Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
verb
To be merciful to; show clemency to; pardon.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
From Middle English milsen, milcen, milcien, from Old English miltsian (“to compassionate, pity, show mercy, soften, make merciful”), from Proto-Germanic *mildisjō (“kindness”), from Proto-Germanic *mildijaz (“mild”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mel- (“to beat, grind”). Related to Old English milts (“mercy, compassion, benevolence, kindness, favor, joy”), Old English milde (“mild, merciful, kind, generous, gentle, meek”). More at mild.
