demure
adjEtymology
Inherited from Middle English demure, demwre, an abbreviation of Anglo-Norman de mure port (“with a mature demeanor”) (compare Old French meur from Latin mātūrus): *si il seyt coy e de mure port (Amur curteiz) (“he sits quietly and with a mature appearance”) * Documents illustrating the history of Scotland, CLV, 1306, Orders for the custody of Scottish prisoners, CLV: …et que eles soient de bon et meur port (“…with a good and mature demeanor”) * mss. Arundel, 220: ke cely qe vus amerez soyt de gentil manere, coy, de meure porture (“with a mature demeanor”) * (Monastic rule): de aunciene dame de meure porture ke pusse les plus ieuenes rieueler e endoctriner (“an old lady with a mature demeanor able to rule and educate the young girls”).
- inherited from demure
Definitions
Modest, quiet, reserved, or serious.
- She is a demure young lady.
- Nan was very much delighted in her demure way, and that delight showed itself in her face and in her clear bright eyes.
- I was coming back from the ladies' room when I saw her. She looked demure. Oval wire-rimmed glasses. A sky blue jacket buttoned over a long black-and-white flowered shirt.
Affectedly modest, decorous, or serious
Affectedly modest, decorous, or serious; making a show of gravity.
- Miss Lizzy, I have no doubt, would be as demure and coquettish, as if ten winters more had gone over her head.
To look demurely.
- Your Wife Octavia, with her modeſt eyes, / […] ſhall acquire no Honour / Demuring vpon me:
The neighborhood
Derived
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for demure. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA