Wordwyrt

imbecile

/ˈɪmbəsəl/IM-buh-suhl
/ˈɪmbəsəl/IM-buh-suhl

Meaningwithout a staff; weak

Common meaning: (dated, offensive) a foolish person

Other meanings: once a clinical label, and earlier meaning weak, without a staff

‘in, into’ + ‘a staff, stick’ → imbecile

Journey through time

  1. Latinbaculum, -ī‘a staff, stick’
  2. Old Frenchimbecillesource
  3. Englishmeaning shiftsa staff, stick → a foolish personimbecile‘(dated, offensive) a foolish person’ · today

im- also in: imbibeimmureimpaleimpartimpede

becil also in: bacillus

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin baculum ‘a staff, stick’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry baculum, p. 219 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

bacillus

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