supple
part of speech
adjective (supple, suppler, supplest)
meaning for a pupil
1) Able to bend and move easily: a supple body, supple joints. tree →
2) Soft and bending without cracking: supple leather, a supple branch. tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: Made flexible and strong, said of the arms of Joseph in Jacob's blessing. Interpretation: Tradition reads this as God giving Joseph strength to stay steady against temptation and hardship. In the primary lessons: A body and materials word. In PE, stretching keeps muscles supple; gymnasts and dancers are very supple. In science, materials like rubber and willow twigs are supple. In The Wind in the Willows, the supple willow branches bend over the river.
examples
- But his bow abode firm, and the arms of his hands were made supple, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, from thence, from the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel, (Torah GEN.49.24, JPS 1917) tree →
- Gymnasts are very supple. tree →
- Stretching every day keeps your body supple. tree →
- Willow twigs are supple enough to weave baskets. tree →
- The old leather boots were still soft and supple. tree →
- Cats are supple and can squeeze through gaps. tree →
- Oil keeps the saddle supple. tree →
note
Adjective; comparative «suppler», superlative «supplest»; noun «suppleness». Similar: flexible, bendy. Opposite: stiff, rigid.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «supple» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.