reptitious en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ɹɛpˈtɪʃəs/ (US)
- /ɹəpˈtɪʃəs/ (UK)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From Late Latin reptitius (“creeping”), corruption of Latin reperticius, from reptus (“crept, crawled”) + -īcius (“-itious”), from rēpere (“to creep, to crawl”), modified by English -ious, q.v. Cognate with repent, reptant, reptile, reptilious, surreptitious.
Meanings
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(obsolete) Synonym of reptile: creeping, crawling.
Reptitious, ſtealing or creeping on by degrees.
[1658, Edward Phillips, compiler, “Reptitious”, in The New World of English Words: Or, A General Dictionary: […], London: […] E. Tyler, for Nath[aniel] Brook […], →OCLC, column 2:Some Serpents are reptitious, creep on the Belly, and some have Feet.
1742, Charles Owen, An Essay towards a Natural History of Serpents, page 2:Reptile or Reptitious, that creeps; or, by privy means, gets to high estate.
1661, Thomas Blount, Glossographia, 2nd ed., s.v. "Reptile or Reptitious"
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(obsolete) Synonym of reptilian: reptilelike, (figuratively) cold-blooded, treacherous.
Whether [dysentery] proceeds from... some Occult cause, no venomous Creature living [in Ireland] to suck that which may be thought... well distributed amongst reptitious Animals, I shall not determine.
1675, Edmund Borlase, The Reduction of Ireland to the Crown of England, page 172:Reptile or Reptitious, that creeps; or, by privy means, gets to high estate.
1661, Thomas Blount, Glossographia, 2nd ed., s.v. "Reptile or Reptitious"
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more reptitious | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most reptitious | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Synonyms
reptitious · ratlike · reptilious · double-crossing · unleal · hollow-hearted · reptilious · infidelitous · viperish · apathistical · untrue · stolid · unfeeling · insidious · nonfeeling · recreant · reptilian · viperous · alexithymic · dastardly · disloyal · reptile · reptilian · dead inside · nonpassionate · falseheart · double-faced · false-hearted · treachersome · trothless · unemotional · booky · treacherous · double-hearted · guileful · Judaslike · unsentimental · phlegmatic · emotionless · unloyal · viperous · viperish · double-dealing · cold-blooded · clinical · reptitious · traitorish · doublehearted · faithless · sauroid · nonsentimental · unpassionate · swike · Judasly · impassive · reptatorial · nonfaithful · proditorious · dull · unfaithful · traitorly · insensible · proditory · disleal · unmovable · saurian · perfidious · unsteadfast · guiled · false · illoyal · traitorlike · nonemotional · reptatory · Punic · traitorsome · dispassionate · reptant · reptilian · renegade · reptilian · traitorous · reptilelike · cold-hearted · immovable · impassible