Squeamishness

Squeamishness
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:

  • squeamishness — index reluctance Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • squeamishness — noun 1. a mild state of nausea • Syn: ↑queasiness, ↑qualm • Derivationally related forms: ↑squeamish, ↑queasy (for: ↑queasiness) • Hypernyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

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

  • squeamishness — noun see squeamish …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • squeamishness — See squeamishly. * * * …   Universalium

  • squeamishness — noun The quality of being squeamish …   Wiktionary

  • squeamishness — squeam·ish·ness || skwɪːmɪʃnɪs n. prudishness, primness; fastidiousness; quality of being easily disgusted or nauseated …   English contemporary dictionary

  • squeamishness — squea·mish·ness …   English syllables

  • squeamishness — See: squeamish …   English dictionary

  • squeamish — [[t]skwi͟ːmɪʃ[/t]] ADJ GRADED: usu v link ADJ If you are squeamish, you are easily upset by unpleasant sights or situations. I m terribly squeamish. I can t bear gory films... I am not squeamish about blood. Derived words: squeamishness N UNCOUNT …   English dictionary

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