saturnine - Word of the Day - 23/04/16

saturnine

adjective

Pronunciation

sat·ur·nine \ˈsa-tər-ˌnīn\

 Definition 

1 - born under or influenced astrologically by the planet Saturn
2
     a -  cold and steady in mood :  slow to act or change
     b -  of a gloomy or surly disposition
     c - having a sardonic aspect <a saturnine smile>

Examples 

He is saturnine in temperament.

The men awaiting interrogation by the police shared a saturnine silence.

Did You Know?

Eeyore is saturnine. The gloomy, cynical character of A. A. Milne's gray donkey typifies the personality type the ancient Romans ascribed to individuals born when the planet Saturn was rising in the heavens. Both the name of the planet and the adjective derive from the name of the Roman god of agriculture, who was often depicted as a bent old man with a stern, sluggish, and sullen nature. The Latin name for Saturn was Saturnus, which is assumed to have yielded the word Saturninus (meaning "of Saturn") in Medieval Latin; that form was adapted to create English saturnine in the 15th century.


Merriam-Webster