The slow disease and subtile pain.
Prior.
5. Characterized by nicety of discrimination; discerning; delicate;
refined; subtle. [In this sense now commonly written subtle.]
The genius of the Spanish people is exquisitely subtile, without
being at all acute; hence there is so much humor and so little wit
in their literature. The genius of the Italians, on the contrary,
is acute, profound, and sensual, but not subtile; hence what they
think to be humorous, is merely witty.
Coleridge.
The subtile influence of an intellect like Emerson's.
Hawthorne.
5. Sly; artful; cunning; crafty; subtle; as, a subtile person; a
subtile adversary; a subtile scheme. [In this sense now commonly
written subtle.]
Syn. -- Subtile, Acute. In acute the image is that of a needle's point;
in subtile that of a thread spun out to fineness. The acute intellect
pierces to its aim; the subtile (or subtle) intellect winds its way
through obstacles.
-- Sub"tile*ly, adv. -- Sub"tile*ness, n.
Sub*til"i*ate (?), v. t. [LL. subtiliare.] To make thin or rare. [Obs.]
Harvey. -- Sub`til*i*a"tion (#), n. [Obs.] Boyle.
Sub"til*ism (?), n. The quality or state of being subtile; subtility;
subtlety.
The high orthodox subtilism of Duns Scotus.
Milman.
Sub*til"i*ty (?), n. [L. subtilitas: cf. F. subtilité. See Subtle.]
Subtilty. [R.]
Sub`til*i*za"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. subtilization.] 1. The act of making
subtile.
2. (Old Chem.) The operation of making so volatile as to rise in steam
or vapor.