Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Capriciously stubborn or eccentric; perverse.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Characterized by odd fancies or crotchets; fantastic or eccentric in thought; whimsical.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Given to crotchets; subject to whims.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Cranky, disagreeable, or stubborn, especially if prone to odd whims or fancies.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective having a difficult and contrary disposition

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From crotchet + -y, using crotchet in the 16th century sense of a whim or a fancy

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Examples

  • It's what I call a crotchety conscience -- always in the way of your doing anything like anybody else.

    Dred; A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp. Vol. I 1856

  • Yeah, the clothes alone would put the crotch in crotchety.

    Slimbo's Jazz Fest Report Slimbolala 2006

  • Most recently, Boyle was known as the crotchety father on the television comedy series Everybody loves Raymond.

    Archive 2006-12-01 Ed Hollett 2006

  • But the actor, best known as crotchety one-legged pensioner Winston from Still Game, is delighted to have come through the eventful season with what he believes is a fantastic second series of his hit sitcom.

    The Daily Record - Home 2008

  • But the actor, best known as crotchety one-legged pensioner Winston from Still Game, is delighted to have come through the eventful season with what he believes is a fantastic second series of his hit sitcom.

    The Daily Record - Home 2008

  • But the actor, best known as crotchety one-legged pensioner Winston from Still Game, is delighted to have come through the eventful season with what he believes is a fantastic second series of his hit sitcom.

    The Daily Record - Home 2008

  • But the actor, best known as crotchety one-legged pensioner Winston from Still Game, is delighted to have come through the eventful season with what he believes is a fantastic second series of his hit sitcom.

    The Daily Record - Home 2008

  • But the actor, best known as crotchety one-legged pensioner Winston from Still Game, is delighted to have come through the eventful season with what he believes is a fantastic second series of his hit sitcom.

    The Daily Record - Home 2008

  • But the actor, best known as crotchety one-legged pensioner Winston from Still Game, is delighted to have come through the eventful season with what he believes is a fantastic second series of his hit sitcom.

    The Daily Record - Home 2008

  • But the actor, best known as crotchety one-legged pensioner Winston from Still Game, is delighted to have come through the eventful season with what he believes is a fantastic second series of his hit sitcom.

    The Daily Record - Home 2008

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