Category:Squeamish

Squeam"ish, a. Etym: [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.]

Defn: 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.

Syn. -- fastidious; dainty; overnice; scrupulous. See fastidious. -- squeam"ish*ly, adv. -- squeam"ish*ness, n.