versatile
English
editEtymology
editFrom Latin versātilis (“turning easily”), from versātus, past participle of versō (“I turn, change”), frequentative of vertō (“I turn”).
Pronunciation
edit- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈvɜː.səˌtaɪl/, [ˈvɜː.səˌtaɪɫ]
Audio (Southern England): (file)
- (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈvɝ.sə.təl/, [ˈvɝ.sə.ɾəl], /ˈvɝ.səˌtaɪl/
- (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈvɜː.sə.təl/, /ˈvɜː.səˌtɑɪl/, [ˈvɜː.səˌtɑɪɫ]
Adjective
editversatile (comparative more versatile, superlative most versatile)
- Capable of doing many things competently.
- Having varied uses or many functions.
- Changeable or inconstant.
- (biology) Capable of moving freely in all directions.
- 1996, William G. D'Arcy, edited by William G. D'Arcy and Richard C. Keating, The anther: form, function, and phylogeny:
- The versatile anther is an important step up in flowering plant evolution and it may be the most widespread of all simple anther types.
- Synonym of vers (“Willing to take either a penetrative or receptive role in anal sex”)
- 2017, Simon LeVay, Gay, Straight, and the Reason why: The Science of Sexual Orientation[1]:
- Among men who do engage in anal intercourse, about one-quarter are tops, one-quarter are bottoms, and one-half are versatile.
- (BDSM) Being a switch; capable of taking either a dominant or a submissive role.
- 2004, queenchaser1158, “Horny Versatile TV/TS Wanted in Phoenix”, in alt.personals.gay (Usenet):
- (sex, broadly) Capable of being either a dominant or a submissive partner in a sexual relationship.
Derived terms
editTranslations
editcapable of doing many things competently
|
having varied uses or many functions
|
changeable or inconstant
|
biology: capable of moving freely in all directions
gay sexual slang: capable of taking both a top and bottom role
|
Further reading
edit- “versatile”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “versatile”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “versatile”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Anagrams
editFrench
editEtymology
editFrom Latin versātilis.
Pronunciation
editAdjective
editversatile (plural versatiles)
- versatile; easily changeable
- indecisive
Derived terms
editFurther reading
edit- “versatile”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Italian
editEtymology
editFrom Latin versātilis, from versāre (“to turn, to twist”).
Pronunciation
editAdjective
editversatile (plural versatili)
Derived terms
editAnagrams
editLatin
editAdjective
editversātile
Romanian
editPronunciation
editAdjective
editversatile f pl or n pl
Categories:
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *wert-
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- en:Biology
- English terms with quotations
- en:BDSM
- en:Sex
- en:LGBTQ
- French terms derived from Latin
- French 3-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio pronunciation
- French lemmas
- French adjectives
- Italian terms derived from Latin
- Italian 4-syllable words
- Italian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Italian/atile
- Rhymes:Italian/atile/4 syllables
- Italian lemmas
- Italian adjectives
- Latin non-lemma forms
- Latin adjective forms
- Romanian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Romanian non-lemma forms
- Romanian adjective forms