gen•tle
Pronunciation: ( jen'tl), [key]
— adj., v., -tler, -tlest, -tled, -tling.
—adj.
- kindly; amiable: a gentle manner.
- not severe, rough, or violent; mild: a gentle wind; a gentle tap on the shoulder.
- moderate: gentle heat.
- gradual: a gentle slope.
- of good birth or family; wellborn.
- characteristic of good birth; honorable; respectable: a gentle upbringing.
- easily handled or managed; tractable: a gentle animal.
- soft or low: a gentle sound.
- polite; refined: Consider, gentle reader, my terrible predicament at this juncture.
- entitled to a coat of arms; armigerous.
- noble; chivalrous: a gentle knight.
—v.t.
- to tame; render tractable.
- to mollify; calm; pacify.
- to make gentle.
- to stroke; soothe by petting.
- to ennoble; dignify.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.