restiveness

2 definitions found

restiveness - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Restive \Rest"ive\ (r?st"?v), a. [OF. restif, F. r['e]tif, fr.
     L. restare to stay back, withstand, resist. See Rest
     remainder, and cf. Restiff.] .
     Unwilling to go on; obstinate in refusing to move forward;
     stubborn; drawing back.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Restive or resty, drawing back, instead of going
           forward, as some horses do.              --E. Philips
                                                    (1658).
     [1913 Webster]
  
           The people remarked with awe and wonder that the beasts
           which were to drag him [Abraham Holmes] to the gallows
           became restive, and went back.           --Macaulay.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Inactive; sluggish. [Obs.] --Sir T. Browne.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Impatient under coercion, chastisement, or opposition;
        refractory.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Uneasy; restless; averse to standing still; fidgeting
        about; -- applied especially to horses. --Trench.
        [1913 Webster] -- Rest"ive, adv. -- Rest"ive*ness, n.
        [1913 Webster]

restiveness - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  restiveness
      n 1: the anxious feeling you have when you have the jitters
           [syn: jitteriness, jumpiness, nervousness,
           restiveness]
      2: characterized by nervousness and quickness to take fright
         [syn: skittishness, restiveness]