unctuousness

unctuousness

English

Etymology

    From unctuous + -ness.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ˈʌŋkt͡ʃuəsnəs/
    • Hyphenation: unc‧tu‧ous‧ness

    Noun

    unctuousness (uncountable)

    1. The state or characteristic of being unctuous.
      Synonym: unctuosity
      • 1851, Herman Melville, chapter 94, in Moby Dick:
        Plum-pudding is the term bestowed upon certain fragmentary parts of the whale's flesh, here and there adhering to the blanket of blubber, and often participating to a considerable degree in its unctuousness.
      • 1919, Anthony Hope, chapter 17, in The Secret of the Tower:
        Only Mr. Radbolt's unctuousness—surely it would have smoothed the stormiest waves—saved the social situation.

    Translations