Sensitiveness

2 definitions found

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

  Sensitive \Sen"si*tive\, a. [F. sensitif. See {Sense}.]
     1. Having sense of feeling; possessing or exhibiting the
        capacity of receiving impressions from external objects;
        as, a sensitive soul.
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     2. Having quick and acute sensibility, either to the action
        of external objects, or to impressions upon the mind and
        feelings; highly susceptible; easily and acutely affected.
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              She was too sensitive to abuse and calumny.
                                                    --Macaulay.
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     3.
        (a) (Mech.) Having a capacity of being easily affected or
            moved; as, a sensitive thermometer; sensitive scales.
        (b) (Chem. & Photog.) Readily affected or changed by
            certain appropriate agents; as, silver chloride or
            bromide, when in contact with certain organic
            substances, is extremely sensitive to actinic rays.
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     4. Serving to affect the sense; sensible. [R.]
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              A sensitive love of some sensitive objects.
                                                    --Hammond.
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     5. Of or pertaining to sensation; depending on sensation; as,
        sensitive motions; sensitive muscular motions excited by
        irritation. --E. Darwin.
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     {Sensitive fern} (Bot.), an American fern ({Onoclea
        sensibilis}), the leaves of which, when plucked, show a
        slight tendency to fold together.
  
     {Sensitive flame} (Physics), a gas flame so arranged that
        under a suitable adjustment of pressure it is exceedingly
        sensitive to sounds, being caused to roar, flare, or
        become suddenly shortened or extinguished, by slight
        sounds of the proper pitch.
  
     {Sensitive joint vetch} (Bot.), an annual leguminous herb
        ({Aeschynomene hispida}), with sensitive foliage.
  
     {Sensitive paper}, paper prepared for photographic purpose by
        being rendered sensitive to the effect of light.
  
     {Sensitive plant}. (Bot.)
        (a) A leguminous plant ({Mimosa pudica}, or {Mimosa
            sensitiva}, and other allied species), the leaves of
            which close at the slightest touch.
        (b) Any plant showing motions after irritation, as the
            sensitive brier ({Schrankia}) of the Southern States,
            two common American species of {Cassia} ({Cassia
            nictitans}, and {Cassia Chamaecrista}), a kind of
            sorrel ({Oxalis sensitiva}), etc.
            [1913 Webster] -- {Sen"si*tive*ly}, adv. --
            {Sen"si*tive*ness}, n.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  sensitiveness
       n 1: sensitivity to emotional feelings (of self and others) [syn:
             {sensitivity}]
       2: (physiology) responsiveness to external stimuli;
          "sensitivity to pain" [syn: {sensitivity}, {sensibility}]
       3: the ability to respond to affective changes in your
          interpersonal environment [syn: {sensitivity}] [ant: {insensitivity},
           {insensitivity}]