| Title | philander |
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| Text |
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary phi·lan·der \\fə-ˈlan-dər\\ intransitive verb (-dered ; phi·lan·der·ing \\-d(ə-)riŋ\\) ETYMOLOGY from obsolete philander lover, philanderer, probably from the name Philander DATE 1737 of a man : to have casual or illicit sexual relations with a woman or with many women; especially : to be sexually unfaithful to one's wife • phi·lan·der·er \\-dər-ər\\ noun English Etymology philander 1737, from Philander, popular name for a lover in stories, drama, and poetry, from Gk. adj. philandros "with love for people," perhaps mistaken as meaning "a loving man," from phil- "loving" + andr-, stem of aner "man." Philanderer "male flirt" is from 1841. Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged phi·lan·der I. \fə̇ˈlandə(r), -laan-\ noun Etymology: Greek philandros loving men, from phil- + andr-, anēr man — more at andr- 1. -s a. : philanderer b. : flirtation 2. [alteration of filander] a. -s : any of several medium-sized woolly opossums of So. and Central America b. capitalized : a genus of marsupials including the woolly opossums II. intransitive verb (philandered ; philandered ; philandering \-d(ə)riŋ\ ; philanders) : to make love frivolously or in a trifling or fickle way : dally , flirt < belles and beaux philandered in the big hotels — Van Wyck Brooks > < his penchant for philandering with pretty stenographers finally drove his wife to sue for divorce > |
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