† malacissantadj.

Etymology: < classical Latin malacissant-, malacissāns, present participle of malacissāre to make soft (one isolated figurative attestation, in Plautus; used in the post-classical Latin of Cassiodorus (with variant malacizare ) and Francis Bacon) < Hellenistic Greek μαλακίζειν to soften (compare ancient Greek μαλακίζεσθαι to be softened) < μαλακός soft (see malaco- comb. form) + -ίζειν -ize suffix.