Irritability

2 definitions found

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

  Irritability \Ir`ri*ta*bil"i*ty\, n. [L. irritabilitas: cf. F.
     irritabilit['e].]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. The state or quality of being irritable; quick
        excitability; petulance; fretfulness; as, irritability of
        temper.


        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Physiol.) A natural susceptibility, characteristic of all
        living organisms, tissues, and cells, to the influence of
        certain stimuli, response being manifested in a variety of
        ways, -- as that quality in plants by which they exhibit
        motion under suitable stimulation; esp., the property
        which living muscle possesses, of responding either to a
        direct stimulus of its substance, or to the stimulating
        influence of its nerve fibers, the response being
        indicated by a change of form, or contraction;
        contractility.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Med.) A condition of morbid excitability of an organ or
        part of the body; undue susceptibility to the influence of
        stimuli. See {Irritation}, n., 3.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  irritability
       n 1: an irritable petulant feeling [syn: {crossness}, {fretfulness},
             {fussiness}, {peevishness}, {petulance}, {choler}]
       2: excessive sensitivity of an organ or body part [syn: {excitability}]
       3: a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger; "his temper was
          well known to all his employees" [syn: {temper}, {biliousness},
           {peevishness}, {pettishness}, {snappishness}, {surliness}]