pigritude

English

Etymology

From Latin pigritūdō.

Noun

pigritude (uncountable)

1. (literary, rare) Slothfulness, laziness.
   • [1623, H[enry] C[ockeram], “Pigritude”, in The English Dictionarie: or, An Interpreter of Hard English VVords. […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Edmund Weauer, […], →OCLC, 1st part […], signature [H8], verso, column 2:

     Pigritude. Slothfulnes.]

   • 1844 May 25, [Nathaniel Parker Willis], “Diary of Town Trifles. […]”, in The New Mirror, volume III, number 8, New York, N.Y., page 120, column 2:

     But, with a little thoughtful frequenting, those deserted river-sides become contemplative and pleasant rambling-places, and, if some whim of fashion do not make the bank of the Hudson like the Marina of Smyrna, a fashionable resort, I have my Sunday afternoons provided for, during the pigritude of city durance.

   • 1915 April 29, “Is Lying Justifiable in Time of War?”, in Springfield Weekly Republican, 91st year, number 84, Springfield, Mass., page 3, column 3:

     If people have sunk into such shameful pigritude that they will only fight if wantonly attacked, is it moral to twist facts in such a way as to make the enemy appear to bear all the blame?

   • 1978 September, Nicolas Slonimsky, “Preface to the Sixth Edition”, in Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 6th edition, New York, N.Y.: Schirmer Books; London: Collier Macmillan Publishers, →ISBN, page xxv:

     Yes, I was guilty of procrastination, sloth, accidie, pigritude (a lovely old word for laziness), stupidity perhaps, but did I not try?