English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
name

Ethel

EH-thihl
name
1
A female given name from Old English, popular at the turn of the 20th century.
"If it is so false, and base, and hollow, this great world […] why does Ethel Newcome cling to it? Will you be fairer, dear, with any other name than your own?" — William Makepeace Thackeray (1855)
"Two of Kennedy’s sons, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Douglas Kennedy, supported the release during Sirhan’s 16th appearance before the California Parole Board. But other family members, including RFK’s widow Ethel, felt Sirhan should remain imprisoned." — (2022)
2
A number of places in the United States: An unincorporated community in Arkansas County, Arkansas.
3
A number of places in the United States: An unincorporated community in Greenfield Township, Orange County, Indiana.
4
A number of places in the United States: An unincorporated community in East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana.
5
A number of places in the United States: A town in Attala County, Mississippi.
6
A number of places in the United States: A town in Macon County, Missouri.
7
A number of places in the United States: An unincorporated community in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma.
8
A number of places in the United States: An unincorporated community in Richmond County, Virginia.
9
A number of places in the United States: An unincorporated community in Lewis County, Washington.
10
A number of places in the United States: An unincorporated community in Logan County, West Virginia.
11
A hamlet in Huron County, Ontario, Canada.
noun
1
The rune ᛟ.
2
The name of the Latin script letter Œ/œ..
adj
1
archaic Noble.
"[…] that he was of a doughty and ethel stirp. His ayle and eam had both been bellipotent; […]" — Samuel Klinefelter Hoshour (1856)
"The violation of an ethel born or noble woman was paid for by a higher murde than that of an un-ethel or common person. The murder of all persons was in like manner paid for by a were or were-geld, nicely adjusted to their relative rank." — Henry Brougham (1861)
""I have come to seek your counsel in your most ethel of ethical capacities. My problem is wholly mechanical."" — The Judge (1921)
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “Ethel” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

If it is so false, and base, and hollow, this great world […] why does _____ Newcome cling to it? Will you be fairer, dear, with any other name than your own?

Etymology

Short form of names of Old English origin beginning with Ethel-, æþele (“noble”). First used in the 19th century. Cognate to the Germanic Adela and Adele.

Origin: Old English

Rhymes for Ethel

See all rhymes for Ethel →

People Also Searched

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · etymology from Wiktionary