Definition of "polite"

polite

/pəˈlaɪt/

adjective
comparative politer or more polite, superlative politest or most polite
1. Well-mannered, civilized.
  Quotations
  He marries, bows at court, and grows polite.
  1733, Alexander Pope, Epistle to Bathurst
  I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.
  1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 4, in Mr. Pratt's Patients
2. (obsolete) Smooth, polished, burnished.
  Quotations
  rays of light […] falling on […] a polite surface
  1704, I[saac] N[ewton], “(please specify |book=1 to 3)”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Smith, and Benj[amin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society, […]
verb
third-person singular simple present polites, present participle politing, simple past and past participle polited
1. (obsolete, transitive) To polish; to refine; to render polite.
  Quotations
  those exercises plied, which polite men's spirits
  1691, John Ray, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. […], London: […] Samuel Smith, […]

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