Question

rebarbative \ree-BAR-buh-tiv\

Accepted Answer

adjectiveIrritating; repellent.[From French rebarbative (offputting), feminine form of rebarbatif, from rebarber (to be repellent), from barbe (beard), from Latin barba (beard). Are bearded people irritating? While some find a beard on a man attractive, literally speaking it could be like barbed wire - repelling - for others. In fact, the words barb, barber, and beard are derived from the same root as today's word.]"From cosy Whitelaw to rebarbative Ingham, there are now over a dozen versions of the Thatcher decade by Thatcher's servants." - Catherine Bennett; Tales From the Book Cabinet; The Guardian (London, UK); Oct 1, 1993."As Nixon and the boy who would one day become his rebarbative five o'clock shadow both understood, football is simply war by other means." - Bruce Newman; Oliver Stone Goes to War Again, With Cleats On; The New York Times; Nov 14, 1999.

Rebarbative Beard War Ree Bar Buh Tiv Adjective Irritating Repellent French