supple

/ˈsə-pəl/

Middle English souple, suple, supple "obedient, compliant, flexible, relaxed," borrowed from Anglo-French, "submissive, suppliant, light (of wind), soft, yielding" (continental Old French sople), going back to Latin supplic-, supplex "making humble entreaty, suppliant," probably from sub- sub--plic-, from the stem of plicāre "to fold, bend"

adjective

  1. compliant often to the point of obsequiousness

  2. readily adaptable or responsive to new situations

  3. capable of being bent or folded without creases, cracks, or breaks : pliant

elastic resilient springy flexible supple mean able to endure strain without being permanently injured. elastic implies the property of resisting deformation by stretching. resilient implies the ability to recover shape quickly when the deforming force or pressure is removed.

verb

  1. to make pacific or complaisant

  2. to alleviate with a salve

  3. to make flexible or pliant

supple the tempers of your race