erastes

Word of the Day for Wednesday, January 12, 2011

mansuetude \MAN-swi-tood\, noun:

Mildness; gentleness.

For indeed, it is possible to attain a state of divine mansuetude that nothing dismays and nothing surprises, just as one in love might, after many years, arrive at a sublime tranquillity of the sentiments, sure of their force and durability, through constant experience of their pleasures and pains.
-- Honoré de Balzac, Jordan Stump, Adam Gopnik, The Wrong Side of Paris

You are safe, dear old man, you are safe, temporarily, in the mansuetude of our care, Julie said.
-- Donald Barthelme, Donald Antrim, The dead father

Mansuetude derives from the Latin mansuescere, literally "to tame by the hand."

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I love it when I find a new word. But this one will FOREVER be MANSUETUDE

\man=SOO=tood\ noun

A state of Mary Sue-ism for male use. See also Gary Stu.