- Officiousness
- Officious Of*fi"cious, a. [L. officiosus: cf. F. officieux.
See {Office}.]
1. Pertaining to, or being in accordance with, duty. [R.]
[1913 Webster]
If there were any lie in the case, it could be no more than an officious and venial one. --Note on Gen. xxvii. (Douay version). [1913 Webster]
2. Disposed to serve; kind; obliging. [Archaic] [1913 Webster]
Yet not to earth are those bright luminaries Officious. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
They were tolerably well bred, very officious, humane, and hospitable. --Burke. [1913 Webster]
3. Importunately interposing services; intermeddling in affairs in which one has no concern; meddlesome. [1913 Webster]
You are too officious In her behalf that scorns your services. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
Syn: Impertinent; meddling. See {Impertinent}. [1913 Webster] -- {Of*fi"cious*ly}, adv. -- {Of*fi"cious*ness}, n. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.