squeamish

Adjective

WordNet 3.0

Adjective (1)

excessively fastidious and easily disgusted“too nice about his food to take to camp cooking”“so squeamish he would only touch the toilet handle with his elbow”Synonyms: dainty nice overnice prissy

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Squeamish \Squeam"ish\ (skw[=e]m"[i^]sh), a. [OE. squaimous, sweymous, probably from OE. sweem, swem, dizziness, a swimming in the head; cf. Icel. sveimr a bustle, a stir, Norw. sveim a hovering about, a sickness that comes upon one, Icel. svimi a giddiness, AS. sw[imac]ma. The word has been perhaps confused with qualmish. Cf. Swim to be dizzy.] Having a stomach that is easily turned or nauseated; hence, nice to excess in taste; fastidious; easily disgusted; apt to be offended at trifling improprieties. [1913 Webster]

Quoth he, that honor's very squeamish That takes a basting for a blemish. --Hudibras. [1913 Webster]

His muse is rustic, and perhaps too plain The men of squeamish taste to entertain. --Southern. [1913 Webster]

So ye grow squeamish, Gods, and sniff at heaven. --M. Arnold. [1913 Webster]

Syn: Fastidious; dainty; overnice; scrupulous. See Fastidious. [1913 Webster] -- Squeam"ish*ly, adv. -- Squeam"ish*ness, n. [1913 Webster]