debile

comparative more debile · superlative most debile

1. obsoleteWeak; feeble.First known use 16th c.

   So, then, it was no surprise to the ranchhold when the buckboard spun to the door, and Raidler took up his debile protégé like a handful of rags and set him down upon the gallery.

   1903 February, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “Hygeia at the Solito”, in Everybody’s Magazine, volume VIII, number 2, New York, N.Y.: John Wanamaker, →ISSN, page 174, column 1

2. historicalHaving debilism.First known use 20th c.

   Cretins are debile, hard of hearing, and small in stature.

   1979, E[rnst] Rudolf Froesch, translated by Terry Telger, “Endocrinology”, in Albert A[lois] Buehlmann, E[rnst] Rudolf Froesch, editors, Pathophysiology, New York, N.Y.: Springer-Verlag, →ISBN, page 202

   2 more examples

   Being a little debile and unclear of mind he did not realize the risks he was running by passing all his nights in the same bed as the daughter, while he himself was suffering continually from a dammed-up sexual drive.

   1935, Olof Kinberg, Basic Problems of Criminology, William Heinemann, page 181

   ‘Debile’ patients suffered from moderate mental retardation or learning difficulty.

   1999, Andrew Boyd, Baroness Cox: A Voice for the Voiceless, Lion, →ISBN, page 96

plural debiles

1. historicalA person with debilism.First known use 20th c.

   Oligophrenes (debiles) are taught in special schools in the maintenance of the Ministry of Public Education of the R.S.F.S.R.

   1956, William Line, Margery R. King, editors, Mental Health in Public Affairs: A Report, University of Toronto Press, page 216

   5 more examples

   A very important group of the mentally abnormal, the oligophrenes, who — according to the degree of lack of intelligence — are called idiots, imbeciles, or debiles, are inter alia also predisposed to misbehaviour because they lack the ability to understand what to do in a situation demanding action.

   1935, Olof Kinberg, Basic Problems of Criminology, William Heinemann, page 178

   As a rule debiles act on normalpsychologic^([sic]) inducements and their criminality is determined by social influences, which they are not apt to assimilate without conflicts. Therefore idiots are always irresponsible, but debiles are as a rule responsible.

   1954, Nauchni Trudove, volumes 1–2, page 52

   On the average delinquents have a normal intelligence; however, there is frequent neglect of intelligence. True debiles are admitted by the gang, to serve as an instrument of blind force.

   1961, Abstracts on Criminology and Penology, volume 1, page 398, column 1

   Idiots are often unable to develop stable motor conditional reflexes. Imbeciles and debiles are able to give conditional reflexes.

   1962, Christian Astrup, Schizophrenia: Conditional Reflex Studies, Thomas, →ISBN, page 64

   The Dutch use two basic terms to classify retarded children served by B.L.O. schools: debile and imbecile. In psychometric terms the upper limit of the debile classification is an intelligence quotient of 80 and the lower limit approximately 50 I.Q. […] The debiles are most frequently recognized in the early years of the ordinary primary schools.

   1962 July, The President’s Panel on Mental Retardation: Report of the Mission to The Netherlands, […] U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, page 15