captiousness en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree English captious Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English captiousness From captious + -ness.
Meanings
-
(uncountable, usually) The state of being captious.
"Yes— and I suppose you want to know why," she replied with dry captiousness.
1867, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, chapter V, in The Gambler, translated by C. J. Hogarth^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Gambler_(1867)/V):
- (uncountable, usually) Captious behaviour.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| captiousnesses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |