• Owliness

    Origin

    owly + -ness

    Full definition of owliness

    Noun

    owliness

    (uncountable)
    1. The condition of being an owl or having owllike characteristics.
      • 2011, Louise Rennison, Withering Tights, HarperTeen (2011), ISBN 9780061799310, page 217:Like Monty had told us, I thought about the "qualities" of owliness. My wise nature. Where my home might be. What I would have for supper. Mouse, I fancied.
    2. The state of being in an ill temper; crankiness.
      • 1979, Ian Dutton, "Weather was cool, but teams' tempers weren't", The Leader-Post, 10 August 1979:The teams obviously studied at the Hatfield-McCoy school of diplomacy and graduating at the top of his class in owliness was Eston playing-coach Don Sasser.

    Synonyms

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