† ˈmealmouth, n. and a. Obs.
[f. meal n.1 + mouth.]
a. n. A mealy-mouthed person. b. adj. Mealy-mouthed.
| 1546 J. Heywood Prov. (1867) 19 When the meale mouth hath woon the bottome Of your stomake, than will the pick-thanke it tell. 1575 G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camden) 92 [Written to a miller] Those same fine..milltermes wherewith your mealemowthe letter and whitebred sonett ar..illuminate. a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Meal-mouth, a sly, sleepish Dun, or Sollicitor for Money. |