From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Versatile \Ver"sa*tile\, a. [L. versatilis, fr. versare to turn
around, v. freq. of vertere: cf. F. versatile. See Verse.]
1. Capable of being turned round. --Harte.
[1913 Webster]
2. Liable to be turned in opinion; changeable; variable;
unsteady; inconstant; as, a versatile disposition.
[1913 Webster]
3. Turning with ease from one thing to another; readily
applied to a new task, or to various subjects; many-sided;
as, versatile genius; a versatile politician.
[1913 Webster]
Conspicuous among the youths of high promise . . .
was the quick and versatile [Charles] Montagu.
--Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]
4. (Nat. Hist.) Capable of turning; freely movable; as, a
versatile anther, which is fixed at one point to the
filament, and hence is very easily turned around; a
versatile toe of a bird.
[1913 Webster] -- Ver"sa*tile*ly, adv. -- --
Ver"sa*tile*ness, n.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
versatile
adj 1: having great diversity or variety; "his various
achievements are impressive"; "his vast and versatile
erudition" [syn: versatile, various]
2: changeable or inconstant; "versatile moods"
3: competent in many areas and able to turn with ease from one
thing to another; "a versatile writer"
4: able to move freely in all directions; "an owl's versatile
toe can move backward and forward"; "an insect's versatile
antennae can move up and down or laterally"; "a versatile
anther of a flower moves freely in the wind"