owlish

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree English owl Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-isk Old English -isċ Middle English -ish English -ish English owlish From owl + -ish.

1. Resembling or characteristic of an owl.

   “1914, Theodore Dreiser, The Titan, Chapter 26, http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/fr100299.txt "You're very right," he said, with owlish smugness, adjusting a waistcoat button that had come loose, and smoothing his cuffs.”

   “He feebly wanted to get out of this, away from clucking nurses and Dr. Crittenham's owlish peering and the horrible scrambled eggs and cold toast.”

2. Wise and solemn.

   “He stands precociously possessed of centuries of owlish wisdom.”

   “[…] their large black eyes scanned the drawings with the owlish look of wisdom peculiar to connoisseurs.”

3. Stupid; dull-looking.

   “But, indeed, the young Venetian is, at that age when all men are owlish, ignorant, and vapid, the most owlish, ignorant, and vapid man in the world.”

   “"Any more big words coming?" he asked. "Owlish, stupid, brutal, unloving? That's you all over. Have you murdered anybody?"”