What is the logic behind the word "lithe"?
The Free Dictionary defines the word in the question as follows:
lithe?(lith)
adj. lith·er, lith·est
Readily bent; supple: lithe birch branches.
Marked by effortless grace: a lithe ballet dancer.
I've looked through other dictionaries and some of them say that this word only applies to things that have the ability to flex or bend easily into whatever shape someone wants them to. Others say that lithe has the connotation of "flexible, supple and thin" After doing some contemplation, I've come to the conclusion that this word has the meanings of "easily flexible" and "a young healthy, perhaps athletic, person characterized with the ability to contort and bend their body with fluid graceful movements". Am I wrong in my assessment?
Top answer
xbladefate25 Am I wrong in my assessment? The word means "physically flexible", basically. Every other use is an extension of that.
- xbladefate25 Am I wrong in my assessment?
- The word means "physically flexible", basically.
- Every other use is an extension of that.
- A lithe person is flexible, and there is no need for a second definition for the word as it applies to people.
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xbladefate25Am I wrong in my assessment?
The word means "physically flexible", basically. Every other use is an extension of that. A lithe person is flexible, and there is no need for a second definition for the word as it applies to people.
0xbladefate25I've come to the conclusion that this word has the meanings of "easily flexible" and "a young healthy, perhaps athletic, person characterized ...
lithe is an adjective, so it can't be defined as a noun.
Just as 'happy', 'tall', or 'amusing' cannot
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