Zoilous, adj.

zoilous
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zoilous_adj%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1921; not fully revised

# Zoilousadjective

## Factsheet

### What does the adjective Zoilous mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the adjective Zoilous. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

#### Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

### Where does the adjective Zoilous come from?

Earliest known use

late 1500s

The earliest known use of the adjective Zoilous is in the late 1500s.

OED's earliest evidence for Zoilous is from 1577, in the writing of John Grange, poet.

### Nearby entries

1. -zoic, comb. form¹
2. -zoic, comb. form²
3. zoid, n. 1856–
4. zoid, adj. 1864–
5. zoidiophilous, adj. 1872–
6. zoidogamous, adj. 1899–
7. Zoilean, adj. 1846–
8. Zoilism, n. 1609–
9. Zoilist, n. 1594–
10. Zoilitical, adj. 1665
11. Zoilous, adj.1577–
12. Zoilus, n. 1565–
13. zoisite, n. 1805–
14. zoism, n. 1900–
15. zoist, n. 1843–
16. zoistic, adj. 1849–
17. zoite, n. 1963–
18. -zoite, comb. form
19. zol, n. 1946–
20. Zolaesque, adj. 1886–
21. Zolaism, n. 1882–

## Meaning & use

1. 1577–
   Characteristic of Zoilus or his criticism.
   Stressed as ˈZoilous.
   1. 1577

      > I thought it good (somwhat to stop a zoilous mouth) to sette a more cleanly name vpon it, that is, Golden Aphroditis.

      J. Grange, Golden Aphroditis Epistle Ded. sig. Aivv
   2. 1618

      > Hee..therefore needeth not be daunted for the taunts of any Zoylous beholders.

      M. Baret, Hipponomie i. 47
   1. captious c1380–
      Apt to catch at faults or take exception to actions; disposed to find fault, cavil, or raise objections; fault-finding, cavilling, carping.
   2. pick-fault 1544–
      a. n. A fault-finder; †b. adj. fault-finding (Obsolete).
   3. fastidious?1555–
      Scrupulously or minutely concerned with refinement in matters of taste or propriety; having exacting standards or paying meticulous attention to…
   4. sharp-nosed 1561–79
      Having a keen ‘scent’; figurative quick at fault-finding, captious. Obsolete.
   5. cavillous?1571–1851
      Full of cavils or cavilling; (of persons) apt to cavil.
   6. carpacious 1574
      Given to carping.
   7. cavilling a1576–
      That cavils, captious; also, fraudulent, sophistical (obsolete).
   8. find-fault 1576–
      That finds fault, fault-finding.
   9. Zoilous 1577–
      Characteristic of Zoilus or his criticism.
   10. carping a1586–
       That carps; fault-finding, censorious, captious.
   11. exceptious 1602–
       Disposed to make objections; cavilling, peevish, captious.
   12. quarrellous 1610
       Quarrelsome, argumentative; litigious; fault-finding. Now chiefly U.S.
   13. exceptive 1623–
       Of persons and their utterances: Disposed or tending to take exception; hypercritical, captious.
   14. Zoilitical 1665
       = Zoilous, adj.
   15. nibbling 1691–1887
       Carping, fault-finding. Obsolete.
   16. pickthanking 1830
       = pickthank, adj.
   17. Zoilean 1846–
       = Zoilous, adj.
   18. snippy 1848–
       dialect and colloquial. Fault-finding, snappish, sharp; putting on airs, supercilious.
   19. nitpicking 1948–
       Pedantic; fault-finding; pernickety, fussy.
   20. nitpicky 1962–
       Excessively pedantic; = nitpicking, adj.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

Originally published as part of the entry for Zoilus, n.

Zoilus, n. was first published in 1921; not fully revised.