Fractiousness

2 definitions found

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

  Fractious \Frac"tious\, a. [Cf. Prov. E. frack forward, eager,
     E. freak, fridge; or Prov. E. fratch to squabble, quarrel.]
     Apt to break out into a passion; apt to scold; cross;
     snappish; ugly; unruly; as, a fractious man; a fractious
     horse.
  


     Syn: Snappish; peevish; waspish; cross; irritable; perverse;
          pettish. -- {Frac"tious*ly}, v. -- {Frac"tious*ness}, n.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  fractiousness
       n : the trait of being prone to disobedience and lack of
           discipline [syn: {unruliness}, {willfulness}, {wilfulness}]