▪ I. effeminate, a. and n.
(ɛˈfɛmɪnət)
[ad. L. effēmināt-us, f. effēminā-re, f. ex out + fēmina woman.]
A. adj.
1. Of persons: That has become like a woman: a. Womanish, unmanly, enervated, feeble; self-indulgent, voluptuous; unbecomingly delicate or over-refined. Also (Obs.) absol. (cf. quot. 1609 in B.)
(The two first quots. may possibly belong to 3).
| c 1430 Lydg. Bochas iii. v. (1554) 77 a, It is..the most perilous thyng A prince to been of his condicion Effeminate. 1534 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) E viij, An effeminate persone neuer hathe spirite to any hie or noble dedes. 1549 Compl. Scot. xi. (1873) 25 Effemenet men sal be ther dominatours. 1555 Eden Decades W. Ind. (Arb.) 50 The sclendernesse of theyr capacitie and effeminate hartes. 1625 K. Long tr. Barclay's Argenis iv. xxii. 319 But a Souldier's death shall make amends for thy effeminate life. 1748 Anson Voy. ii. xiv. (ed. 4) 386 A Luxurious and effeminate race. 1841 W. Spalding Italy & It. Isl. I. 107 This step..enabled the Germanic soldiers to compare themselves with the effeminate troops of the south. |
| absol. quasi-n. 1609 Bible (Douay) Prov. xviii. 8 The soules of the effeminate shal be hungrie. 1692 Dryden tr. St. Evremont's Ess. 162 A softness, wherein for the most part languish the Effeminate. |
b. Of things: Characterized by, or proceeding from, unmanly weakness, softness, or delicacy.
| 1579 Gosson Sch. Abuse (Arb.) 32 Effeminate gesture to rauish the sence. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, v. iv. 107 Shall we at last conclude effeminate peace? 1685 Crowne Sir C. Nice v. 49, I scorn those effeminate revenges. If I hurt any man it shall be with my sword. 1776 Gibbon Decl. & Fall I. 148 Rome was..humbled beneath the effeminate luxury of Oriental despotism. 1839 H. Rogers Ess. (1874) II. iii. 149 They would sooner employ..the most effeminate circumlocution than resort to a..homely term or phrase. |
† c. Without implying reproach: Gentle, tender, compassionate. Obs.
| 1594 Nashe Unfort. Trav. 26 Their handes had no leasure to aske counsell of their effeminate eyes. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, iii. vii. 211 We know your tenderness of heart, And gentle kinde effeminate remorse. |
† d. Of music, odours, etc.: Soft, voluptuous. Obs.
| 1674 Playford Skill Mus. i. 61 The Ionick Mood was more light and effeminate Musick. 1692 O. Walker Hist. Illustrated 77 The Myrtle..because of its Effeminate smell, etc. |
¶ Used for: Feminine, characteristic of women.
| 1549 Olde Erasm. Par. 1 Timothy ii. 9 Nowe let the women also praye after thexample of the men. Yf there be any effemynate affection [Lat. ‘Si quid est in animo muliebrium affectuum’] in their stomakes, let them caste it out. |
† 2. Physically weak, ‘delicate’. Obs.
| 1652 French Yorksh. Spa x. 91, I..advise those that have effeminate stomachs to take off the cold from the water before they drink it. |
† 3. The notion ‘self-indulgent, voluptuous’ (see 1) seems sometimes to have received a special colouring from a pseudo-etymological rendering of the word as ‘devoted to women’. Unequivocal instances are rare; cf. quot. 1430 in 1; also effeminacy 2; effeminateness 2. Obs.
| 1490 Caxton Eneydos xvi. 55 Man effemynate [Virgil uxorius] wythout honour rauysshed in to dileectation femynyne. 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie ii. (Arb.) 146 The king was supposed to be..very amorous and effeminate. |
† 4. Used as pa. pple. of effeminate, v. Sc. Obs.
| 1536 Bellenden Cron. Scot., How strang..pepill grew in our regioun afore they were effeminat with lust. a 1560 Rolland Crt. Venus iii. 619 How mony men hes it effeminate. |
B. n. An effeminate person. b. spec. (see quot. 1609).
| 1597 Daniel Civ. Wars I. 70 This wanton young effeminate [Richard II]. 1609 Bible (Douay) 1 Kings xiv. 24 Effeminates [Vulg. effeminati, 1611 Sodomites] were in the land. 1784 Cowper Task ii. 223 With a just disdain Frown at effeminates. 1860 W. Webb in Medical Times 15 Sept. 266/2 Soft-handed effeminates. |
▪ II. effeminate, v.
(ɛˈfɛmɪneɪt)
[ad. L. effēminātus, pa. pple. of effēmināre (see effeminate a.). Cf. F. efféminer.]
† 1. trans. To make into a woman; to represent as a woman. Obs. rare.
| 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. 493 They effeminated the Air and attributed it to Juno. 1739 Cibber Apol. (1756) I. 90 Till the male Queen cou'd be effeminated [i.e. till the actor playing that part could be shaved]. |
2. To make womanish or unmanly; to enervate.
| 1551–6 Robinson tr. More's Utop. (Arb.) 40 It is not to be feared lest they shoulde be effeminated, if thei were brought vp in good craftes. 1577 Hanmer Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1585) 155 He effeminated his souldiers with all kind of delicacy and lasciuiousnesse. 1579 Gosson Sch. Abuse (1841) 19 Bringing sweet comfortes into Theaters which rather effeminate the minde. 1676 Shadwell Libertine iv. ii, Luxurious living..Effeminates fools in body. 1699 T. C[ockman] Tully's Offices (1706) 61 note, A Stream which was said to..effeminate those that washed in it. 1758 Herald II. 252 If the too free admission of wealth..could..effeminate their manners. 1829 Southey Sir T. More II. 236 Luxury has not effeminated them. |
3. intr. To become womanish; to grow weak, languish.
| 1393 Gower Conf. III. 236 To seen a man from his estate Through his soty effeminate And leve that a man shall do. 1612 Bacon Greatness Kingd., Ess. 239 In a slothfull peace both courages will effeminate, and manners corrupt. |