Wordwyrt

effete

/eˈfit/eh-FEET
/ɛˈfit/eh-FEET

Meaningworn out from bearing

Common meaning: weak and ineffectual

‘out’ + ‘a bringing forth’ → effete

Journey through time

  1. Latinfētus, -ūs‘a bringing forth’
  2. Englisheffete‘weak and ineffectual’ · today

ef- also in: effecteffigyefforteffulgenteffervescent

fet also in: fetus

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 fētus ‘a bringing forth; offspring’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry fētus, p. 744 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

fetus

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