costive

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: cos=tive

CIDE DICTIONARY

costive, a. [OF. costevé, p. p. of costever, F. constiper, L. constipare to press closely together, to cram; con- + stipare to press together, cram. See Stipulate, Stiff, and cf. Constipate.].

•  Retaining fecal matter in the bowels; having too slow a motion of the bowels; constipated.  [1913 Webster]
•  Reserved; formal; close; cold.  [1913 Webster]

  "You must be frank, but without indiscretion; and close, but without being costive."  [1913 Webster]
•  Dry and hard; impermeable; unyielding.  [1913 Webster]

  "Clay in dry seasons is costive, hardening with the sun and wind."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

costive, adj.
1 constipated.
2 niggardly.

Derivative

costively adv. costiveness n.

Etymology

ME f. OF costiv{eacute} f. L constipatus: see CONSTIPATE

ROGET THESAURUS

costive

Taciturnity

N taciturnity, silence, muteness, obmutescence, taciturnity, pauciloquy, costiveness, curtness, reserve, reticence, man of few words, silent, mute, mum, silent as a post, silent as a stone, silent as the grave, dumb, unconversable, taciturn, sparing of words, closetongued, costive, inconversable, curt, reserved, reticent, Int, shush!, tush!, silence!, mum!, hush!, chut!, hist!, tut!, chup!, mum's the word, keep your mouth shut!, cave quid dicis quando et cui, volto sciolto i pensieri stretti.