POLI'TE, adjective [Latin politus, polished, from polio, supra.] 1. Literally, smooth, glossy, and used in this sense till within a century. Rays of light falling on a polite surface. [This application of the word is, I believe, entirely obsolete.] 2. Being polished or elegant in manners; refined in behavior; well bred. He marries, bows at court and grows polite 3. Courteous; complaisant; obliging. His manners were warm without insincerity, and polite without pomp.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI