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Definition of Squeamish
1. Adjective. Excessively fastidious and easily disgusted. "So squeamish he would only touch the toilet handle with his elbow"
Similar to: Fastidious
Derivative terms: Squeamishness, Squeamishness
Definition of Squeamish
1. a. Having a stomach that is easily or nauseated; hence, nice to excess in taste; fastidious; easily disgusted; apt to be offended at trifling improprieties.
Definition of Squeamish
1. Adjective. easily bothered or upset; tending to be nauseous or nervous ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Definition of Squeamish
1. [adj]
Medical Definition of Squeamish
1. Having a stomach that is easily or nauseated; hence, nice to excess in taste; fastidious; easily disgusted; apt to be offended at trifling improprieties. "Quoth he, that honor's very squeamish That takes a basting for a blemish." (Hudibras) "His muse is rustic, and perhaps too plain The men of squeamish taste to entertain." (Southern) "So ye grow squeamish, Gods, and sniff at heaven." (M. Arnold) Synonym: Fastidious, dainty, overnice, scrupulous. See Fastidious. Origin: OE. Squaimous, sweymous, probably from OE. Sweem, swem, dizziness, a swimming in the head; cf. Icel. Svemr a bustle, a stir, Norw. Sveim a hovering about, a sickness that comes upon one, Icel. Svimi a giddiness, AS. Swimi. The word has been perhaps confused witrh qualmish. Cf. Swim to be dizzy. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Squeamish
Literary usage of Squeamish
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language by Walter William Skeat (1893)
".Scandinavian ; and I suppose the initial sq* to stand for sw, as in other
instances; see Squeamish. Moreover, the final / probably stands for an older k ..."
2. Sidelights on American Literature by Fred Lewis Pattee (1922)
"We can imagine his sardonic chuckle when the "abysmal brute" broke loose in
Belgium and his squeamish countrymen shuddered in such ghastly horror. ..."
3. The Friendly Craft: A Collection of American Letters by Elizabeth Deering Hanscom (1908)
"I have not seen Swinburne's new volume — but a poem or two from it which I have
seen shocked me, and I am not squeamish. ... I am too old to have a painted ..."
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