Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Like or characteristic of an old woman.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Like an old woman; anile; primly fastidious; old-maidish.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective primly fastidious

Etymologies

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Examples

  • He stopped within a couple of feet of her, until he could catch the scent of her perfume, something floral and old-womanish.

    The Mesa Conspiracy David Kent 2005

  • Jumah is the best abused man of the party, because he has old-womanish ways with him, yet in his old-womanish ways he is disposed to do the best he can for me, though he will not carry a pound in weight without groaning terribly at his hard fate.

    How I Found Livingstone Henry Morton 2004

  • Do you know, my precious Rodya, I think that perhaps for some reasons (nothing to do with Pyotr Petrovitch though, simply for my own personal, perhaps old-womanish, fancies)

    Crime and Punishment 2002

  • I'll accept that, if you insist on being old-womanish.

    Mexico Michener, James 1992

  • We must stop when we cannot go any further, and all this old-womanish cackle on the subject, the everlasting trying to prove what is already said to be proved -- the looking for the square in space after laying it down as a law that only the circle exists -- is a curious way of showing us how to control the 'exuberance of our own verbosity.'

    Ideala Sarah Grand

  • Tabby cats -- the soft, fattish kind, without any manlike qualities, that seemed to be by far the greater proportion of all the men one saw about in buses and in the streets and met in business; tabby cats -- sloppy, old-womanish creatures.

    This Freedom 1925

  • The companionship of Dale's bright youth would keep her from getting old-womanish if anything could.

    The Bat Mary Roberts Rinehart 1917

  • Do you know, my precious Rodya, I think that perhaps for some reasons (nothing to do with Pyotr Petrovitch though, simply for my own personal, perhaps old-womanish, fancies) I should do better to go on living by myself, apart, than with them, after the wedding.

    Chapter III. Part I 1917

  • "Eh! th 'art a queer, old-womanish thing," she said.

    The Secret Garden 1911

  • "Eh! th 'art a queer, old-womanish thing," she said.

    The Secret Garden Burnett, Frances Hodgson, 1849-1924 1911

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