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definitions

-le

a suffix of verbs having a frequentative force: dazzle; twinkle.
a suffix of adjectives formed originally on verbal stems and having the sense of “apt to”: brittle.
a noun suffix having originally a diminutive meaning: bramble.
a noun suffix indicating agent or instrument: beadle; bridle; thimble.

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Nearby words

  1. -lalia,
  2. -land,
  3. -lashed,
  4. -later,
  5. -latry,
  6. -lent,
  7. -lepsy,
  8. -less,
  9. -let,
  10. -like

Origin of -le

Middle English -len, Old English -lian (v.); Middle English -el, Old English -ol (adj.); Middle English -el, Old English -il (diminutive); Middle English -el, Old English -ol, -ul (agent)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for -le

-le

suffix forming verbs

denoting repeated or continuous action, often of a diminutive naturetwiddle; wriggle; wrestle

Word Origin for -le

from Middle English -len, Old English -lian, with similar significance
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012