|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
crabbed
crabbed †froward, wayward XIII; out of humour; †harsh, rugged XIV; difficult to deal with or make sense of; cross-tempered XVI. f. CRAB 1 + -ED 2, with orig. ref. to the gait and habits of the crab, which suggest cross-grained or fractious disposition. There has been later assoc. with CRAB 2 with connotation of sourness.
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "crabbed." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "crabbed." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-crabbed.html T. F. HOAD. "crabbed." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-crabbed.html |
|
crabbed
crab·bed / ˈkrabəd/ • adj. 1. (of handwriting) ill-formed and hard to decipher. ∎ (of style) contorted and difficult to understand: crabbed legal language. 2. ill-humored. DERIVATIVES: crab·bed·ly adv. crab·bed·ness n. |
|
|
Cite this article
"crabbed." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "crabbed." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-crabbed.html "crabbed." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-crabbed.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
