different between senile vs doddery

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French senile, from Latin sen?lis (“of or pertaining to old age”), from senex (“old man”), from Gaulish and Proto-Indo-European *sénos (“old”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?si?na?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?sina?l/
• Rhymes: -a?l

Adjective

senile (comparative more senile, superlative most senile)

1. Of, or relating to old age.
2. (often offensive) Exhibiting the deterioration in mind and body often accompanying old age; doddering.

Antonyms

• juvenile

Derived terms

Related terms

• senate
• senator
• senescence
• senility
• senior
• seniority

Translations

Noun

senile (plural seniles)

1. (dated, medicine) A person who is senile.

Further reading

• senile in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• senile in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• Inslee, enisle, ensile, lienes, silene

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

senile

1. inflection of senil:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Etymology

From Latin sen?lis.

Adjective

senile (plural senili)

1. senile

Related terms

• senilità

Anagrams

• lesine

Latin

Adjective

sen?le

1. nominative neuter singular of sen?lis
2. accusative neuter singular of sen?lis
3. vocative neuter singular of sen?lis

Old French

Etymology

From Latin sen?lis

Adjective

senile m (oblique and nominative feminine singular senile)

1. relating to old age

Declension

Descendants

• ? English: senile
• French: sénile

English

Etymology

dodder +? -y

Adjective

doddery (comparative more doddery, superlative most doddery)

1. Doddering, trembly, shaky.
   • 1994, Laurie R King, The Beekeeper's Apprentice

     That is not to say that he became a doddery old man — far from it. He was just a bit thoughtful at times, and I would catch him looking at me pensively...

   • 1999, Terence Rattigan, Benoît Delhomme, David Mamet, The Winslow Boy

     The old boy's so doddery now he can hardly finish the course at all. I timed him today. It took him seventy-five seconds...

Translations