preposition
Archaic.
in spite of; notwithstanding.
The archaic preposition maugre 鈥渋n spite of; notwithstanding鈥 shows its origin in some of its other Middle English spellings, e.g., malgrie, malgre, from Old French 尘补耻驳谤茅, 尘补濒驳谤茅, mal 驳谤茅, malgreit. The open compound mal 驳谤茅 shows the etymology of maugre: the Old French adjective mal 鈥渂ad, wrongful鈥 (from Latin malus 鈥渂ad, unpleasant, evil鈥) and the noun 驳谤茅, gred, gret 鈥減leasure, goodwill, favor鈥 (from Latin 驳谤腻迟耻尘 鈥(something) pleasing,鈥 a noun use of the neuter of the adjective 驳谤腻迟耻蝉). Old French 驳谤茅 is the source of Middle English gre 鈥済oodwill, favor,鈥 from which English has the archaic noun gree in the same sense. Maugre entered English at the end of the 13th century.
He had his faults; but聽maugre them all, I loved him.
In his only tender moment, [Shakespeare’s] Aaron promises: ” This before all the world do I prefer, This maugre聽all the world will I keep safe. “
English viridity聽鈥済reenness (as of vegetation); youth and inexperience,鈥 comes via Old French 惫颈谤颈诲颈迟茅 鈥済reenness,鈥 from Latin 惫颈谤颈诲颈迟腻蝉 (stem 惫颈谤颈诲颈迟腻迟-) 鈥済reenness (as of vegetation); youth and inexperience鈥 (a sense lacking in the French), a derivative of the adjective viridis 鈥済reen, abounding in vegetation, unripe (vegetables and cereals), clear, fresh (of the air after rain).鈥 Viridity entered English in the 15th century.
What intellectual viridity that exemplary creature possesses!
I preface the incident thus abruptly, from a desire to extenuate in some measure at the outset my dear parent’s viridity and trustfulness in the matter ….
verb (used without object)
to smile in a silly, self-conscious way.
The verb simper has an uncertain etymology. It may be related to the Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, and Swiss dialect adjective semper 鈥渁ffected, coy,鈥 German zimpfer 鈥渄ainty, affected,鈥 and to Middle Dutch zimperlijk 鈥渁ffected, coy.鈥 Further etymology is unknown. Simper entered English in the 16th century.
But still she kept on singing, with twisted lips that strove to聽simper ….
I attended private parties in sumptuous evening dress, simpered and aired my graces like a born beau, and polked and schottisched with a step peculiar to myself鈥攁nd the kangaroo.