tetchy

(tec̸h′ē)

touchy; irritable; peevish

Origin: < LME teche, touchy, prob. < ME, a mark, quality < OFr, spot, mark < VL *tecca < Frank *tekka < *tēkan; akin to OE tacn, token

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See tetchy in American Heritage Dictionary 4

also tech·y

adjective tetch·i·er also tech·i·er, tetch·i·est also tech·i·est

Peevish; testy: “As a critic gets older, he or she usually grows more tetchy and limited in responses” (James Wolcott).

Origin:

Origin: Probably from Middle English tache, teche, blemish (influenced by touchy)

Origin: , from Old French tache, teche

Origin: , from Vulgar Latin *tacca

Origin: , from Gothic taikns, sign; see deik- in Indo-European roots

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