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Definition peevish

Etymology

From Middle English pevische, pevisse, pevysse, peivesshe, also peyuesshe, peeuish, of obscure origin. Perhaps from Middle English pew, pue (“a plaintive cry, the cry of a bird”), equivalent to pue +‎ -ish. Cognate with Scots pevis, pevess, pevych, pevach (“peevish”), Scots pew, peu (“to cry in a plaintive manner”). See pue.

An alternative etymology derives Middle English peyvesshe (“capricious, silly”), as a possible corruption of Latin perversus (“perverted”). The meaning “fretful” develops in the 16th century.

A third suggestion links the word to classical Latin expavidus (“startled, shy”) (< ex- + pavidus) via an unrecorded variant with -ai- of Middle French espave (“stray [of animals]; foreign [of persons]; lost property, flotsam”) (first attested 1283 in Old French; French épave).The semantic connection is thought to be the behaviour of stray animals. Compare -ish suffix.

Adjective

peevish (comparative more peevish, superlative most peevish)

  1. Characterized by or exhibiting petty bad temper, bad-tempered, moody, cross. [from 1520]
  2. Constantly complaining, whining; childishly fretful.
  3. Easily annoyed, especially by things that are not important; irritable, querulous.
  4. (obsolete, adverb) Peevishly.
  5. (obsolete, Northern England) Clever, expert. Template:18th c.
  6. (obsolete, Canada, Northern England) Sharp, piercing, bitter (of the wind); windy, blustery (of the weather).
  7. (chiefly obsolete) Perverse, refractory; headstrong, obstinate; capricious, skittish; (also) coy. [from c. 1400]
  8. (obsolete) Silly, senseless, foolish. [16th–17th c.]
  9. (obsolete) Beside oneself; out of one's senses; mad. [16th c.]
  10. (obsolete) Spiteful, malignant, mischievous, harmful. [16th c.]
  11. (obsolete) Hateful, distasteful, horrid. [16th c.]

Results 102 Words with the letters PEEVISH

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15 letter words with the letters PEEVISH 
14 letter words with the letters PEEVISH 
13 letter words with the letters PEEVISH 
12 letter words with the letters PEEVISH 
11 letter words with the letters PEEVISH 
10 letter words with the letters PEEVISH 
9 letter words with the letters PEEVISH 
7 letter words with the letters PEEVISH 
5 letter words with the letters PEEVISH 
HIVES 11
SHEEP 10
SHIVE 11
VEEPS 12
4 letter words with the letters PEEVISH 
EVES 8
HIES 6
HIPS 9
HIVE 10
PEES 7
PEHS 9
PHIS 9
PIES 7
PISH 9
SEEP 7
SHIP 9
SHIV 10
SIPE 7
SPIV 11
VEEP 11
VEES 8
VIES 8
VISE 8
3 letter words with the letters PEEVISH 
EVE 7
HEP 8
HES 5
HIE 5
HIP 8
HIS 5
PEE 6
PEH 8
PES 6
PHI 8
PIE 6
PIS 6
PSI 6
SEE 3
SEI 3
SHE 5
SIP 6
VEE 7
VIE 7
VIS 7
2 letter words with the letters PEEVISH 
EH 4
ES 2
HE 4
HI 4
IS 2
PE 5
PI 5
SH 4
SI 2

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