crabfaced

English

Etymology

From crab +‎ faced, Relating to being sour in temper as a crab-apple is in taste.

Adjective

crabfaced (comparative more crabfaced, superlative most crabfaced)

1. Having a sour, disagreeable expression.

Quotations

• 1619-1623, John Fletcher and Philip Massinger (authors), The Little French Lawyer:

  He that's sad, A crab-faced mistress cleave to him for this year!

References

• Rev. A. Smythe Palmer, Folk-Etymology: A Dictionary of Corrupted Words (1882, c. renewed 1969)

References

• “crabfaced”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.