Wiktionary

versatile

English

edit

Etymology

edit

From Latin versātilis (“turning easily”), from versātus, past participle of versō (“to turn, change”), frequentative of vertō (“to turn”).

Pronunciation

edit

Adjective

edit

versatile (comparative more versatile, superlative most versatile)

  1. Capable of doing many things competently.
    • 2007 January 8, Jack Anderson, “Ruthanna Boris, Versatile Ballet Russe Dancer, Dies at 88”, in The New York Times‎[1], archived from the original on 26 January 2021:
      Ruthanna Boris, a versatile dancer and choreographer who was the first American ballerina to be a star of one of the prestigious Ballets Russes troupes of the ’40s, died Friday at her home in El Cerrito, Calif. She was 88.
  2. Having varied uses or many functions.
  3. Changeable or inconstant.
  4. (biology) Capable of moving freely in all directions.
    • 1996, William G. D'Arcy, edited by William G. D'Arcy and Richard C. Keating, The anther: form, function, and phylogeny:
      The versatile anther is an important step up in flowering plant evolution and it may be the most widespread of all simple anther types.
  5. Synonym of vers (“Willing to take either a penetrative or receptive role in anal sex”).
    • 2017, Simon LeVay, Gay, Straight, and the Reason why: The Science of Sexual Orientation‎[2]:
      Among men who do engage in anal intercourse, about one-quarter are tops, one-quarter are bottoms, and one-half are versatile.
  6. (BDSM) Being a switch; capable of taking either a dominant or a submissive role.
    Synonyms: vers, switchy
    • 2004, queenchaser1158, “Horny Versatile TV/TS Wanted in Phoenix”, in alt.personals.gay (Usenet):
  7. (sex, loosely) Capable of being either a dominant or a submissive partner in a sexual relationship.

Derived terms

edit

Translations

edit

Further reading

edit

Anagrams

edit

French

edit

Etymology

edit

From Latin versātilis.

Pronunciation

edit

Adjective

edit

versatile (plural versatiles)

  1. versatile; easily changeable
  2. indecisive

Derived terms

edit

Descendants

edit
  • → Romanian: versatil

Further reading

edit

Italian

edit

Etymology

edit

From Latin versātilis, from versāre (“to turn, to twist”).

Pronunciation

edit
  • IPA(key): /verˈsa.ti.le/
  • Rhymes: -atile
  • Hyphenation: ver‧sà‧ti‧le

Adjective

edit

versatile m or f by sense (plural versatili)

  1. versatile
  2. all-round, all around, multiskilled

Derived terms

edit

Anagrams

edit

Latin

edit

Adjective

edit

versātile

  1. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular of versātilis

Romanian

edit

Pronunciation

edit

Adjective

edit

versatile f pl or n pl

  1. nominative/accusative feminine/neuter plural of versatil
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=versatile&oldid=90661399"