Effete

Definition: pampered to the point of becoming soft or weak

For some reason, I thought this mean “feminine,” but it comes from the word meaning “no longer fruitful.” I was once used to refer to animals no longer capable of producing offspring.

Why I Looked It Up

I encountered it twice in rapid succession.

In Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma:

Picasso’s masculinity colors every part of our viewing. You could argue that his masculinity justifies his effete interest in experimentation, even in beauty.

I can’t figure out the usage here. I don’t know point the author was trying to make (honestly, the whole book is a little strange).

And in What Technology Wants:

Half-baked ideas that might seem too big even for the naifs at TED Conferences – that Woodstock of the intellectual effete – sit rather comfortable on Silicon Valley’s business plans.

The usage here is also a little murky. I think the author is making fun of TED – portraying it as a place for vaguely useless people to feel important.