Crabbedness

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Crabbed \Crab"bed\ (kr?b"b?d), a. [See {Crab},n.]
     1. Characterized by or manifesting, sourness, peevishness, or
        moroseness; harsh; cross; cynical; -- applied to feelings,
        disposition, or manners.
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              Crabbed age and youth can not live together. --Shak.
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     2. Characterized by harshness or roughness; unpleasant; --
        applied to things; as, a crabbed taste.
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     3. Obscure; difficult; perplexing; trying; as, a crabbed
        author. "Crabbed eloquence." --Chaucer.
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              How charming is divine philosophy!
              Not harsh and crabbed, as dull fools suppose.
                                                    --Milton.
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     4. Cramped; irregular; as, crabbed handwriting. --
        {Crab"bed*ly}, adv. -- {Crab"bed*ness}, n.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  crabbedness
       n : a disposition to be ill tempered [syn: {crabbiness}, {crossness}]