mild, Tho pow'rful as a God, seems gentle as a Child.

1842 Southern Lit. Messenger Nov. 706/1 She is as beautiful as an angel, and as gentle as a dove.

1907 E. Biddle Reminisc. Soldier's Wife v. 83 He had some fine-looking horses, one a beautiful sorrel mare... I mounted her, found she was well gaited, and seemed as gentle as a kitten.

2002 J. McGahern That they may face Rising Sun (2003) 15 His poor brother, who's as gentle as a lamb, has been bad for several weeks..and Patrick hasn't once called to see him.

P2.

a. the gentle art: the sport of angling.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > type or method of fishing > [noun] > angling

anglingc1450

the gentle craft1828

the gentle art1834

Waltonizing1841

sportfishing1910

sportfishery1930

1834 T. Medwin Angler in Wales I. 6 It would have made unquiet the ghost of old Isaac Walton to hear Julian's disparagement of ‘the gentle art’.

1982 Scottish Field June 28/1 Most of these personages go angling to do, and be, something different... Others admit they pursue the gentle art to relax.

2017 J. Raeburn in www.lochlomondangling.com 14 May (blog, accessed 21 Aug. 2020) We are now in the planning phase of a fly fishing competition to be held on Loch Lomond which will interest many followers of the gentle art.

b. the gentle craft: (a) the trade of shoemaking (now rare); †(b) the sport of angling (obsolete).

ΘΚΠ

the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > tailoring or making clothes > making footwear > [noun] > shoemaking

the gentle craft1592

shoemaking1611

cordwaining1758

cordwainery1834

the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > type or method of fishing > [noun] > angling

anglingc1450

the gentle craft1828

the gentle art1834

Waltonizing1841

sportfishing1910

sportfishery1930

1592 T. Nashe Pierce Penilesse (Brit. Libr. copy) sig. G [If certain people walked instead of riding] the price of veluet and cloath would fall..and the gentle craft (alias the red herrings kinsmen) get more & drink lesse.

1599 George a Greene sig. F4^v You shall be no more called Shoomakers. But you and yours to the worlds ende, Shall be called the trade of the gentle craft.

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 99/1 A Man on a Seat [sc. a Shooe-maker]..exercising of the Gentle Craft.

1725 Weekly Jrnl., or Brit. Gazetteer 25 Sept. This is to give Notice to all the Gentle Craft, that on Tuesday the 28th of this Instant, at the Sign of the Haunch of Venison,..will be a Turn'd Pump to be seen.

1828 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 24 259/1 Then for the Preserve in which he angles—in all things worthy of such a master of the gentle craft! Call not one—anyone—of the sweet-running waters of England tame.

1844 J. T. J. Hewlett Parsons & Widows I. i. 9 One of the gentle craft—so called, I presume, from their using gentles in their art.

1850 J. G. Whittier Songs of Labor & Other Poems 18 Ho! workers of the old time styled The Gentle Craft of Leather.

1894 Irish Monthly Nov. 608 Bygone days by stream and loch..pursuing the gentle craft which erst gladdened the hearts of dear old Izaak Walton and his boon-companion, Charles Cotton.

1937 Times 4 Oct. 15/4 Indeed the practice of the gentle craft [i.e. shoemaking] is less likely to produce men of action than men of thought.

P3. to go gentle on (also with) : to act in a gentle or moderate manner towards a person or thing; to use or consume something in moderation.

ΚΠ

1910 Harper's Mag. Apr. 706 He'll be a useful man yet if us can go gentle with him for a little while.

1992 Zoo Life Winter 25 Feed three times a week in liberal portions, but go gentle on the squid (it's fatty).

2020 Chronicle (Toowoomba, Queensland) (Nexis) 28 Feb. 30 Here are a few fitness ideas that will allow you to go gentle on your body but still enjoy all the benefits of physical activity.

P4. to go gentle into that good night: to accept death passively; to die quietly, unnoticed, or without a fight. Also in extended use: to accept defeat, failure, etc., passively.Usually in negative constructions, following its origin in the first line of Dylan Thomas’s poem Do not go Gentle into that Good Night (see quot. 1951).

ΚΠ

1951 D. Thomas in Botteghe Oscure 8 208 Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.]

1965 Washington Post 24 Oct. e6/6 Che—who at 37 is an author, traveler, doctor and communist; and former interior minister, major, Argentine, industries minister, Cuban and banker—surely will not go gentle into that good night.

1977 Newsweek (Nexis) 28 Feb. (Movies section) 72 Old Langham is not going gentle into that good night. Racked by the humiliating pains of what seems to be rectal cancer, the tough old guy sweats out his ordeal.

2015 G. Jerkins & J. Thomas Done in One ix. 91 But why? Why go gentle into that good night? Why be forgotten? Why fade away?

Compounds

C1.

a. Forming adjectives with the sense ‘that has a gentle ——’, by combining with a noun + -ed, as in gentle-hearted, gentle-souled, gentle-spirited, etc.

ΚΠ

1550 J. Bankes tr. J. Rivius Treat. Folishnesse of Men sig. I.viii Leste I shulde be to tedious to the gentyll harted readers.

1624 T. Heywood Γυναικεῖον vii. 362 Bold and bloodie Tullia poysons her faire and gentle-conditioned Aruns.

1678 J. Ray tr. F. Willughby Ornithol. 151 The Cassowary..is a gentle-natured bird.

1795 W. Seward Anecd. II. 227 This beautiful and gentle-minded woman.

1824 M. R. Mitford Our Village (1863) I. 187 But he managed every body, as your gentle-mannered person is apt to do.

1830 W. Scott Auchindrane i. i. 245 A young man, gentle-voiced and gentle-eyed.

1909 ‘M. Twain’ Is Shakespeare Dead? ii. 22 He was a most kind and gentle-spirited man.

1953 D. Whipple Someone at Distance (1999) xxii. 260 It was all so painful, and gentle-hearted John Bennett shrank from his part in it.

2017 Washington Post (Nexis) 7 July (Weekend section) t25 Three young nuns living under the tutelage of the gentle-souled Sister Marea.

b. Modifying adjectives and participles to form adjectives, with the sense ‘in a gentle way’, as in gentle-acting, gentle-flowing, gentle-rising, etc.

ΚΠ

1582 T. Watson Ἑκατομπαθία: Passionate Cent. Loue xcii. sig. M2^v To Hebe louely kissing is asign'd; To Zephire eu'ry gentle breathing winde.

1648 R. Herrick Hesperides sig. H5^v Thou sweetly canst convert the same From a consuming fire, Into a gentle-licking flame.

1763 J. Bell Trav. from St. Petersburg I. 310 This pleasure is still heightened by the gentle flowing rivulets; abounding with fish.

1820 W. Chambers Life & Anecd. Black Dwarf 7 A gentle rising hill to the south-west, called Manor Swire.

2010 Star-News (Wilmington, N. Carolina) (Nexis) 15 Oct. (First ed.) d6 Chamomile is a safe, gentle-acting herb that has been helping people for ages.

c. With present participles, forming adjectives in which gentle expresses the complement of the underlying verb, as in gentle-looking, gentle-seeming, gentle-sounding, etc.

ΚΠ

1612 M. Drayton Poly-olbion v. 81 The swelling surge, that with his fomie head, The gentler looking Land with furie menaced.

1766 G. Colman & D. Garrick Clandestine Marriage iii. 48 This is your gentle-looking, soft-speaking, sweet-smiling, affable Miss Fanny for you!

1850 A. B. Reach Leonard Lindsay II. xi. 334 He raised them, with kind looks and gentle-sounding words.

1876 ‘G. Eliot’ Let. 30 Mar. in J. W. Cross George Eliot's Life (1885) III. 276 A gentle-looking, clear-eyed, neatly made man.

1904 E. D. Embree Lesser Light iii. 29 From beneath those drooping lids, the gentle-seeming brown eyes watched their surroundings furtively.

2018 Newcastle (Austral.) Herald (Nexis) 20 Jan. (Weekender section) 7 It's hard to imagine this gentle-looking and polite man feeling that way.

C2.

Gentle Annie n. Australian and New Zealand (a name for) a steep hill or incline. [Perhaps with ironic reference to the title of an American popular song composed by Stephen Foster in 1856, which was the subject of an Australian parody.]

ΚΠ

1863 Star (Ballarat, Victoria) 30 May The road for a bit then was tolerably easy till we began the ascent of another [hill in Otago, New Zealand], which rejoices in the name of Gentle Annie.

1888 Brisbane Courier 28 Apr. 8/1 Travelling up the steep pinches known so well to teamsters as ‘Gentle Annie’ and ‘Grecian Bend’.

1913 W. K. Harris Outback in Austral. xvi. 108 Driving across creeks with ‘Gentle Annies’ (the coach-drivers and ‘bullocky's’ term for a stiff pull up a steep sandy ridge) on the other side is very trying to the nerves of elderly lady passengers.

1971 C. Lethbridge Sunrise on Hills 144 There are a number of so-called ‘Gentle Annies’ in New Zealand which I have negotiated from time to time.

2015 Australian (Nexis) 27 June (Review section) 16 Spread out before him was the old Normanby Range section of the road and the notorious ‘Gentle Annie’ steep grade climb.

gentle-born adj. of good birth or lineage; belonging to a family of high social position.Now generally considered old-fashioned and chiefly used with historical reference.

ΚΠ

c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Squire's Tale (Hengwrt) (1874) l. 622 Thogh he were gentil born and fressh and gay.

c1430 (c1386) G. Chaucer Legend Good Women (Cambr. Gg.4.27) (1879) l. 2090 Syn that ȝe ben as gentil born as I.

a1640 J. Fletcher & P. Massinger Sea Voy. i. i. in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) 4/1 Alb. Speake; what are ye? Seb. As you are, Gentle born.

1725 A. Ramsay Gentle Shepherd v. ii It's no my fau't that I'm nae gentler born.

1859 Ld. Tennyson Elaine in Idylls of King 187 The gentler-born the maiden, the more bound..to be sweet and serviceable.

2006 Washington Post (Nexis) 5 Mar. (Final ed.) (Style section) d1 Bell, a singular, gentle-born woman who had already established a name through Arab travels and scholarly writings.

gentle breeze n. a light wind; Meteorology a wind of force 3 on the Beaufort scale (7–10 knots or 12–19 mph).

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > wind > [noun] > gentle wind

auraa1398

breathc1400

air1535

gentle gale1567

zephyr1567

pirriea1614

breeze1626

gentle breeze1635

pirra1722

gale1728

zephyret1777

spill1899

1635 W. Saltonstall tr. G. Mercator Historia Mundi 906 The gentle breeses of winde that come from the Sea, doe temper and mittigate the heate of the day.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis vii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 400 From Land a gentle Breeze arose by Night.

1771 J. R. Forster tr. P. Kalm Trav. N. Amer. II. 319 The numbers in the columns of the winds signify as follows: 0, is a calm; 1, a gentle breeze; 2, a fresh gale; 3, a strong gale; and 4, a violent storm or hurricane.

1852 H. Stansbury Explor. & Surv. Valley Great Salt Lake 186 A gentle breeze came up from the south, bringing back with it the refluxed waters.

1906 G. C. Simpson Beaufort Scale of Wind-force 36 (table) Gentle breeze,..leaves and small twigs in constant motion; wind extends small flag.

1964 F. Chichester Lonely Sea & Sky (1967) xxx. 349 I was running before a gentle breeze.

2006 G. Pretor–Pinney Cloudspotter's Guide iii. 85 ‘Upslope fog’ occurs when a gentle breeze blows moist air up the sides of a hill or mountain and the drop in pressure cools the air enough to form droplets.

gentle falcon n. (also gentil falcon) [after Anglo-Norman and Middle French faucon gentil falcon-gentle n.] now historical (originally) a female peregrine, Falco peregrinus; (in later use) any of several falcons or hawks that have been tamed or trained for use in falconry; cf. sense B. 3, falcon-gentle n.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > birds > order Falconiformes (falcons, etc.) > family Accipitridae (hawks, etc.) > [noun] > genus Accipiter > accipiter gentilis (goshawk) > female

gentle falcona1393

slight falcon1591

gentle1638

the world > animals > birds > order Falconiformes (falcons, etc.) > family Accipitridae (hawks, etc.) > [noun] > genus Accipiter > accipiter gentilis (goshawk) > young

gentle falcona1393

slight falcon1591

gentle1638

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) vii. l. 1842 As þe gentil faucon soreth, He fleth.

a1425 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (Pierpont Morgan) xii. i Þe gentel ffawcon and oþer suche fowles.

1678 J. Ray tr. F. Willughby Ornithol. 79 The frequent agitation of the Wings in flying shews the Hawk to be a Gentile Falcon.

1771 T. Pennant Tour Scotl. 1769 277 The Peregrine and the Gentil Falcons breed in Glenmore, and other lofty rocks of the Highlands.

1829 J. Chambers Gen. Hist. County Norfolk (Introd.) p. lix The Gentil Falcon is the bird [sc. peregrine] in its immature plumage.

1834 R. Mudie Feathered Tribes Brit. Islands I. 86 When fully plumed and trained,..the female [peregrine] is the gentil, or gentle falcon,—so called, partly from her docility, and partly because she never turns ‘down the wind’, or stoops to ignoble game.

1991 Times (Nexis) 7 Dec. Historical fiction for children has lately been invaded by the proletariat. Bonny pit laddies and buffer girls now rule instead of knight crusaders and gentle falcons.

gentle gale n. now rare a moderate wind; spec. a wind of a specified force (see quot. 1867).

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > wind > [noun] > gentle wind

auraa1398

breathc1400

air1535

gentle gale1567

zephyr1567

pirriea1614

breeze1626

gentle breeze1635

pirra1722

gale1728

zephyret1777

spill1899

1567 G. Turberville Epitaphes, Epigrams f. 27^v Hast thou bene counted earst a gentle gale of winde, And dost thou now at length bewray thy fierce and frowarde kinde?

1580 H. Smith in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) ii. 467 This day at 9. in the afternoone the wind at Northeast with a gentle gale, we hald along Southeast by East.

1719 Orig. Weekly Jrnl. 3 Oct. That Evening and Night we had a gentle Gale;..when about Four o'Clock, within a League of Antegoa, to our great Amazement, we struck twice on a Rock, but, by the Advantage of a gentle Gale, we then got off, without Damage.

a1808 A. Dalrymple in W. Burney Falconer's New Universal Dict. Marine (1815) 57/2 1. Faint Air, 2. Light Air,..4. Gentle Breeze, 5. Fresh Breeze, 6. Gentle Gale.

1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Gentle gale, in which a ship carries royals and flying-kites; force 4.

1898 Country Life Illustr. 21 May 618/1 The little coasting vessels remain at anchor in spite of calm seas and gentle gales that seem to be favourable.

2018 Coastal Leader (S. Austral.) (Nexis) 4 July 12 At the start of the game, there was a gentle gale favoring the township end.

gentle giant n. (a type of) a person who, or animal which, is physically large and powerful, but (unexpectedly) gentle in nature or character; (in later use also) a personified thing of this type.

ΚΠ

1837 Athenæum 1 Apr. 225/1 He talked like poor Poll at his club, and was triumphed over by the ‘gentle giant’ Johnson.

1869 Cornhill Mag. Apr. 523 I call him ‘The gentle giant’. He is a tremendous fellow in height, and size, and sinew; but such a kind, sweet-tempered chap.

1919 A. P. Terhune Lad i. 2 She [sc. a puppy]..bossed the gentle giant in a shameful manner.., snatching from between his jaws the choicest bone of their joint dinner.

1965 Economist 6 Nov. 609 (advt.) The aircraft is a turbo-fan jet DC-8—the classic ‘gentle giant’ of the air.

2017 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 2 Oct. 21 At 6ft 3in he's a barn door of a man but a gentle giant, with..an air of immense likeability.

Derivatives

† gentle-like adv. and adj. Obsolete (a) adv. in the manner of a noble or distinguished person; (b) adj. noble, refined, courteous.

ΚΠ

?1590 Bk. of Robin Conscience (new ed.) sig. A.iv^v But this shalbe only my preparation, To liue and goe gentle-like, gallant and gay.

1594 2nd Rep. Dr. Faustus vii. sig. E^v In truth by report he was a Gentle-like man.

1648 Good News from New Eng. 3 As high as clouds he darts his words, but it is earth he wants:..In long boat with a scouring pace comes gentle-like attended.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2021; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	gentle
释义	gentleadj.n.adv. Brit. /ˈdʒɛntl/, U.S. /ˈdʒɛn(t)əl/ Forms: Middle English gentill, Middle English gentille, Middle English gentyle, Middle English gentylle, Middle English gyntyl, Middle English iantaile, Middle English iantyl, Middle English ientill, Middle English ientyle, Middle English jantil, Middle English jantyl, Middle English jentel, Middle English jentyll, Middle English–1500s gentel, Middle English–1500s gentyl, Middle English–1500s jantyll, Middle English–1500s jentill, Middle English–1500s jentylle, Middle English–1500s (1900s– in sense B. 2) gentil, Middle English–1600s gentile, Middle English–1600s gentyll, Middle English– gentle, 1500s gentl, 1500s ientil, 1500s ientyll, 1500s jentle, 1500s yentyll; Scottish pre-1700 gentell, pre-1700 gentil, pre-1700 gentile, pre-1700 gentill, pre-1700 gentyll, pre-1700 jentill, pre-1700 pre-1700– gentle. Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymon: French gentil. Etymology: < Anglo-Norman gentill, Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French gentil, Middle French (rare) jentil (French gentil , now chiefly in the sense ‘elegant’) (adjective) well-born, having a high social rank (c1050), noble by virtue of character or exploits (c1050), (of people or their body parts) attractive, beautiful, shapely, (of things or food) excellent, fine, (of people, in formulae of courtesy) noble (all late 12th cent.), (of a falcon) peregrine (c1200), friendly, amicable, (of fragrance) delicate, subtle, (of language or actions) kind, courteous (all early 13th cent.), (of animals) tame, domesticated, also of excellent breed or stock (all early 14th cent.), (masculine noun) nobleman (late 12th cent.), peregrine falcon (13th cent.), (feminine noun) noblewoman (late 12th cent.) < classical Latin gentīlis (adjective) belonging to a Roman gens, of or belonging to the same tribe or race, national, native, of or concerning foreign peoples, in post-classical Latin also noble, of good birth, (noun) member of the same gens, native or inhabitant of the same country (see gentile adj.). The sense ‘noble, of good birth’ developed out of the classical Latin sense ‘belonging to a Roman gens’. Compare gentile adj., gentile n., and also later genteel adj., a reborrowing < French gentil.Compare Old Occitan gentil , gentiel , Catalan gentil (14th cent. as adjective, also as noun), Spanish gentil (13th cent. as adjective, also as noun), Portuguese gentio (13th cent. as adjective, also as noun), Italian gentile (end of the 12th cent. as adjective, also as noun), and also German gentil (late 15th cent. as gentile ; rare before the 19th cent.). Specific senses. With sense A. 10 compare gentlefolk n. 2, gentle-people n. 2. With use as adverb compare earlier gently adv. A. adj. 1. a. Of a person: well-born, belonging to a family of high social position; having a high social rank; esp. belonging to the class of the gentry. In heraldic use: of a rank entitled to wear or display heraldic arms (cf. gentleman n. 1a). Now only in gentle and simple (cf. simple adj. 3a).Originally (esp. in Britain) gentle was used synonymously with noble, but was later distinguished from it, either as designating a person of a high social rank below the nobility, or as a wider term designating a person of high social rank, without specific reference to that rank.Now generally considered old-fashioned and chiefly used with historical reference.See also gentleman n., gentlefolk n., gentlewoman n., etc. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > gentry > [adjective] gentle?c1225 gentc1300 gentlemanlya1450 gentlemanlike1565 genteel1628 genty1660 gentee1664 gentlemany1728 niblike1834 nibsome1839 upstairs1942 ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 129 Noble men & gentile ne beoreð nane packes. a1250 Wohunge ure Lauerd in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 273 Ah noble men and gentile and of heh burðe ofte winnen luue lihtliche cheape. a1350 in R. H. Robbins Hist. Poems 14th & 15th Cent. (1959) 11 Myn eorles ant my barouns gentil ant fre. c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness (1920) l. 1180 Þe gentylest of Judee in Jerusalem biseged. 1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende f. cxlviij/2 Hyt apperteyneth not that one so gentyl a man as I am be seruant to hym. a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 226 Quhone servit is all vther man, Gentill and sempill of everie clan. 1581 G. Pettie tr. S. Guazzo Ciuile Conuersat. (1586) ii. f. 90^v Gentle of base are those who, extracted from low parentage, raise themselves to Gentrie by their vertue. a1640 J. Fletcher & P. Massinger Loves Pilgrimage ii. i, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. Aaaaaaaa4^v/1 I am as gentle as your self, as free born. a1684 J. Evelyn Diary anno 1683 (1955) IV. 306 I dined at one Mr. Houblons a rich & gentile french Merchant. 1788 R. Burns in J. Johnson Scots Musical Museum II. 121 Nae gentle dames, tho' ne'er sae fair, Shall ever be my muse's care; Their titles a' are empty show. 1860 W. M. Thackeray Four Georges iii, in Cornhill Mag. Sept. 273 All sorts of people, gentle and simple, about whom countless stories are told. 1959 J. Oliver Lion & Rose (U.S. ed.) i. iv. 77 The balance of power wavered, with the Queen on one side, the Kirk on the other, and the people, gentle and simple, turning some this way and some that. 1992 D. R. Hainsworth Stewards, Lords & People 123 At any place..where a landlord's neighbours, both gentle and simple, were likely to be gathered together. b. Of birth, blood, family, etc.: noble, illustrious, honourable; distinguished by good lineage or a high social position.Now generally considered old-fashioned and chiefly used with historical reference.Earliest in gentle blood n. 1. Gentle blood is sometimes used with a more literal sense of blood: cf. quot. 2003. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > gentry > [adjective] > of birth gentlec1300 kindc1300 gently-born1871 c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 114 Heȝe men..ther were menion, For reverence of the heȝe cunne and the gentyl blod..Of wham heo com. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 89 Hy ne lokeþ naȝt huer-of ham comþ þe zoþe noblesse, and þe gentil kenrede. a1450 York Plays (1885) 447 For he is come of gentyll kynde. 1611 J. Speed Hist. Great Brit. ix. xx. 747/1 All of Noble or gentle birth, whose superficiall boldnesse in books in these frothy dayes, is become most scandalous and iniurious to the honour, and vse of learning. a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) Surrey 87 Who no doubt was..Of Gentile Extraction, because her Parents bestowed on her so liberal and costly Education. 1742 C. Wesley Elegy on Death R. Jones 11 Of Gentle Birth; and Bred so well—They here sleep out their Time,—and wake in Hell. a1832 W. Scott Mem. Early Years in J. G. Lockhart Mem. Life Sir W. Scott (1837) I. i. 6 His birth being admitted as gentle, gave him access to the best society in the county. 1861 J. Tulloch Eng. Puritanism I. i. 57 On his father's side Cromwell was of a gentle and old family. 1930 E. Gowen True Exposé Racketeers 81 Those sections of the South where the old traditions of gentle birth and culture still assert their ancient authority. 2003 Times (Nexis) 17 Apr. (Features section) 39 Somehow I felt that there was gentle blood in his veins. c. Of occupations, pursuits, etc.: suitable for a person of good birth or high social rank. Also used ironically or humorously. Cf. the gentle art, the gentle craft.Now generally considered old-fashioned and chiefly used with historical reference. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > work > [adjective] > other types of work gentlea1425 rurala1500 jobbing1705 universal1706 non-paying1843 sweated1883 unfair1886 direct1922 entry-level1949 sidebar1952 front end1976 intrapreneurial1978 a1425 Dialogue Reason & Adversity (Cambr.) (1968) 25 (MED) Plato was taken of þefes, sold & so mad þral..for he was a philosophore, he was betere þan his biȝere, A gentil professioun þat made þe seruaunt more þenne his lord. a1525 Bk. Chess l. 44 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1923) I. 82 Schawin sall be..Vnder quhat king yis gentill sport began. 1658 W. Sanderson Graphice 28 If it be the generall Rule..that Children be taught some gentle Manu-facture [etc.]. 1725 Coll. Old Ballads III. 261 Whilk is a gentle Trade indeed, To carry the Gaberlunzie—o. 1799 A. Mather Let. Feb. in T. P. Bunting Life J. Bunting (1859) I. vii. 102 A profession [sc. the medical] that will be gentle bread at some not very distant period. 1843 Morning Post 12 July 6/3 He is..a genuine admirer of what is so absurdly called the gentle pursuit of angling. 1894 S. R. Crockett Raiders 54 All the seven big sons..were said to be deeper in the Gentle Traffic [sc. smuggling], as it was called, than any others in the locality. 2009 W. M. Keith in W. F. Eadie 21st Cent. Comm. I. i. iii. 22/2 In the 18th and early 19th centuries, college was mostly an exercise in self-improvement: its job preparation was limited to qualifying students for the ‘gentle professions’ of the clergyman, the lawyer, and the politician, acceptable jobs for ‘gentlemen’. †2. a. Of an animal: of excellent breed or stock; of a superior nature, spirit, or disposition. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > domestic animal > [adjective] > of livestock > kept for breeding > well-bred gentle?a1300 true-bred1607 well-bred1607 racy1676 bred1710 high-bred1731 full-blood1764 full-blooded1784 thoroughbred1788 pure blood1818 toppy1893 straight-bred1898 straight1972 the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > [adjective] > kept for breeding > of good breed gentle?a1300 generous1594 well-bred1607 whole-bred1667 well-strained1710 standardbred1874 ?a1300 Thrush & Nightingale (Digby) l. 61 in C. Brown Eng. Lyrics 13th Cent. (1932) 103 Gentil fowel, seist þou hit me? 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 75 Hy uoryeteþ alle oþre guodes, ase deþ þe gentyl hond huanne ha zyþ his praye touore his eȝen. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xviii. xxxix. 1187 Olde men meneþ þat in gentil hors and noble me takeþ hiede of foure þynges: of schappe and of fayrnesse, of wilfulnesse and of colour. c1475 Brome Abraham & Isaac in N. Davis Non-Cycle Plays & Fragm. (1970) 54 I haue browt here full smerte Thys jentyll scheppe. a1500 (?a1400) Sir Torrent of Portyngale (1887) l. 2033 [2133] The kyng of Nazareth huntid there Among the hertes, that gentill were. 1523 J. Skelton Goodly Garlande of Laurell 1436 A ientyll hownde shulde neuer play the kur. 1557 Earl of Surrey et al. Songes & Sonettes sig. Cc.iiii A Lion saw I late..Upon the gentle beast to gaze it pleased me. 1646 G. Lauder Horse or New-yeares-gift to Phillip Balfour sig. A4 The gentle Horse should not be spurr'd too sore; Nor must thou wrong his patience any more. b. Of things: noble, excellent, fine. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > excellence > [adjective] faireOE bremea1000 goodlyOE goodfulc1275 noblec1300 pricec1300 specialc1325 gentlec1330 fine?c1335 singulara1340 thrivena1350 thriven and throa1350 gaya1375 properc1380 before-passinga1382 daintiful1393 principala1398 gradelya1400 burlyc1400 daintyc1400 thrivingc1400 voundec1400 virtuousc1425 hathelc1440 curiousc1475 singlerc1500 beautiful1502 rare?a1534 gallant1539 eximious1547 jolly1548 egregious?c1550 jellyc1560 goodlike1562 brawc1565 of worth1576 brave?1577 surprising1580 finger-licking1584 admirablea1586 excellinga1586 ambrosial1598 sublimated1603 excellent1604 valiant1604 fabulous1609 pure1609 starryc1610 topgallant1613 lovely1614 soaringa1616 twanging1616 preclarent1623 primea1637 prestantious1638 splendid1644 sterling1647 licking1648 spankinga1666 rattling1690 tearing1693 famous1695 capital1713 yrare1737 pure and —1742 daisy1757 immense1762 elegant1764 super-extra1774 trimming1778 grand1781 gallows1789 budgeree1793 crack1793 dandy1794 first rate1799 smick-smack1802 severe1805 neat1806 swell1810 stamming1814 divine1818 great1818 slap-up1823 slapping1825 high-grade1826 supernacular1828 heavenly1831 jam-up1832 slick1833 rip-roaring1834 boss1836 lummy1838 flash1840 slap1840 tall1840 high-graded1841 awful1843 way up1843 exalting1844 hot1845 ripsnorting1846 clipping1848 stupendous1848 stunning1849 raving1850 shrewd1851 jammy1853 slashing1854 rip-staving1856 ripping1858 screaming1859 up to dick1863 nifty1865 premier cru1866 slap-bang1866 clinking1868 marvellous1868 rorty1868 terrific1871 spiffing1872 all wool and a yard wide1882 gorgeous1883 nailing1883 stellar1883 gaudy1884 fizzing1885 réussi1885 ding-dong1887 jim-dandy1888 extra-special1889 yum-yum1890 out of sight1891 outasight1893 smooth1893 corking1895 large1895 super1895 hot dog1896 to die for1898 yummy1899 deevy1900 peachy1900 hi1901 v.g.1901 v.h.c.1901 divvy1903 doozy1903 game ball1905 goodo1905 bosker1906 crackerjack1910 smashinga1911 jake1914 keen1914 posh1914 bobby-dazzling1915 juicy1916 pie on1916 jakeloo1919 snodger1919 whizz-bang1920 wicked1920 four-star1921 wow1921 Rolls-Royce1922 whizz-bang1922 wizard1922 barry1923 nummy1923 ripe1923 shrieking1926 crazy1927 righteous1930 marvy1932 cool1933 plenty1933 brahmaa1935 smoking1934 solid1935 mellow1936 groovy1937 tough1937 bottler1938 fantastic1938 readyc1938 ridge1938 super-duper1938 extraordinaire1940 rumpty1940 sharp1940 dodger1941 grouse1941 perfecto1941 pipperoo1945 real gone1946 bosting1947 supersonic1947 whizzo1948 neato1951 peachy-keen1951 ridgey-dite1953 ridgy-didge1953 top1953 whizzing1953 badass1955 wild1955 belting1956 magic1956 bitching1957 swinging1958 ridiculous1959 a treat1959 fab1961 bad-assed1962 uptight1962 diggish1963 cracker1964 marv1964 radical1964 bakgat1965 unreal1965 pearly1966 together1968 safe1970 bad1971 brilliant1971 fabby1971 schmick1972 butt-kicking1973 ripper1973 Tiffany1973 bodacious1976 rad1976 kif1978 awesome1979 death1979 killer1979 fly1980 shiok1980 stonking1980 brill1981 dope1981 to die1982 mint1982 epic1983 kicking1983 fabbo1984 mega1985 ill1986 posho1989 pukka1991 lovely jubbly1992 awesomesauce2001 nang2002 bess2006 amazeballs2009 boasty2009 daebak2009 beaut2013 c1330 (?c1300) Reinbrun (Auch.) in J. Zupitza Guy of Warwick (1891) 657 On þat place was a paleis on: Swich ne seȝ he neuer non... Postes and laces þat þer were Of iaspe gentil þat was dere. c1400 (?c1380) Pearl l. 1015 Þe twelfþe, þe gentyleste in vch a plyt, Þe amatyst purpre. ?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 137 Þere groweth full gode wyn þat men clepen Bigon þat is full myghty & gentyll in drynkynge. a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Cock & Jasp l. 79 in Poems (1981) 6 Sa meruelland vpon the stane, quod he, O gentill Iasp, O riche and nobill thing. 1518 H. Watson tr. Hystorye Olyuer of Castylle xxx. sig. G.iij The hatte of blacke, vpon the whiche was a ryght gentyll and ryche ouche of stones ryght curyously wrought. 1556 tr. J. de Flores Histoire de Aurelio & Isabelle sig. O2 For the whiche [sc. women] all gentill inuentions and all goodes comes in to the worlde. 1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta Nat. & Morall Hist. Indies iv. xxxvii. 311 Neither do they make so many gentill devises as they were wont. 3. a. Of a person: having a character or manner appropriate to, or traditionally associated with, a person of good birth or high social position; noble, refined, gracious, courteous, polite.Since the late 19th cent., generally considered old-fashioned. In later use also used ironically or in a self-consciously archaic way.Frequently in gentle knight, where there is some overlap with sense A. 1a, esp. in early use. In later use often with allusion to Chaucer's use (quot. c1405). ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > [adjective] > well-mannered > well-bred gentlec1325 kindc1330 inqueredc1440 well-born?c1450 well-bred1585 well nutrimenteda1592 well-reared1597 high-bred1604 jaunty1664 c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 11719 Sir henri is sone þat so gentil kniȝt was. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. vi. xviii. 318 Lordis schal be noble and gentil of herte, of fleische, and of þouȝt. ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) ii. l. 4669 Gentille of norture & noble of lynage. c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 72 He was a verray perfit gentil knyght. 1467 in S. Tymms Wills & Inventories Bury St. Edmunds (1850) 18 They [sc. tenants] haue be to me ryght gentil and good at alle tymes. a1500 (a1450) Generides (Trin. Cambr.) l. 3 Ther was a nobyll kyng, Ientill, curteys, full trew in worde. 1529 T. More Dialogue Heresyes i, in Wks. 170/2 Sithe I am so gentle to graunt you so many thinges, I trust ye wyl grant me this one. 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. i. sig. A3 A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine. 1733 T. Newcomb Woman of Taste 19 Your looks with graces you inspire, To melt some gentle lord with age's fire. 1814 R. Southey Roderick iii With such short interchange of benison As each to other gentle travellers give. 1871 R. Browning Balaustion 147 The son of Zeus, He was the gentle guest to entertain! 1932 P. Mégroz tr. F. Chaliapin Man & Mask ii. xix. 295 In spite of all my entreaties that my gentle guests should stay and drink the wine with me instead of carrying it off, these virtuous citizens refused to yield to temptation. 1987 Washington Post (Nexis) 11 Jan. (Book World section) x11 It turns out that Montague is not only an artist but a perfect gentle knight at heart and it is inevitable that he will triumph over all vicissitudes. 2011 Wexford People (Nexis) 7 Sept. Those present enjoyed a drink of water from the pure crystal fountain with glasses provide [sic] by our gentle hosts the members of the Doyle family, Glenour. †b. Of a person's character, appearance, behaviour, language, etc.: noble, refined, gracious, courteous, polite; befitting, or traditionally associated with, a person of good birth or high social position. Obsolete.Sometimes approaching senses A. 6a, A. 6b. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > courtesy > [adjective] > of conduct gentlec1325 genteel1656 c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 4192 Þi faire body so gentil vor swolwe he wole to niȝt. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 2665 (MED) This scole is of a gentil lore. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xv. cv. 786 The men þerof ben..grete werriours, gentil in cloþinge, sober in spekynge, mylde in hert. c1430 (c1386) G. Chaucer Legend Good Women (Cambr. Gg.4.27) (1879) l. 1090 And manye a gentil word sche spak hym to. c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) viii. 20 It neuer commyth of a yentyll courage of any knyght to assayle any person without armure. 1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. CCCiii Than if we be touched w^t a sharpe worde we shall yelde a benigne & gentyll answere. 1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. i. f. 37 They which geue gentill and open eares to the word of God. 1598 B. Yong tr. J. de Montemayor Diana 122 She gaue him infinite thankes..for the gentle entertainment she had in his Castle. 1646 F. Hawkins tr. Youths Behaviour (ed. 4) 18 And be thou assured, that gentle affability towards thy inferiours, will fix to thy name the Epithite of courteous. 1653 H. Cogan tr. F. M. Pinto Voy. & Adventures iv. 9 This man with very gentle words gave an end to the sedition..which shews of what power courtesie is. 1703 J. Gordon Char. Generous Prince ii. 123 Their ordering Paulus Æmyliuss, against his own Gentle and Courteous Nature, to break in upon the Kingdowm of Epirus. 1797 S. J. Pratt Family Secrets II. xxx. 397 One would imagine these bowering hawthorns and these o'er-arching shades..had been the scene of some gentle assignation in days of chivalry. 1842 Pennsylvania Inquirer & National Gaz. 6 Aug. So these, from Dido's troop of wretched thralls, Came speeding to us through the air unblest; Of such avail my gentle speech I found. c. Used in addressing or referring to someone in a courteous or respectful manner, or as a complimentary epithet.Now chiefly in self-consciously archaic use, as in gentle reader. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > courtesy > courteous forms of address or title > [adjective] goodeOE liefc897 sweeta1225 beauc1300 gentlec1330 comelya1375 faira1375 reverentc1410 reverend1422 virtuous?1473 singular1485 lucky1568 respectable1749 c1330 Seven Sages (Auch.) (1933) l. 141 (MED) Gentil emperour, I þe loue wiȝ fin amour. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Cook's Tale (Hengwrt) (1870) l. 4353 Now tel on, gentil Roger, by thy name. c1460 (?c1400) Tale of Beryn Prol. l. 56 ‘Graunt mercy, gentil Sir!’ quod she, ‘þat yee been vnaservid’. a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 39 Keip this in secreit, gentill brudir. 1542 H. Brinkelow Lamentacion sig. Av^v Judge thou Jentell reader. a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) i. ii. 14 What think'st thou of the gentle Protheus. 1723 J. Barker Patch-work Screen for Ladies 15 Come, gentle Muse! assist me now, A double Wreath plait for my Brow, Of Poetry and Physick too. 1765 T. Gray Shakespeare in Corr. Gray & W. Mason (1853) 339 1 A moment's patience, gentle Mistres Anne. 1800 E. Johnson's Brit. Gaz. & Sunday Monitor 27 July Stay, gentle Sir, one moment stay, An helpless Orphan Maid attend. 1844 T. C. Haliburton Attaché 2nd Ser. II. 285 Gentle reader, having taken my leave of Mr. Slick, it is now fit I should take my leave of you. 1937 Economist 13 Feb. 342/1 His trip to the Riviera was in reality a political, not a health, vacation: and the gentle Lord Halifax would first receive the redoubtable Herr von Ribbentrop. 2002 New Straits Times (Malaysia) (Nexis) 18 Dec. 10 Gentle Reader, perpend (but finish your breakfast first). †4. An epithet given to a person of distinction. Obsolete.Chiefly in alliterative use. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > majesty, glory, or grandeur > [adjective] higheOE drightlikeOE highlyOE drightfula1225 prouda1275 principalc1385 solemna1387 gentlec1390 high and mighty1400 imperial?c1400 royalc1405 kinglyc1425 sublimatec1425 lordfulc1429 lordlyc1440 assumpt1447 raiseda1450 haught1470 kinglikec1485 lordlike1488 triumphant1494 greatlya1500 princely?a1510 supereminent1531 princelike1532 lofta1547 lofty1548 regal1561 supernal1562 haughty1563 excelse1569 queen-like?1571 majestical1578 erecteda1586 augustious1591 ennobled1592 imperious1592 enthronized1593 august1594 high-born1598 sublimed1602 jovial1604 majestic1606 enthroned1609 starred1615 exalted1623 majestuous1633 reared1638 sublimary1655 majestative1656 kingrik1663 superb1663 grand1673 celse1708 stilted1744 canonized1790 queenly1791 apotheosized1794 princified1857 c1390 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Vernon) (1867) A. i. l. 159 Iames þe gentel bond [B text c1400 Laud 581 iugged] hit in his Book. a1450 York Plays (1885) 272 As ye are gentill juger and justice of Jewes. 1567 R. Sempill in J. Cranstoun Satirical Poems Reformation (1891) I. 32 In deidis he soulde haue bene lyke Deiphoebus..or gentill Julius. c1600 A. Montgomerie Poems (2000) I. 111 If gentle blude ingendrit be by baggis Then culd I ges vho wer a gentle Jhone. 5. †a. Of fruit, a tree, etc.: cultivated, domesticated (as opposed to wild). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > wild and cultivated plants > [adjective] > cultivated or planted gentle?1440 plantedc1450 husbandly1550 tame1551 manured1562 domestical1578 sative1599 mild1601 cultivated1634 hortala1704 sativous1786 farmed1897 the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > cultivation of plants or crops > [adjective] > cultivated gentle?1440 husbandly1550 tame1551 manured1562 domestical1578 sative1599 cherished1744 sativous1786 tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) iii. l. 711 A gentil tre, Not wilde at all, withoute asperite. c1475 (?a1410) J. Lydgate Churl & Bird (Harl.) in Select. Minor Poems (1840) 192 The vintere tretethe of his holsom wynes, Of gentille frute bostethe the gardener. 1548 W. Turner Names of Herbes sig. A.iiij Wormwod pontike..in englishe maye be also called wormwod gentle. 1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball v. lxiiij. 629 Erysimon hath long leaues deepely rent, & iagged vpon both sides, not muche vnlyke the leaues of of Rockat gentle or Romayne Rockat, or wilde Mustarde. 1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. 429 The berries..much like..to the grains or fruit of the gentle garden Corneil tree. a1616 W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) iv. iv. 93 We marry A gentler Sien, to the wildest Stocke. View more context for this quotation 1699 J. Evelyn Acetaria 12 English Mercury, or..All-good, the gentle Turiones, and Tops may be eaten as Sparagus, or sodden in Pottage. 1871 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues II. 431 Tending the gentle shoots, and preventing the wild ones from growing. b. Of an animal or an animal's disposition: tame, quiet, docile, easily managed. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > domestic animal > [adjective] tamec888 mildOE meekc1175 privy1340 unwilda1400 familiar1483 gentle?1531 domestical1562 inward1575 inwards1575 housal1611 domestic1620 cicurated1646 domesticated1802 the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > animal keeping practices general > [adjective] > tamed or trained tamec888 mildOE meekc1175 unwilda1400 chastisedc1440 reclaimed1440 made1474 familiar1483 gentle?1531 domestical1562 inward1575 inwards1575 housal1611 domestic1620 cicurated1646 domiciliated1782 domesticated1802 broken1805 hand-tamed1932 ?1531 tr. Plutarch Howe One may take Profite of Enmyes f. 3 The husbande man can not take from euery tree the wylde nature: nor the hunter can not make euery wylde beaste gentil and tame. 1562 G. Legh Accedens of Armory 178 A Barnacle..This is y^e Chiefest Instrument y^t the Smyth hath, to make the vntamed Horse gentile. 1623 W. Shakespeare & J. Fletcher Henry VIII v. iii. 56 Those that tame wild Horses, Pace 'em not in their hands to make 'em gentle . View more context for this quotation 1745 D. De Coetlogon Universal Hist. Arts & Sci. II. 175/1 Those internal Qualities [of a Horse] are, his being of a gentle Disposition to his Keeper, tractable and docile, free from those ill Qualities of biting, striking, restiffness [etc.]. 1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth II. 330 They are gentle and harmless enough while young; but as they grow up, they acquire their natural ferocity. 1811 G. Shaw Gen. Zool. VIII. 382 The Keel-Bill is a bird of a tame and gentle nature. 1821 Cobbett's Weekly Polit. Reg. 2 June 577 I wish to God you..could hear him calling his oxen by their names, and could see the gentle animals so obedient to his call. 1931 E. Ferber Amer. Beauty xiv. 278 In their stalls, row on row, stood the gentle ruminant creatures, symbol of all that is pastoral. 2002 Western Daily Press (Nexis) 4 Sept. (Columnist section) 9 Massive animals [sc. carthorses] of eight feet high or more, dressed in their show gear with brasses and ribbons, gentle, slow and strong. 6. a. Of a person, or a person's character, manner, etc.: mild in disposition or behaviour; kind, tender; amiable, good-natured. Also with to, towards, †unto.See also the gentle sex, the gentler sex. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > kindness > gentleness or mildness > [adjective] stillc825 tamec888 nesheOE mildeOE softOE lithea1000 daftc1000 methefulOE sefteOE meekc1175 benign1377 pleasablea1382 mytha1400 tendera1400 unfelona1400 mansuetea1425 meeta1425 gentlec1450 moy1487 placablea1522 facile1539 effeminate1594 silver1596 mildya1603 unmalicious1605 uncruel1611 maliceless1614 tender-hefteda1616 unpersecutive1664 baby-milda1845 rose water1855 turtlish1855 unvindictive1857 soft-boiled1859 tenderful1901 soft-lining1967 c1450 (c1425) Brut (Cambr. Kk.1.12) 346 (MED) He kept þat office but iiij wokis, because he was so tendir and gentill vn-to þe cetezens of London, wherfore þe King deposyd hym. 1513 G. Douglas in tr. Virgil Æneid i. Prol. 99 A lord sa gentle and kynd,..Quhilk..Bukis to recollect, to reid and se, Hes greit delite als euir hed Ptolome. 1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. xiij I doubt not but king Charles is of a milde and gentle disposition. 1658 A. Jackson Annot. Prov. xiv. 805 in Annot. Old Test. Doctrinall Bks. The righteous..do compassionate their brethren when they sin, and are favourable and gentle towards them, seeking to hide and excuse them as far as lawfully they may. 1726 E. Fenton in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey V. xx. 388 A long cessation of discourse ensu'd, By gentler Agelaus thus renew'd. 1765 J. Wesley Let. 9 Mar. (1931) IV. 291 Nothing can hurt you, if you are calm, mild, and gentle to all men, especially to the froward. 1812 J. Wilson Isle of Palms ii. 307 But to yon gentle Maiden turn, Who never for herself doth mourn. 1870 J. E. T. Rogers Hist. Gleanings 2nd Ser. 42 Princes are seldom gentle when crossed. 1875 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) III. 226 You have grown gentle towards me and have left off scolding. 1942 J. Grenfell Let. 29 Mar. in Darling Ma (1989) 343 He's very..sweet and gentle and sensitive but not a beau in any way. 1944 W. E. Harney Taboo (ed. 4) 92 He had a gentle nature, ever out to please. 2009 Atlantic Monthly Sept. 17/1 Jed is also a kind and gentle soul. b. Of (esp. potentially negative) language, actions, etc.: mild, measured; genial, good-humoured. ΚΠ ?1529 R. Hyrde tr. J. L. Vives Instr. Christen Woman ii. vi. sig. e.ij^v Let her therfore get this out of her husbandes mynde by gentyll meanes, and content hym agayne. 1542 Glasse for Housholders sig. gvi^v Wemen may be kept good with gentyll entreatye, they maye not knowe that they be suspecte, but euer muste be counsayled with louyng maner. 1612 J. Brinsley Ludus Lit. xxvii. 277 Which of vs is there who is a father, who would not haue our owne children rather trained vp by all louing meanes of gentle incouragement, praise and faire dealing, then with buffeting and blowes? 1636 tr. J. Desmarets de Saint-Sorlin Ariana i. vii. 124 Had it not beene for the extreme passion of Melintus.., the gentle humour of Palamede and Eurylas had bin able to have dispell'd his sadnesse. 1658 S. Rutherford Surv. of Surv. Church-discipline i. vii. 26 Master Hooker..passeth in silence the arguments of the way of the Churches of New England, except a gentle hint he hath at the first, but he omitteth the nerves therof. 1796 ‘M. Fitz John’ Joan! I. iv. 51 ‘My dear Madam,’ replied Lambert, with all the gentle hypocrisy of irony, ‘you entirely mistake me.’ 1896 J. C. Harris Sister Jane 32 Taking this as a gentle hint, I went out. 1951 Illustr. London News 24 Feb. 306/3 A book which is entirely composed of affectionate portraits—the affection shot through with wit and gentle irony. 1998 Viz June 40/3 Which member of the..pop group..was the last one to flounce off stage in response to gentle ribbing? 2017 Birmingham Evening Mail (Nexis) 16 Sept. 40 The club would like to take this opportunity to send out a gentle reminder about the rules and procedures we have in place for the safety and wellbeing of all supporters. 7. a. Moderate in operation, intensity, effect, rate, etc. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > lack of violence, severity, or intensity > [adjective] > not harsh or gentle meekc1230 nesha1250 tender1340 softa1398 sober1455 gentle1508 silken1601 milken1648 rose water1837 paddy1962 1508 Bk. Keruynge (de Worde) sig. A.iii Loke your stalkes of synamon be well coloured & swete canell is not soo gentyll in operacyon synamon is hote and drye. a1547 Earl of Surrey tr. Virgil Fourth Bk. Aeneas (1554) sig. B.i Gentle flame the Maryes doth deuowere: Whyles in the brest the sylent wounde keepes lyfe. 1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §399 The Sunne, which is a Gentler Heat [sc. than Fire]. 1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. i. 14 I found abundance of all things..at so easie and gentle a rate, that [etc.]. 1688 G. Miege Great French Dict. ii. sig. Bb3/2 A gentle fit of an Ague, accês de Fiévre moderé. 1758 A. Reid tr. P. J. Macquer Elements Theory & Pract. Chym. I. 138 Liquors..evaporated by a gentle heat..are called Extracts. 1841 C. Dickens Barnaby Rudge ii. 244 Ride forward at a gentler pace; and good night. 1898 Rolfe (Iowa) Reveille 6 Jan. Each pound of figs must be added, and the gentle simmering continued until you have a soft, well-blended, thick preserve. 1999 Cosmopolitan (U.K. ed.) Feb. 128/2 Gentle exfoliation once a week is good because dead skin cells on the skin's surface prevent moisturiser from being absorbed properly. 2006 Mother & Baby Aug. 33/1 Doing some regular, gentle exercise will strengthen your muscles for labour. b. Of a touch or other physical gesture: not forceful; using little or light pressure; soft, tender. ΚΠ 1565 B. Googe tr. ‘M. Palingenius’ Zodiake of Life (new ed.) xi. sig. RR.ij They swiftly passe about..And easly thus with gentle touch their neyghbours next are kyst, Wherfore there motion they do make all silently and whyst. a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) ii. vii. 29 Giuing a gentle kisse to euery sedge He ouer-taketh in his pilgrimage. 1674 C. Cotton Compl. Gamester (1680) 95 As good Cards come into their hand..they give them a gentle touch with their nail. 1760 L. Sterne Life Tristram Shandy I. xii. 68 Yorick replied, with a look up, and a gentle squeeze of Eugenius's hand. 1889 Harper's Mag. July 196/1 While the service is going on we feel from time to time a gentle tap on the shoulder. 1987 S. Sandler Alternative Health: Osteopathy (1992) v. 63 The osteopath uses gentle pressure along the arm to encourage separation of the two halves of the shoulder joint. 2005 Sugar May 70/2 A gentle touch of the arm can make someone feel like you truly care. c. Of a slope, curve, etc.: very gradual; not steep or sharp. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > land > landscape > high land > slope > [adjective] > gentle gentle1595 softa1626 1595 M. Drayton Endimion & Phœbe sig. B2^v Aboue this Groue a gentle faire ascent, Which by degrees of Milk-white Marble went. 1661 J. Evelyn Fumifugium i. 5 The City of London is built upon a sweet and most agreeable Eminency of Ground, at the North-side of a goodly and well-condition'd River, towards which it hath an Aspect by a gentle and easie declivity. 1697 W. Dampier New Voy. around World vii. 187 On the North side it declines with a gentle descent to the Sea. 1717 G. Berkeley Jrnls. Trav. Italy 31 May in Wks. (1955) VII. 290 Nothing more than gentle hills or risings. 1777 R. Watson Hist. Reign Philip II II. xxii. 299 He pitched his camp in a spacious plain, which is terminated by two hills of a gentle ascent. 1851 W. H. Dixon W. Penn xi. 381 The house itself stood on a gentle eminence. 1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. xviii. 124 A gentle snow-slope brought us to the base of a precipice. 1938 E. Goudge Towers in Mist (1998) i. 25 A gracious street with leisurely slope and gentle curves. 1956 Ski-ing (‘Know the Game’ Ser.) 13/2 These [nursery slopes] should be of average steepness at the top, have a gentle gradient in the middle and a long flat run out so that the ski will come to a stop naturally if the skier is unable to control them. 2000 Lewiston (Idaho) Morning Tribune (Nexis) 1 June (Outdoors section) 1 d The gentle dark green slopes of Osier Ridge and Wapito Peak. 8. a. Of a controlling or regulating influence, a punishment, etc.: not strict or harsh; of moderate severity; mild, clement. ΘΚΠ society > authority > lack of strictness > [adjective] largeda1382 softc1405 largea1450 laxc1450 remissa1500 milda1530 gentle1533 slender1577 relax1609 unconstraining1644 unoppressive1648 inoppressive1661 unaustere1741 undespotic1821 light-touch1949 1533 tr. P. Valeriano Pro Sacerdotum Barbis f. 30^^v Without doute he wol metigate his displeasure, and begyn to turne these bitter and cruell chastisinges into a more easye and more gentyl punyshment. 1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes* ii. f. 232 As soone as he heard that the same partie was alone remaining aliue of the sprynge of Brasidas, he bidde y^e same come to hym, and after a moderate or gentle correpcion leat hym goo at his libertee. 1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xxxix. 1038 Like an headstrong and frampold horse, that will not be ruled with a gentle snaffle. 1660 Bp. J. Taylor Ductor Dubitantium II. iii. v. 365 A Master governs by fear, & a Father by love, & both by their authority: but the gentle way is the Fathers method. 1696 N. Tate & N. Brady New Version Psalms of David lxxii. 4 Shall rule with gentle Sway. 1702 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion I. ii. 116 The Papists..being upon the matter absolv'd from the Severest parts of the Law, and dispensed with for the Gentlest. 1752 D. Hume Ess. & Treat. (1777) I. 21 In every respect, a gentle government is preferable. 1828 W. Scott Fair Maid of Perth i, in Chron. Canongate 2nd Ser. II. 21 If gentler methods will succeed better with these Earish knaves, do not blame Douglas for speaking his mind. 1878 O. W. Holmes John Lothrop Motley: Mem. xxi. 164 This gentle form of violence is well understood in the diplomatic service. 1919 S. Anderson Winesburg, Ohio 13 He was one of those rare, little-understood men who rule by a power so gentle that it passes as a lovable weakness. 2007 GP Mag. (Nexis) 16 Mar. 2 This programme..is designed to help parents..be consistent in using gentle punishment for bad behaviour. b. Of a medicine (esp. a laxative): not violent or powerful in action; lacking unpleasant effects or side effects. Cf. mild adj. 7a.In figurative context in quot. 1534. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > [adjective] > relating to powers or effects of drugs > mild lithec1400 gentle1534 benign1638 mild1652 unirritant1822 bland1835 soft1959 1534 W. Marshall tr. Erasmus Playne & Godly Expos. Commune Crede v. f. 121^v Whiche preste also shold remedye and heale the woundes with farre more mylde and gentle medicines. 1576 A. Fleming tr. Hippocrates in Panoplie Epist. 289 I would therfore, that a stronger remedie be prepared: for this emplaster is too gentle. 1621 R. Burton Anat. Melancholy ii. iv. ii. ii. 453 These are very gentle purgers, alypus, dragon root, centaury, ditany. 1721 W. Gibson Farriers Dispensatory iii. v. 137 It is so gentle a Lenitive, that three Times the Quantity they usually give will hardly move any Horse. 1835 J. Forbes et al. Cycl. Pract. Med. IV. 587/2 By mild and frequently repeated doses of gentle aperients. 1907 A. M. Ashdown Compl. Syst. Nursing xxii. 594 Rest in bed is usually prescribed, also gentle laxatives. 2017 Daily Mail (National ed.) (Nexis) 26 Dec. (Features section) 41 Try the oldfashioned but gentle remedy Califig Syrup of Fig. c. Of a sound, music, etc.: soft, low, quiet, subdued; not loud or harsh. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > pleasantness of sound > [adjective] > gentle or not harsh smalleOE softc1230 gentle1548 softly1576 melting1585 mellow1650 dulcified1684 tender1709 silken1785 smooth1836 velvety1896 1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. I. John v. f. xli An excellente Prophete,..whose gentle and pleasant voyce not fearyng men with threatenyng, but alluryng theim to saluacion, it shoulde behoue them to heare. 1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xxiv. 269 Her voyce was euer soft, Gentle and low, an excellent thing in women. View more context for this quotation 1661 J. Fell Life Hammond 27 A gentle Whisper seem'd to interrupt those other louder noises, saying, Be still, and ye shall receive no harm. 1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 80. ⁋5 I heard a very gentle Knock at my Door. 1742 W. Collins Persian Eclogues ii. 12 The gentle Voice of Peace. 1782 W. Cowper Conversation in Poems 257 In gentle sounds it seems as it complained Of the rude injuries it late sustained. 1812 J. Wilson Isle of Palms ii. 407 And gives to the storm as gentle notes As e'er through sunshine stole. 1861 J. Edmond Children's Church at Home iii. 49 A gentle tap at the library door. 1911 Daily Mail 19 Mar. 6/4 Nothing but a gentle hum tells you that there is an engine at all in the bonnet. 1980 Washington Post (Nexis) 16 Jan. d3 A smile crept across the singer's face and he started to sing a very gentle melody. 2018 Cairns Post (Austral.) (Nexis) 9 Apr. (Lifestyle section) 22 Both islands offer accommodation for those who want to fall asleep to the gentle sounds of the waves lapping the shore. d. Of the weather, wind, climate, etc.: not stormy, violent, or severe; mild. Cf. gentle breeze n., gentle gale n. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > fine weather > [adjective] > mild (of weather or climate) mildOE softc1225 greenc1425 gentle1550 genial1647 clement1652 balmy1709 maumy1728 1550 R. Sherry tr. Erasmus Declam. Chyldren in Treat. Schemes & Tropes sig. I.vi For we se that trees also in that parte where the sea doth sauour, or the northen winde blow, to shrynke in their braunches and boughes: and where the wether is more gentle, there to spreade them farther oute. 1563 W. Fulke Goodle Gallerye Causes Meteors iii. f. 18^v Kynde of wynde, whiche is but a softe gentle and coole mouing of the ayre, and commeth from no certaine place. 1585 J. B. tr. P. Viret School of Beastes: Good Housholder sig. D6^v And the great riuers..giue a sweete and gentle temperatenes and most pleasaunt to the fishes. 1600 J. Pory tr. J. Leo Africanus Geogr. Hist. Afr. i. 35 Those seas are..most pleasant..to saile upon, with faire and gentle weather. 1634 T. Herbert Relation Some Yeares Trauaile 2 We had verie raging Seas and tempests, but at night a gentle calme ensued. 1726 J. Swift Gulliver II. iv. xi. 169 The Wind though very gentle was against me, blowing North-West. 1770 G. White Let. 12 Apr. in Nat. Hist. Selborne (1789) 128 Warreners observe..that their rabbits are never in such good case as in a gentle frost. 1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam ix. 12 Sleep, gentle heavens, before the prow; Sleep, gentle winds, as he sleeps now. View more context for this quotation 1905 C. H. M. Gaskell Spring in Shropshire Abbey iv. 131 A soft sweet day. A gentle rain had fallen all through the night, and the sense of spring was everywhere. 1969 D. F. Costello Prairie World (1975) viii. 146 A warm night in early April, when gentle rains have moistened the hard-packed ground. 2018 Daily Tel. (Austral.) (Nexis) 12 Jan. (Fishing section) 61 The weather report was near perfect: flat seas and gentle winds. e. Of water, waves, etc.: flowing smoothly; not rough or turbulent. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > water > flow or flowing > [adjective] > slowly or gently gentle1555 unspeedy1615 sullen1622 subrepent1650 lapsinga1771 1555 R. Eden tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde iii. xi. f. 160 Unto this goulfe, the course of the water was gentyl enough and moderate. 1594 W. Shakespeare Lucrece sig. H3^v Deepe woes rowle forward like a gentle flood. View more context for this quotation 1638 T. Herbert Some Yeares Trav. (rev. ed.) 219 It is watered by Tigris..somewhat broader than the Thames, but not so navigable nor gentle. 1692 J. Dryden Eleonora 16 As swelling Seas to gentle Rivers glide, To seek repose, and empty out the Tyde. 1739 C. Labelye Short Acct. Piers Westm. Bridge 63 The Stream..would be gentler..than the Stream of the River Seine. 1791 W. Jessop Rep. River Witham 5 Being penned up by Locks, its velocity would be greatly decreased, and it would almost become a gentle River. 1863 G. Grove in W. Smith Dict. Bible III. 1311/2 It [sc. Siloah] is not now..anything but a very soft and gentle stream. 1890 A. Conan Doyle White Company II. xv. 42 Some way out from the town a line of..small craft were rolling lazily on the gentle swell. 1998 Guardian 24 Jan. (Weekend Suppl.) 50/4 The only sounds are the lapping of gentle waves over sandbars inside the reef. 2009 Cornishman (Nexis) 30 Apr. 1 Gentle streams were turned into raging floods, cascading down from high ground. f. Of sleep, rest, etc.: untroubled, undisturbed. ΚΠ 1567 G. Turberville tr. Ovid Heroycall Epist. f. 73 No gentle sleepe Doth daine to lodge in lamentable breast. 1677 C. Davenant Circe v. vi. 51 Happy Ignorance upon thy careless breast Methinks we take the gentlest rest. 1756 C. Charke Hist. Henry Dumont & Miss Charlotte Evelyn ix. 107 He..order'd some wine to be mull'd, which threw him into a gentle repose till about ten o'clock. 1825 W. Scott Talisman viii, in Tales Crusaders III. 203 The invalid..resisting no longer the soporiferous operation of the elixir, sunk down in a gentle sleep. 1878 All Year Round 28 Dec. 28/2 Comforted by these reflections, Mrs Tempest sank into a gentle slumber. 2019 Sunday Times (Nexis) 13 Jan. (Travel section) 10 Later, you can return to your sleeper carriage and let the train lull you to a gentle sleep before you wake in Venice the next day. g. Originally and esp. of a commercial product: not harsh in action or impact; unlikely to cause damage or irritation to someone or something. Also with on, to. ΚΠ 1892 Youth's Compan. 4 Feb. 65/3 (advt.) To wash it often and clean, without doing any sort of violence to it, requires a most gentle soap. 1910 Morning Bull. (Rockhampton, Queensland) 3 June 9/1 (advt.) The Kelly Boots... They're soft and gentle to the skin. 1995 Hair Apr. 42/3 Fine hair needs frequent washing and light conditioning with gentle products. 2005 Health Plus Jan. 59/4 Swimming is a great workout because the resistance of water works all the muscles in the body but it's gentle on the joints. 9. Not rough, coarse, or irritating to the feel or touch; soft; yielding to pressure, pliant, supple. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > constitution of matter > softness > [adjective] lithec888 merroweOE neshOE tender?c1225 softa1250 unharda1300 supplec1325 melchc1350 unsad1398 slobbery?a1425 lushc1440 mulch?1440 gentle1555 mellow1577 softly1589 tenerous1598 siddow1601 maumy1728 frush1848 1555 W. Waterman tr. J. Boemus Fardle of Facions ii. ii. sig. H.ii^v Their garmentes..are verye softe and gentle clothe. 1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball iii. xciii. 448 These small pottes [of henbane] do growe and are inclosed in a rounde skinne, but the same is gentle and pricketh not. 1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 304 Another charge of a horsse-keeper is to keepe his horsses lippes soft, tender, and gentle, so as he may more sencibly feele his bit. 1698 W. Derham in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 20 4 Enclose the Mercury with gentle Leather tied very fast round the Tube. 1757 Philos. Trans. 1756 (Royal Soc.) 49 847 The English soft or gentle Thistle. 1882 Eclectic Mag. Mar. 316/2 A soft, firm hand, warm and gentle to the touch. 1965 Sunday Mail (Brisbane) 24 Oct. 24 California Miss has used bonded crepe to give the soft, gentle fabric a more substantial weight. 2016 Irish Daily Mail (Nexis) 29 Nov. (First ed.) The gentle fabric keeps the wearer warm in chilly weather. 10. Chiefly Irish English. Of a place or thing: enchanted or visited by fairies; associated with fairies. ΘΚΠ the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > enchantment or casting spells > [adjective] > enchanted > by fairies elf-takena1500 pixie-led1659 gentle1823 1823 S. McSkimin Hist. Carrickfergus (ed. 2) iv. 258 The large hawthorns growing singly..are deemed sacred to fairies, and are hence called gentle thorns. 1877 Cornhill Mag. Feb. 174 Woe betide the foolhardy person who ventures to raise an axe against one of these ‘gentle bushes’, as they are called. 1893 W. B. Yeats Celtic Twilight 94 In some more than commonly ‘gentle’ place. 1940 Ulster Jrnl. Archæol. 3 42 Mrs. Cartin's father held Cloghnagalla to be a ‘gentle spot’, to be avoided, especially at Halloweve. 1994 Folklore 105 3/1 Local views about our wood being somehow a fairy one: not in the sense of winged tinsel fairies, but as a ‘gentle place’ with some kind of special continuity with the past. B. n. 1. a. In singular with plural agreement. People of good birth or high social position collectively. In later use only in collocation with simple (cf. simple n. 1a). Now rare and chiefly used in historical contexts. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social class > nobility > [noun] > noble person or man > collectively nobleyea1393 gentlec1400 lordly1508 nobility1581 generous1610 high-born1686 hochgeboren1905 c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness (1920) l. 1216 (MED) Þer watz þe kyng kaȝt..And alle hise gentyle forjusted on Jerico playnes. c1475 (a1400) Awntyrs Arthure (Taylor) in J. Robson Three Early Eng. Metrical Romances (1842) 19 So jolyly thes gentille justede one were! Schaftis thay shindr, in sheldes so schene. a1525 Bk. Sevyne Sagis l. 536 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 17 Ffor gentill and sempill als he slewe. 1766 C. Anstey New Bath Guide vii. 43 Of all the gay Places the World can afford, By Gentle and Simple for Pastime ador'd. 1840 R. H. Barham Hand of Glory in Ingoldsby Legends 1st Ser. 46 Gentle and Simple, Squire and Groom, Each one had sought his separate room. 1892 Jrnl. Cork Hist. & Archaeol. Soc. 1 54/1 His wife..was the daughter of a local Protestant clergyman, whose kindly disposition had endeared him to gentle and simple alike. 1931 J. Buchan Blanket of Dark (1933) iii. 65 There is the devil's own uproar over the King's extortions among the gentle, and the simple complain that they are sore oppressed. 2006 M. Ball Duchess of Aquitaine vii. 100 God strikes gentle and simple alike. †b. In singular. A person of good birth or high social position. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social class > nobility > [noun] > noble person or man earleOE wyeOE freeOE nobleman?c1225 athelc1275 noblec1325 douzepersc1330 freelya1350 hathela1350 gentlec1400 nobleness1490 gentle blood1575 comes1583 altezza1595 birth1596 nobility1841 c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 542 (MED) Mony ioylez for þat ientyle [sc. Gawain] iapez þer maden. a1439 J. Lydgate Fall of Princes (Bodl. 263) iv. l. 2693 (MED) Of cherl & gentil make this dyuisioun..The stok thei cam fro, therto thei wil resorte. c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2011) 128 Eson..Hade a son..And Iason, þat gentill aioynet was to name. 1575 N. Breton Smale Handfull of Fragrant Flowers sig. A.v Constancie, a worthie budde..Which euery Gentle certeinlie delightes to chuse of. 1604 S. Rowlands Looke to It 16 You that are sonne to him that held the Plow, Transform'd by Gold, into a Gentle now. 1827 B. Disraeli Vivian Grey III. v. iii. 68 There is a gentle's voice under a dark cloak. 1884 D. Grant Lays & Legends of North 84 Weel, he didna tell me that, But he's buskit like a gentle, An' his shawlt is sleek an' fat. c. In plural. People of good birth or high social position; gentlemen or gentlewomen. Now rare and only in collocation with simples (cf. simple n. 1b). Since the late 19th cent., generally considered old-fashioned, and chiefly used in historical contexts, or in humorous or self-consciously archaic use. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > gentry > [noun] > gentlefolk gentlesc1405 gentlefolka1556 genteels1652 gentle-people1755 carriage company1812 carriage1819 gentilities1833 c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Pardoner's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) Prol. l. 37 And right anon thise gentils gonne to crye Nay lat hym telle vs of no ribawdye. c1410 tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1879) VII. 87 Kyng Egelrede, by þe counseille of his gentilles [?a1475 anon. tr. of his gentillemen; L. procerum], paied to þe Danes a tribute. 1442 in J. L. Vivian & H. H. Drake Visitation County of Cornwall (1874) 275 To all Nobles & Gentles these p^rsent letters hereinge or seinge. a1513 R. Fabyan New Cronycles Eng. & Fraunce (1516) I. ccxxx. f. clii But the Gentyllys and commonnis herynge of this mooste shamefull murder assembled them togyder. 1598 R. Barret Theorike & Pract. Mod. Warres v. 141 Men of qualitie & Gentles of good birth. 1652 R. Brome Joviall Crew v. sig. N4^v To Knight, to Squire, and to the Gentiles here, We wish our Play may with content appear. 1723 Coll. Old Ballads 179 The Nobles and the Gentles both, That were in present Place, Rejoyced at this sweet Record. 1788 F. Burney Diary 16 Aug. (1842) IV. 241 All Cheltenham was drawn out into the High-street, the gentles on one side and the commons on the other. 1816 W. Scott Old Mortality vi, in Tales of my Landlord 1st Ser. IV. 119 What made them send for a puir bodie like me, sae mony braw lords and gentles! 1882 I. Mayo Mrs. Raven's Temptation III. 8 The simples are not bound to pick up what the gentles throw away. 1957 Irish Times 13 May 5/3 Gentles and simples alike know their place. †d. In plural. Used in addressing a group of people in a courteous or respectful manner. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > courtesy > courteous forms of address or title > [noun] > for people generally gooda1413 gentles1591 1591 Troublesome Raigne Iohn ii. To Rdr. sig. A2 Gentles, we left King Iohn repleate with blisse. a1592 R. Greene Frier Bacon (1594) sig. F3^v Now courteous gentls, if the Keepers girle, Hath pleased the liking fancie of you both [etc.]. 1638 A. Cowley Loves Riddle v. sig. E6^v It's no matter for that,..farewell gentles. 1701 Discription Cockernonie (single sheet) Then Gentles all one question to spear at you I may, Who knows the Mistres by the Maid upon the mercat day? 1791 ‘P. Pindar’ Rights of Kings 5 Gentles! behold a poor plain-spoken man. 1821 W. Scott Kenilworth I. ii. 36 Come, gentles, let not the cup stand—here's to long spurs, short boots, full bonnets, and empty skulls! a1866 J. Keble Misc. Poems (1869) April's gone, the king of showers; May is come, the queen of flowers; Give me something, gentles dear, For a blessing on the year. 2. Angling. A larva of a blowfly (family Calliphoridae), esp. the bluebottle, Calliphora vomitoria, used as bait. Cf. sense A. 9. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > fishing-tackle > means of attracting fish > [noun] > bait > worms and grubs angletwitcheOE wormc1320 codwormc1450 redwormc1450 gentle1577 touchangle1581 bob1589 Jack1601 dug1608 codbait1620 caddis-worm1627 caddis1653 cockspur1653 lob-worm1653 marsh worm1653 gilt tail1656 cadew1668 cad1674 ash-grub1676 clap-bait1681 whitebait1681 earth-bob1696 jag-tail1736 buzz1760 treachet1787 angleworm1788 cow-turd-bob1798 palmer bob1814 slob1814 angledog1832 caddis-bait1833 sedge-worm1839 snake feeder1861 hellgrammite1866 easworm1872 cow-dung bob1880 snake doctora1883 the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Diptera or flies > [noun] > suborder Cyclorrhapha > family Calliphoridae > member of > larva of mad1573 gentle1577 the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Diptera or flies > [noun] > suborder Cyclorrhapha > family Calliphoridae > calliphora or musca vomitoria (blue-bottle) > larva of maggot?a1475 gentle1577 1577 Arte of Angling sig. C.vii^v He will also in winter bite at a good gentill, or a ball of bread. 1594 H. Plat Jewell House 12 White and glib worms, which the anglers call Gentils. 1606 S. Gardiner Bk. Angling 95 The case-worme, the dewe-worme, the gentile. 1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory ii. 193/1 The Cloudy, or Blackish Fly..proceed from Maggots, or Gentills, that breed of Putrified Flesh. 1736 Compl. Family-piece ii. ii. 261 Gentles are a very good Bait. 1851 D. Jerrold St. Giles & St. James (new ed.) xxiv, in Writings I. 251 As alive and wriggling as an angler's box of gentles. 1894 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Sept. 426/2 A gentle is placed on the hook. a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) I. xiii. 322 Callophora vomitoria, whose maggots, developing in flesh, are called ‘gentles’ by anglers. 2003 Country Life 19 June 118/1 The humble worm is not so ubiquitous these days: coarse anglers often prefer cheap, clean ‘gentles’ (maggots) or the new synthetic baits. †3. Originally: a female peregrine, Falco peregrinus. In later use: any of several falcons or hawks that have been tamed or trained for use in falconry. Cf. falcon-gentle n., gentle falcon n. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > birds > order Falconiformes (falcons, etc.) > family Accipitridae (hawks, etc.) > [noun] > genus Accipiter > accipiter gentilis (goshawk) > female gentle falcona1393 slight falcon1591 gentle1638 the world > animals > birds > order Falconiformes (falcons, etc.) > family Accipitridae (hawks, etc.) > [noun] > genus Accipiter > accipiter gentilis (goshawk) > young gentle falcona1393 slight falcon1591 gentle1638 1638 T. Nabbes Covent Garden i. i. 2 I thinke mewes for hawkes, or ayrings for gentles. Other hawkes are not here in any request. 1776 T. Pennant Brit. Zool. (ed. 4, octavo) I. ii. 173 The gentil, and the goshawk are found in Scotland. 1856 ‘Stonehenge’ Man. Brit. Rural Sports i. iv. 218/2 The further names of eyas, gentil, passage, and haggard are also applied to them according to the age at which they are taken. C. adv. In a gentle manner. regional and nonstandard in later use. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > lack of violence, severity, or intensity > [adverb] > without harshness or gently lightlyeOE neshlyeOE fairOE neshc1175 softlyc1225 softa1325 hoolya1340 tenderlyc1385 soft and fair(ly)c1391 weakly1398 delicately?a1425 prettilyc1500 gently1533 gentle1548 breathingly1662 blandly1827 sparingly1863 piano1873 gauzily1903 creamily1948 the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > kindness > gentleness or mildness > [adverb] lithelyc897 softeOE mildOE methelyOE mildlyOE mansuetelyc1429 gently1525 gentle1548 tenderfully1640 laxly1785 placably1797 unfrowardly1869 1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VII f. xvii^v In parte he asswaged their malice and mitigated their rage. In so much that he was more gentler entreated then he was before. 1589 T. Lupton Dreame of Deuill & Diues (new ed.) sig. C.ii I woulde speake gentle and mildly. a1616 W. Shakespeare Julius Caesar (1623) i. ii. 231 Hee put it by thrice, euerie time gentler then other. View more context for this quotation 1671 J. Milton Samson Agonistes 788 Men may censure thine The gentler, if severely thou exact not More strength from me, then in thy self was found. View more context for this quotation 1788 Yorks. Garland v. 20 Soft Zephirs blow gentle. 1844 E. B. Barrett Drama of Exile in Poems I. 24 He [sc. God] Did roll His thunder gentler at the close. 1911 F. H. Burnett Secret Garden x. 121 A' body 'as to move gentle an' speak low when wild things is about. 1958 V. Lincoln Dangerous Innocence ii. iii. 75 ‘No, Tibby’, I say, speaking gentle and careful as I can. 2002 Mag. Fantasy & Sci. Fiction Apr. 22 That floppy garden hat of hers had fallen over her face when he snatched her up, so he pushed it back for her real gentle. Phrases P1. In similative phrases suggesting gentleness of disposition or character, as in (as) gentle as a lamb, etc. ΚΠ 1562 J. Shute tr. in Two Comm. Turcks ii. f. 41^v Oute of battayle he was as gentle as a lambe. 1611 T. Middleton & T. Dekker Roaring Girle sig. F2^v Their fathers being for the most part as gentle as milch kine. 1698 J. Hopkins Triumphs of Peace 13 Nassaw, both fierce and mild, Tho pow'rful as a God, seems gentle as a Child. 1842 Southern Lit. Messenger Nov. 706/1 She is as beautiful as an angel, and as gentle as a dove. 1907 E. Biddle Reminisc. Soldier's Wife v. 83 He had some fine-looking horses, one a beautiful sorrel mare... I mounted her, found she was well gaited, and seemed as gentle as a kitten. 2002 J. McGahern That they may face Rising Sun (2003) 15 His poor brother, who's as gentle as a lamb, has been bad for several weeks..and Patrick hasn't once called to see him. P2. a. the gentle art: the sport of angling. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > type or method of fishing > [noun] > angling anglingc1450 the gentle craft1828 the gentle art1834 Waltonizing1841 sportfishing1910 sportfishery1930 1834 T. Medwin Angler in Wales I. 6 It would have made unquiet the ghost of old Isaac Walton to hear Julian's disparagement of ‘the gentle art’. 1982 Scottish Field June 28/1 Most of these personages go angling to do, and be, something different... Others admit they pursue the gentle art to relax. 2017 J. Raeburn in www.lochlomondangling.com 14 May (blog, accessed 21 Aug. 2020) We are now in the planning phase of a fly fishing competition to be held on Loch Lomond which will interest many followers of the gentle art. b. the gentle craft: (a) the trade of shoemaking (now rare); †(b) the sport of angling (obsolete). ΘΚΠ the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > tailoring or making clothes > making footwear > [noun] > shoemaking the gentle craft1592 shoemaking1611 cordwaining1758 cordwainery1834 the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > type or method of fishing > [noun] > angling anglingc1450 the gentle craft1828 the gentle art1834 Waltonizing1841 sportfishing1910 sportfishery1930 1592 T. Nashe Pierce Penilesse (Brit. Libr. copy) sig. G [If certain people walked instead of riding] the price of veluet and cloath would fall..and the gentle craft (alias the red herrings kinsmen) get more & drink lesse. 1599 George a Greene sig. F4^v You shall be no more called Shoomakers. But you and yours to the worlds ende, Shall be called the trade of the gentle craft. 1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 99/1 A Man on a Seat [sc. a Shooe-maker]..exercising of the Gentle Craft. 1725 Weekly Jrnl., or Brit. Gazetteer 25 Sept. This is to give Notice to all the Gentle Craft, that on Tuesday the 28th of this Instant, at the Sign of the Haunch of Venison,..will be a Turn'd Pump to be seen. 1828 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 24 259/1 Then for the Preserve in which he angles—in all things worthy of such a master of the gentle craft! Call not one—anyone—of the sweet-running waters of England tame. 1844 J. T. J. Hewlett Parsons & Widows I. i. 9 One of the gentle craft—so called, I presume, from their using gentles in their art. 1850 J. G. Whittier Songs of Labor & Other Poems 18 Ho! workers of the old time styled The Gentle Craft of Leather. 1894 Irish Monthly Nov. 608 Bygone days by stream and loch..pursuing the gentle craft which erst gladdened the hearts of dear old Izaak Walton and his boon-companion, Charles Cotton. 1937 Times 4 Oct. 15/4 Indeed the practice of the gentle craft [i.e. shoemaking] is less likely to produce men of action than men of thought. P3. to go gentle on (also with) : to act in a gentle or moderate manner towards a person or thing; to use or consume something in moderation. ΚΠ 1910 Harper's Mag. Apr. 706 He'll be a useful man yet if us can go gentle with him for a little while. 1992 Zoo Life Winter 25 Feed three times a week in liberal portions, but go gentle on the squid (it's fatty). 2020 Chronicle (Toowoomba, Queensland) (Nexis) 28 Feb. 30 Here are a few fitness ideas that will allow you to go gentle on your body but still enjoy all the benefits of physical activity. P4. to go gentle into that good night: to accept death passively; to die quietly, unnoticed, or without a fight. Also in extended use: to accept defeat, failure, etc., passively.Usually in negative constructions, following its origin in the first line of Dylan Thomas’s poem Do not go Gentle into that Good Night (see quot. 1951). ΚΠ 1951 D. Thomas in Botteghe Oscure 8 208 Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.] 1965 Washington Post 24 Oct. e6/6 Che—who at 37 is an author, traveler, doctor and communist; and former interior minister, major, Argentine, industries minister, Cuban and banker—surely will not go gentle into that good night. 1977 Newsweek (Nexis) 28 Feb. (Movies section) 72 Old Langham is not going gentle into that good night. Racked by the humiliating pains of what seems to be rectal cancer, the tough old guy sweats out his ordeal. 2015 G. Jerkins & J. Thomas Done in One ix. 91 But why? Why go gentle into that good night? Why be forgotten? Why fade away? Compounds C1. a. Forming adjectives with the sense ‘that has a gentle ——’, by combining with a noun + -ed, as in gentle-hearted, gentle-souled, gentle-spirited, etc. ΚΠ 1550 J. Bankes tr. J. Rivius Treat. Folishnesse of Men sig. I.viii Leste I shulde be to tedious to the gentyll harted readers. 1624 T. Heywood Γυναικεῖον vii. 362 Bold and bloodie Tullia poysons her faire and gentle-conditioned Aruns. 1678 J. Ray tr. F. Willughby Ornithol. 151 The Cassowary..is a gentle-natured bird. 1795 W. Seward Anecd. II. 227 This beautiful and gentle-minded woman. 1824 M. R. Mitford Our Village (1863) I. 187 But he managed every body, as your gentle-mannered person is apt to do. 1830 W. Scott Auchindrane i. i. 245 A young man, gentle-voiced and gentle-eyed. 1909 ‘M. Twain’ Is Shakespeare Dead? ii. 22 He was a most kind and gentle-spirited man. 1953 D. Whipple Someone at Distance (1999) xxii. 260 It was all so painful, and gentle-hearted John Bennett shrank from his part in it. 2017 Washington Post (Nexis) 7 July (Weekend section) t25 Three young nuns living under the tutelage of the gentle-souled Sister Marea. b. Modifying adjectives and participles to form adjectives, with the sense ‘in a gentle way’, as in gentle-acting, gentle-flowing, gentle-rising, etc. ΚΠ 1582 T. Watson Ἑκατομπαθία: Passionate Cent. Loue xcii. sig. M2^v To Hebe louely kissing is asign'd; To Zephire eu'ry gentle breathing winde. 1648 R. Herrick Hesperides sig. H5^v Thou sweetly canst convert the same From a consuming fire, Into a gentle-licking flame. 1763 J. Bell Trav. from St. Petersburg I. 310 This pleasure is still heightened by the gentle flowing rivulets; abounding with fish. 1820 W. Chambers Life & Anecd. Black Dwarf 7 A gentle rising hill to the south-west, called Manor Swire. 2010 Star-News (Wilmington, N. Carolina) (Nexis) 15 Oct. (First ed.) d6 Chamomile is a safe, gentle-acting herb that has been helping people for ages. c. With present participles, forming adjectives in which gentle expresses the complement of the underlying verb, as in gentle-looking, gentle-seeming, gentle-sounding, etc. ΚΠ 1612 M. Drayton Poly-olbion v. 81 The swelling surge, that with his fomie head, The gentler looking Land with furie menaced. 1766 G. Colman & D. Garrick Clandestine Marriage iii. 48 This is your gentle-looking, soft-speaking, sweet-smiling, affable Miss Fanny for you! 1850 A. B. Reach Leonard Lindsay II. xi. 334 He raised them, with kind looks and gentle-sounding words. 1876 ‘G. Eliot’ Let. 30 Mar. in J. W. Cross George Eliot's Life (1885) III. 276 A gentle-looking, clear-eyed, neatly made man. 1904 E. D. Embree Lesser Light iii. 29 From beneath those drooping lids, the gentle-seeming brown eyes watched their surroundings furtively. 2018 Newcastle (Austral.) Herald (Nexis) 20 Jan. (Weekender section) 7 It's hard to imagine this gentle-looking and polite man feeling that way. C2. Gentle Annie n. Australian and New Zealand (a name for) a steep hill or incline. [Perhaps with ironic reference to the title of an American popular song composed by Stephen Foster in 1856, which was the subject of an Australian parody.] ΚΠ 1863 Star (Ballarat, Victoria) 30 May The road for a bit then was tolerably easy till we began the ascent of another [hill in Otago, New Zealand], which rejoices in the name of Gentle Annie. 1888 Brisbane Courier 28 Apr. 8/1 Travelling up the steep pinches known so well to teamsters as ‘Gentle Annie’ and ‘Grecian Bend’. 1913 W. K. Harris Outback in Austral. xvi. 108 Driving across creeks with ‘Gentle Annies’ (the coach-drivers and ‘bullocky's’ term for a stiff pull up a steep sandy ridge) on the other side is very trying to the nerves of elderly lady passengers. 1971 C. Lethbridge Sunrise on Hills 144 There are a number of so-called ‘Gentle Annies’ in New Zealand which I have negotiated from time to time. 2015 Australian (Nexis) 27 June (Review section) 16 Spread out before him was the old Normanby Range section of the road and the notorious ‘Gentle Annie’ steep grade climb. gentle-born adj. of good birth or lineage; belonging to a family of high social position.Now generally considered old-fashioned and chiefly used with historical reference. ΚΠ c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Squire's Tale (Hengwrt) (1874) l. 622 Thogh he were gentil born and fressh and gay. c1430 (c1386) G. Chaucer Legend Good Women (Cambr. Gg.4.27) (1879) l. 2090 Syn that ȝe ben as gentil born as I. a1640 J. Fletcher & P. Massinger Sea Voy. i. i. in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) 4/1 Alb. Speake; what are ye? Seb. As you are, Gentle born. 1725 A. Ramsay Gentle Shepherd v. ii It's no my fau't that I'm nae gentler born. 1859 Ld. Tennyson Elaine in Idylls of King 187 The gentler-born the maiden, the more bound..to be sweet and serviceable. 2006 Washington Post (Nexis) 5 Mar. (Final ed.) (Style section) d1 Bell, a singular, gentle-born woman who had already established a name through Arab travels and scholarly writings. gentle breeze n. a light wind; Meteorology a wind of force 3 on the Beaufort scale (7–10 knots or 12–19 mph). ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > wind > [noun] > gentle wind auraa1398 breathc1400 air1535 gentle gale1567 zephyr1567 pirriea1614 breeze1626 gentle breeze1635 pirra1722 gale1728 zephyret1777 spill1899 1635 W. Saltonstall tr. G. Mercator Historia Mundi 906 The gentle breeses of winde that come from the Sea, doe temper and mittigate the heate of the day. 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis vii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 400 From Land a gentle Breeze arose by Night. 1771 J. R. Forster tr. P. Kalm Trav. N. Amer. II. 319 The numbers in the columns of the winds signify as follows: 0, is a calm; 1, a gentle breeze; 2, a fresh gale; 3, a strong gale; and 4, a violent storm or hurricane. 1852 H. Stansbury Explor. & Surv. Valley Great Salt Lake 186 A gentle breeze came up from the south, bringing back with it the refluxed waters. 1906 G. C. Simpson Beaufort Scale of Wind-force 36 (table) Gentle breeze,..leaves and small twigs in constant motion; wind extends small flag. 1964 F. Chichester Lonely Sea & Sky (1967) xxx. 349 I was running before a gentle breeze. 2006 G. Pretor–Pinney Cloudspotter's Guide iii. 85 ‘Upslope fog’ occurs when a gentle breeze blows moist air up the sides of a hill or mountain and the drop in pressure cools the air enough to form droplets. gentle falcon n. (also gentil falcon) [after Anglo-Norman and Middle French faucon gentil falcon-gentle n.] now historical (originally) a female peregrine, Falco peregrinus; (in later use) any of several falcons or hawks that have been tamed or trained for use in falconry; cf. sense B. 3, falcon-gentle n. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > birds > order Falconiformes (falcons, etc.) > family Accipitridae (hawks, etc.) > [noun] > genus Accipiter > accipiter gentilis (goshawk) > female gentle falcona1393 slight falcon1591 gentle1638 the world > animals > birds > order Falconiformes (falcons, etc.) > family Accipitridae (hawks, etc.) > [noun] > genus Accipiter > accipiter gentilis (goshawk) > young gentle falcona1393 slight falcon1591 gentle1638 a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) vii. l. 1842 As þe gentil faucon soreth, He fleth. a1425 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (Pierpont Morgan) xii. i Þe gentel ffawcon and oþer suche fowles. 1678 J. Ray tr. F. Willughby Ornithol. 79 The frequent agitation of the Wings in flying shews the Hawk to be a Gentile Falcon. 1771 T. Pennant Tour Scotl. 1769 277 The Peregrine and the Gentil Falcons breed in Glenmore, and other lofty rocks of the Highlands. 1829 J. Chambers Gen. Hist. County Norfolk (Introd.) p. lix The Gentil Falcon is the bird [sc. peregrine] in its immature plumage. 1834 R. Mudie Feathered Tribes Brit. Islands I. 86 When fully plumed and trained,..the female [peregrine] is the gentil, or gentle falcon,—so called, partly from her docility, and partly because she never turns ‘down the wind’, or stoops to ignoble game. 1991 Times (Nexis) 7 Dec. Historical fiction for children has lately been invaded by the proletariat. Bonny pit laddies and buffer girls now rule instead of knight crusaders and gentle falcons. gentle gale n. now rare a moderate wind; spec. a wind of a specified force (see quot. 1867). ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > wind > [noun] > gentle wind auraa1398 breathc1400 air1535 gentle gale1567 zephyr1567 pirriea1614 breeze1626 gentle breeze1635 pirra1722 gale1728 zephyret1777 spill1899 1567 G. Turberville Epitaphes, Epigrams f. 27^v Hast thou bene counted earst a gentle gale of winde, And dost thou now at length bewray thy fierce and frowarde kinde? 1580 H. Smith in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) ii. 467 This day at 9. in the afternoone the wind at Northeast with a gentle gale, we hald along Southeast by East. 1719 Orig. Weekly Jrnl. 3 Oct. That Evening and Night we had a gentle Gale;..when about Four o'Clock, within a League of Antegoa, to our great Amazement, we struck twice on a Rock, but, by the Advantage of a gentle Gale, we then got off, without Damage. a1808 A. Dalrymple in W. Burney Falconer's New Universal Dict. Marine (1815) 57/2 1. Faint Air, 2. Light Air,..4. Gentle Breeze, 5. Fresh Breeze, 6. Gentle Gale. 1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Gentle gale, in which a ship carries royals and flying-kites; force 4. 1898 Country Life Illustr. 21 May 618/1 The little coasting vessels remain at anchor in spite of calm seas and gentle gales that seem to be favourable. 2018 Coastal Leader (S. Austral.) (Nexis) 4 July 12 At the start of the game, there was a gentle gale favoring the township end. gentle giant n. (a type of) a person who, or animal which, is physically large and powerful, but (unexpectedly) gentle in nature or character; (in later use also) a personified thing of this type. ΚΠ 1837 Athenæum 1 Apr. 225/1 He talked like poor Poll at his club, and was triumphed over by the ‘gentle giant’ Johnson. 1869 Cornhill Mag. Apr. 523 I call him ‘The gentle giant’. He is a tremendous fellow in height, and size, and sinew; but such a kind, sweet-tempered chap. 1919 A. P. Terhune Lad i. 2 She [sc. a puppy]..bossed the gentle giant in a shameful manner.., snatching from between his jaws the choicest bone of their joint dinner. 1965 Economist 6 Nov. 609 (advt.) The aircraft is a turbo-fan jet DC-8—the classic ‘gentle giant’ of the air. 2017 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 2 Oct. 21 At 6ft 3in he's a barn door of a man but a gentle giant, with..an air of immense likeability. Derivatives † gentle-like adv. and adj. Obsolete (a) adv. in the manner of a noble or distinguished person; (b) adj. noble, refined, courteous. ΚΠ ?1590 Bk. of Robin Conscience (new ed.) sig. A.iv^v But this shalbe only my preparation, To liue and goe gentle-like, gallant and gay. 1594 2nd Rep. Dr. Faustus vii. sig. E^v In truth by report he was a Gentle-like man. 1648 Good News from New Eng. 3 As high as clouds he darts his words, but it is earth he wants:..In long boat with a scouring pace comes gentle-like attended. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2021; most recently modified version published online June 2022). gentlev. Brit. /ˈdʒɛntl/, U.S. /ˈdʒɛn(t)əl/ Forms: see gentle adj., n., and adv. Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: gentle adj. Etymology: < gentle adj. †1. transitive. To ennoble, dignify (a person, a person's status, etc.); to raise (a person) to the status of a gentleman or gentlewoman. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > majesty, glory, or grandeur > exaltation or glorification > exalt or glorify [verb (transitive)] > impart nobility to noblec1380 transfigurec1380 nobley?a1439 noblish1483 ennoble1502 gentle1532 nobilitate1542 ennoblize1598 ennoblishc1600 sublimate1601 greaten1627 exalt1711 annoblize1731 1532 (c1385) Usk's Test. Loue in Wks. G. Chaucer ii. f. cccxliii^v Better is it thy kynne to ben by the gentyled, then thou to glorifye of thy kynnes gentylesse, and haste no deserte therof thy selfe. 1600 W. Shakespeare Henry V iv. iii. 63 Be he nere so base, This day shall gentle his condition. 1630 J. Taylor Wks. iii. 12/1 And all this raking toyle..Is for his clownish..heyre, Who must be gentled by his ill got pelfe. 1817 Lit. Gaz. 6 Dec. 360/2 His learning gentled his condition; His piety may gain admission, Where kings and courtiers stand without. 2. a. transitive. To render (a thing, esp. something negative or unpleasant) gentle, mild, or pleasant; to temper, ameliorate. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > lack of violence, severity, or intensity > make less violent or severe [verb (transitive)] > render mild or gentle nesh1340 gentle1631 1631 ‘A. B.’ tr. L. Lessius Rawleigh his Ghost ii. xviii. 354 The consideration of the reward..doth so temper and gentle the bitternes thereof, as that it maketh it to seeme sweet and to be desired. 1883 R. Broughton Belinda II. iii. i. 174 A smile..sweetening and gentling the now habitual sullenness of her face. 1908 Daily Chron. 3 Feb. 3/3 Tragic circumstances that are put with all the vigour of a strong hand, yet gentled by a beautiful thread of love. 1936 ‘R. Hyde’ Passport to Hell 23 Horse-dung trodden into the mire and yet gentled with the smell of warm straw. 2017 Irish Examiner (Nexis) 28 Oct. [The house is] set on a rise with that lovely green-space gentling the urban views. b. transitive. To tame, train, or break in (an animal, esp. a horse). ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > animal keeping practices general > [verb (transitive)] > tame or train temec1000 tamec1315 faite1362 daunt1377 afaitea1393 reclaima1393 chastisec1400 makea1425 meekc1429 break1474 enter1490 train?1532 law1534 dressc1540 meeken1591 correct1594 subjugate1595 cicure1599 unwild1605 cicurate1606 mancipate1623 familiarize1634 domesticate1641 gentle1651 domesticize1656 civilize1721 educate1760 domiciliate1782 the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > keeping or management of horses > [verb (transitive)] > break a horse break1474 dressc1540 back1594 gentle1651 rough1802 bust1885 1651 J. F. tr. H. C. Agrippa Three Bks. Occult Philos. i. xlii. 85 For if the snaffle of the bridle, or spurs be made of it, they say that with these any horse, though never so wild, may be tamed, and gentled. 1735 R. Lee in Virginia Hist. Mag. 3 356 Y'r colts have not been gentled any, so that Charles can't lead them up. 1862 A. K. H. Boyd Recreat. Country Parson 72 A long course of kindness has gentled you [sc. a horse] as well as Mr. Rarey could have done. 1894 Harper's Mag. Feb. 354 I strolled out to the corrals to see the bulls ‘gentled’. 1993 A. Russell Canad. Cowboy xiv. 249 They hired George Rivière..to help trail the horses south to Glacier Park where he was due to gentle the green broke horses at their headquarters there. 2017 Edwardsburg (Mich.) Argus (Nexis) 24 Aug. Reynolds, a horse trainer experienced in gentling wild mustangs, was also on site demonstrating gentling and training techniques. c. transitive. To soften (a person) in temper or disposition; to mollify, calm, appease; to treat (a person) gently. rare.In some instances perhaps an extended use of sense 2b. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > dissent > absence of dissension or peace > bringing about concord or peace > bring to peace (strife or discord) [verb (transitive)] > appease or propitiate soft?c1225 queema1325 appeasec1374 pleasea1382 softena1382 mollifya1450 pacifya1500 apeace1523 temper1525 mitigatea1535 qualify?c1550 thaw1582 propitiate1583 aslake1590 smooth1608 to lay down1629 addulce1655 sweeten1657 acquiesce1659 gentle1663 palliate1678 placate1678 conciliate1782 to pour oil on the waters (also on troubled waters)1847 square1859 square1945 1663 G. Bishop Two Treat. 114 Though you have slept, and whilst ye have slept, come to be consumed, come to be destroyed (not Cocker'd, not dandled, not smoothed, not Gentled, not spoke to in a corner). 1795 tr. K. P. Moritz Trav. Eng. (Nat. Libr.) 142 I endeavoured to gentle him a little by asking for a mug of ale and once or twice drinking to him. 1861 H. Bushnell Christian Nurture i. vii. 165 They will all be gentled together by the tender brotherhood of the little ones. 1888 R. Kipling Wressley of Foreign Office in Plain Tales from Hills 263 We had a Viceroy..who knew exactly when to ‘gentle’ a fractious big man. 1958 College Composition & Communication 9 127/2 This student obviously is not going to master Mozart no matter how much the teacher ‘gentles’ her. d. transitive. With complement. To gently lead, guide, or manoeuvre (someone or something) in a particular direction or into a particular place. ΚΠ 1921 Manch. Guardian 23 Aug. (City ed.) 6/5 Sometimes even the banksman on the top cannot see when a big piece of basement stone is being gentled into its place. 1949 Clearing House 23 482/2 He whisked the cover off the can and gentled the occupant [i.e. a hamster] into the palm of his hand. 1964 Pop. Mech. Feb. 230/2 We..prefer to let the plane fly itself off the ground, gentling it along with the stick near neutral. 2005 New Yorker 13 June 74/3 He takes my elbow and gentles me down the planks with such tenderness that I am suddenly very afraid. 3. intransitive. To become gentle. rare. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > lack of violence, severity, or intensity > become less violent or severe [verb (intransitive)] allayc1275 softc1300 assuage1330 swagec1330 slakea1352 stanchc1420 overslakec1425 appeasec1440 to swage ofc1440 to sit downa1555 soften1565 slack1580 mitigate1633 moderate1737 gentle1912 1912 J. Masefield Dauber vi, in Eng. Rev. Oct. 388 When the light gentles and the wind is soft. 1953 V. Buchanan-Gould Vast Heritage i. 2 For a short time..the African world gentled to soft femineity. 1994 J. Barth Once upon Time 67 The wind is ‘offshore’—westerly—and gentling by the minute. Derivatives ˈgentling n. and adj. ΚΠ a1726 J. Cooke 39 Serm. Several Occasions (1729) I. vi. 168 The fin had a sting at first, but we soon pull it out, or, by often handling and gentling of it, make it harmless and inoffensive. 1883 M. E. Braddon Golden Calf xix. 211 She was wild and wilful, and wanted more gentling before she was brought to the lure. 1890 Amer. Naturalist 24 789 The subduing, gentling power of man when exerted on an immediate object and with certain kind solicitude, which was fully reciprocated in that object. 1921 Musical Q. 7 198 The majority of royal monsters, degenerates, tyrants, madmen and weaklings, seem to have cherished music without their ‘savage breasts’ ever reacting to the gentling effect of its charm. 2007 Sunday Independent (Ireland) (Nexis) 15 Apr. Meg was a gentling influence on him. 2016 Charleston (W. Va.) Gaz.-Mail (Nexis) 6 Nov. 5 a There was no subtlety, no gentling, no compassion, just a visceral level of barely controlled rage, then defeat. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2021; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adj.n.adv.?c1225v.1532
随便看	forgoers forgoes forgoing forgone forgos forgot forgotten forgottenness forgraith forgraithing forgreat forgreme forgrow forgrown forguilt forhale forhang forhard forharden forhare forhead forhecche forheed forhele forhevedness

gentleadj.n.adv.

Phrases

Compounds

Derivatives

gentlev.

Derivatives