Anile

//ˈæn.aɪl// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Archaic form of anil (“indigo”). alt-of, archaic, uncountable
Adjective
  1. 1
    Characteristic of a crone or a feeble old woman.

    "Dr. Wittman, too, was passing over the same ground trodden by Bonaparte in his Syrian expedition, and had an ample opportunity of inquiring its probable object, and the probably success which (but for the heroic defence of Acre), might have attended it ; he was on the theatre of Bonaparte’s imputed crimes, as well as his notorious defeat ; and might have brought us back, not anile conjecture, but sound evidence of events which must determine his character, who may determine our fate."

Adjective
  1. 1
    of or like a feeble old woman wordnet

Example

More examples

"Dr. Wittman, too, was passing over the same ground trodden by Bonaparte in his Syrian expedition, and had an ample opportunity of inquiring its probable object, and the probably success which (but for the heroic defence of Acre), might have attended it ; he was on the theatre of Bonaparte’s imputed crimes, as well as his notorious defeat ; and might have brought us back, not anile conjecture, but sound evidence of events which must determine his character, who may determine our fate."

Etymology

From Latin anīlis, from anus (“old woman”).

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.