spinsterish en · ADJ
Etymology
Etymology tree English spinster Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-isk Old English -isċ Middle English -isch English -ish English spinsterish From spinster + -ish.
Meanings
-
Resembling or characteristic of a spinster.
Alma Winemiller, the repressed minister's daughter in a small southern town, is a spinsterish and prudish woman, losing her youth, who becomes aware of her strongly sensual nature and in desperation has the courage to act on her sexual impulses.
1976 December 25, Robert Chesley, “New York's "Nightingale" Does No Justice to Williams' Play”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 26, page 16:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most spinsterish | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more spinsterish | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |