SQUEAMISH

squeamish. Squeamish, a. fastidious, nice, easily disgusted

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Squeam″ish (skwēm″ĭsh), a. [[OE. squaimous, sweymous, probably from OE. sweem, swem, dizziness, a swimming in the head; cf. Icel. sveimr a bustle, a stir, Norw. sveim a hovering about, a sickness that comes upon one, Icel. svimi a giddiness, AS. swīma. The word has been perhaps confused with qualmish. Cf. Swim to be dizzy.]] Having a stomach that is easily turned or nauseated; hence, nice to excess in taste; fastidious; easily disgusted; apt to be offended at trifling improprieties. Quoth he, that honor's very squeamish That takes a basting for a blemish. Hudibras. His muse is rustic, and perhaps too plain The men of squeamish taste to entertain. Southern. So ye grow squeamish, Gods, and sniff at heaven. M. Arnold. Syn. — Fastidious; dainty; overnice; scrupulous. See Fastidious. — Squeam″ish‐ly, adv. — Squeam″ish‐ness, n.