ethel

noun, adj — 3 senses

ethel

noun

/ˈɛθ.əl/

Etymology Learned borrowing from Middle English ethel, from Old English ǣþel, ēþel.

1

The rune ᛟ.

2

The name of the Latin script letter Œ/œ..

Synonyms: odal

ethel

adj

Etymology Learned borrowing from Middle English ethel, from Old English ǣþel, ēþel.

1

Obsolete Noble.

[…] that he was of a doughty and ethel stirp. His ayle and eam had both been bellipotent; […]1856, Samuel Klinefelter Hoshour, Letters to Squire Pedant, in the East, page 33:
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.1861, Henry Brougham, The British Constitution: Its History, Structure, and Working, page 140:

1 more example

"I have come to seek your counsel in your most ethel of ethical capacities. My problem is wholly mechanical."1921, The Judge, page 5:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.