▪ I. feeblish, a.
(ˈfiːblɪʃ)
[f. feeble a. + -ish.]
Somewhat feeble.
| 1674 R. Godfrey Inj. & Ab. Physic 68 They that are weakly, tender, and feeblish. 1832 Wilson in Blackw. Mag. XXXII. 865 Performers with feeblish faces that must frown. 1857 Hughes Tom Brown ii. v, He..is feeblish..about the knees. 1882 Carlyle in Century Mag. XXIV. 23 Rather a feeblish kind of County-Town. |
▪ II. † ˈfeeblish, v. Obs.
Forms: 4 febliss, 4–6 feblis(s)h, 6 feeblysh, 5–7 feeblish.
[a. OF. *febliss-, lengthened stem of *feblir (recorded forms foiblir, flebir), f. feble: see feeble a.]
trans. To render feeble, weak, or infirm; to enfeeble; = feeble v. 2.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce xiv. 349 With hungyr he thoucht thame to Febliss. 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 64 Alle thinges be amunysshed & feblisshed by Iniustice. 1528 Paynel Salerne's Regim. C iij b, They assende and gether to gether feblysshynge the guttes. 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. i. 68 All Christendome was sore decayed and feeblished by occasion of the warres betweene England and France. |
Hence ˈfeeblishing vbl. n.
| 1580 Baret Alv. F 346 Feeblishing, infirmatio. 1634 H. R. Salernes Regim. 116 Except yee dread great feeblishing of Nature. |