philander
/fɪˈlændə/
Etymology
From the given name Philander, used as a name for flirtatious characters in several 18th century stories, from Ancient Greek Φίλανδρος (Phílandros), name of the mythological son of the nymph Acacallis and the god Apollo. Semantically disconnected from the adjective φίλανδρος (phílandros, “loving one’s husband; excessively attracted to males, slutty, boy crazy”).
philander means A lover. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 71 out of 100.
philander is pronounced /fɪˈlændə/.
Why “philander” is a great word
PHILANDER — [Verb] To engage in casual, insincere romantic dalliances; also a noun for a man who does so. From the given name Philander, used for flirtatious male characters in 18th-century literature, itself from Ancient Greek Φίλανδρος (Phílandros), a personal name meaning 'loving men' (from φιλ- (phil-, 'loving') + ἀνήρ (anēr, 'man')). The verb sense is attested from the early 18th century. Unlike a 'romantic', who pursues sincere and deep attachment, or a 'womanizer', defined by his habitual conquests, to philander is to treat affection as a light, serial performance. It is the lingering hand at a ballroom waist, the borrowed sonnet recited from memory, the promise made with no thought of tomorrow—a practice of attachment that is, in its very etymology, a pointed misnomer.
noun
- A lover.“Yes, I'll baste you together, you and your Philander!”
- A South American opossum, bare-tailed woolly opossum, of species Caluromys philander (syn. Didelphis philander).
- A greater bilby, an Australian marsupial of species Macrotis lagotis (syn. Perameles lagotis).
verb
- To woo women; to play the male flirt.“You can't be philandering after her again.”