Sunday, February 15, 2009

Bilious


bilious \ˈbil-yəs\ adjective: 1 a. of or relating to bile, b. marked by or suffering from liver dysfunction and especially excessive secretion of bile, c. appearing as if affected by a bilious disorder, 2. of or indicative of a peevish ill-natured disposition, 3. sickeningly unpleasant {with clapboards painted red and bilious yellow — Sinclair Lewis}

Etymology: Middle French bilieux, from Latin biliosus, from bilis

Bilious literally feels like a silly word, tickling the mouth as it's spoken. (Try it.) That makes it a great word to describe a peevish man.

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