versatile

Etymology

From Latin versātilis (“turning easily”), from versātus, past participle of versō (“I turn, change”), frequentative of vertō (“I turn”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈvɜː.səˌtaɪl/, [ˈvɜː.səˌtaɪɫ]

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈvɝ.sə.təl/, [ˈvɝ.sə.ɾəl], /ˈvɝ.səˌtaɪl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈvɜː.sə.təl/, /ˈvɜː.səˌtɑɪl/, [ˈvɜː.səˌtɑɪɫ]

Adjective

versatile (comparative more versatile, superlative most versatile)

1. Capable of doing many things competently.
2. Having varied uses or many functions.
3. Changeable or inconstant.
4. (biology) Capable of moving freely in all directions.
   • 1996, William G. D'Arcy, edited by William G. D'Arcy and Richard C. Keating, The anther: form, function, and phylogeny:

     The versatile anther is an important step up in flowering plant evolution and it may be the most widespread of all simple anther types.

5. Synonym of vers (“Willing to take either a penetrative or receptive role in anal sex”)
   • 2017, Simon LeVay, Gay, Straight, and the Reason why: The Science of Sexual Orientation‎:

     Among men who do engage in anal intercourse, about one-quarter are tops, one-quarter are bottoms, and one-half are versatile.

6. (BDSM) Being a switch; capable of taking either a dominant or a submissive role.
   • 2004, queenchaser1158, “Horny Versatile TV/TS Wanted in Phoenix”, in alt.personals.gay (Usenet):
7. (sex, loosely) Capable of being either a dominant or a submissive partner in a sexual relationship.

   Synonyms: vers, switchy

Further reading

• “versatile”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “versatile”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “versatile”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• levirates, relatives

Etymology

From Latin versātilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vɛʁ.sa.til/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

versatile (plural versatiles)

1. versatile; easily changeable
2. indecisive

Further reading

• “versatile”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Etymology

From Latin versātilis, from versāre (“to turn, to twist”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /verˈsa.ti.le/
• Rhymes: -atile
• Hyphenation: ver‧sà‧ti‧le

Adjective

versatile (plural versatili)

1. versatile
2. all-round, all around, multiskilled

Anagrams

• laveresti, rilevaste, rivaleste, rivelaste, servitela, versateli

Adjective

versātile

1. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular of versātilis

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /versaˈtile/

Adjective

versatile f pl or n pl

1. nominative/accusative feminine/neuter plural of versatil