debile

adj

1. (obsolete)Weak; feeble.

   “So, then, it was no surprise to the ranchhold when the buckboard spun to the door, and Raidler took up his debile protégé like a handful of rags and set him down upon the gallery.”

2. (historical)Having debilism.

   “Being a little debile and unclear of mind he did not realize the risks he was running by passing all his nights in the same bed as the daughter, while he himself was suffering continually from a dammed-up sexual drive.”

   “Cretins are debile, hard of hearing, and small in stature.”

   “‘Debile’ patients suffered from moderate mental retardation or learning difficulty.”

noun

1. (historical)A person with debilism.

   “A very important group of the mentally abnormal, the oligophrenes, who — according to the degree of lack of intelligence — are called idiots, imbeciles, or debiles, are inter alia also predisposed to misbehaviour because they lack the ability to understand what to do in a situation demanding action.”

   “As a rule debiles act on normalpsychologic^([sic]) inducements and their criminality is determined by social influences, which they are not apt to assimilate without conflicts. Therefore idiots are always irresponsible, but debiles are as a rule responsible.”

   “Oligophrenes (debiles) are taught in special schools in the maintenance of the Ministry of Public Education of the R.S.F.S.R.”

   “On the average delinquents have a normal intelligence; however, there is frequent neglect of intelligence. True debiles are admitted by the gang, to serve as an instrument of blind force.”

   “Idiots are often unable to develop stable motor conditional reflexes. Imbeciles and debiles are able to give conditional reflexes.”