pernickety
[ per-nik-i-tee ]
adjective
Origin of pernickety
11800–10; originally Scots; of uncertain origin; the prefix per- occurs in a number of other expressive words in Scots, e.g. pergaddus thump, clatter, perskeet fastidious, perjink trim, neat
Other words from pernickety
- per·nick·et·i·ness, noun
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British Dictionary definitions for pernickety
pernickety
US persnickety
/ (pəˈnɪkɪtɪ) /
adjectiveinformal
excessively precise and attentive to detail; fussy
(of a task) requiring close attention; exacting
Origin of pernickety
1C19: originally Scottish, of unknown origin
Derived forms of pernickety
- pernicketiness or US persnicketiness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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