"She was one of those women who are wanting inwhat is the word?muliebrity." From H. G. Wells' 1911 novel New Machiavelli
"She is a motherly figure, but altogether unlike his mother, motherly in a way that allows too for muliebrity." From Michael Griffith's 2012 book Bibliophilia: A Novella and Stories
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"Muliebrity" has been used in English to suggest the distinguishing character or qualities of a woman or of womankind since the 16th century. (Its masculine counterpart, "virility," entered the language at about the same time.) "Muliebrity" comes from Latin "mulier," meaning "woman," and probably is a cognate of Latin "mollis," meaning "soft." "Mollis" is also the source of the English verb "mollify"a word that implies a "softening" of hurt feelings or anger.
Test Your Vocabulary: What is the meaning of "androgynous"? The answer is
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