effete | əˈfēt |
adjective
affected and overly refined: effete trendies from art college | he chatted away, exercising his rather effete charm. • (of a man) behaving in a way traditionally associated with women and regarded as inappropriate for a man. • no longer capable of effective action: the authority of an effete aristocracy began to dwindle.
ORIGIN early 17th century (in the sense ‘no longer fertile’): from Latin effetus ‘worn out by bearing young’, from ex- ‘out’ + fetus ‘breeding’; related to fetus.
An Efete, 2024
Stoneware, metallic glaze
37cm x 49cm x 36cm
Berkeley, USA