Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
 
Help
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

Pecksniffian

 - 3 dictionary results

Peck⋅sniff⋅i⋅an

  [pek-snif-ee-uhn]
Use Pecksniffian in a Sentence
–adjective (often lowercase)
hypocritically and unctuously affecting benevolence or high moral principles.
Also, Peck⋅sniff⋅ish.

Origin:
1850–55; named after Seth Pecksniff, character in Martin Chuzzlewit, a novel (1843) by Dickens; see -ian

Related forms:
Peck⋅sniff⋅er⋅y, Peck⋅sniff⋅i⋅an⋅ism, Peck⋅sniff⋅ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Pecksniffian
Peck·sniff·i·an   (pěk-snĭf'ē-ən)   
adj.  Hypocritically benevolent; sanctimonious.

[After Seth Pecksniff, a character in Martin Chuzzlewit, a novel by Charles Dickens.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

Pecksniffian 
1851, after Mr. Pecksniff, unctuous hypocrite in Dickens' "Martin Chuzzlewit" (1844).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see Pecksniffian on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way