Slender

Slender
Slender Slen"der, a. [Compar. {Slenderer}; superl. {Slenderest}.] [OE. slendre, sclendre, fr. OD. slinder thin, slender, perhaps through a French form; cf. OD. slinderen, slidderen, to creep; perh. akin to E. slide.] 1. Small or narrow in proportion to the length or the height; not thick; slim; as, a slender stem or stalk of a plant. ``A slender, choleric man.'' --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

She, as a veil down to the slender waist, Her unadorned golden tresses wore. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

2. Weak; feeble; not strong; slight; as, slender hope; a slender constitution. [1913 Webster]

Mighty hearts are held in slender chains. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

They have inferred much from slender premises. --J. H. Newman. [1913 Webster]

The slender utterance of the consonants. --J. Byrne. [1913 Webster]

3. Moderate; trivial; inconsiderable; slight; as, a man of slender intelligence. [1913 Webster]

A slender degree of patience will enable him to enjoy both the humor and the pathos. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]

4. Small; inadequate; meager; pitiful; as, slender means of support; a slender pittance. [1913 Webster]

Frequent begging makes slender alms. --Fuller. [1913 Webster]

5. Spare; abstemious; frugal; as, a slender diet. [1913 Webster]

The good Ostorius often deigned To grace my slender table with his presence. --Philips. [1913 Webster]

6. (Phon.) Uttered with a thin tone; -- the opposite of broad; as, the slender vowels long e and i. [1913 Webster] -- {Slen"der*ly}, adv. -- {Slen"der*ness}, n. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • slender — [slen′dər] adj. [ME slendre, sclendre < ?] 1. small in width as compared with the length or height; long and thin 2. having a slim, trim figure [a slender girl] 3. small or limited in amount, size, extent, etc.; meager [slender earnings] 4. of …   English World dictionary

  • Slender — may refer to:*Slenderness *Slender group …   Wikipedia

  • slender — (adj.) c.1300, probably from a French source, often said to be from O.Fr. esclendre thin, slender, which could be from O.Du. slinder, but the connections, and even the existence of these words, is doubtful …   Etymology dictionary

  • slender — / slim [adj1] thin, not heavy attenuate, beanpole*, beanstalk*, fine, insubstantial, lean, lithe, narrow, reedy, skeleton, skinny, slight, spare, stalky, stick, svelte, sylphlike, tenuous, threadlike, trim, twiggy, willowy; concepts 490,491 Ant.… …   New thesaurus

  • slender — ► ADJECTIVE (slenderer, slenderest) 1) gracefully thin. 2) barely sufficient: a slender majority. DERIVATIVES slenderly adverb slenderness noun. ORIGIN of unknown origin …   English terms dictionary

  • slender — index insubstantial, insufficient, minimal, slight, subtle (refined), tenuous Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton …   Law dictionary

  • slender — *thin, slim, slight, tenuous, rare Analogous words: *lean, spare, lanky, skinny: flimsy, flaccid, flabby, *limp: trivial, trifling, *petty, paltry, puny …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • slender */ — UK [ˈslendə(r)] / US [ˈslendər] adjective Word forms slender : adjective slender comparative slenderer superlative slenderest 1) a) tall or long and thin in an attractive way slender fingers a slender young man She has a tall slender figure. b)… …   English dictionary

  • slender — [[t]sle̱ndə(r)[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED (approval) A slender person is attractively thin and graceful. [WRITTEN] She was slender, with delicate wrists and ankles. ...a tall, slender figure in a straw hat... He gazed at her slender neck. 2) ADJ GRADED:… …   English dictionary

  • slender — slenderly, adv. slenderness, n. /slen deuhr/, adj., slenderer, slenderest. 1. having a circumference that is small in proportion to the height or length: a slender post. 2. thin or slight; light and graceful: slender youths. 3. small in size,… …   Universalium

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