DUDGEON

dudgeon, high dudgeon

(noun) a feeling of intense indignation (now used only in the phrase ‘in high dudgeon’)

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Noun

dudgeon (plural dudgeons)

(obsolete) A kind of wood used especially in the handles of knives; the root of the box tree.

(obsolete) A hilt made of this wood.

• "And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood" (Shakespeare, Macbeth)

(archaic) A dagger which has a dudgeon hilt.

Etymology 2

Noun

dudgeon (uncountable)

A feeling of anger or resentment.

Usage notes

Usually found only in set terms, see below.

Proper noun

Dudgeon (plural Dudgeons)

A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Dudgeon is the 16917th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 1683 individuals. Dudgeon is most common among White (93.64%) individuals.

Source: Wiktionary


Dudg"eon, n.

1. The root of the box tree, of which hafts for daggers were made. Gerarde (1597).

2. The haft of a dagger. Shak.

3. A dudgeon-hafted dagger; a dagger. Hudibras.

Dudg"eon, n. Etym: [W. dygen anger, grudge.]

Definition: Resentment; ill will; anger; displeasure. I drink it to thee in dudgeon and hostility. Sir T. Scott.

Dudg"eon, a.

Definition: Homely; rude; coarse. [Obs.] By my troth, though I am plain and dudgeon, I would not be an ass. Beau. & Fl.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 February 2025

BARGAIN

(noun) an advantageous purchase; “she got a bargain at the auction”; “the stock was a real buy at that price”


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Coffee Trivia

Coffee dates back to the 9th century. Goat herders in Ethiopia noticed their goats seem to be “dancing” after eating berries from a particular shrub. They reported it to the local monastery, and a monk made a drink out of it. The monk found out he felt energized and kept him awake at night. That’s how the first coffee drink was born.

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