Urbanity

3 definitions found

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

  Urbanity \Ur*ban"i*ty\, n. [L. urbanitas; cf. F. urbanit['e].]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. The quality or state of being urbane; civility or courtesy
        of manners; politeness; refinement.
        [1913 Webster]
  


              The marquis did the honors of his house with the
              urbanity of his country.              --W. Irving.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Polite wit; facetiousness. [Obs.] --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Raillery in the sauce of civil entertainment; and
              without some such tincture of urbanity, good humor
              falters.                              --L'Estrange.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: Politeness; suavity; affability; courtesy.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  urbanity
       n : polished courtesy; elegance of manner

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  URBANITY, n.  The kind of civility that urban observers ascribe to
  dwellers in all cities but New York.  Its commonest expression is
  heard in the words, "I beg your pardon," and it is not consistent with
  disregard of the rights of others.
  
      The owner of a powder mill
      Was musing on a distant hill --
          Something his mind foreboded --
      When from the cloudless sky there fell
      A deviled human kidney!  Well,
          The man's mill had exploded.
      His hat he lifted from his head;
      "I beg your pardon, sir," he said;
          "I didn't know 'twas loaded."
                                                                 Swatkin