polite

Etymology

From Latin polītus (“polished”), past participle of poliō (“I polish, smooth”); see polish.

adj

1. Well-mannered, civilized.
   It's not polite to use a mobile phone in a restaurant.
   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.

verb

1. (obsolete, transitive) To polish; to refine; to render polite.