Spuriousness

2 definitions found

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

  Spurious \Spu"ri*ous\ (sp[=u]"r[i^]*[u^]s), a. [L. spurius.]
     1. Not proceeding from the true source, or from the source
        pretended; not genuine; counterfeit; false; adulterate.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Not legitimate; bastard; as, spurious issue. "Her spurious


        firstborn." --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Spurious primary}, or {Spurious quill} (Zool.), the first,
        or outer, primary quill when rudimentary or much reduced
        in size, as in certain singing birds.
  
     {Spurious wing} (Zool.), the bastard wing, or alula.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: Counterfeit; false; adulterate; supposititious;
          fictitious; bastard.
          [1913 Webster] -- {Spu"ri*ous*ly}, adv. --
          {Spu"ri*ous*ness}, n.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  spuriousness
       n : state of lacking genuineness [ant: {genuineness}]