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more about insidiousness
insidiousness |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Insidious \In*sid"i*ous\, a. [L. insidiosus, fr insidiae an ambush, fr insidere to sit in pref. in- + sedere to sit: cf F. insidieux See {Sit}.] 1. Lying in wait; watching an opportunity to insnare or entrap; deceitful; sly; treacherous; -- said of persons; as the insidious foe. ``The insidious witch.'' --Cowper. 2. Intended to entrap; characterized by treachery and deceit; as insidious arts. The insidious whisper of the bad angel. --Hawthorne. {Insidious disease} (Med.), a disease existing, without marked symptoms, but ready to become active upon some slight occasion; a disease not appearing to be as bad as it really is Syn: Crafty; wily; artful; sly; designing; guileful; circumventive; treacherous; deceitful; deceptive. -- {In*sid"i*ous*ly}, adv -- {In*sid"i*ous*ness}, n. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: insidiousness n 1: subtle and cumulative harmfulness esp of a disease 2: the quality of being designed to entrap
more about insidiousness