Squeamishly

Squeamishly
Squeamish Squeam"ish (skw[=e]m"[i^]sh), a. [OE. squaimous, sweymous, probably from OE. sweem, swem, dizziness, a swimming in the head; cf. Icel. sveimr a bustle, a stir, Norw. sveim a hovering about, a sickness that comes upon one, Icel. svimi a giddiness, AS. sw[=i]ma. The word has been perhaps confused with qualmish. Cf. {Swim} to be dizzy.] Having a stomach that is easily turned or nauseated; hence, nice to excess in taste; fastidious; easily disgusted; apt to be offended at trifling improprieties. [1913 Webster]

Quoth he, that honor's very squeamish That takes a basting for a blemish. --Hudibras. [1913 Webster]

His muse is rustic, and perhaps too plain The men of squeamish taste to entertain. --Southern. [1913 Webster]

So ye grow squeamish, Gods, and sniff at heaven. --M. Arnold. [1913 Webster]

Syn: Fastidious; dainty; overnice; scrupulous. See {Fastidious}. [1913 Webster] -- {Squeam"ish*ly}, adv. -- {Squeam"ish*ness}, n. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • squeamishly — squeamish ► ADJECTIVE 1) easily nauseated or disgusted. 2) having fastidious moral views. DERIVATIVES squeamishly adverb squeamishness noun. ORIGIN Old French escoymos …   English terms dictionary

  • squeamishly — adverb in a squeamish manner I would rather not touch, he said squeamishly • Derived from adjective: ↑squeamish …   Useful english dictionary

  • squeamishly — adverb see squeamish …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • squeamishly — See squeamish. * * * …   Universalium

  • squeamishly — adverb in a squeamish manner …   Wiktionary

  • squeamishly — adv. in a prudish manner, primly; in a fastidious manner; with a tendency to become nauseated …   English contemporary dictionary

  • squeamishly — squea·mish·ly …   English syllables

  • squeamish — squeamishly, adv. squeamishness, n. /skwee mish/, adj. 1. fastidious or dainty. 2. easily shocked by anything slightly immodest; prudish. 3. excessively particular or scrupulous as to the moral aspect of things. 4. easily nauseated or disgusted:… …   Universalium

  • Piddle — Pid dle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Piddled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Piddling}.] [Cf. dial. Sw. pittla to keep picking at, Sw. peta to pick.] 1. To deal in trifles; to concern one s self with trivial matters rather than with those that are important. Ascham …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Piddled — Piddle Pid dle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Piddled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Piddling}.] [Cf. dial. Sw. pittla to keep picking at, Sw. peta to pick.] 1. To deal in trifles; to concern one s self with trivial matters rather than with those that are important.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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