philander

[ fi-lan-der ]

/ fɪˈlæn dər /

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verb (used without object)

(of a man) to make love with a woman one cannot or will not marry; carry on flirtations.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

philadelphia lawyer, philadelphia pepper pot, philadelphia scrapple, philadelphus, philae, philander, philanderer, philandering, philanthrope, philanthropic, philanthropist

Origin of philander

1675–85; < Greek phílandros one who loves (of a woman, loving her husband); see philo-, andro-; later used in fiction as a proper name for a lover, and apparently mistaken as “a man who loves”

SYNONYMS FOR philander

trifle, dally, womanize.

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Related formsphi·lan·der·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for philander

At this Philander chuckles, being able to see through a millstone with a hole in it.
Miss Caprice|St. George Rathborne
Philander had probably guessed—or perhaps it was so with all first-time men—that Hanlon was here on probation.
Man of Many Minds|E. Everett Evans
The surprises were coming too fast for Philander to adjust to them.
Man of Many Minds|E. Everett Evans
Mis' Philander Daggett, the president's wife, wuz paperin' her settin' room and parlor overhead.
Samantha on the Woman Question|Marietta Holley

At last Philander found his utterance, and said, "Do they think of me at Home, do they ever think of me?"
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward|Charles Farrar Browne (AKA Artemus Ward)

British Dictionary definitions for philander

philander

/ (fɪˈlændə) /

verb

(intr often foll by with) (of a man) to flirt with women

Derived Formsphilanderer, nounphilandering, noun, adjective

Word Origin for philander

C17: from Greek philandros fond of men, from philos loving + anēr man; used as a name for a lover in literary works

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

Word Origin and History for philander

philander

1737, from the noun meaning "a lover" (1700), from Philander, popular name for a lover in stories, drama, and poetry, from Greek adjective philandros "with love for people," perhaps mistaken as meaning "a loving man," from phil- "loving" (see philo-) + andr-, stem of aner "man" (see anthropo-). Related: Philandered; philandering.