rebarbative (adj.)

"repellent, unattractive," 1885, from French rébarbatif (14c.), from barbe "beard," from Latin barba (see barb (n.)). The usual theory is that it refers to the itchy, irritating quality of a beard.

Entries linking to rebarbative

barb (n.)

late 14c., "barb of an arrow," from Old French barbe "beard, beard-like appendage" (11c.), from Latin barba "beard," from Proto-Italic *farfa- "beard," which might be from a common PIE root *bhardhā- "beard" (source also of Old Church Slavonic brada, Russia boroda, Lithuanian barzda, Old Prussian bordus), but according to De Vaan the vowel "rather points to a non-IE borrowing into the European languages."

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Definitions of rebarbative

rebarbative (adj.)

serving or tending to repel;

he became rebarbative and prickly and spiteful

Synonyms: repellent / repellant

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near rebarbative

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rebegin