Bible Lexicons

ἁπᾰλός, ή, όν,

I soft to the touch, tender: in Hom. mostly of the human body, ἁπαλὴν ὑπὸ δειρήν Il. 3.371; παρειάων ἁπαλάων 18.123; ἁπαλοῖο δι' αὐχένος ἦλθεν ἀκωκή 17.49; ἁ. πόδες 19.92; ἁ. τέ σφ' ἦτορ ἀπηύρα, i. e. the life of young animals, 11.115; ἵεσαν αὐδὴν ἐξ ἁπαλῶν στομάτων Hes. Sc. 279; δέρα Sapph. Supp. 23.16; of persons, delicate, παῖδες Alc. Supp. 14.5; εὐμορφοτέρα.. τᾶς ἀπάλας Γυρίννως Sapph. 76; of flowers, ἄνθρυσκα Ead. Supp. 25.13; rare in Trag., and only in lyr., παρειά A. Supp. 70; βρέφος ἁ. E. IA 1285; βλέφαρον τέγγουσ' ἁ. El. 1339; more freq. in Com., σισύμβριον Cratin. 239; κρέα Ar. Lys. 1063; δάκτυλοι Alex. 48; θερμολουσίαις ἁπαλοί Com.Adesp. 56; so in Prose, ἁ. ψυχή Pl. Phdr. 245a; of raw fruit, Hdt. 2.92, cf. X. Oec. 19.18; of tender meat, Id. An. 1.5.2; soft-boiled, of eggs, Cael.Aur. Revelation 2:18; of a gentle fire, Philem. 79.8, D.S. 3.25.

II metaph.,

1. soft, gentle, ἁπαλὸν γελάσαι laugh gently, Od. 14.465; ἁ. δίαιτα soft, delicate, Pl. Phdr. 239c; τῶ αὐτῷ.. χρησώμεθα τεκμηρίῳ περὶ Ἔρωτα ὅτι ἁπαλός Id. Smp. 195e (also in Sup.); ἁ. εἴσπλους λιμένος, opp. τραχύς, Cratin. 357. Adv. ἁπαλῶς, ὀπτᾶν to roast moderately, Sotad. Com. 1.16: Comp. ἁπαλωτέρως, ἅπτεσθαι Hp. Art. 37.

2. in bad sense, soft, weak, ὡς ἁ. καὶ λευκὸς [οἶνος ] Cratin. 183; λευκός, ἐξυρημένος, γυναικόφωνος, ἁ. Ar. Th. 192. [ ᾰπᾰλος; for καλάμῳ.. ὑπᾱπάλῳ, in Theoc. 28.4, is corrupt.]