costive, a.
(ˈkɒstɪv)
Also 5 costyff, 5–6 -yf, -if, 6 -efe, -iffe, 6–7 -yve, 7–8 caustive.
[app. a. OF. costivé, costevé:—L. constipāt-us constipated; the final é having (as in some other words) become mute. Prob. there was in this case confusion with the suffix -ive, F. -if, -ive. for the final e had disappeared even from the spelling by 1400.]
1. Suffering from hardness and retention of the fæces; ‘bound’ or confined in the bowels; constipated.
| c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 51 Lose þe wombe if þat he be costif [v.r. costyff]. 1519 W. Horman Vulg. 41 b, This medicine maketh a man costefe. 1547 Boorde Brev. Health §309 Beware that the bely be not constupated or costiue. 1612 Woodall Surg. Mate Wks. (1653) 37 Honey..is good..for those that are costive. 1736 Amyand in Phil. Trans. XXXIX. 338 She had been greatly caustive. 1808 Med. Jrnl. XIX. 158 The bowels were obstinately costive. 1875 H. C. Wood Therap. (1879) 450 The finest white flour favors a costive habit. |
† b. Of medicine or food: That confines the bowels, ‘binding’. Obs.
| 1566 Drant Horace Sat. ii. iv. (R.), Egges roasted hard be costiue. 1587 Golding De Mornay x. 141 Laxatiue in the pith and costiffe in the barke. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 24 In the morne tis loosing, at Eve costive. |
2. fig. Slow or reluctant in action; esp. † a. in speech or utterance: Close, reticent, uncommunicative (obs.); b. Reluctant to give, niggardly, stingy.
| 1594 Plat Jewell-ho. iii. 63 They came so hardly from him as if hee had beene extreemly costiffe. 1606 Sir G. Goosecappe iii. i. in Bullen O. Pl. III. 48 Is your Lord costive of laughter, or laxative of laughter? 1610 B. Jonson Alch. ii. iii, Somewhat caustiue of beliefe Toward your stone. 1752 Chesterfield Lett. III. cclxxxiv. 300 You must be frank, but without indiscretion, and close without being costive. 1824 Medwin Convers. Byron (1832) II. 45 He is rather costive, and does not like to throw away his effusions. 1887 Durham Univ. Jrnl. VII. 228 The amount of compensation to be claimed from a Railway Company who are always costive upon such points. |
† c. Given with reluctance or sparingly. Obs.
| a 1734 North Exam. iii. vi. 493 The costive supplies as were given towards it. |
† 3. Hard and impervious. Obs. rare—1.
| 1707 Mortimer Husb. (J.), Clay in dry seasons is costive, hardening with the sun and wind. |