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Esta entrada aún no se ha traducido a tu idioma, así que se muestra el original a continuación.
crabbed
This term describes handwriting or a style of expression that is cramped, illegible, and difficult to decipher. It evokes a sense of physical constriction, as if the letters were squeezed together or written with a stiff, awkward hand. It is most frequently used in literary or formal contexts to describe old manuscripts or the idiosyncratic script of a scholar.
When applied to a person's temperament, it denotes a mood that is irritable, grouchy, or ill-tempered. In this sense, it mirrors the sideways, defensive movement of a crab, suggesting a personality that is prickly and difficult to approach. This usage is less common in modern speech than the description of handwriting.
Meanings
Examples
The old monk wrote in a crabbed hand that took hours to decipher.
I cannot make out a single word of this crabbed script.
Why is the boss in such a crabbed mood this morning?
He gave a crabbed response to the question and walked away.
The diary was filled with crabbed notes scribbled in the margins.
She wondered if her own handwriting looked as crabbed as the professor's.
The old man became increasingly crabbed as he grew older.
Collocations & Compounds
crabbed hand
Noun collocation: handwriting that is cramped and difficult to read
crabbed script
Noun collocation: a style of writing that is small and illegible
crabbed disposition
Noun collocation: a naturally irritable or grumpy temperament
His crabbed disposition made him unpopular among his coworkers.
crabbed manner
Noun collocation: a brusque or bad-tempered way of behaving or speaking