Meaning "pliant" is from late 14c.; figurative sense of "artfully obsequious, capable of adapting oneself to the wishes and opinions of others" is from c. 1600. Supple-chapped (c. 1600) was used of a flatterer. Related: Suppleness.
1650s, "relaxing, soothing" (a sense now archaic), from French lenient, from Latin lenientem (nominative leniens), present participle of lenire "to soften, alleviate, allay; calm, soothe, pacify," from lenis "mild, gentle, calm," which probably is from a suffixed form of PIE root *lē- "to let go, slacken."
The usual modern sense of "mild, merciful" (of persons or actions) is first recorded 1787. In earlier use was lenitive, attested from early 15c. of medicines, 1610s of persons. Related: Leniently.
"calm, tranquil, free from disturbance or agitation," c. 1600, past-participle adjective from compose (v.). Earlier (1560s) "made up of parts." Related: Composedly; composedness.
"become quiet or calm, become silent," 1821, from Latin quiescere "to rest," from suffixed form of PIE root *kweie- "to rest, be quiet."
a form of mysticism which consists in abnegation of all exercise of the will and purely passive meditation on God and divine things, 1680s, from Italian quietismo, literally "passiveness," from quieto "calm, at rest," from Latin quietus "free; calm, resting" (from PIE root *kweie- "to rest, be quiet").
Originally in reference to the mysticism of Miguel Molinos (1640-1697), Spanish priest in Rome, whose "Guida spirituale" was published 1675 and condemned by the Inquisition in 1685. Related: Quietist; Quietistic.
The name is from Latin halcyon, alcyon, from Greek halkyon, variant (perhaps a misspelling) of alkyon "kingfisher," a word of unknown origin. The explanation that this is from hals "sea; salt" (see halo-) + kyon "conceiving," present participle of kyein "to conceive," literally "to swell" (see cumulus) probably is ancient folk-etymology to explain a loan-word from a non-Indo-European language. Identified in mythology with Halcyone, daughter of Aeolus, who when widowed threw herself into the sea and became a kingfisher.
"quilt or comforter stuffed with down," 1758, from French duvet "down," earlier dumet, diminutive of dum "down."
mid-15c., of a day, "clear, fair, calm," from Old French serein and directly from Latin serenus "peaceful, calm, clear, unclouded" (of weather); figuratively "cheerful, glad, tranquil"(from PIE root *ksero- "dry," source also of Greek xeros "dry, arid;" see xerasia).
In English, the word has been applied to persons, characters, etc. since 1630s: "tranquil, unruffled." Related: Serenely. Middle English also had serenous (mid-15c.), of places, "having clear, fair weather."
In Middle English, used of the weather. Current sense of "easily flexible" is from c. 1300. Related: Litheness. Old and Middle English had the related verb lin "to cease doing (something)," also used of the wind dying down.
