imbecile

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a stupid person; (dated) someone of severely limited intelligence

   Only an imbecile would leave the front door wide open all night.

Simplified etymology

Imbecile entered English in the mid-16th century with the sense “physically weak.” Its deeper origin is uncertain, but it may express the idea “without a supporting staff” and be related to Latin baculum, “stick” or “staff.” The current sense developed in the mid-18th century.

From Latin imbecillus ('weak, feeble'), originally perhaps 'without a supporting staff', from in- ('without') + baculum ('staff'). It came to mean 'feeble-minded'.

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External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary