nubile
English
Etymology
From French nubile, from Latin nubilis (“marriageable”), from nūbō (“marry, to take as husband”), from Proto-Indo-European *snewbʰ- (“to marry, to wed”). Possibly cognate with Ancient Greek νύμφη (númphē, “bride, young wife, nymph”) (English nymph), but this is disputed.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈnubaɪl/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈnjuːbaɪl/
- Rhymes: -aɪl
Adjective
nubile (comparative more nubile, superlative most nubile)
- Of an age suitable for marriage; marriageable (principally of a young woman).
- Sexually attractive (especially of a young woman).
Usage notes
For a man, especially a young man, eligible is sometimes used as the corresponding term in the sense ‘marriageable’, particularly in the phrase eligible bachelor.
Derived terms
Translations
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ny.bil/
Further reading
- “nubile” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Italian
Related terms
Latin
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