atrabilious [ˌætrəˈbɪlyəs] a.
1.) Affected by black bile or ‘choler adust’; melancholy, hypochondriac; splenetic, acrimonious (O.E.D. 2nd Ed.).
Etymology: From Latin atra bilis, black bile (translation of Greek melankholia): atra, black; + bilis, bile.
"She liked London constantly, and stood in defence of it against me and my atrabilious censures of it, never had for herself the least wish to quit it again, though I was often talking of that, and her practice would have been loyal compliance for my behoof" (Reminiscences, Thomas Carlyle, 1881).
8 comments:
Great word! Would work well in an insult, like "go to hell, you atrabilious bastard!" Yeah, I like it!
Really needed that paragraph to help me 'get' its use this time.
this describes my Friday the 13th perfectly =/
yech! not a very pleasant word!
I really miss you buddy! :)
re your comment: dirty.
Lovely word. Atrabilous. i might incorporate that into my everyday vocabulary, though will look up a few more contexts first.
By the way the little player which shows how the word sounds, is missing. I wonder if that is Blogger's fault or whether you have stopped giving this information.
I mean "atrabilious" :)
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