stiffIsh

[Eng. stiff; -ish.] Somewhat stiff, rather stiff. "There was a rather stiffish south-easterly wind blowing, which somewhat militated against good play."Field, April 4, 1885. stiff-lý, stiffe-ly, *stif-ly, *stife-ly, *styfliche, *styf-lyche, adv . [Eng. stiff ; -ly.] 1. In a stiff manner; rigidly, inflexibly, strongly, firmly. 2. Obstinately, stubbornly, unyieldingly, contumaciously. "How darcke is the doctrine of them that say stifly that the worke of the sacra men tes in it selfe (not referгing it to styrre vp the faith of the promises annexed to them) doth justifie." -Tyndal : Works , p. 232. 3. In a formal, cramped, constrained, or affected manner; as, to act stiffly . 4. Heavily, expensively, with heavy cost; as, to pay stiffly for an article. stiff-ne , *stiff-ne e, s . [Eng. stiff ; -ne .] 1. The quality or state of being stiff; want of pliablene ; rigidity, firmne ; that quality or state of a substance which renders it difficult to bend. "The willow bows and recovers, the oak is stubborn and inflexible; and the punishment of that stiffne is one branch of the allegory." -L'Estrange. 2. A state between hardne and softne ; spi itude, viscidne . 3. Tension; as, the stiffne of a rope. 4. The state of being difficult to move, or of not moving easily or smoothly. "It mollifieth the stiffen e e and hardne e of the sinew is." - P . Holland : Pliny , bk. xx., ch. xx. *5. Obstinacy, stubbornne , contumacious ne , firmne . "Firmne or stiffne of the mind is not from adher ence to truth, but submi ion to prejudice."- Locke . 6. Formality of manner; a constrained, cramped, or affected manner; as, stiffne of manners. 7. Affected or constrained manner or style of expre ion or writing; absence or want of natural ease, simplicity, and grace. "The blast that whistles o'er the fells, Stiffens his locks to icicles." Scott: Marmion, iv. (Introd.) 2. To inspi ate; to make more thick or viscous; as, to stiffen paste. 3. To make torpid; to deprive of the power of motion; to paralyze. " Stifned with the like dismay was Menelaus to." Chapman: Homer's Iliad, iv. *4. To make stubborn, obstinate, or contumacious. "The man who is settled and stiffened in vice." -Barrow: Sermons, vol. iii., ser. 16. 5. To make stiff, constrained, or formal in man IMG:content-0303.png:[blocks in formation] "Yet you would think me very ridiculous, if I should rather the stiffne of the poet."-Dryden: E ay on Dramatic Poesy. 8. Highne of price, high rate. "The stiffne of country rates also tends to give firm ne to the attitude of staplers."- London Daily News.