— imbecilely , adv.
/im"beuh sil, -seuhl/ or, esp. Brit., /-seel'/ , n.
1. Psychol. a person of the second order in a former classification of mental retardation, above the level of idiocy, having a mental age of seven or eight years and an intelligence quotient of 25 to 50.
2. a dunce; blockhead; dolt.
adj.
3. mentally feeble.
4. showing mental feebleness or incapacity.
5. stupid; silly; absurd.
6. Archaic. weak or feeble.
[ 1540-50; earlier imbecill imbecillus weak; -ile r. -ill by confusion with suffix -ILE ]