I. ˈjent ə l adjective
( gentler -t( ə )lə(r) ; gentlest -t( ə )l-)
Etymology: Middle English gentil, from Latin gentilis of the same clan or family or race, from gent-, gens clan, family, race (from the stem of gignere to beget) + -ilis -ile — more at kin
1.
a. : belonging to a family of high social station : of noble or aristocratic birth
two distinct classes; the gentle … and the ungentle — E.E.Reynolds
specifically : having the rank or status of a gentleman (sense 1b)
b. archaic : having the qualities ascribed to a person of noble birth : chivalrous , courteous
c. : honorable , noble , distinguished
we were both of gentle blood — T.B.Costain
specifically : of or relating to a gentleman
a man of gentle birth, as “Mr.” prefixed to his name … indicates — Eleanor Dobson
d. : kind , amiable — used especially in address as a complimentary epithet
what ought we to do, gentle sisters — W.S.Gilbert
let not the gentle reader rush in blithely — D.F.Fleming
e. : suited to a person of noble birth or high social station : worthy , estimable
the gentle art of angling
2.
a. : tamed, domesticated : quiet, tractable, and docile
a gentle horse
b.
(1) : benignly gracious or kind in manner : not harsh or stern : mild , considerate , tender
a vein of gentle irony that makes us smile — R.A.Hall b.1911
the gentle eyes of my professor — Years of the Modern
his speech was soft, his manners gentle
(2) : not violent : peaceful
convert the natives by gentle means
bring about peaceful social revolution by gentle persuasion — Current Biography
bring about the gentle coexistence of Communists and non-Communists — Max Ascoli
(3) : not boisterously energetic
his mother came of a gentler and less adventurous stock — W.B.Parker
3.
a.
(1) : not rough : soft
the gentle touch of her hand
a gentle mind
his gentle tongue — Jean Stafford
(2) : not flowing roughly or rapidly
a gentle stream
b.
(1) : not loud or noisy : soothing , soft , low , hushed
a gentle voice
heard a gentle knock on the door
(2) : delicate in mood, texture, or taste : not harsh or blatant
a gentle nocturne
the most delicate and gentle pink — Geoffrey Grigson
a gentle wine
4.
a. : moderate in operation or degree
a gentle sun shone down
a gentle heat
give gentle exercise every day — Emily Holt
b. : not steep
a gentle hill
a gentle slope
5. dialect Britain : of, relating to, or frequented by fairies
a gentle place
gentle bushes
Synonyms: see soft
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English gentil, from Middle French, from gentil, adjective
1. : a person of gentle birth or status : gentleman
a custom … merging the gentles with the burghers — G.M.Trevelyan
the whole lot of them, gentles and simples — Virginia Woolf
2. : maggot ; especially : one used as bait or as food for birds or small animals
III. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: gentle (I)
transitive verb
1. : to raise from the commonalty : ennoble
trading class, which having enriched itself, sought desperately to gentle itself — Sam Pollock
2.
a. : to make gentle or mild in character or manner
honored for gentling the barbarian — New Yorker
the tough admiral gentled by memories of personal loss — Lee Rogow
b. : to make (an animal) tame and docile
a wild pony that nobody could gentle
as a lion man gentles a cageful of cats — R.L.Taylor
c. : mollify , appease , soften , placate
the old man is in a rage of excitement and has to be gentled incessantly — Clemence Dane
d.
(1) : to make soft or smooth (as in texture, tone, or appearance)
time may have gentled her face and hair — Kathryn Grondahl
a liquid blend of herbs which gentles the taste of liquor — Time
(2) : to make moderate (as in degree or intensity) : calm
play the music a little too fast … while others gentle it down — New Yorker
gentled her nerves by reading the glad tidings again — Jean Stafford
(3) : to stroke gently or soothingly : pet , fondle
gentled the panther for a few minutes — Rudyard Kipling
listened quietly, gentling a dog's ear meanwhile — James Reynolds
3. : to make (one's way) gently
a light that gentled its way into my parents' bedroom — Richard Church
the broad-shouldered train gentles its way — Karl Shapiro
intransitive verb
: to become gentle
some cows never gentle — Agnes M. Cleaveland
the wind gentled to a murmur — Kris Neville
wine which … gentles with age — Sunset