SATURNINE • E-FREE TRANSLATION.COM • Definition of Saturnine

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adjective

Saturnine adj.

Born under, or influenced by, the planet Saturn.

Heavy; grave; gloomy; dull; the opposite of mercurial; as, a saturnine person or temper.

(Old Chem.) Of or pertaining to lead; characterized by, or resembling, lead, which was formerly called Saturn. (Archaic)

Saturnine colic (Med.), lead colic.

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Etymology of 'Saturnine'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Saturnine" Quotes from Famous Books

... and steps tiptoe over rubbishy details that are the delight of the comic poet and the modern Muse of History. Thucydides, it is true, gives us a minute account of the plague. That was a subject which commended itself to his saturnine spirit, and in his description he deigns to speak of the "stuffy cabooses" into which the country people were crowded when the Lacedaemonians invaded Attica. But when Aristophanes touches the same chapter, he goes into picturesque details about the rookeries ...

— The Creed of the Old South 1865-1915 • Basil L. Gildersleeve

... would make a very good peddler," he thought. Although his grace of address was involuntary, like any keenly intelligent and retrospective man, he could not avoid being aware of it. He felt that he could outstrip that saturnine Syrian in his ...

— The Debtor - A Novel • Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

... the spacious old cabinet room which looks out on the little garden and the Park. He was a gaunt old man with, meagre mustache and hair, and a face like a death's head. He held out his hand and smiled. His hand was cold and his smile was half tearful and half saturnine. ...

— The Christian - A Story • Hall Caine

... well and bade her think no more about the man, I very soon had reason to be of her opinion. Two or three days later, as I was sawing planks in the yard, to make a trellis, that saturnine person came in, resplendently dressed, and filled the wholesome place with the reek of his essences. He saluted me with extravagant politeness, telling me that he had words for my private ear which he was sure ...

— The Fool Errant • Maurice Hewlett

... vastly more concerned about the animal's impending fate. This was old Joe McEvoy himself, who, out of the mouth of a steep, sandy boreen, sprang up suddenly, like a jack-fn-the-box-one of the shock-wigged, saturnine-complexioned pattern. But no jack-in-the-box could have looked so flurriedly distracted, or have muttered to itself such queer execrations as he ...

— Stories by English Authors: Ireland • Various

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