/ kænˈtæŋkərəs; NAmE / adjective
bad-tempered and always complaining :
a cantankerous old man
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 18th cent.: of unknown origin; perhaps a blend of Anglo-Irish cant auction and rancorous (see rancour ).
/ kænˈtæŋkərəs; NAmE / adjective
bad-tempered and always complaining :
a cantankerous old man
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 18th cent.: of unknown origin; perhaps a blend of Anglo-Irish cant auction and rancorous (see rancour ).
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary. Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне. 2005