What does "costive" mean?
Costive: Reserved; formal; close; cold. [Obs.] "A costive brain." Prior. "Costive of laughter." B. Jonson. You must be frank, but without indiscretion; and close, but without being costive. Lord Chesterfield.
Additional senses
- 2.Dry and hard; impermeable; unyielding. [Obs.] Clay in dry seasons is costive, hardening with the sun and wind. Mortimer.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00