Restiveness

Restiveness
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]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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